Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3includes many of the classes found inDungeons & Dragons5e, including the holy warriors fond of smiting evil in the name of their righteous tenets, Paladins. These deadly himbos combine the healing and spellcasting of Cleric while putting out damage that gives Fighter a run for its money.
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However, the hardest part of building a Paladin is figuring out which spells to prepare and when to cast them, especially since they have a number of concentration spells that can only be used one at a time. Luckily, there are a handful of Paladin spells that will always have a use and will likely never leave your hotbar.
8Wrathful Smite
The second-best first level Smite spell,Wrathful Smite, has less damage than the base Smite ability but inflicts the Frighten condition, which stops targets from moving while giving their attacks and checks disadvantage.
This is thePaladin’s best spellfor locking down an opponent and making sure they aren’t causing havoc to the squishier parts of your party. This makes it stronger than theCompelled Duelspell, as it doesn’t require concentration and adds damage at the cost of an action, which would likely be used to make a weaker attack anyway.
7Blinding Smite
The only third level Smite spell, Blinding Smite, adds an additional 1d8 radiant damage against the basic Smite ability while also possibly blinding the target. If used on the first of the paladin’s two attacks, your second attack will automaticallybe at advantagedue to the effects of the condition.
You can also use this to your team’s advantage, as while the target is blinded, all of your party’s attacks will be at advantage against it, making it a devastating tool against boss enemies. Just make sure you are targeting enemies with a low Constitution score, as they will be more likely to fail their save.
6Searing Smite
The strongest first level Smite spell,Searing Smitehas the most resisted damage type but is the only one that deals constant damage on subsequent turns by burning the target. In this way, it outdamages the base Smite ability but at the cost of an additional bonus action, which will likely be unused regardless.
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If fire damage is something you are looking for, the Elemental Weapon spell can make your Searing Smite’s stronger by adding an additional 1d4 fire damage. In the spirit of combining effects, you can also coat your weapon with an Oil of Combustion on a prior turn or out-of-combat to instantly immolate your target.
5Crusader’s Mantle
Crusader’s Mantle is like if Bless had a vendetta. While active, it grants all nearby creatures an additional 1d4 radiant damage per weapon attack. While it doesn’t give an exact range, it is large enough that it can affect your entire party without having to be attacking the same enemies.
Because the attacks are a die roll rather than a flat bonus, they can also be doubled on critical hits, and because it is radiant damage, almost no creatures have resistance to it. The only thing holding it back is the third level spell slot requirement, but few other third level spells are potentially more dangerous.
4Elemental Weapon
Elemental Weapon is the strongest Paladin spell that augments your attack bonus while granting 1d4 additional damage of any type of your choice. The typing is especially useful as it allows you to get around creatures that can have a frustrating amount of resistances and immunities.
You can also target any weapon with this spell, even ones held by other party members, strengthening the attacks of your weakest link or making your strongest character unstoppable. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is maintaining concentration, but can be cast out of combat since it lasts until a long rest.
3Bless
Although it requires concentration,Blessseems simple on the service but is helpful in almost every situation requiring a roll. By adding 1d4 to attack rolls and saving throws, all party members are much more likely to make attacks, but also will be less likely to trip on surfaces, lose concentration on spells, resist magical effects, and take damage from hazardous terrain.
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Since Bless can also target yourself, you can use it to get a bonus to maintain concentration on itself, especially while being in melee range and more likely to take hits. Since it lasts ten turns, you can cast it right before a fight and regain your action while only sacrificing one turn.
2Misty Step
One of the few bonus action spells,Misty Steplets you teleport up to 18 meters away while saving your movement, allowing you to reach any enemy in almost every battlefield. The best part of this spell is that you will still have your action for the base Smite ability or any other spell that only requires and action.
Unknown to many players, you can also use it while sneaking, and it won’t break your stealth, so you can set up surprise encounters and get advantage on attacks against creatures that would otherwise have a beady eye on a choke point.
1Warden Of Vitality
Warden of Vitality is one of the best spells for Paladins who want to stay alive while keeping the party alive, using a bonus action each subsequent turn after casting to heal yourself or another target within an 18-meter range for 1d6. The best part of this spell is that it is one of the few that doesn’t require concentration, and allows you to cast various Smite and Aura spells without dropping it.
Since the Paladin’s Lay on Hands ability is a different action than the Restore Vitality ability of the spell, you can sacrifice making attacks on your turn to potentially bring a party member fromunconscious to full healthin one turn without expending additional spell slots needed for smiting the unrighteous.
