All Dungeons & Dragons Paladin changes in the Player\u2019s Handbook (2024) Wizards of the CoastThe holy warriors of D&D are becoming more powerful with the Player\u2019s Handbook (2024), which changes and updates core Paladin class abilities. Dungeons & Dragons\u2019 Paladins combine martial and magical skills to carry out their Oaths and smite those who stand in their way. With the right build, they can be incredibly powerful thanks to their diverse set of abilities that lets them counter different kinds of foes. The long-awaited rules revision is making changes to all of D&D\u2018s classes, giving players more to work with and tweaking abilities to make them more fun to play. Paladins in particular are benefitting from melee improvements and adjustments to core abilities that make them easier and more compelling to use. Paladin subclasses Oath of Devotion Sacred Weapon and Holy Nimbus now last 10 minutes instead of just one. Additionally, Paladins can use a fifth-level spell slot to use Holy Nimbus instead of it only being available once per long rest. Devotion Paladins are also getting a new feature called Smite of Protection, which replaces Purity of Spirit. This grants Paladins and nearby allies cover when they cast Divine Smite. Finally, Shield of Faith and Aid have replaced Sanctuary and Lesser Restoration as Devotion Paladin oath spells. Oath of Glory Aura of Alacrity\u2018s impact is now determined by this Paladin\u2019s Aura of Protection, which itself is largely unchanged. Additionally, Peerless Athlete will last an hour instead of 10 minutes, and Glory Paladins get a new oath spell called Yolande\u2019s Regal Presence. Oath of the Ancients This Paladin\u2019s Undying Sentinel feature is being improved quite a bit. Instead of dropping to 1 HP instead of 0 HP once per long rest, you now regain HP equal to triple your Paladin level. Beyond that, Nature\u2019s Wrath affects creatures of your choice within 15 feet, and they have to make a Strength save instead of choosing between Strength and Dexterity. Lastly, Elder Champion uses a bonus action instead of an action and it can be refreshed using a fifth-level spell slot. Oath of Vengeance Vow of Enmity no longer requires an action; now, it can be applied when attacking. Vengeance Paladins can also transfer the effect to another foe when their current target reaches 0 HP. Additionally, Relentless Avenger now reduces the target\u2019s Speed to 0, and Avenging Angel can be refreshed using a fifth-level spell slot. Lay on Hands Instead of requiring an action, Lay on Hands now only uses a bonus action, allowing Paladins to heal and attack on the same turn. Additionally, Lay on Hands no longer removes diseases, though it does work on Undead and Constructs. At level 14, Paladins gain Restoring Touch, which lets them use their Lay on Hands points to remove certain conditions. Weapon Mastery & Spellcasting Paladins get access to Weapon Mastery, a new system that greatly benefits D&D\u2019s martial classes. This gives characters extra abilities called mastery properties when using certain weapons. At level 1, Paladins can pick two weapons to unlock their mastery properties; these can be changed every long rest. Additionally, Paladins will now gain spellcasting at level 1 instead of level 2, allowing them to access magic from the very beginning. Paladin Smite Divine Smite is now known as Paladin Smite and grants you the spell called Divine Smite as a permanently prepared spell. This spell now requires a bonus action but can be used on unarmed strikes. This represents a nerf to the 2014 class rules, where the Divine Smite feature was considered overpowered, as it could be combined with the Paladin\u2019s Smite spells as part of a single attack. Additionally, the level 11 skill Improved Divine Smite, which adds 1d8 radiant damage to melee weapon hits is now called Radiant Strikes and works with unarmed attacks. Fighting Styles Fighting styles are now considered feats. Paladins have the option of either choosing one at level 2 or taking Blessed Warrior, which gives them two Cleric cantrips. Channel Divinity Channel Divinity can now be used twice per short or long rest. There\u2019s also a new Paladin feature called Abjure Foes, which allows you to spend a Channel Divinity to force a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier to make a Wisdom saving throw. Those who fail become Frightened. This is unlocked at level 9. Faithful Steed Paladins who reach level 5 gain Faithful Steed, a new ability that promotes mounted combat. This makes the spell Find Steed always prepared and grants one free casting of it per day. The mount itself has been upgraded to an Otherworldly Steed, which is better suited for combat and can even regain hit points when you\u2019re healed through magical means. Aura of Courage While Aura of Protection remains intact, the level 10 ability Aura of Courage has received a small change. Now, if an ally enters your Aura while Frightened, the condition won\u2019t have any effect. Epic Boon All classes now get an Epic Boon at level 19. These are powerful feats that are locked to high levels, so you\u2019ll only be able to pick one by taking lots of Paladin levels. While you wait for the Player\u2019s Handbook (2024), be sure to check out our other Dungeons & Dragons coverage, including our guides on changes to the Barbarian and Fighter classes, as well as every subclass in the Player\u2019s Handbook (2024).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
All Dungeons & Dragons Paladin changes in the Player\u2019s Handbook (2024) Wizards of the CoastThe holy warriors of D&D are becoming more powerful with the Player\u2019s Handbook (2024), which changes and updates core Paladin class abilities. Dungeons & Dragons\u2019 Paladins combine martial and magical skills to carry out their Oaths and smite those who stand […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78448\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}