[Top 11] D&D Best Paladin Multiclass That Are Fun

Updated:

22 Sep 2024

1.Paladin / Barbarian

Paladin Barbarian may seem like an odd combo at first, but it makes a lot of sense for a battle focused paladin to have a little bit of rage inside them.

Paladin’s are often portrayed as stodgy and unmoving, so seeing one flip into a rage and attack with holy righteous fury is a really cool combination.

The fact that rage abilities and paladin abilities work together surprisingly well, creating a functioning hole that does well at turning your enemies into past.

Why Paladin / Barbarian is Great

Both classes love having a high strength and a high constitution score.
Grants flexibility to either be heavily armored with plate or to go the unarmored defense of the barbarian.
Barbarian Rage powers enhance the paladin’s effectiveness in combat, and the paladin’s smite and other in combat abilities do not require concentration and can be used alongside the barbicans rage.

Choose this Multiclass if

You’re tired of keeping your cool as a stoic paladin in intense situations.
You want hit things HARD, multiplying the barbarians extra rage effects with the paladin’s smite ability.
Paladins tend to be front liners, and their armor and healing abilities help, but giving a paladin the barbarian’s ability to reduce damage immensely increases their skills in battle as a tank.

2. Paladin / Bard

Paladin’s have a reputation for their high charisma, and that means that bard actually is a class that mixes well with paladin, as it let’s the Paladin focus more on their secondary stats and face abilities rather then hitting things super hard.

The bard’s inspiration ability is also super effective for support focused paladins who are looking to help the whole team do better.

But I also just like to be a bard paladin and remind my dungeon master that there is nothing in the paladin code about celibacy.

Why Paladin / Bard is Great

Paladin’s help with one of the bard’s greatest flaws, in that by using ther detect evil ability they can tell if the person they’re flirting with is a horrible monster in disguise.
Bardic spells and inspiration can help bolster a party and add an additional layer of versatility without splitting your ability scores.
Paladins are not known for their spellcasting abilities, but what spells they do have are great for powering yourself up. Adding in the Bardic support abilities means that you can still hold your own in combat while supporting your allies.

Choose this Multiclass if

You want to play the face of the party but want to command a little more respect than the standard bards get.
You want to play a holy warrior but are more interested in supporting your teammates than fighting on the front line.
You want to remind the dungeon master that there are no paladin codes against partying like it’s a fantasy tavern and you’re the bard.

3. Paladin / Cleric

One of the most natural combos in the multi-classing pantheon is the Cleric/Paladin Combo. The classes naturally dove tail to no one’s surprise. Because it’s so classic there isn’t much interesting to do here, most cleric paladin builds just use the natural abilities of the paladin or the cleric to enhance themselves.

The greatest power up comes from access to the powerful domain and spell abilities, which can often be combined with the smite ability for increased damage so long as the spell or ability is within Melee range.

Why Paladin / Cleric is Great

Cleric opens up the ability to cast a lot of divine spells with incredible power and it doesn’t conflict with paladin abilities.
Unless a Cleric goes full war domain, they can often struggle in melee combat. Taking the paladin as a multiclass helps with that issue.
If you want to focus more on the healing aspects of the paladin, the cleric comes with many abilities that will strengthen the paladin’s heal on hands and other healing spells.

Choose this Multiclass if

You don’t want to play a straight paladin or cleric, but really want to stick to the holy warrior theme.
You like the upfront nature of the paladin but want to be more spellcasting focused.
You want access to the powerful enhancements of the cleric domain ability, but aren’t interested in being a full-fledged spell casters.

4. Paladin /Druid

Paladin and druid are an unusual class combination simply because of the differing themes.

However, the fact that Paladin’s smite ability transfers over to the Druid’s wild shape form leads to some incredible combinations. What do you mean you don’t like the idea of a t-rex who’s maw is filled with divine radiant energy?

Sounds great to me! Druid spells can also be used to power more smites from the paladin, giving the paladin even more fuel for smiting fire even while in wild shape since the druid can’t use spells in wild shape until latter levels anyways.

Why Paladin / Druid is Great

The druid’s wild shape ability gels well with the paladin’s smite, allowing you to deal out additional damage in already powerful forms.
Druid spells are a easy burning fuel for paladins since they don’t cast spells in wildshape anyways.
Druid spells do add a degree of flexibility outside of combat that can be very useful. Plus, rarely does anyone expect the paladin to be mobile in the woodlands.

Choose this Multiclass if

The idea of being a giant monster with radiant divine energy for smiting evil sounds simply AWESOME.
You get frustrated that you ran out of smites to soon, and want a pool of spells you probably aren’t going to use anyways to fuel them.
You want to disregard the stereotype of the paladin in a grand temple and want to move more towards an earthen paladin that is one with nature.

