Dungeons And Dragons: All Paladin Subclasses, Ranked From Least To Most Powerful

Summary D&D's various paladin subclasses offer unique abilities and playstyles for players to explore.

Some subclasses, like Oath of Redemption, are limited by their focus on defense. Others are just too specific to be useful.

Subclasses like Oath of Conquest and Oath of the Ancients blend powerful offensive and defensive abilities for to create strong paladins.

Like all Dungeons & Dragons classes, a paladin's playstyle is determined entirely by the subclass they choose. Subclasses generally build on a class' abilities and stats by allowing the player to specialize into a more specific category, something more detailed and involved than DnD's 12 core classes allow. For paladins, subclasses take the form of Oaths: sets of principles a paladin swears to uphold, no matter what may stand in their way. Oaths also give a paladin a set of abilities, often bestowed by their patron deity, to help them smash their way through said obstacles. They affect how a paladin can use their Channel Divinity charges to turn the tide of battle.

Paladins are one of the most fun classes to role-play, thanks to how entwined their Oaths are with their mechanics. Each Oath includes a set of Tenets that the paladin is expected to honor, which can be very helpful in guiding characterization. They also have the potential to be incredibly powerful in combat - nobody’s going to turn away a class that smites foes into oblivion with divine power. Although paladins are inherently strong-willed, brawny, and charismatic, just how much of each aspect they embody depends entirely on the subclass their players choose. And some subclasses are better smiters than others.

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10 Oath Of The Crown Is D&D's Weakest Paladin Subclass

From Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

As if to prove just how powerful paladins are, their “weakest” subclass is still quite strong. Those that follow the Oath of the Crown dedicate themselves to a sovereign nation or leader. Their life is the law, and they’re expected to remain fiercely loyal to the law their leader establishes. As such, most of the Crown paladin’s features are defensive, or relate to tanking. Champion Challenge forces its target to duel the paladin, and they cannot move more than 30 feet away on a failed save. Turn the Tide is a moderately effective party heal.

Unlike most DnD classes, paladins pick their subclasses at level one, meaning without a very flexible DM, they're locked into their selection for the rest of the game.

Divine Allegiance lets Crown paladins take the damage instead of their allies (as long as the ally is within melee range). Unyielding Saint gives an advantage on saving throws for paralysis or stuns. The capstone feature, Exalted Champion, grants resistance to all nonmagical weapons, advantage to allies on death saving throws, and advantage to the paladin on Wisdom saving throws. These are all good features, but not as consistently reliable as other subclasses that the paladin has.

9 Oath Of Redemption Is D&D's Hardest Paladin Subclass To Play

From Xanathar's Guide To Everything

The Oath of Redemption is a difficult path, and that isn’t just for flavor. Flavorwise, it runs completely counter to what a typical combat party wants to do. Redemption paladins are technical pacifists, only dealing out their justice to the undead or the truly unredeemable. They believe in every creature’s inherent innocence, and will almost always try peaceful negotiation before battle. They must find ways to resolve situations with sapient creatures peacefully. They're not unlike the Way of Tranqulity subclass for DnD monks.

That said, Oath of Redemption paladins are excellent negotiators; they’re just not very powerful in combat. Emissary of Peace grants a moderate bonus to Charisma checks for 10 minutes, a great boon for diplomats. Rebuke the Violent deals radiant damage to a creature that attacks another in their presence. Aura of Guardian allows Redemption paladins to take the damage for their allies instead, and Protective Spirit ensures they don’t die doing so. Emissary of Redemption grants permanent resistance against all creatures, so long as the paladin themselves does not retaliate in any way. It’s a strong subclass, but doesn’t fully take advantage of the paladin’s core smite mechanic.

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8 D&D's Oath Of Glory Paladins Seek Fame Over Power

From Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Paladins tend to get reputations for being up their armored codpieces, and those who follow the Oath of Glory are bound to lean into that stereotype. These paladins value action, strength, and great stories to be sung of. They’re prone to impressive feats of athleticism, but that doesn’t always translate to raw combat prowess. Peerless Athlete grants them bonuses to Strength and Dexterity, showcasing their honed bodies. Inspiring Smite is a moderately effective party heal that can be performed as a bonus action after a Divine Smite.

