Vengeance Paladin Build Guide – Evil’s Reckoning – 2024 Update
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For all D&D guides on Nat1gaming, they only use the main sourcebooks (Player’s Handbook, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything) as well as Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos (mostly for Silvery Barbs) as those tend to be the most commonly used books at tables. Always be sure that if you’re following a guide that you’re adhering to your tables rules about what sourcebooks you are allowed to follow.
Any spell, class, feature, or other game item that is linkable on this website is covered by the 5th edition Open Games License and will be in the Player’s Handbook, but not everything in the Player’s Handbook will be linked to. All other materials that aren’t linked to are from other sourcebooks or aren’t allowed to be linked to per the 5th Edition Open Games License, so please refer to the appropriate sourcebooks for that information.
For the purposes of this guide, it will be assumed that you would not be multiclassing. While multiclassing can be excellent for many of these, this is for those who want to play the build all the way through in the same class. Guides that use multiclassing will be separate from these.
For spellcasters, you may notice substantial overlap between the spell lists of builds with the same base class. This is due to each guide utilizing a generically good spell list and not considering extenuating factors that will influence how you particularly sculpt your spell list. When creating your own spell list, you should take into account the campaign setting, what spells any other party members are capable of casting, potential overlap (ritual spells tend to overlap so it’s rare you need multiple people capable of casting them), or potential shortcomings in the parties total spell list. While this guide can definitely help point you in the right direction for crafting a spell list, you should use your judgement and preferences to figure out what spells make the most sense for your character.
To that end, please refer to the Spell List and Spell Tier list for any substitutions you’d want to make to the build.
Paladin Spell List and Spell Tier List
Why Oath of Vengeance Paladin?
Oath of Vengeance is simply one of the strongest Paladin subclasses on top of being one of the edgiest so it’s truly a best of both worlds situation! Great abilities all around and a great Oath spell list on an already powerful base class make for an excellent option in any campaign.
Vengeance Paladin Abilities Ranked
Vow of Enmity (Level 3) – A- Tier – Advantage on all attack rolls against your target and can be transferred without requiring an action is really strong. This is a really sweet use of Channel Divinity!
1st Level Spells (Level 3) – C Tier – Bane sucks, but Hunter’s Mark works well with your Vow of Enmity.
2nd Level Spells (Level 5) – B+ Tier – Hold Person can be helpful, but Misty Step is a big pickup.
Relentless Avenger (Level 7) – C Tier – The ability to keep enemies locked in place is always nice, even if you won’t be getting the chance to use opportunity attacks too often.
3rd Level Spells (Level 9) – B Tier – Protection from Energy can be ok in the right context, but Haste on yourself is always going to be an appealing play, especially with your Vow of Enmity and Hunter’s Mark.
4th Level Spells (Level 13) – B Tier – Banishment is a good spell, but you were going to take it anyway. Dimension Door, however, is a really nice pickup and wholly unique to Paladin.
Soul of Vengeance (Level 15) – B+ Tier – This is a little specific, but is somewhat close to just getting an extra attack!
5th Level Spells (Level 17) – C- Tier – Both Hold Monster and Scrying can be useful, but they won’t always be.
Avenging Angel (Level 20) – B Tier – Both the flight speed and mass fear aura are good, but Flying is at its worst on frontliners and a lot of enemies may be immune to fear at this level. Not bad, but not amazing.