5.Paladin / Fighter

Paladin Fighter is a combination that always gave me the impression of grizzled old warriors who are doing things for the right reason, but not afraid to get a little dirty to do it. Plaladin’s can deal an insane amount of damage with their smite, but it can be a bit of a one trick pony in combat.

Even worse, if you manage to run out of spells, you won’t be able to smite at all. Thankfully, the fighter shores up those weakeness by granting access to combat abilities and tricks that will make the paladin much more versatile mid combat, such as push or trips to help ensure hits.

Remember, a smite only can trigger if you hit your enemy first.

Why Paladin / Fighter is Great

Combining action surge with smite is a holy roller of an attack that will kill most things when you can hit for multiple smites in a turn.
If you do run out of smites then the fighter and the paladin compliment each other as front line melee fighters, and their abilities tend to support this no matter which side of the equation.
Fighters are often left behind in D&D due to their lack of impactful abilities, but the paladin is fairly front loaded, meaning your fighter can start off with several useful paladin abilities.

Choose this Multiclass if

You’d like more tactical abilities in combat and want to make more active in making decisions that will actively effect combat.
You like being able to hit hard as a truck but want to keep your martial abilities open for if you run out of smites.
Give the rather standard fighter a suite of abilities that will make them stand out of a crowd.

6.Paladin / Monk

Paladin Monk is a class combination that seems like it would be great at first glance.

The monk is filled with powerful abilities, and so is the monk. However, the extreme diversity of the abilities needed by these two classes means that combining the two often just leaves you with no ability scores to speak of as you have to spend all your abilities to get at least a single point in all the different ability scores needed to fuel your abilities.

The tradeoff is that you get a absolutely crazy suite of different abilities, as both classes are fairly front loaded. You’ll have more options and abilities at first level than some do for the entire game.

Why Paladin / Monk is Great

Being able to smite enemies with your bare hands and feet even if you have no other weapons available is always useful, especially since once it’s realized you’re a paladin most are going to want your weapons
In particular, Monk gives you the ability to exchange your dexterity instead of strength for attack and damage rolls. This allows you to ditch strength as a paladin, normally a very demanding stat, and instead invest more into dexterity.
Ki abilities, particularly Step of the Wind, allow a paladin to move about the battlefield and use abilities that ar

Choose this Multiclass if

Want to be more mobile and trade out the paladin’s heavy armor for the unarmored defense of the monk
Like the idea of being the unassuming monk from a monastery that then can punch with the power of a god.
Want to use super cool monk weapons which both channel your monk abilities and can be used to give your paladin smites unique special effects.

7.Paladin / Ranger

Paladin ranger is an interesting combination with a few really cool combos, and a few really bad ones. Importantly, smites are only possible as melee attacks, and cannot be used with ranged attacks. This means that the ranger’s archery fighting styles and abilities are pretty much no good to you from the sight.

However, the multi attack abilities as well as the ability to command animal companions is useful to give yourself additional companions.

After all, most people will be focusing on you, allowing animal companions to flank and improve your attacks.

Why Paladin / Ranger is Great

Rangers do get some spells, which can be converted to smite attacks to allow your paladin more smites than normal.
Animal companions often suffer from being comparatively squishy, but with abilities like compel duel to distract enemies from them, they can hold their own enemies.
Rangers are the premier trackers, and giving a paladin the ability to track down enemies no matter

Choose this Multiclass if:

You want to have your own team mates that you command and control on the battlefield to make the most of your paladin abilities.
You want to get more spells that you can channel into smite, and the more spells added the better.
You want to doggedly track the enemies of the faith no matter where they go, and have the abilities to make your movement more impressive to compensate for being a slower paladin.

8. Paladin / Rogue

Paladin Rogues seem like a conflicting class goals, but it actually mixes rather well if done carefully. Remember, sneak attack triggers whenever you have advantage. Combined this with the paladin’s smite and you can deal out entire hordes of damage.

Also, just because you’re a rogue doesn’t make you a thief or a evil doer. You can easily use the rogue’s skill improvement abilities to make your paladin far more capable outside of battle and in fringe positions.

Why Paladin / Rogue is Great

A paladin attacking a stunned or otherwise hampered opponent seems dishonorable, but very few paladin codes will outright forbid the action.
Rogue’s are skill masters, and Paladin’s are incredibly light on skill. Rogue’s let the paladin have all the skills they could ever want while still letting them hit like a truck.
The Rogue’s cunning action ability hugely improves the mobility of the paladin, allowing them to rush in, disengage, or move as necessary to get better angles on your opponents.

