Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide

This guide focuses on the best Paladin build in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Oath of Ancients subclass, and includes all components to build a powerful character.

This build page has been updated for the patch 6 version of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Paladin Class Introduction

The Oath of Ancients Paladin focuses is a paladin subclass that draws its power and inspiration from the ancient forces of nature, light, and goodness. Paladins who swear this oath become guardians of the natural world and defenders against darkness and corruption. The Oath of the Ancients subclass is often chosen by players who want to play Paladins with a strong connection to nature, focused on promoting beauty, joy, and the balance of the world.

This Paladin build with Oath of the Ancient subclass is one that players should pick for extra utility in the group. You can provide some decent healing, get access to crowd-control abilities, and still retain the identity of the Paladin. We will be using heavy armor, and two-handed weapons playing in melee aggressively. This build will provide tons of damage and get better over time, though it can be complex at first to understand. The leveling progression will walk you through each stage of the build and what you should be focusing on.

Pros of Paladin Build	Cons of Paladin Build
Crowd Control	Spell Slot Starved
High Burst Damage	Limited Spells
Heavy Armour	Complex

Oath of the Ancients Paladin Class Features & Mechanics

The following list presents all the essential Paladin Class Mechanics and Features in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Primary Ability: Charisma
• Saving Throw: Wisdom and Charisma
• Subclass: Oath of the Ancients
• Armor Proficiency: Light Armour, Medium Armour, Heavy Armor, Shields
• Weapon Proficiency: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
• Preferred Weapon: Greatsword
• Preferred Armor: Heavy Armour
• Channeled Oath Charges: Paladin-specific resource that allows the casting of spells and abilities.
• Divine Smite: Spend spell slots to deal additional radiant damage on a successful melee attack.
• Healing Radiance: heal yourself and nearby allies as a bonus action.
• Nature’s Wrath: Invoke primeval forces to Restrain an enemy. It can’t move, misses a lot, and is easy to hit.
• Turn the Faithless: Turn nearby fey and fiends. They are forced to flee and cannot come close to you.

Paladin Spell Mechanics

• Cantrips: are like spells, but you can cast them infinitely, and they don’t take your spell slots. For Paladin, you won’t have access to these unless from a race choice.
• Spell Slots: will use your spell slots, which are a limited resource during combat and will require a long rest to refill.
• Prepared Spells: a mechanic that allows you to swap in and out spells before combat.
• Concentration: is a spell mechanic in Baldur’s Gate 3 that some spells require to maintain and keep their magic active. 

Paladin spell casting in general, is limited compared to other classes and builds. But the Divine Smite additional damage mechanic consuming spell slots is the real reason you can do an insane amount of damage. In general, save the spell slots for this usage unless needing a buff, heal, or crowd control.

Paladin Class and Best Subclasses

The Oath of Ancients subclass is the great Paladin subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 because it offers powerful damage abilities, great healing, and emphasis on controlling the undead.

Here are all the Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin subclasses:

• Oathbreaker: damage-focused, crowd control, and control undead. Available at level two or higher after you break your Oath by killing an innocent. Pick Devotion to start and switch to this later.
• Oath of the Ancients: nature-based spell-focused, natural world Paladin.
• Oath of Devotion: healing focused, radiant damage, “good” Paladin.
• Oath of Vengeance: Seeks revenge and extra damage when tracking down enemies.

Oath of the Ancients makes a great Paladin choice because of the versatility and healing it can provide. The subclass also makes great use of its bonus action and still feels like a heavily armored warrior with spell casting. The differences in subclass give slight variations to spells and subclass abilities. But the core Paladin with Divine Smite and spell casting remains regardless of your selection. In the rest of this build guide, we will assume you are playing Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Here’s what the Oath of the Ancients Subclass will unlock for you at various levels in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Healing Radiance: Heal yourself and all nearby allies for 5 hit points. Regain another 5 hit points next turn.
• Nature’s Wrath: Invoke primeval forces to Restrain an enemy. It can’t move, misses a lot, and is easy to hit.
• Turn the Faithless: Turn nearby fey and fiends. They are forced to flee and cannot come close to you.
• Speak with Animals: Gain the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts.
• Ensnaring Strike (Ranged): Your attack summons thorny vines that possibly Ensnare your target.
• Misty Step: Surrounded by silver mist, you teleport to an unoccupied space you can see.
• Moonbeam: Call down a silvery beam of pale light that damages any creature that enters the beam or starts its turn in the light 2d10 radiant damage. 
• Aura of Warding: You and any nearby allies take only half the damage from spells.
• Protection from Energy: Touch a creature to grant it Resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage.
• Plant Growth: Make weeds burst from the ground and smother the area. Creatures moving through the weeds have their Movement Speed quartered.