Quick Level Up Guide
| Level | Class Features/Feat | Notes |
| 1 | Lay on Hands, Spellcasting, Weapon Mastery | + Bless + Thunderous Smite |
| 2 | Fighting Style (Defense), Paladin’s Smite | Protection Fighting Style + Divine Smite + Wrathful Smite |
| 3 | Oath of Vengeance, Channel Divinity: Vow of Emnity | + Bane (Vengeance) + Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) + Shield of Faith |
| 4 | Feat: Great Weapon Master (Strength) | + Compelled Duel |
| 5 | Extra Attack, Faithful Steed | + Aid + Find Steed + Hold Person (Vengeance) + Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 6 | Aura of Protection | None |
| 7 | Relentless Avenger | + Lesser Restoration |
| 8 | Feat: War Caster (CHA) | None |
| 9 | Abjure Foes | + Dispel Magic + Haste (Vengeance) + Protection from Energy (Vengeance) + Revivify |
| 10 | Aura of Courage | None |
| 11 | Radiant Strikes | + Aura of Vitality |
| 12 | Feat: Charisma to 18 | None |
| 13 | None | + Banishment (Vengeance) + Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
| 14 | Restoring Touch | None |
| 15 | Soul of Vengeance | + Death Ward |
| 16 | Feat: Charisma to 20 | None |
| 17 | None | + Hold Monster (Vengeance) + Holy Weapon + Scrying (Vengeance) |
| 18 | Aura Expansion | None |
| 19 | Epic Boon: Boon of Combat Prowess | + Circle of Power |
| 20 | Avenging Angel | None |
Level One Build
Species: Goliath (Hill Giant)
Attributes:
| POINT BUY | |
| STRENGTH | 15 (+2 background) = 17 |
| DEXTERITY | 8 |
| CONSTITUTION | 15 (+1 background) = 16 |
| INTELLIGENCE | 8 |
| WISDOM | 8 |
| CHARISMA | 15 |
Class: Paladin
Class Features: Lay on Hands, Spellcasting, Weapon Mastery
Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation and Persuasion
Background: Farmer (Tough)
Starting Equipment: Greataxe, 10 Javelins, Explorer’s Pack, Chain Mail, Holy Symbol, and 45 gold + 50 gp from background
Starting Spells:
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
Species: Goliath (Hill Giant)
For any martial character, it’s hard to justify not going for Goliath as the Hill Giant topple is so incredibly good to get advantage on attacks. There are other solid options for species as well like Human for an additional origin feat or Aasimar as they are just generally strong, but Goliath is generally going to be my choice.
Attributes
| POINT BUY | |
| STRENGTH | 15 (+2 background) = 17 |
| DEXTERITY | 8 |
| CONSTITUTION | 15 (+1 background) = 16 |
| INTELLIGENCE | 8 |
| WISDOM | 8 |
| CHARISMA | 15 |
Paladins are MAD classes so it can be a bit difficult to properly balance the attributes, but you want to prioritize Strength, Constitution, and Charisma for all Paladins.
Proficiencies: Intimidation and Persuasion
Pretty standard skill proficiencies for Paladins. Nothing novel here.
Background: Farmer (Tough)
The best background for Paladins as it gives Strength and Constituion on top of the best Origin feat that you can get with this attribute split.
Starting Equipment – Greataxe, 10 Javelins, Explorer’s Pack, Chain Mail, Holy Symbol, and 45 gold + 50 gp from background
The standard fare for a Paladin who’s using a two-handed weapon.
Class – Paladin
Your starting class is Paladin and you get two abilities to start off with – Lay on Hands, Spellcasting, and Weapon Mastery.
Your first ability is Lay on Hands. You get a pool of health equal to 5 times your paladin level, and as an action, you can heal someone as much as you’d like using that pool. This is a solid ability and will always provide a decent amount of healing whether you need to bring an ally up, top an ally off, or even spend 5 points to cure a disease or neutralize a poison. A solid ability all around.
Your second ability is Spellcasting which will be expanded upon later, but Paladins are your typical half-caster.
Finally, you get Weapon Mastery for two weapons, and you should choose whatever weapons you have currently have. Which, in this case, will be the Trident and Javelins.
Starting Spells
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
You can only prepare two spells to start with, and I will always recommend starting with the best two – Bless and Thunderous Smite.
Bless is an excellent buff that gives you and a few homies a little buff to attack rolls and saving throws.
Thunderous Smite is a derivative of Divine Smite which gives up a smidge of damage for the chance to push an enemy back and knock them prone. We love knocking enemies prone already, so having another shot at it is always nice.
The Build Level 2 Onward
Level 2-5
Level 2
Class Features: Fighting Style (Protection), Paladin’s Smite
Spell Change Log: + Divine Smite (Paladin’s Smite) + Wrathful Smite
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
Level 2 brings more spells, your Fighting Style, and Paladin’s Smite!
While there are a few fighting styles that are super reasonable for Paladins, for this build, I like grabbing Protection. Giving attacks against an ally disadvantage is super nice if you have an ally that’s palling around in the front lines. That said, if it’s only one other melee ally in your group, you may want to opt for Defense instead as you may not get enough mileage out of Protection to make it worth it.
As the Paladin’s most famous feature, you get Divine Smite! Divine Smite lets you convert spell slots into damage with the base being 2d8 radiant which is quite strong. What makes Divine Smite so potent is that you can tack it on after you know whether you hit or not so you can never accidentally waste them, and better yet, you can throw them into a critical hit to get double the damage! As a general note, a lot of Paladins tend to use all their spell slots on just simply Divine Smiting, and while you absolutely can do that and have good results, I think it’s generally better to save Smites in an attempt to finish a problematic enemy off or when you get a critical hit rather than just doing it with every hit. Even as a half-caster, your spells are potent so don’t forget about them!
