Discover the best Paladin Armour in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3), equipping your class with the top eight early and end-game choices.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has various powerful clothing and armour types. When choosing armour for your Paladin, it is important to consider your character’s playstyle and the types of enemies you will be facing. The Paladin class and subclasses excel at high damage and utility. The class blends martial weapons with light, medium, and heavy armour proficiency, giving you total flexibility in your character build. The Divine Smite spell adds a layer of damage and complexity to your Paladin, making it one of the highest damage dealers in the game. This guide and ranking explain and list the best armour in BG3 for the Paladin, and how you can utilize them.
Best Armour for Paladin Class in Baldur’s Gate 3
Helldusk Armor is the best armour for Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3 because it has the highest Armour Class, gives fire resistance, and allows you to cast Fly once per long rest.
Helldusk Armour can be obtained in Act 3, but there are plenty of options to help you until the end game of BG3. Typically, Paladins wear heavy armour and emphasise the holy warrior look and gameplay. Heavy armour will give you the best defensive survivability without sacrificing your offensive potential, and the best item set in the BG3 for the Paladin is Helldusk Armour.
Ranked from best to worst, here are the best armour options for the Paladin class in BG3:
- Helldusk Armour
- Armour of Persistence
- Helm of Balduran
- Helldusk Boots
- Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength
- Adamantine Splint Armour
- Disintegrating Night Walkers
- Gloves of Heroism
- Helmet of Smiting
- Chain Mail +1
Chain Mail +1
Chain Mail +1 features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): 17 AC
- Type: Heavy Armour
- Requirements: Heavy Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Location: Traders in Act 1.
When you first start BG3, your heavy armour options are extremely limited. It’s common to “borrow” Lae’zel’s Githyanki Half Plate Mail during the tutorial. This will give you 15 AC immediately, along with obtaining the Everburn Blade during the tutorial. Your Paladin will initially deal great damage with survivability. However, you need an upgrade as you progress!
Around levels 3 or 4, traders will start selling Chain Mail +1. Specifically, Dammon in the Hollowed City has this item, and it can be extremely helpful to boost your Armour Class to 17 within a few hours of gameplay. You also get less Slashing Damage which helps, and this will carry your survivability and armour through the first part of Act 1 and is highly recommended as a starter heavy armour set.
Helmet of Smiting
Helmet of Smiting features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): None
- Type: Medium Armour
- Requirements: Medium Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Location: Chest inside Selûnite Outpost X: 163 Y: -248 Act 1.
Your Paladin will quickly learn and obtain powerful Smite spells. While Divine Smite remains the bread and butter of the Paladin’s damage, Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Wrathful Smite, and Branding Smite all proc the Helmet of Smiting Bolstering Smite effect. When you apply a condition with one of your Smite spells, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to your Charisma modifier. With 16 Charisma, you can get 3 temporary hit points every time you use a Smite.
Combine these free temporary hit points with a race like the Zariel Tiefling. The Zariel Tiefling receives a free Searing Smite spell at level 3 once per Long Rest. This makes a powerful early combination to allow free temporary hit points when playing offensive. You also gain +1 Constitution Saving Throws. Consider this a good Paladin-specific helmet to obtain early in the game.
Gloves of Heroism
Gloves of Heroism features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): None
- Type: Gloves
- Requirements: None
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Location: Inside Toll House hidden in Cellar X: -674 Y: -401 Act 1.
In BG3, Gloves of Heroism is an uncommon glove that has the Warding Hands special feature. When you use your Channel Oath spells, you gain Heroism. Heroism is a status effect that gives you 5 temporary hit points and makes you immune to Frightened. Each subclass uses Channeled Oath abilities which is a limited use resource recharged per short rest. Oath of the Ancients uses Healing Raidance for healing, while Oath of Vengeance uses Inquistor’s Might to increase damage.
This set is another way to increase your Paladin’s survivability passively while using Channeled Oath skills and abilities. Gloves of Heroism also gives +1 Strength Saving Throws. Combine these gloves with the Helmet of Smiting for the constant influence of temporary hit points and increase your Paladin survivability.
Disintegrating Night Walkers
Disintegrating Night Walkers features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): None
- Type: Boots
- Requirements: None
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Location: Looted from Nere in Grymforge Act 1
One of the biggest issues with Paladin early is mobility. While the Vengeance Paladin gets access to the Misty Step spell via a subclass feature, the rest of the builds do not. Disintegrating Night Walkers not only gives you a Misty Step spell once per short rest but also the Night Walker special feature. While wearing these boots, you cannot be Enwebbed, Entangled, or Ensnared and can’t slip on Grease or Ice. Look to complete the Free True Soul Nere questline during Act 1 at the Grymforge for powerful boots that will solve your Paladin mobility issues.
Adamantine Splint Armour
Adamantine Splint Armour features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): 18 AC
- Type: Heavy Armour
- Requirements: Heavy Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Location: Adamantine Forge crafted with Splint Mould and Mithral Ore.