Paladin Divine Smite Explained

Divine Smite is a signature ability of the Paladin class in Baldur’s Gate 3. It allows a Paladin to expend a spell slot to deal additional radiant damage to a creature they have hit with a melee weapon attack. The amount of extra damage is equal to 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.

Divine Smite can be toggled on or off in the reactions menu under the user interface. This allows you to make a decision if you want to use it or not. This is very important because the Paladin can run out of Spell Slots quickly, limiting damage. The last thing you want is to expend a spell slot needlessly on a weak creature.

Here are some tips for using the Best Paladin Build to use Divine Smite effectively in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Save your higher-level spell slots for tougher enemies.
• Use Divine Smite against enemies that are vulnerable to radiant damage.
• Consider using Divine Smite on a critical hit, as this will maximize the amount of damage you deal.
• Don’t be afraid to use Divine Smite multiple times per turn, especially if you are facing a group of enemies.

Recommended Backgrounds

Soldier is the best background for the Paladin Oath of Ancients Build in Baldur’s Gate 3 because you gain proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation. This choice mostly influences roleplaying and dialogue options aspects and allows you to create unique characters. Athletics scales with Strength while Intimidation scales with Charisma ability score thus they will help you both in combat situations and while exploring. This is not a critical performance-based selection for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Here’s a list of the best backgrounds for a Paladin:

1. Soldier: Proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation. You are trained in battlefield tactics and combat, having served in a militia, mercenary company, or officer corps. Soldier companions in BG3 are Jaheira and Lae’zel.
2. Noble: Proficiency in History and Persuasion. You were raised in a family among the social elite, accustomed to power and privilege. A noble companion is Minthara.
3. Guild Artisan: Proficiency in Insight and Persuasion. Your skill in a particular craft has earned you membership in a mercantile guild, offering privileges and protection while engaging in your art. No Guild Artisan companions in BG3.

Best Race Choice Paladin Build

The Zariel Tiefling is the best race choice for Oath of the Ancients Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3 because you get two Smite spells Searing and Branding, Fire Resistance, and Darkvision. With a class and subclass that is spell slot starved, the extra smites give you a massive advantage when playing offensive. A secondary choice would be the Dragonborn race. The race gets Breath Weapon and resistance of your choice. The downside is they do not have Darkvision or much else to offer.

Here’s the best Race choice for a Paladin Build:

Zariel Tiefling	Dragonborn
Hellish Resistance	Draconic Ancestry
Searing Smite	Breath Weapon
Branding Smite	Extra Resistance
Dark Vision

The Paladin’s racial choice will not influence ability score, but everyone should get a +2 and +1 to spend regardless. This frees your race choice up to not completely hinder yourself based on ability score, but race features. Each of these races offers unique advantages that can enhance your combat prowess, survivability, or utility. Additionally, consider the roleplaying opportunities and character concepts that resonate with you when playing the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Recommended Skills for Paladin Oath of Ancients

Athletics and Insight are the best skills for the Paladin Oath of Vengeance in Baldur’s Gate 3 because they complement your class abilities and enhance your effectiveness in various situations. In Baldur’s Gate 3, skills represent the abilities and proficiencies of your character that allow them to perform various actions and interact with the game world. Skills are associated with specific attributes and are used to determine the success or effectiveness of certain actions or abilities. They can be edited during character creation or with companions, during respec or reroll screen.

Here are the best skills for Paladin Oath of Ancients in Baldur’s Gate 3:

1. Persuasion is a Charisma Skill used entirely for dialogue Ability Checks.
2. Insight is a Wisdom skill used in dialogue and exploration.

While these skills are well-suited for the build, it’s important to consider your character concept and the specific challenges you may face in Baldur’s Gate 3. The selection of skills should align with your intended playstyle, complement your party composition, and reflect the narrative and roleplaying aspects of your character with the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Best Paladin Ability Score

Below is the best ability score to unlock the full potential of a Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3:

Ability	Points Goal
Strength	16
Dexterity	10
Constitution	14
Intelligence	8
Wisdom	10
Charisma	16

The Best Ability Score for the Paladin is 16 Strength and 16 Charisma that way your melee abilities will do a lot of damage in combination with spells specifically Divine Smite. The next priority is Constitution to 14 so you have a larger enough health pool to survive. Hitting Strength and Charisma at 16 is critical for the optimal damage setup for the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

After you choose the class, subclass, race, and background, the game will automatically distribute your abilities in the character creation abilities tab. You will need to reprioritize the stats for the chart for an optimal Paladin build. Simply use the plus-minus in the character creator and make sure you have the suggested race, or the numbers will be off. If you don’t reach these numbers due to racial choice, drop your Wisdom lower.

You can increase your ability score via a quest in Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3. Make sure to check out our Permanent bonus guide on how you can boost your ability score through quests.