Finally, you get your spell choice this level with Wrathful Smite. Unfortunately, this spell did get nerfed from the previous version, but giving up damage to potentially frighten the enemy is a pretty good deal.
Level 3
Class: Oath of Vengeance
Class Features: Channel Divinity: Nature’s Wrath
Spell Change Log: + Bane (Vengeance) + Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) + Shield of Faith
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
Level 3 brings your subclass, and of course, you’re picking Oath of Vengeance!
Like all other Paladin subclasses, Vengeance comes with a Channel Divinity feature – Vow of Emnity.
Vow of Enmity which gives you advantage against a creature for one minute as a bonus action which is obviously really good in a tough fight! The only downside of this ability is that bonus action economy can be frequently eaten up in Paladins, but that’s hardly a downside at all.
On top of your Channel Divinity options, you get to pick up Oath Spells as well, and this level you get Bane and Hunter’s Mark.
Bane is cute as it’s a reverse bless, but rolling the dice on nabbing three enemies with this versus always getting three allies with Bless isn’t a gamble I normally like taking.
Hunter’s Mark is a ranger staple that lets you stack up damage against a particular enemy, then when you fell it, you get to switch it to a new target! While it doesn’t necessarily scale the best, this is going to be a staple for you in the earlier levels.
For your spell choice this level, you can pick up Shield of Faith. Getting +2 AC when your AC is high makes it that much harder to hit you, which is especially good with the Protection fighting style.
Level 4
Feat: Great Weapon Master (Strength)
Class Features: None
Spell Change Log: + Compelled Duel
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
Level 4 brings your first feat, and while raising your Charisma is tempting, I would opt for more Strength. To that end, this build wants to pick up Great Weapon Master. Extra damage on your Greataxe is very much welcome, especially as it has the best mastery property for two handers.
For your spell choice, you can pick up Compelled Duel! If you need to get an enemy off of an ally or want to ensure they only have eyes for you, Compelled Duel is the way to do it.
Level 5
Class Features: Extra Attack, Faithful Steed
Spell Change Log: + Aid + Find Steed + Hold Person (Vengeance) + Misty Step (Vengeance)
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
Level 5 brings what all martial characters have been waiting for – the Extra Attack. Double the damage potential is obviously insane!
This level brings a new feature for Paladin as well in Faithful Steed. This gives you Find Steed for free, and while this may tempt you to fight on horseback, you absolutely don’t need to and having a free horse is more helpful than many may anticipate.
Furthermore, you get more Oath spells to work with in Hold Person and Misty Step.
Hold Person is a classic “save or suck” spell where, when it works, it pays out big, and when it fails, you get absolutely nothing. I’m generally not the biggest fan of spells like that, and to make matters worse, you may not have many humanoid enemies in your campaign to even use this on as the most common humans in campaigns are either random townsfolk or legendary heroes. All that said, this can definitely work in a pinch as the target failing the saving throw will likely result in their expedited doom.
Misty Step, on the other hand, is just an incredible spell in general. While it’s likely at its “worst” on a Paladin, being able to quickly reposition in a fight is very powerful.
For your actual spell choice, you get to pick up one of (if not the best) second level spells with Aid! 15 temporary hit points spread throughout your team is pretty strong, and getting 15 more to work with for each upcast makes this good in earlier and later levels!
Level 6-10
Level 6
Class Features: Aura of Protection
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
Level 6 brings what is the most important ability a Paladin can get – Aura of Protection.
Giving your allies a flat bonus to saving throws is extremely powerful, especially if you have a team that tends to group up. Aura of Protection is the reason that an optimized party will always have a Paladin where every other class is more or less replaceable.
Level 7
Class Features: Relentless Avenger
Spell Change Log: + Lesser Restoration
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
Level 7 brings a new ability to work with in Relentless Avenger.
Relentless Avenger is pretty much the important part of the Sentinel feat now, so that’s pretty good as a feature! Very thematic and really easy to pull off if the target that’s trying to run is your Vow of Enmity target.
For your spell choice, you can pick up Lesser Restoration. While you won’t use this often, being able to heal a few status conditions can be really helpful.
Level 8
Feat: War Caster (CHA)
Class Features: None
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
For your second feat, you absolutely have to pick up War Caster. Buffing your Charisma to 18, getting advantage on concentration checks, and being able to spellcast when you don’t have two free hands is excellent.