Aura of Alacrity is a flat boost to movement speed for those within the aura. Glorious Defense, as a reaction, grants an AC bonus to an ally after they’ve been hit (sort of a pseudo-Shield spell), and a chance for the paladin to hit them with a weapon attack. Living Legend grants supernatural charisma, an automatic successful hit once every turn, and free rerolls on saving throws as a reaction. Oath of Glory certainly lives up to its name, but as expected, is more selfish than helpful to the rest of the party.

7 D&D's Oath Of The Watchers Paladin Subclass Has Limited Usefulness

From Tasha's Cauldron Of Everything

The Oath of the Watchers paladin subclass covers guardians against otherworldly threats. As such, they hone not just their bodies, but their minds and spirits to be unshakeable against the unfamiliar. Their abilities give them unique advantages against certain types of creatures: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, and fiends, alongside miscellaneous bonuses related to finding and fighting against the supernatural. Watcher’s Will grants an advantage to the paladin and their allies on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. Abjure the Extraplanar turns otherworldly beings upon a failed save for a time.

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Aura of the Sentinel is the Watchers paladin’s most powerful support feature, granting a flat bonus to the initiative of the paladin and their allies, as if they’re ready for anything. Vigilant Rebuke pairs well with Watcher’s Will, dealing force damage to creatures that dealt the mind invasion in the first place. Mortal Bulwark grants true sight, an advantage against otherworldly enemies, and the ability to banish foes to their original planes. But this subclass is really only useful when a campaign involves a lot of otherworldly monsters.

6 D&D's Oath Of The Open Sea Paladins Are Slightly Less Limited

From Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn

Oath of the Open Seas is a unique paladin subclass in that it originates from Tal’Dorei, an original campaign setting developed for Critical Role. These paladins swear an oath to the principles of sailing: the human propensity towards freedom, the power of nature, and the joy of discovery. As such, most of their abilities pertain to water or exploration. They can use Marine Layer to create a cloud of fog that obscures visibility, or Fury of the Tides to knock enemies back with a powerful wave. Aura of Liberation allows them to prevent their allies from being grappled or restrained.

At level 15, Open Seas paladins can begin summoning the ocean’s power more directly, using it to deal damage. The slightly underwhelming capstone ability, Mythic Swashbuckler, turns them into the heroic sailors of legend, with advantage on Strength and Dexterity checks and attack rolls, Dash and Disengage as bonus actions. It’s a unique and occasionally powerful subclass, but ultimately, Oath of the Open Seas only makes sense in very specific campaign settings. If a game is mostly set on land, a pirate character will feel out of place.

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5 D&D's Oathbreaker Paladins Are Powerful, But Complicated

From The Dungeon Master's Guide

The archetypal Oathbreaker paladin is a fallen paragon who once swore to a sacred oath, but eventually broke it to become a powerful champion of hatred. In effect, Oathbreaker turns a paladin into an edgy antihero who can summon an undead army. Control Undead does exactly what it says, an ability that forces undead within their range to fall to the Oathbreaker’s thrall. Dreadful Aspect evokes terror in the hearts of enemies, making them frightened. Aura of Hate grants a melee damage boost to the Oathbreaker as well as any undead and fiends within the aura’s range, which can be as dangerous as it is useful.

Supernatural Resistance gives the paladin resistance against all nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Dread Lord darkens the area around an Oathbreaker, dealing psychic damage to frightened creatures caught within at the start of each turn. The darkness makes attacks disadvantaged when made against the Oathbreaker. Lastly, as a bonus action, a shadowy spike deals heavy necrotic damage to a creature in range. When used correctly, Oathbreaker is a powerful subclass - it just requires too many steps to get there.