Paladin Spell Slots

Below is a list and chart that shows the levels and spell slots unlocked for the Paladin class in Baldur’s Gate 3:

Paladin Level	1st	2nd	3rd
Level 1	0	0	0
Level 2	2	0	0
Level 3	3	0	0
Level 4	3	0	0
Level 5	4	2	0
Level 6	4	2	0
Level 7	4	3	0
Level 8	4	3	0
Level 9	4	3	2
Level 10	4	3	2
Level 11	4	3	3
Level 12	4	3	3

Paladin Illithid Powers

Illithid Powers are unlocked later in the game when you learn more about the Mind Flayers and tadpoles.  You can gain jars of Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens, and consume them to gain one point.  This is essentially another skill tree advancement with some very strong powers.  If you decide to advance this skill line, these are the choices we suggest.

Here are the best Illithid Powers for the Paladin Build:

• Luck of the Far Realms: When you make a successful Attack Roll against a foe, you can change that hit into a Critical Hit.
• Cull of the Weak: When you bring a creature down to fewer hit points than your number of evolved Illithid powers, it dies and all nearby creatures take 1-4 Psychic damage.
• Psionic Backlash: When an enemy within 9m casts a spell, you can use your reaction to inflict ld4 Psychic damage to the caster per the spell’s level.
• Blackhole: Area-based suck-in that slows targets.
• Repulsor: Massive area knockback that can hit friendlies.

Keep in mind, that you make an important decision in Act 3 of the game to advance these powers or not. For the sake of not spoiling things, realize there will be consequences when taking these powers with the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Paladin Level Progression

Level 1

Level one follow our character creator to pick all correct background, race, skills, and ability distribution focusing on Strength and Charisma. You also can pick your subclass, and for this build, we want to select Oath of the Ancients. Level two will give you the bulk of your spells, in the early game just rely on weapon damage. Your goal is to find some heavy armor and a two-handed weapon. You can grab medium armor from Lae’zel in the introduction if you don’t plan on using her. Simply attack and at level two things get interesting with the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Here’s a breakdown of what you get as a level 1 Paladin:

• Channeled Oath Charges: Paladin-specific resource that allows the casting of spells and abilities.
  • Usage: used for three oath skills, can be recovered via short rest.
• Lay on Hands: Use your blessed touch to heal a creature or cure it of all diseases and poisons.
  • Usage: Single target melee heal using action or cure disease. This consumes Oath Charges but is an effective heal.
• Divine Sense: Gain Advantage on Attack Rolls against celestials, fiends, and undead.
  • Usage: This uses bonus action which can be used with an attack costing an action.
• Healing Radiance: Heal yourself and all nearby allies for 5 hit points. Regain another 5 hit points next turn.
  • Usage: This is a Channeled Oath skill that can healing using a bonus action which is very helpful because you can still use your action for damage or another heal,
• Oath of the Ancient Tenets: Through acts of kindness, enkindle the light of hope in the bleakest hollows of despair. Shelter the Light.
  • Usage: this isn’t really a mechanic portion, just an oath you need to maintain. If you break the oath, you can unlock a new subclass, Oathbreaker.

Gameplay: at this level move along quickly to level 2 for spell unlocks. Use Lay on Hands and Healing Radiance for healing and damage comes from the main weapon attack.

Oath of Ancients Paladin Gameplay & Priorities

At the beginning of BG3, the Ancient Paladin will have dreadful mobility. Thus, you need to find and locate a back-bar ranged weapon like a Heavy Crossbow from Lae’zel or merchants. This gives you some type of upfront damage before you can close the distance. However, at level 5, you will unlock Misty Step and dramatically improve your power and mobility. Moreover, look to acquire Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, Potion of Speed, and Oil of Accuracy consumables. These three consumables “stack” allowing for massive damage.

Your overall priority with this build is the following:

• Complete Prologue
• Recruit Companions
• Unlock Withers, respec companions to proper class/ability score
• Collect the Necromancy of Thay (important in Act 3)
• Reached Hollowed City/Druid Grove
• Sell, Stock up, complete quests
• Unlock summons, Scratch, Shovel
• Progress to level 5
• Reach Underdark and Grymforge
• Check all Permanent Bonuses in Act 1 and the best Gear

Following these steps ensures a strong foundation, especially if you plan on playing solo or on Honour Mode difficulty.

Level 2

At level two the Paladin gains access to five prepared spells, choose a fighting style, and Divine Smite. Here is a list of what to do as a level two Oath of the Ancient Paladin:

Divine Smite: uses spell slot and hits in conjunction with weapon strike. Can be automatically applied, only during critical hits or have a popup box via the reactions menu. Be cautious at first about using this too often. You will burn through your spell slots quickly at this low level, and either have to rest or just use melee attacks only.