Level 9
Class Features: Abjure Foes
Spell Change Log: + Dispel Magic + Haste (Vengeance) + Protection from Energy (Vengeance) + Revivify
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
Level 9 brings access to level 3 spells and your next base class feature, Abjure Foes.
Abjure Foes lets you trade in a Channel Divinity for a mass fear that also limits the amount of things an enemy can do in a turn. This is very strong and helps if you don’t have a particularly good Channel Divinity option otherwise.
You get two more Oath spells this level with Haste and Protection from Energy.
Haste is the marquee martial buff as getting +2 to AC, doubled movement, and an additional attack is extremely strong at the risk of the target getting stunned when concentration is dropped. Even with such a large risk, putting this on yourself or an ally is going to make them an even more effective fighting machine.
Protection from Energy is a simple damage defense that gives you resistance against one type of element. Good if you know you’re going to be facing a lot of one element, but not that helpful otherwise.
For your chosen spells, you can pick up Dispel Magic and Revivify.
While it’s no Counterspell, you get to pick up Dispel Magic at this level! Being able to stop an ongoing magical effect is really powerful and there will be plenty of spells that Counterspell won’t be able to stop (it was already happening, you’re out of range, you failed the Charisma check) that Dispel Magic could potentially clear!
Revivify is just a staple spell that anyone who can take likely should. You never know who might kick the bucket, so having a way to bring them right back up and without penalty.
Level 10
Class Features: Aura of Courage
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
Level 10 brings a new Paladin ability with Aura of Courage. Now allies within 10 feet of you can’t get frightened anymore which can be extremely relevant, especially since there are a lot of fearsome foes that will use fear against use (like the titular Dragons with their Frightful Presence!)
Level 11-15
Level 11
Class Features: Radiant Strikes
Spell Change Log: + Aura of Vitality
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
Level 11 brings the strong ability of Radiant Strikes. This makes it so that all your melee attacks deal an additional 1d8 radiant damage. Simple, yet great ability.
For your spell choice, you can pick up Aura of Vitality. Aura of Vitality is a weird healing spell that lasts for a minute and you can dole out 2d6 healing per bonus action which isn’t ideal in combat, but can be an excellent healing option outside of combat offering a staggering average of 70 health split however you want. You likely don’t want to use this often over Lay on Hands or short resting, but it’s there for you if you need it.
Level 12
Feat: Charisma to 18
Class Feature: None
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
Level 12 brings your next feat, and you should be pumping Charisma to make your spells and your Aura of Protection as strong as possible.
Level 13
Class Features: None
Spell Change Log: + Crusader’s Mantle + Banishment (Vengeance) + Dimension Door (Vengeance)
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Crusader’s Mantle |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
| 4th Level Spell | Banishment (Vengeance) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
Level 13 means access to fourth level spells!
This level gives you more Oath spells with Banishment and Dimension Door.
For your first Oath spell, you get to pick up Banishment! Banishment is an extremely strong CC spell that has the ability to take an enemy out of the fight for a full minute, but if they’re an extraplanar enemy, the combat just ends if they fail the saving throw and you can concentrate for a minute. They are just simply sent back to their home plane with very little recourse to come back (unless they specifically have Plane Shift or some strange ability).
For your second Oath spell, you get one of the best teleportation options in the game with Dimension Door. This spell is really strong when you need to teleport somewhere that you can’t see, and beyond the long range options, this is the only one that will let you do that! Better yet, you can take an ally along with you which allows for better pursuits, escapes, or simple exploration.
For your spell choice, you can pick up Crusader’s Mantle! This is an aura that allows your allies to stack up some damage over the course of a longer fight, which can be really powerful. While 1d4 damage per hit isn’t super exciting, over the course of many turns, this can add up extremely quickly, especially if you allies that get multiple attacks in per turn.
Level 14
Class Features: Restoring Touch
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Crusader’s Mantle |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
| 4th Level Spell | Banishment (Vengeance) |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
Level 14 brings your final non-subclass Paladin ability with Cleansing Touch. When you spend 5 points on your Lay on Hands, you functionally get a better Lesser Restoration. Solid ability, this just feels a bit late to get!
Level 15
Class Features: Soul of Vengeance
Spell Change Log: + Death Ward
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Crusader’s Mantle |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
| 4th Level Spell | Banishment (Vengeance) |
| 4th Level Spell | Death Ward |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
You get your penultimate subclass ability at level 15 which is Soul of Vengeance! Now you can make reaction attacks against your Vow of Enmity target whenever they attack which is really nice as that’s just more damage in a round!