4 D&D's Oath Of Conquest Paladins Are Ruthless Warriors

From Xanathar's Guide To Everything

Custom Image by Katarina Cimbaljevic

Ironically, Conan the Barbarian fits the tenets of the Conquest paladin better than any other subclass. The Oath of Conquest is all about bending everybody else to the paladin’s indomitable will, asserting that might makes right and the ends always justify the means. Conquering Presence makes creatures in range frightened of the paladin’s very presence. Guided Strike ensures the paladin’s aim is true, granting a +10 bonus to a single attack roll. Aura of Conquest reduces the speed of frightened creatures in their presence to zero.

The 15th level ability Scornful Rebuke punishes the unworthy who dare to strike the paladin, dealing psychic damage to them in the process. Lastly, Invincible Conqueror grants resistance to all damage, an extra attack, and improved critical. This all-powerful feature requires only the expenditure of an action, and its effects last for a full minute. This is a powerful subclass that makes enemies kneel in fear, but doesn’t always mesh with the rest of the party.

3 D&D's Oath Of Vengeance Paladins Embody Righteous Anger

From The Player's Handbook

They are the paladins of Vengeance. The bad guys probably killed their fathers. They should prepare to die. Much like Inigo Montoya, these avenging paladins are dedicated to righting the wrongs of evildoers, even at the cost of their souls. They’re great for role-playing characters with a bone to pick, and can help inextricably tie a paladin to the central story of almost any campaign. Abjure Enemy frightens a creature within range and lowers its movement speed to zero. Vow of Enmity grants the paladin advantage on attack rolls made against a specific target until the target is dead or unconscious.

Relentless Avenger makes the Vengeance paladins terrifying pursuers, letting them move after a successful opportunity attack for half speed. Soul of Vengeance adds a reaction attack in the Vow of Enmity feature when the target attacks. Lastly, Avenging Angel grants angelic wings, and an aura of menace that frightens all those within the paladin’s aura. For single-minded wrath, no subclass is better than Oath of Vengeance.

2 D&D's Oath Of Devotion Paladins Are Paragons Of Virtue

From The Player's Handbook

Taking the Oath of Devotion creates about as classic of a paladin as any subclass can. These are paragons of all that is good, and though their practices vary, they are about as goody-two-shoes as a character can be. As a result, their features allow them to call upon their patron deities, or the powers of honesty, courage, and compassion, to smite evildoers and save the righteous. Sacred Weapon imbues their weapons with divine magic, dealing extra damage for one minute. Turn the Unholy turns fiends and undead within range, and forces them to flee.

Aura of Devotion shares the paladin’s will with their allies, making them immune to charms while conscious. Its range increases at level 18. Purity of Spirit grants the effects of the spell Protection from Evil and Good on the paladin permanently. Holy Nimbus makes the Devotion paladin a shining beacon of hope, dealing radiant damage to enemies, and an advantage on saving throws against fiends and undead. Devotion paladins are an excellent balance of offense and defense, and one of the strongest subclasses available in DnD.

1 Oath Of The Ancients Is D&D's Most Powerful Paladin Subclass

From The Player's Handbook

The fabled Green Knights, those that follow the Oath of the Ancients, dedicate themselves not to “mortal” principles of goodness. Instead, they are dedicated to the preservation of all that is good and living in nature, in any way they know how. Light is their symbol and their guide. Nature’s Wrath entangles foes with spectral vines, restraining them. Turn the Faithless turns fey or fiends in range, forcing them to flee.

But Aura of Warding is, without a doubt, the single feature that makes Oath of the Ancients borderline broken. It grants resistance to all spell damage for the paladin and their allies. Undying Sentinel grants the paladin one chance to be reduced to one hitpoint instead of zero once per long rest, provided they aren’t killed outright. Elder Champion merges the paladin to become one with nature itself, giving them regeneration and bonus action spells, while also giving a disadvantage to creatures that make saving throws against said spells. These features would be incredible in any class, but putting them on paladin puts it over the edge, making it the most powerful subclass a paladin can take in Dungeons & Dragons.