Gain access to five prepared spells. Suggested Prepared Spells:

• Searing Smite: Your Weapon deals an extra 1d6 Fire damage and marks the target with Searing Smite. A target with Searing Smite takes 1d6 Fire damage every turn until it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw.
  • Usage: this is your hard-hitting single-target spell that also gives a damage-over-time fire effect. Consider this a good option if you cannot one-shot an opponent and don’t need to Crowd Control them.
• Thunderous Smite: Your weapon rings with thunder as you strike, pushing your target 3m away and possibly knocking it Prone.
  • Usage: This attack can act like Crowd Control when you need a stun. You want to use this when needing a stun on a hard-hitting enemy.
• Shield of Faith: Surround a creature with a shimmering field of magic that increases its Armour Class by 2.
  • Usage: This uses a bonus action and requires concentration and should be used prior to fights where you expect to take the majority of the damage.
• Divine Favor: Your prayer empowers you with divine radiance. Your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 Radiant Damage.
  • Usage: this spell is great because it consumes a bonus action, not an action. This also gives you additional Radiant Damage, which you can pair with Divine Smite for huge damage early in the game.  Concentration is required with this spell.
• Cure Wounds: Touch a creature to heal it.
  • Usage: decent melee-based heal that consumes an action and spell slot. Early in the game, not having healing or potions spells doom, and depending on group composition, this spell can be flexed in or out.

Oath of Ancients Paladin Level 2 Gameplay

Great Weapon Fighting: passive feature when you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack with a Two-Handed melee weapon, that die is rerolled once.  This minimizes low-damage rolls and keeps your damage high especially using a Two-Handed weapon like a Greatsword.

Gameplay: with all of these spells, it’s important to not use them liberally. Divine Smite can proc (consuming an extra spell slot) and deliver extra damage in COMBINATION with Searing Smite. So if you Critical Strike with Searing Smite, you can use the reaction Divine Smite for additional damage. This will consume two spell slots, but deal a lot of damage. Early in the game, this is an issue due to the lack of spell slots. So be careful, don’t waste these spell slots on a target with 8 health, just melee attack them.

Additionally, the Paladin makes great use of their bonus action early in the game. Using Shield of Faith or Divine Favor prior to a fight can be helpful. Shield of Faith can be helpful to allies as well. Use healing sparingly, you should be focused on damage and bring a support class along for healing and buffs.

Paladin level 2 Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds.

Level 3

Level three the Oath of the Ancient Paladin will unlock another level 1 spell slot, Divine Health, and subclass features. Here’s a list of what happens as a level 3 Paladin:

• Gain another level 1 spell slot up to three.
• Gain one more prepared spell.
• Gain Divine Health: prevents the disease from affecting you (passive benefit).
• Nature’s Wrath (subclass): Invoke primeval forces to Restrain an enemy. It can’t move, misses a lot, and is easy to hit.
  • Usage: great debuff if the enemy is in melee and weapon-based.
• Turn the Faithless (subclass): Turn nearby fey and fiends. They are forced to flee and cannot come close to you.
  • Usage: A very powerful area-based spell is used against fey and Fiends. The easiest way is to right-click and examine the enemy, then use it when the percentage is high, around 60% or so with 3 monsters for best usage.
• Speak with Animals (subclass): Gain the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts.
  • Usage: this is a very helpful out-of-combat spell to trigger many quests with animals.
• Ensnaring Strike (Ranged) (subclass): Your attack summons thorny vines that possibly Ensnare your target.
  • Usage: This is an odd subclass skill that I would avoid, it’s mainly used on Rangers and is not a good fit for our build.

Spell Selection and Gameplay

• Command: Command a creature to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground, or drop their weapon.
  • This is your crowd control ability which can be used at range. My favorite is Prone, taking away actions from a hard-hitting enemy. Take this if you have another support character with you.

You now have a lot of versatility in spells, skills, and actions. The premise here is to use bonus actions and actions effectively per turn. At this level, I rarely use Thunderous or Searing Smite. It consumes both action and bonus action which is very costly. The first turn, I usually buff with Divine Favour or Shield of Faith, then attack in melee. The following turn, I decide on priority. If we need a stun, Command is a great option. Or if I just have to kill a target, I’ll use my spell slots for Searing Smite. Moreover, if we need high damage and a single target stun, Thunderous Smite. Don’t be afraid to use your turn to chain both Healing Radiance in Cure Wounds. One is action, one bonus action so you can put them together for a big burst heal when in need.

Even at level 3, the Paladin can be complex. Buff turn one, and use burst damage turn two. Turn three and evaluate what your group needs: crowd control, burst, healing, etc. Rinse and repeat that model until later in the game. It will get easier and more effective as you unlock spell slots. Also, check if you have a bonus action spent before ending your turn. If not, Hunter’s Mark, Divine Favour, or Shield of Faith can be vital if you have spell slots.

Paladin level 3 Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command.