Death Ward is a bit niche, but it is nice insurance against you or an ally going down in combat, or better yet, stopping instant death effects.
Level 16-20
Level 16
Feat: Charisma to 20
Class Feature: None
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Crusader’s Mantle |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
| 4th Level Spell | Banishment (Vengeance) |
| 4th Level Spell | Death Ward |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
For your final feat, you should definitely be maxing out your Charisma for the best spells and the most potent Aura of Protection possible.
Level 17
Class Features: None
Spell Change Log: + Hold Monster (Vengeance) + Holy Weapon + Scrying (Vengeance)
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Crusader’s Mantle |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
| 4th Level Spell | Banishment (Vengeance) |
| 4th Level Spell | Death Ward |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
| 5th Level Spell | Hold Monster |
| 5th Level Spell | Holy Weapon |
| 5th Level Spell | Scrying |
You also get your final Oath spells, and unfortunately, these may be the weakest options yet with Hold Monster and Scrying.
Hold Monster is an extremely swingy “save or suck” spell that can functionally win a fight when it works or do absolutely nothing, waste your spell slot, and waste your turn when it doesn’t. Super high risk, high reward, especially when many enemies at this level may have Legendary Resistances.
Your final Oath spell, Scrying, is a pure utility spell that certainly isn’t the best information gathering spell available, but if you need to keep tabs on a particular person that’s extremely far away, this is the best way to do it.
For your chosen spell, you get to pick up the very powerful Holy Weapon. Simply having a damage buff that deals a lot of damage is nice for longer fights, even at this level of play. Then when you want to stop concentrating on it, you can make your weapon explode for additional damage rather than letting it peter out.
Level 18
Class Features: Aura Expansion
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Crusader’s Mantle |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
| 4th Level Spell | Banishment (Vengeance) |
| 4th Level Spell | Death Ward |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
| 5th Level Spell | Hold Monster |
| 5th Level Spell | Holy Weapon |
| 5th Level Spell | Scrying |
Level 18 is when all your auras extend from 10 feet to 30 feet, so this is a pretty nice upgrade to have.
Level 19
Epic Boon: Boon of Combat Prowess (STR)
Class Features: None
Spell Change Log: + Circle of Power
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Crusader’s Mantle |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
| 4th Level Spell | Banishment (Vengeance) |
| 4th Level Spell | Death Ward |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
| 5th Level Spell | Circle of Power |
| 5th Level Spell | Hold Monster |
| 5th Level Spell | Holy Weapon |
| 5th Level Spell | Scrying |
You get another spell this level so you can pick up the second best fifth level option – Circle of Power. Alongside your Aura of Protection, your allies will have a really hard time failing any saving throws which can be extremely important in some encounters. If you’re lucky, you’ll know to set this up before hand to not lose your action.
Level 20
Class Feature: Avenging Angel
Spell Change Log: None
| SPELL LEVEL | SPELL NAME |
| 1st Level Spell | Bane (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Bless |
| 1st Level Spell | Compelled Duel |
| 1st Level Spell | Divine Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Hunter’s Mark (Vengeance) |
| 1st Level Spell | Shield of Faith |
| 1st Level Spell | Thunderous Smite |
| 1st Level Spell | Wrathful Smite |
| 2nd Level Spell | Aid |
| 2nd Level Spell | Find Steed |
| 2nd Level Spell | Hold Person (Vengeance) |
| 2nd Level Spell | Lesser Restoration |
| 2nd Level Spell | Misty Step (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Aura of Vitality |
| 3rd Level Spell | Crusader’s Mantle |
| 3rd Level Spell | Dispel Magic |
| 3rd Level Spell | Haste (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Protection from Energy (Vengeance) |
| 3rd Level Spell | Revivify |
| 4th Level Spell | Banishment (Vengeance) |
| 4th Level Spell | Death Ward |
| 4th Level Spell | Dimension Door (Vengeance) |
| 5th Level Spell | Circle of Power |
| 5th Level Spell | Hold Monster |
| 5th Level Spell | Holy Weapon |
| 5th Level Spell | Scrying |
Level 20 brings your capstone ability for your subclass!
Your capstone ability is Avenging Angel, which for a bonus action, you get a Flying speed and a large aura that can frighten enemies that enter it or start their turn there. Not great for a capstone ability, but definitely not bad either.