Choose this Multiclass if

You want to make up for the paladin’s lack of skills and make yourself more useful outside of battle.
You aren’t particularly interested in fighting stoically or fairly, and are more interested in getting the job done.
You want to focus on charisma abilities like intimidate or diplomacy and want to be the unstoppable inquisitor of your church.

9. Sorcerer / Paladin

Paladin Sorcerer is a unique combination, as it combines the powerhouse of spells that is the sorcerer with the damage wielding holy justice of a paladin. How this works it that Paladin grants the Sorcerer access to heavy armor, greatly protecting the squishy sorcerer.

But the biggest effect is the interaction between a paladin’s smite evil and a sorcerers touch spell.

The paladin’s most powerful and well known ability is Divine Smite. Divine Smite can use any spell slot, yes, including the ones from sorcerer class, to add a extra d8 damage to your attack for each spell level used.

This ability is strengthened when combined with the fact that spellcasting touch spells count as melee weapon attacks, allowing you to channel your divine smite through your spells.

Combine this with the fact that smite only needs to be triggered after you know whether or not the hit is a crit, plus the high damage potential of spells, means the paladin sorcerer can do some insane numbers.

Why Sorcerer/ Paladin Is Great

Divine Smite allows you the option to add up to 5d8 worth of spell levels, which your sorcerer spell casting will still allow you to do even though you can’t reach level 20 as a paladin for fifth level paladin spells.
With that 5d8, plus the powerful spell Steel Wind Strike allows you to do 6d10 force damage against 5 targets, carrying with it that radiant 5d8 with each. If triggered for a critical hit, this spell can do a astounding 12d10/10d8 damage.
The paladin’s powerful armor and weapon loadouts provide a lot of protection, as we once again take advantage of the lack of spell failure in fifth edition to armor up our sorcerer for a higher likely hood of surviving.

Choose This Multiclass if...

You love the idea of casting spells enhanced by the power of the gods against evil.
Want to stay armored and with a high AC so that you can handle more deadly situations and want to get into combat.
Want to lean heavily into the luck of crits to roll an absolutely obscene number of dice.

10. Paladin / Warlock

Warlocks are hard to mix with other classes without supercharging them, and paladin is no exceptions.

The warlock’s instant recovery of high level spells during short rest means that the paladin almost always has it’s biggest guns locked and loaded. In a day where a high enough level warlock is able to smite, they can use level 5 smites almost a dozen times in a single day without any additional recovery other than breaks for short rest naps.

However, be careful as the shiniest toy in the warlock’s toolchest, eldritch blast, does not mix with smite as it’s not a melee attack. However, you can absolutely have a pact with your weapon as a paladin that allows you more freedom and spellcasting abilities than without.

Why Paladin / Warlock Is Great

Near unlimited supply of your most powerful smites.
Ability to switch to long range eldritch blasts if something prevents you from getting close to an enemy.
Nothing says you can’t do a pact with your own deity or a servant of your deity, which could lead to fascinating roleplay opportunities.

Choose this Multiclass If

You hate running out of smites.
You're excited about the roleplay opportunities of devotion to your god or ideals and devotion to your patron.
You want to bolster the paladin’s fighting abilities with incredibly powerful blasts of high level magic.

11.Paladin / Wizard

The final combination in our paladin multiclass list, the wizard is much like some of the other classes in that it’s not the greatest mix, as the wizards substandard health and small number of spells mean that you can’t fuel very many casting of smite because the wizards don’t have many spells.

However, much like those other classes, you can negate some of these issues by focusing on how the two classes meld together.

Using the spells of the wizard in a pinch to gain you extra smites is helpful, but even more useful is using the wizard’s spells for both greater versatility and protection. This is especially true if you combine it with War Magic, which despite the name is pretty defensive.

Normally giving up leveled spells the turn after a cast would be terrible, but with this multiclass combo you can switch to physical attacks until your ready to cast your big spells again.

Why Paladin / Wizard is Great

Transmutation and Abjuration spells work wonders to make the paladin more powerful for important battles.
Even if they don’t get as many spells, you can still transform them into smites, and the wizard’s arcane recovery can get back a few spells with each short rest to extend your adventuring day.
Wizard’s often have a a lot of skill points

Choose this Multiclass if

You want to use touch cantrips to charge up touch attack bolts of smite divine damage straight into enemies, and use wizard abilities to do damage no matter how well your opponents saves.
You want to mix the intelligence of a wizard and the flexibility of their spellcasting with the combat power of the paladin.
You want to mix in big attack spells like fireball even when your opponent can’t reasonably expect a paladin in full plate to throw a fireball at them.