Level 4

Level four gives you a very important decision between increasing your ability score like Strength or taking a feat. Feats give you a big benefit but doing so will have you miss out on Ability Improvements. Simply increasing your main stat Strength to 18 is the simplest and easiest way to advance your character. You can do this by selecting Ability Improvement rather than +2 to strength.

At level 8 we will take Great Weapon Master feat. This will keep our build simple at the moment, and hitting hard with a better percentage chance with a melee weapon.

You get one additional spell to slot and I recommend Protection from Evil and Good.

• Protection from Evil and Good: Protect an ally against the attacks and powers of aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. The target can’t be Charmed, Frightened, or possessed by them, and when these creatures attack it, they do so with a disadvantage.
  • Usage: this is a niche spell for this build and is not used often. It comes in handy in particular fights where your character is crowd-controlled on turn one and does nothing but sit there charmed. Otherwise, take another skill you find more appealing and consider this a flex.

Gameplay: remains unchanged at this level. Expect more damage and better chances to land an attack. Keep leveling to get more spells and more spell slots.

Level 4 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good.

Level 5

At level 5, the Paladin and Oath of Vengeance subclass unlocks a lot. Extra attack, more spell slots, and two subclass spells. Here’s a list of what to expect as a level 5 Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Level 1 and 2 Spell Slots Unlocked
• 1 Extra Prepared Spell (take Branding Smite)
• Extra Attack: Beginning at level, you can attack twice, by the Attack action on your turn. This combined with Divine Smite and the added spell slots allows you to mega single target damage pure turn.
• Subclass Spells:
  • Moonbeam: (Subclass Feature)(Call down a silvery beam of pale light that damages any creature that enters the beam or starts its turn in the light 2d10 radiant damage.)
  • Misty Step: (Subclass Feature)(Surrounded by silver mist, you teleport to an unoccupied space you can see.)

Spell Selection

• Branding Smite: deals 2d6 radiant damage and Possibly marks your target with light, preventing it from turning Invisible.
  • Usage: another hard-hitting Smite with 2d6 radiant this makes it perfect against specific targets. Don’t sleep on the preventing from turning invisible. Beyond level 5, many enemies, and bosses will attempt to slip away invisible with a potion or a spell. Shut them down with this smite.

Oath of Ancients Paladin Level 5 Gameplay

Level 5 unlocks a lot of offensive and defensive potential for the Paladin. Extra Attack gives you two attacks in one with a chance to proc Divine Smite on each. You can also combo this with a Potion of Speed or the Haste spell for two actions per turn. Your bonus action can be used for debuffs, and at level 8, another attack. You have two free spells courtesy of the Oath of the Ancient subclass. The best is Misty Step. The strength is this spell gives you great mobility and only uses bonus action. Now you can close the gap, charge in, and have crazy mobility alongside huge single-target damage.

At this level and beyond, you should feel very powerful. You can buff and debuff with a bonus action, mobility with Misty Step, and huge damage for the scenario or enemy using Smite. The issue with the build at this point is spell slots and using your big damage Divine Smite reaction appropriately. You will also need to rest constantly. Do not go off wandering into the unknown without your spell slots full. You should be much more powerful at this level with the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Level 5 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good, Branding Smite.

Level 6

At level 6 the Paladin unlocks 1 more prepared spell bringing the total to 9.  You also get Aura of Protection.

• Aura of Protection: You and nearby allies gain a bonus to Saving Throws equal to your Charisma modifier.

Spell

• Magic Weapon: Infuse a weapon with arcane energy. The weapon becomes magical, receiving a +1 bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls.
  • Usage: this is a decent buff to damage, but it comes at the cost of a high-level spell slot and concentration. Another decent spell to add to our arsenal.

Once you unlock Aura of Protection you need to activate it for its effect. Gameplay not much changes at this level.

Ending Act 1 with Oath of Ancients Paladin

At this level, you should be close to transitioning out of Act 1. Make sure to visit merchants and stock up on camp and alchemy supplies. Moreover, look over the best Act 1 items. There are also permanent bonuses you can acquire in Act 1. Lastly, Grymforge has powerful armor and weapons (Adamantine) that can aid you well into Act 3. Consider taking the time to collect the crafting items before transitioning to Act 2, where you won’t be able to return (Moonrise Tower).

Paladin Level 6 Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon.

Level 7

Upon reaching Level 7 the Oath of Ancients Paladin Unlocks:

• Additional Level 2 spell slot.
• Aura of Warding: You and any nearby allies take only half the damage from spells. The aura disappears if you fall Unconscious.

Spell

• Lesser Restoration: Cure a creature from disease, poison, paralysis, or blindness.
  • Usage: used in rare circumstances, but when an ally is critically paralyzed you need them to be able to take a turn.

Gameplay: not much changes and we are about to level 8 for a BIG boost in power with one of my favorite feats in the game.

