Pathfinder Paladins embody righteous combatants, blending martial prowess with divine magic; numerous online guides assist in crafting effective paladin builds.
What is a Paladin?
The Pathfinder Paladin is a holy warrior, a front-line fighter devoted to a deity and a strict code of conduct. They are champions of good, relentlessly battling evil and upholding justice wherever they tread. Unlike clerics who primarily channel divine power, paladins are the conduit, manifesting their faith through martial skill and divine enhancements.
Paladins gain access to unique abilities like Smite Evil and auras that bolster allies. Their strength isn’t solely physical; it’s fueled by unwavering conviction. Many guides emphasize the importance of roleplaying a Paladin’s tenets, as straying from their oath can have consequences. They represent the unwavering beacon of hope against encroaching darkness.
Paladin Role in a Party
Within a Pathfinder party, the Paladin typically functions as a durable front-line combatant and a moral compass. They excel at protecting weaker allies, absorbing damage, and delivering righteous punishment to foes. Numerous guides highlight their ability to disrupt enemy formations and control the battlefield.
Beyond combat, Paladins offer valuable utility through abilities like Detect Evil, aiding in identifying threats. Their Aura of Good provides benefits to nearby companions. A Paladin’s strong sense of justice can guide party decisions, though this can also create internal conflict. They are often the party’s unwavering shield and a symbol of hope.
Paladin Core Mechanics
Pathfinder Paladins utilize a d10 hit die, possess full Base Attack Bonus progression, and prioritize Fortitude and Will saves, as detailed in class guides.
Hit Points and Defense
Paladins, as martial classes in Pathfinder, begin with a d10 for hit points, contributing to respectable health pools. However, maximizing survivability requires more than just hit dice. Armor proficiency is key; Paladins are proficient with all armor and shields, allowing for heavy armor builds focused on high Armor Class (AC).
Defensive abilities aren’t solely reliant on armor. The Aura of Good provides a bonus to saving throws against fear effects for allies nearby, bolstering party defense. Furthermore, strategic positioning and utilizing combat maneuvers, as outlined in various paladin guides, can significantly enhance a Paladin’s ability to avoid damage. Consider feats that improve AC or grant defensive bonuses to truly solidify a Paladin’s resilience.
Base Attack Bonus
Paladins benefit from a full Base Attack Bonus (BAB) progression, a crucial element for effective melee combat in Pathfinder. This means they gain a +1 BAB at every level, ensuring they remain competitive in hitting opponents as they advance. A strong BAB is fundamental for landing attacks, especially when combined with Paladin class features like Smite Evil.
Many paladin guides emphasize the importance of maximizing attack rolls. Feats like Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization further enhance accuracy. A high BAB, coupled with appropriate weapon choices and feats, allows Paladins to consistently deal damage and control the battlefield. Understanding the BAB progression is vital when planning a Paladin’s development and optimizing their combat potential.
Saving Throws
Paladins receive excellent saving throws, bolstering their resilience against various threats in Pathfinder. They gain a bonus to Fortitude saves, enhancing their ability to withstand poisons, diseases, and debilitating physical attacks. Will saves are also favored, providing resistance against mind-altering effects and spells. These strong saves contribute significantly to a Paladin’s survivability.
Many paladin guides recommend investing in Constitution to further improve Fortitude saves. Consider feats that grant bonuses to specific saving throws, tailoring defenses to anticipated challenges. A Paladin’s ability to shrug off harmful effects is paramount, allowing them to remain steadfast in the face of adversity and continue fulfilling their oath.
Paladin Class Features
Pathfinder Paladins gain unique abilities like Auras, Detect Evil, Smite Evil, and Divine Grace, defining their role as holy warriors and protectors of the innocent.
Aura of Good
The Paladin’s Aura of Good is a defining class feature, radiating an aura that grants allies within a specified radius a bonus on saving throws against evil creatures or effects. This protective aura strengthens the party’s resilience against corruption and malicious influences. As the Paladin levels up, the potency of this aura increases, providing a greater defensive benefit to companions.
Effectively, the Aura of Good represents the Paladin’s unwavering commitment to righteousness and their ability to inspire hope and fortitude in those around them. It’s a passive ability that consistently bolsters the party’s defenses, making it invaluable in encounters with fiends, undead, or any force aligned with evil. Understanding and maximizing the aura’s range and bonus is crucial for a successful Paladin.
