Dungeons and Dragons Best Paladin Oath Tier List

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Paladins are a classic character class in Dungeons & Dragons. Though Fighters are often more common, Paladins excel in many areas – they’re strong attackers, incredibly tough to defeat, excellent at supporting their allies, and can even cast spells. While they might not be as skilled in areas like stealth or persuasion as classes like Bards or Rogues, their natural charisma makes them well-suited to be the spokesperson for the group during a Dungeons & Dragons game.

Similar to other character classes in Dungeons & Dragons, Paladins select a special Oath at level three, which significantly alters their abilities and playstyle. There are currently eleven different Paladin Oaths available for the 5th Edition of the game, but they aren’t all equally effective. While every Oath can be powerful, some are easier to use and more consistently successful than others.

When creating this list, we mainly looked at how well something performs offensively, defensively, and in a support role, as well as how quickly its core abilities unlock, how useful its skills are, and how specialized its strengths are.

S-Tier: True Paragons of the Paladin Class

  • Devotion
  • Glory
  • Redemption

Most character classes in Dungeons & Dragons feature a subclass that really emphasizes the class’s core strengths. For the Paladin, that subclass is the Oath of Devotion, and it’s as powerful as the class itself. While some of its features, like Holy Nimbus and Paladin Oath Spells, aren’t exceptional, the recent 2024 rules update significantly improved Sacred Weapon. Combined with the immunity to being Charmed and the protective benefits of Smite of Protection, the Aura of Devotion makes this subclass incredibly safe and resilient in combat.

The Oath of Glory is a flexible option for Paladins who fight on the front lines. It offers strong defensive features like Inspiring Smite and Glorious Defense, along with skills like Peerless Athlete to improve their abilities. They can also significantly boost their movement speed with Aura of Alacrity, Haste, and Freedom of Movement. Finally, the Living Legend ability is a powerful addition, ensuring crucial hits when they matter most.

The Oath of Redemption is arguably the most powerful Paladin subclass available. It excels early on with crucial spells like Counterspell and Hold Person, the damage-reducing Aura of the Guardian, and the punishing Rebuke the Violent. They also make excellent party representatives thanks to Emissary of Peace. At higher levels, Redemption Paladins become incredibly difficult to kill, combining self-healing from Protective Spirit with the always-active benefits of Emissary of Redemption – a unique and powerful capstone ability for Paladins.

A-Tier: Solid Subclasses With Powerful Abilities

  • Ancients
  • Noble Genie
  • Vengeance
  • Watchers

The Oath of the Ancients paladin subclass received several improvements in the 2024 update to Dungeons & Dragons. The Nature’s Wrath ability is now much more useful because it affects an area, and Undying Sentinel provides a significant health boost when activated. While the previous version of Aura of Warding was excellent at blocking spell damage, the current resistance to Necrotic, Psychic, and Radiant damage remains effective against many dangerous enemies. Additionally, with their spells and the Elder Champion feature, Ancients Paladins can also serve as the party’s nature-focused support character if there isn’t a Druid or Ranger present.

As a huge D&D fan, I’ve been really impressed with the Noble Genie Paladin Oath from the Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun. What makes it stand out is that it actually rewards building a Dexterity-focused character, unlike most Paladins who rely on heavy armor and Strength. You get cool elemental spells, a flexible Elemental Smite for dealing damage, and an Aura that lets you resist different types of elemental attacks – it’s super adaptable! And the capstone ability, Noble Scion, is amazing – you get to fly and automatically succeed on any D20 test nearby. Honestly, if Efreeti’s Fury and Elemental Rebuke did a bit more damage, this Oath would be top-tier, but those abilities hold it back just a little.

For Paladins who enjoy a more forceful, attack-oriented approach in Dungeons & Dragons, the Oath of Vengeance is an excellent choice. It works especially well with spells like Hold Person, Misty Step, and Haste, combined with the Relentless Avenger ability, allowing players to dictate the battlefield. Abilities like Vow of Enmity, Soul of Vengeance, and Avenging Angel ensure the Paladin can consistently engage their target and deliver powerful, accurate attacks. However, the Oath’s strong focus on personal vengeance can sometimes make it difficult for allies to benefit from the Paladin’s Aura.

The Oath of the Watchers Paladin class is particularly effective against enemies that rely on Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to resist effects. While Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, and Fiends have good reason to be concerned, these Paladins can pose a threat to any creature, and spells like Counterspell, Hold Monster, See Invisibility, and Scrying further enhance their abilities. The Aura of the Sentinel is also a huge advantage, granting an initiative bonus to nearby allies at the start of most fights.

B-Tier: Good Oaths That Are a Little Too Specialized

  • Conquest
  • Oathbreaker
  • Spellguard

The Oath of Conquest relies heavily on frightening enemies, using the Frightened condition in many of its abilities. However, this can be limiting, as powerful creatures are often immune to being frightened, rendering some of the Oath’s lower-level features useless. Fortunately, abilities like Scornful Rebuke and Invincible Conqueror remain effective against all opponents, even if they become available later in the game.

Oathbreaker ranks higher on this list simply because it was recently featured in a playtest version of Dungeons & Dragons called Unearthed Arcana. The original 2014 version of the subclass was quite weak, but the updated version is much more playable. While it no longer depends entirely on having Undead or Fiends as allies, many of its abilities still focus on frightening enemies, which is a similar weakness to the Conquest Paladin. Still, abilities like Supernatural Resistance and Dread Lord keep it powerful, even though you don’t gain them until later in the game.

The Spellguard is a recently released Paladin Oath option in Dungeons & Dragons, featured in an Unearthed Arcana playtest. This subclass is powerful, letting you defend your allies, help them maintain spell concentration, and even disrupt enemy spells with your attacks. However, the Spellguard’s effectiveness depends on having spellcasters on either side of the fight, so it might not be as useful in teams without them or when facing enemies who don’t use magic.

C-Tier: An Outdated Option Sorely In Need Of an Update

Image via Wizards of the Coast
  • Crown

The Oath of the Crown paladin subclass isn’t considered one of the strongest options. First appearing in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide – a sourcebook often criticized by D&D players – its abilities are generally surpassed by those of other paladin subclasses. For example, its Divine Allegiance feature isn’t as effective as Redemption’s Aura of the Guardian, and Exalted Champion pales in comparison to the Conquest or Watchers Paladins. As one of the oldest paladin subclasses, the Oath of the Crown feels dated and underpowered.

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2026-01-21 20:06