Level 7 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon, Lessor Restoration.

Level 8

At level 8 the Paladin gets to pick a Feat or Ability Improvement, we suggest taking Great Weapon Master.

Great Weapon Master feat which does the following: When a melee attack scores a critical hit or kills a creature, you can make another melee attack as a bonus action. When attacking with Heavy Weapons you are proficient with, attack rolls take a -5 penalty, but their damage increases by 10.

The Great Weapon Master feat does two things for you. One, it has a high-risk high reward ability to add 10 damage BUT -5 attack roll penalty. As shown in the picture above, this simply reduces your percentage chance to hit significantly. You can turn this off in the Passive section on your toolbar, which will give you the normal percentage.

Secondly, this feat gives you another chance to hit on a kill or critical hit using a bonus action. This is the real reason the feat is so strong, multiple attacks in a turn, and with this build, you will be getting a lot of critical hits and kills. Combat should therefore be initiated using your action first, saving your bonus action for a Great Weapons Master attack.

• Compelled Duel: Compel an enemy to attack only you. It cannot attack other creatures.
  • Usage: another niche spell that can help you soak damage if other allies are low. Consider this a flex skill.

Oath of Ancients Paladin Level 8 Gameplay

At level 8 you now have the god-tier Great Weapon Master and enough Strength to take advantage of it. Here’s how you want your turn to go after you are buffed:

• Action One Attack (proc Divine Smite) goal kill target or critical strike
• Action Two Attack (proc Divine Smite) goal kill target or critical strike
• Proc Great Weapon Master from kill or critical hit, then use bonus action for another attack (proc Divine Smite).

That is a lot of attacks without using a specific Smite because the bonus action can proc Great Weapon Master. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use Branding, Thunderous, or Searing Smite, it’s just now you have options considering your bonus action is so valuable.

You can take this a step further by using a Potion of Speed or have someone cast Haste on you. This will give you an additional action, two more attacks and possibly two more divine strikes. In one turn, if things go well, the Paladin is an absolute force with this setup. Buff with bonus action on the first turn, and use primary melee attacks on the second with the goal of proc Great Weapon Master. Use your Smites and spell slots when you need a big damage attack. Heal rarely, and Misty Step for mobility.

Level 8 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon, Compelled Duel, Lessor Restoration.

Levels 9

The level 9 Oath of the Ancient Paladin unlocks the following in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• 2 Level 3 Spell Slots
• Protection from Energy: Touch a creature to grant it Resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage.
  • Usage: most of our level 3 spells will be used for Smite, or Elemental Weapon, but this can save your life in very specific fights with heavy single focus elements. Otherwise, consider this a utility skill.
• Plant Growth: Make weeds burst from the ground and smother the area. Creatures moving through the weeds have their Movement Speed quartered.
  • Usage: This spell is great for area-based snare and slowing down a mass enemy. Typically, a support class or ranged spellcaster would be doing the Crowd Control but this can come in handy.
• Blinding Smite: +3d8 radiant damage and possibly Blind your target.
  • Usage: this spell is your big nuke using Smite along with Blind it makes it a must-have and our primary usage of level 3 spells.
• Elemental Weapon: Imbue a weapon with elemental power. It receives a +1 bonus to Attack Rolls and deals an additional 1d4 damage of your choice.
  • Usage: consider this an enhanced Divine Favour adding +1 to attack rolls as well. The downside is it costs an action and a level 3 spell slot. However, if you can pre-buff using this before a fight expect even more damage.

Oath of Ancients Paladin Level 9 Gameplay

At this level, you have even more in your arsenal.  Most of the added spells will be used in niche situations. Your bread and butter remains the same, Smite damage. With Blinding Smite you have a hard counter against fellow martial weapon users. Giving the Blind debuff alongside 3d8 radiant damage is massive. Keep things simple and use your off-healing, crowd control, and utility only when needed.

Note on prepared spells, make sure to drop Compelled Duel so you can pick up two level 3 spells.

Level 9 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon, Lessor Restoration, Blinding Smite, Elemental Weapon.

Levels 10

The level 10 Oath of the Ancient Paladin unlocks the following in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Lay on Hands Charge
• Aura of Courage: You and any nearby allies can’t be Frightened. The aura disappears if you fall Unconscious.
• 1 Spell (take Revivify)
• Revivify: Revive a companion. They return to life with 1 hit point.
  • Usage: typically you can throw potions or use the help function but this can be useful for long range to bring someone back.

Gameplay remains unchanged at this level with more utility.

Level 10 Paladin Prepared Spells: Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Shield of Faith, Divine Favour, Cure Wounds, Command, Protection from Evil and Good, Branding Smite, Magic Weapon, Lessor Restoration, Blinding Smite, Elemental Weapon, Revive.