Detect Evil
A core Paladin ability, Detect Evil allows the character to sense the presence of evil within a specific range. This isn’t simply identifying creatures; it extends to recognizing evil alignments, auras, and even tainted objects. The Paladin can focus their senses to pinpoint the source and general direction of the evil presence, offering crucial tactical information.
This ability is invaluable for uncovering hidden threats, identifying disguised enemies, and navigating morally ambiguous situations. While not foolproof – it doesn’t reveal the nature of the evil, only its presence – Detect Evil provides a vital early warning system. Experienced Paladins learn to interpret the strength of the detected signal, hinting at the power of the evil source.
Smite Evil
Smite Evil is the Paladin’s signature ability, a potent burst of divine power channeled through a melee attack. Upon successfully hitting an evil creature, the Paladin adds 1d6 points of holy damage per Paladin level to the attack. This damage bypasses damage reduction and other resistances, making it exceptionally effective against fiends, undead, and other embodiments of wickedness.
Crucially, Smite Evil uses up a Paladin’s daily uses, making strategic deployment essential. It’s not a spammable ability, but a focused strike reserved for critical moments. The ability also grants a +2 sacred bonus on the attack roll, increasing the chance of hitting. Mastering Smite Evil is central to maximizing a Paladin’s combat effectiveness.
Divine Grace
Divine Grace is a cornerstone of the Paladin’s defensive capabilities, granting a bonus to all saving throws. This bonus begins at +1 at 1st level and increases incrementally as the Paladin gains levels, ultimately providing a substantial boost to resilience. It’s a passive ability, constantly active and requiring no conscious effort from the Paladin.
The consistent saving throw bonus significantly enhances survivability against a wide range of threats, including spells, poisons, and debilitating effects. Divine Grace complements the Paladin’s already respectable defenses, making them a durable front-line combatant. It’s a key feature that distinguishes Paladins from other martial classes.
Paladin Orders (Paths)
Paladin Orders, or Paths, define a Paladin’s specific tenets and grant unique abilities; popular choices include Devotion, Redemption, and Vengeance paths.
Oath of Devotion
The Oath of Devotion embodies the classic paladin archetype, championing honesty, courage, compassion, honor, and duty. Paladins following this path dedicate themselves to upholding the law and protecting the innocent, serving as beacons of righteousness in a dark world. They excel at providing unwavering support to their allies and relentlessly pursuing justice against evil.
Devotion paladins gain access to abilities that bolster their defenses and enhance their healing capabilities, making them formidable protectors. Their focus on upholding the law often leads them to conflict with those who operate outside its boundaries, creating compelling narrative opportunities. This oath is ideal for players who wish to portray a traditional, unwavering hero dedicated to the greater good, a stalwart defender against the forces of darkness.
Oath of Redemption
The Oath of Redemption presents a unique paladin path, focusing on rehabilitation rather than retribution. These paladins believe everyone deserves a chance at atonement, even those who have committed terrible acts. They strive to guide others towards the light, offering forgiveness and understanding where others offer only judgment and punishment. This path challenges conventional notions of justice, prioritizing compassion and the potential for change.
Redemption paladins gain abilities that allow them to pacify enemies, offer second chances, and inspire hope in the hearts of the lost. This oath is perfect for players who want to explore themes of forgiveness, mercy, and the complexities of morality, offering a compelling alternative to the more traditional, combat-focused paladin archetypes. It’s a path of patience and unwavering belief in the good within all beings.
Oath of Vengeance
Paladins who swear the Oath of Vengeance are relentless hunters of evil, driven by a burning desire to punish those who inflict suffering upon the innocent. They are unwavering in their pursuit of justice, often operating outside the bounds of conventional law to deliver swift and decisive retribution. This path demands a steely resolve and a willingness to confront darkness head-on, even at great personal cost.
Vengeance paladins excel at tracking down their quarry, utilizing divine power to enhance their combat abilities and strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. They are masters of single-target damage, capable of unleashing devastating attacks upon those who deserve their wrath. This oath is ideal for players who enjoy a proactive, aggressive playstyle and relish the role of a righteous executioner.
Paladin Build Considerations
Optimizing a Pathfinder Paladin involves careful ability score prioritization, strategic feat selection, and choosing skills that complement your chosen oath and playstyle.