The Adamantine Splint Armour is the best Act 1 armour you can obtain. With superior 18 AC, reducing incoming damage, and sending attackers reeling, this is your target early in the game. You need to obtain Mithral Ore while in the Grymforge, defeat a unique boss, and craft this armour before progressing to Moonrise Towers. This chest piece can carry your survivability until Act 3 and is highly sought after.
Another benefit of this armour is that attackers cannot land critical hits on you. This will lower their burst potential against you. In Act 1, you can combine this with the Helmet of Smiting and Gloves of Heroism previously discussed to constantly get an influence of temporary hit points. This allows your Paladin to avoid attacks and stay offensive and aggressive.
Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength
Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): None
- Type: Gloves
- Requirements: None
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Location: House of Hope Archive late in Act 3.
The Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength are obtained in late Act 3 and radically increase your strength to 23. Once you obtain this, you can easily respec your Paladin’s ability score for higher Charisma and Dexterity rather than Strength. A common setup is a two-handed Greatsword Paladin’s with Great Weapon Master feat. Combining these gloves with a 20 Charisma ability score will produce dramatic damage with high weapon attack damage along with Divine Smite.
Helldusk Boots
Helldusk Boots features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): None
- Type: Boots
- Requirements: None
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Location: Locked chest in Wyrm’s Rock Fortress Act 3 X: -32 Y: 219.
Consider the Helldusk Boots an improved version of the Disintegrating Night Walkers boots. The Hellcrawler special feature acts like a teleport mobility tool with added 2d8 fire damage in a 3-meter radius. You also can use a reaction when you fail a saving throw with the Infernal Evasion special feature to increase your survivability. The Steadfast perk prevents you from being forcibly moved. While this doesn’t seem strong, Telekinesis, Thunderwave, and Gust of Wind are many ways your Paladin can be knocked off ledges or into lava (I learned this the hard way). Consider these boots the Meta armour for the Paladin in BG3.
Helm of Balduran
Helm of Balduran features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): None
- Type: Helmet
- Requirements: Medium Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Legendary
- Location: Dragon’s Sanctum on an altar X: 636 Y: -964 Act 3.
The strength of the Helm of Balduran is stun immunity. This ensures your Paladin can use actions each turn. Combine the Helm of Balduran with Helldusk Boots, and now your Paladin will be immune to stuns, cannot be forcibly moved, and cannot be a critical hit. Your survivability and offensive potential drastically improve with this pairing making it the go-to helm in Act 3 for every Paladin’s Build.
Armour of Persistence
Armour of Persistence features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): 20 AC
- Type: Heavy Armour
- Requirements: Heavy Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Location: Dammon Lower City of Baldur’s Gate Forge of the Nine Act 3.
The second best heavy armour set to collect is the Armour of Persistence. The strength of this set is its ease of access, being sold by the trader Dammon in Act 3. With 20 AC and a reduction of damage by 2, this makes it one of the best Paladin armours in BG3. You also obtain Resistance and Blade Ward while wearing with the Legendary Persistence.
Resistance is a cantrip giving you a +1d4 bonus to Saving Throws while Blade Ward provides resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercin, and Slashing damage. This is two powerful spells in one armour set, permanently added! Consider this your go-to easy upgrade from the Adamantine Splint Armour once you reach Act 3.
Also Check:- BG3 Interactive Map
Helldusk Armour
Helldusk Armour features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Class (AC): 21 AC
- Type: Heavy Armour
- Requirements: Heavy Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Legendary
- Location: Looted from Raphael in the House of Hope Act 3
In Baldur’s Gate 3, Helldusk Armour is the best armour for the Paladin Class. With 21 AC, this is one of the highest AC armours in the game, providing an increased probability of avoiding attacks. Helldusk also provides fire resistance and punishes attackers with burning when you succeed in a saving throw against them.
This Legendary Armour also has Infernal Retribution which burns casters who target you and fail on attacks. Burning is a status effect that does 1d4 fire damage per turn while it’s active. This combination is punishing anyone for attempting to attack you. Moreover, you cannot be Burned yourself, which if you combine with Helm of Balduran and Helldusk Boots, you now are immune to stuns, burning, and cannot be forcibly moved. This gives you ultimate control over your character making you an indomitable force in BG3.
Fly spell provided by Helldusk Armour can aid your mobility allowing you to cast it, once per long rest. Fly will increase your mobility drastically and has great utility inside and outside of combat. Lastly, the armour reduces all damage by 3, making it the highest damage reduction and AC combo in the entirety of the game. And this summarizes why Helldusk Armour is the best Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Armour for Paladin class!
Looking For More About Baldur’s Gate 3?
Thank you for reading Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Armour for Paladin Class Guide. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3. Also, watch me play games on Twitch or visit my YouTube channel!