Level 11

At level 11 the Paladin doesn’t get much beyond an extra spell and another level 3 spell slot.  I recommend spending the last two levels multi-classing this class. Investing two levels into Fighter will give you a passive +1 Armour Class (AC) for using armor and a god-tier skill, action surge. If you want to stick with Paladin, you can choose another spell at this level, and at level 12 pick +2 Strength feat. However, I suggest taking two levels into Fighter to increase your action potential, which increases your damage significantly.

Having 20 Strength with another Ability Improvement is great. However, you get even more with potions of Hill Giant, 21 and 27 depending on the usage.  I typically do not recommend multi-classing, but the Paladin can really benefit from another action once per fight.

• Defence Fighting Style: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.  This is a passive benefit at level 1 Fighter and will help with survival. 
• Second Wind: this skill is unlocked at level one Fighter and is a mediocre heal that is useful during the start of the game. You can use a bonus action, though most potions outperform it.

If you multi-class, this level will feel uneventful, but trust me it’ll be worth it.  Prepared Spells remain unchanged from here on out. 

Level 12

With two levels into Fighter, you get access to the awe-inspiring Action Surge. You get an extra action, but the biggest strength is, that it doesn’t require any resources to use it. Action Surge is a once-per-fight usage, but it allows you to cast another spell, attack, dash, etc. It gives you that extra oomph that no other class has.

You take your Paladin with Extra Attack and give it Action Surge for 2x more attacks. You can take this a step further by using either a Potion of Haste or casting Haste on yourself. Then you get another action! If you did the math on that:

• Attack one + extra attack = 2
• Attack two (via Action Surge) + extra attack = 4
• Attack three (via Haste) + extra attack = 6
• Great Weapon Master via critical strike or kill = 7 (if you have a bonus action)

The Paladin at level 12 with this setup has so much firepower it’s remarkable. Again, if you wanted a traditional Paladin for all 12 levels, take Ability Improvement +2 Strength or the Alert feat which helps with going early in combat. We hope you enjoyed this build check out the gear section for more and continue with Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Best Companions for Paladin Oath of Ancients in Baldur’s Gate 3

Companions for the Best Oath of Ancients Paladin Build, we recommend range and support characters. The idea is, that your character charges in melee range with support, range damage, or even stealth attacks.  If you have multiple melee characters, 2-3, it can be troublesome in close-quarters combat. 

• Shadowheart (Cleric): buffs, healing, and crowd control.
• Gale (Wizard): range magic damage, area damage, and crowd control.
• Astarion (Rogue): burst damage, lockpicking, and range if needed.

It’s important to note that party composition and synergy play a significant role in determining the effectiveness of your companions. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each companion and how they align with your main character’s abilities and playstyle. You can go more range with Wyll or a double melee setup with Lae’zel.  Also, feel free to swap out and explore different options as you play the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide.

Best Gear for Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build

Beginner: Starting the Game

Here’s the best beginner gear for Paladin Oath of Ancients Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

Gear Slot	Best Gear Item	Effect
Head	Helmet of Smiting	Smite gives HP
Cape	–
Chest	Adamantine Splint Armour	18 AC
Gloves	Gloves of the Growling Underdog	Advantage on Melee
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	Free Misty Step
Necklace	Moondrop Pendant	No Opportunity Attacks
Ring	Crusher’s Ring	Increase Movement
Ring	Caustic Band	Poison Damage
Weapon 1 Main Hand	Sword of Justice	2d6 Slashing
Weapon 2 Ranged	Titanstring Bow	Add STR modifier

List of best Oath of Ancients Paladin Equipment in Act 1:

• Helmet of Smiting: Located in Underdark Selûnite Outpost X: 163 Y: -248 (Alternatives Haste Helm, Cap of Wrath, or Grymskull Helm).
• Adamantine Splint Armour:  Crafted in Adamantine Forge (Alternatives Chain Mail +1, or Githyanki Half Plate).
• Gloves of the Growling Underdog: Chest behind Razglin’s throne room. (X:295 Y:69) (Alternatives Gloves of Heroism, Gloves of Dexterity, or Gloves of Missile Snaring).
• Disintegrating Night Walkers: Obtained in Gyrmforge as part of Free True Soul Nere questline (Alternatives Boots of Striding, Boots of Genial Striding, or Boots of Speed).
• Moondrop Pendant: Sealed chest inside the Owlbear Nest (Alternatives Amulet of Branding, Amulet of Misty Step, or Amulet of Restoration).
• Crusher’s Ring: Can be looted or stolen from Crusher in the Goblin camp (Alternatives Strange Conduit Ring, or Ring of Absolute Force).
• Caustic Band: Obtained from merchant Derryth Bonecloak in the Myconid Colony (Alternatives Fetish of Callarduran Smoothhands, or The Sparkswall).
• Sword of Justice: Looted from Anders near Karlach (Alternatives Silver Sword of the Astral Plane, or Everburn Blade).
• Titanstring Bow: Brem in Zhentarim Hideout (Alternatives Bow of Banshee, Spellthief, or Giantbreaker).