Ability Score Prioritization
For a Pathfinder Paladin, Strength is paramount, forming the foundation of their melee combat effectiveness. Following closely is Charisma, crucial for both spellcasting potency and the Paladin’s unique aura abilities. Constitution is also vital, ensuring survivability on the battlefield through increased hit points and fortitude saves.
Dexterity should be considered moderately, enough to avoid significant armor penalties, but not prioritized over the core three. Intelligence is generally the least important for a Paladin, as it doesn’t directly contribute to their primary functions. Wisdom plays a role in Will saves, but is less critical than Strength, Charisma, and Constitution. A balanced approach, heavily favoring Strength, Charisma, and Constitution, will yield the most effective Paladin build.
Feat Selection
Pathfinder Paladins benefit greatly from feats enhancing combat prowess and divine abilities. Combat Reflexes is highly recommended, allowing for multiple attacks of opportunity per round. Outflank is another strong choice, synergizing with teamwork feats for increased damage output. Power Attack boosts melee damage, but requires careful consideration of accuracy.
Further down the line, feats like Great Cleave and Cornogun Smash offer potent battlefield control. Consider feats improving saving throws, particularly against fear and compulsion effects. Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization enhance accuracy and damage with favored weapons. Ultimately, feat selection should complement the Paladin’s chosen order and playstyle, maximizing their effectiveness in both offense and defense.
Skill Choices
Pathfinder Paladins, while primarily martial, can benefit from strategic skill investments. Diplomacy is crucial for resolving conflicts peacefully and upholding their oath. Knowledge (Religion) aids in identifying and combating evil, aligning with their core tenets. Sense Motive helps discern deception, vital for navigating social encounters and detecting threats.
Skills like Heal can be useful for supporting allies, reflecting a compassionate nature. Perception is always valuable for spotting ambushes and hidden dangers. While not essential, skills like Ride or Survival can complement specific campaign settings or character concepts. Prioritize skills that enhance roleplaying opportunities and contribute to the Paladin’s effectiveness as a righteous champion.
Advanced Paladin Tactics
Mastering combat reflexes, outflanking maneuvers, and strategically utilizing Smite Evil elevates a Pathfinder Paladin’s battlefield presence and maximizes their divine power.
Combat Reflexes
Combat Reflexes, a highly recommended feat for Paladins, dramatically enhances their battlefield control and reactive capabilities. This feat allows a Paladin to make a single melee attack whenever an opponent enters their reach, even if they’ve already acted during their turn. This is incredibly potent for disrupting enemy advances, punishing positioning errors, and generally controlling the flow of combat.
Effectively utilizing Combat Reflexes requires careful positioning and anticipation of enemy movements. Combining it with abilities like Smite Evil can deliver devastating, opportunistic strikes. Remember that each Reflex consumes a standard action, so managing these actions efficiently is crucial. Paladins who prioritize Combat Reflexes often become formidable defensive and disruptive forces on the battlefield, turning the tide of encounters.
Outflank
The Outflank feat is a valuable tactical option for Paladins, particularly those focused on melee combat. It allows a Paladin to gain a flanking bonus even when not directly adjacent to an ally, provided they move at least 10 feet during their turn and end up flanking the target. This bonus to attack rolls significantly increases the chance of hitting, especially against heavily armored foes.
Outflank synergizes exceptionally well with Paladin abilities like Smite Evil, maximizing damage output when successfully landed. It encourages aggressive positioning and dynamic movement during combat. Mastering Outflank requires understanding enemy positioning and utilizing mobility to gain the flanking advantage. A Paladin employing Outflank effectively becomes a relentless and precise combatant, consistently delivering impactful strikes.
Utilizing Smite Evil Effectively
Smite Evil is the Paladin’s signature ability, dealing significant extra damage against evil-aligned creatures. However, maximizing its effectiveness requires strategic timing. Don’t waste it on minor enemies; reserve Smite Evil for crucial targets like bosses or powerful foes. Consider the target’s saving throws – a successful save reduces the damage, diminishing its impact.
Combining Smite Evil with flanking maneuvers, like utilizing the Outflank feat, or critical hits dramatically increases damage output. Remember Smite Evil consumes a spell slot, so manage your resources wisely. Prioritize targets vulnerable to the extra damage type. Understanding enemy alignments is key; misidentifying a creature negates the bonus. A well-timed Smite Evil can turn the tide of battle.