Advanced: End-Game

The following table presents the best advanced and end-game gear for Paladin Oath of Ancients Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:

Gear Slot	Best Gear Item	Effect
Head	Helm of Balduran	Self-healing
Cape	Fleshmelter	Return Damage
Chest	Helldusk Armour	21 AC
Gloves	Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength	23 Strength
Boots	Helldusk Boots	Mobility
Necklace	Amulet of Greater Health	23 Constitution
Ring	Killer’s Sweetheart	Auto Critical
Ring	Ring Of Regeneration	Self-healing
Weapon 1 Main Hand	Balduran’s Giantslayer	Best Greatsword
Weapon 2 Ranged	Darkfire Shortbow	Gives Haste

Below is a list of the best Act 3 Equipment for the Oath of the Ancients Paladin Build:

• Helm of Balduran: Obtained in Dragon’s Sanctum (Alternatives Helldusk Helmet, Sarevok’s Horned Helmet, or Mask of Soul Perception).
• Fleshmelter: Found in Chest in House of Healing Morgue (Alternative Cloak of Protection).
• Helldusk Armour: Dropped by Raphael in the House of Hope (Alternatives Armour of Devotion, Armour of Persistence, Bhaalist Armour).
• Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength: Obtained in Archive of the House of Hope (Alternatives Helldusk Gloves, Legacy of the Masters, or Gloves of Soul Catching).
• Helldusk Boots: In a locked chest, Wyrm’s Rock Fortress X: -32 Y: 219 (Alternative Disintegrating Night Walkers).
• Amulet of Greater Health: Found in the House of Hope in Baldur’s Gate City (Alternative Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet, or Periapt of Wound Closure).
• Killer’s Sweetheart: Obtained from the Gauntlet of Shar in Act 2 (Alternative Ring of Protection, Risky Ring).
• Ring Of Regeneration: Sold by Rolan at Sorcerous Sundries (Alternative Ring of Free Action, Shifting Corpus Ring).
• Balduran’s Giantslayer: Obtained as a reward for completing the Wyrmway trials (Alternatives Sword of Chaos, or Silver Sword of the Astral Plane).
• Darkfire Shortbow: Sold by trader Damon Act 2 Last Light Inn X: -35 Y: 169 (Alternative Fabricated Arbalest).

Best Paladin Consumables, Potions, and Items

The following list represents the best individual use consumable items that will aid in our Paladin Build:

• Elixir of Bloodlust: Once per turn when you kill a foe, you gain HP 5 temporary hit points and an additional action.
• Elixir of Hill Giant Strength: Increases Strength ability score to 21 until Long Rest.
• Potion of Speed: Gain extra action, +2 AC, Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws, and double movement speed.
• Drow Poison: Weapon poison that adds Constitution Saving Throw or becomes Poisoned and falls Asleep.
• Potion of Flying: Drink to gain a flying speed of 60ft for one hour.
• Elixir of Heroism: Gain 10 temp HP and become Blessed until a long rest.
• Potion of Greater Healing: 4d4 + 4 hit points restored.
• Oil of Accuracy: Coat Weapon. Bonus of +2 in Attack Rolls.
• Elixir of Vigilance: Drink to gain a +5 bonus to Initiative and you can’t be Surprised.
• Elixir of Darkvision: (only non-Darkvision race): Drink to gain the ability to see in the dark up to 12m.

Paladin Combat, Gameplay, and Tips

The Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Guide uses the best combination of melee, single target damage, healing, and crowd control to survive and fight. Here are 10 gameplay tips specifically for playing an Oath of the Ancient Paladin in Baldur’s Gate 3:

1. Spell Slots: use your spell slots wisely, especially for Divine Smite and Healing
2. Divine Smite: Use this extra damage source on the hardest to defeat enemies and save your spell slots for when you need it.
3. Healing: Use potions that consume bonus actions or Lay on Hands for yourself or an ally.
4. Heavy Armor: Find and equip this early for needed AC.
5. Crowd Control: Make sure to CC enemies with Thunderous Smite or a Companion ability to limit damage.
6. Pre-Buff: Cast Blessed before combat to get a roll Advantage.
7. Range: Don’t forget to equip a ranged weapon to ensure you can do damage on nearly every turn.
8. Long Rest: Use the rest at camp function to regain spell slots and don’t go into a fight with zero.
9. Great Weapon Master: Focus on low-health targets with your first action to strike a kill and another attack with Great Weapon Master.
10. Toggle Reactions: Make sure both Divine Smite and Great Weapon Master are toggled on or off when you need them.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin Oath of Ancients Build Summary Guide

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