Unleashing Divine Power: The Ultimate Ranking of Baldur's Gate 3 Paladin Subclasses

Baldur's Gate 3 offers a variety of classes, each with unique abilities and utilities that contribute to the team. The Rogue excels in burst damage and eliminating traps, while the Fighter has proficiency with all types of weapons and armor. Additionally, the Druid possesses the power to shapeshift and communicate with animals.

In this game, a Paladin is a formidable warrior whose strength comes from their unwavering commitment to a divine oath. They may choose to defend the innocent as a noble Knight, uphold the values of Life and Nature, or pursue Justice and Retribution. The Paladin's chosen oath significantly influences both gameplay and the narrative. Should a Paladin deviate from their oath, they are transformed into an alternative subclass known as the "Oathbreaker."

Oath Of The Ancients

Paladins who uphold the Oath of the Ancients prioritize the protection of Life and Nature, reminiscent of the Druids. As their initial Channel Oath ability, they possess Healing Radiance, which allows them to perform an AOE Heal centered on themselves. This healing effect pulses again at the beginning of their next turn. This ability proves incredibly advantageous when engaged in close combat alongside fellow party members.

Upon reaching level 3, these Paladins acquire Nature's Wrath and Turn the Faithless. Nature's Wrath permits them to expend a Channel Oath charge to restrain an enemy during their attack, while Turn the Faithless enables them to induce fear in fey and fiends, causing them to flee. Additionally, they gain the prepared spells "Speak with Animals" and "Ensnaring Strike (Ranged)." This comprehensive skill set proves invaluable in combat, as it allows them to stun troublesome adversaries and extract valuable insights from unlikely sources.

At level 5, the Oath of Ancients bestows the abilities to teleport as a bonus action using "Misty Step" and conjure a damaging beam called "Moonbeam" that can be repositioned in later turns. Upon reaching level 7, they gain the "Aura of Warding," which provides them with the ability to take half-damage from spells. Furthermore, they can extend this protection to any ally within a 3-meter radius.

Upon reaching level 9, the Oath of the Ancients allows access to additional prepared spells such as "Protection From Energy" and "Plant Growth." These spells grant the ability to confer resistance to a specific type of elemental damage or create difficult terrain to impede their adversaries.

Oath of the Ancients Paladins will break their Oath if they fail to defend the sanctity of life or deliberately disrupt the balance of nature.

Oath Of Devotion

The Oath of Devotion Paladins embody the archetype of the heroic, virtuous knights who champion the cause of justice and protect the vulnerable. By invoking Divine Rebuke, they can bestow a divine ward upon a comrade, which inflicts radiant damage upon any enemy foolish enough to launch a melee assault against them.

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Upon reaching Level 3, Paladins following the Oath of Devotion acquire supplementary spells and abilities associated with their Oath. This includes two new methods to Channel their Oath. With the Sacred Weapon ability, they are able to imbue their weapon with a divine essence, thus adding their Charisma Bonus to their attack rolls. In addition, they possess the power to repel Undead and Fiends through the Turn the Unholy ability, instilling fear within them. Furthermore, Paladins gain the ability to prepare the spells "Protection from Evil and Good" and "Sanctuary".

At Level 5, Oath of Devotion Paladins expand their repertoire with the addition of the spells "Lesser Restoration" and "Silence". These spells grant them the capability to alleviate ailments and afflictions while also creating a spherical region that stifles all sounds within it, making its occupants immune to thunder damage.

The Oath of Devotion at Level 7 grants Paladins an "Aura of Devotion," granting them immunity to charm. This aura also protects allies within a 3-meter radius. When reaching Level 9, Paladins gain access to the spells "Beacon of Hope" and "Remove Curse," enabling them to enhance healing abilities and eliminate curses.

Violating their commitment or displaying cruelty will result in a Paladin who swore the Oath of Devotion becoming an Oathbreaker.

Oathbreaker

Oathbreakers are former Paladins who have violated their sacred Oath for various reasons. As a result, they no longer draw power from their Oath but instead tap into the forces of Darkness. It is not possible for players to start the game as an Oathbreaker; they must first choose a different Paladin path and then break their Oath during the gameplay. Once the Oath is broken, players will have an opportunity to encounter the Oathbreaker Knight at their camp and have the option to embrace the Oathbreaker path. Alternatively, players can choose to have their original Oath restored by the Knight in exchange for 2,000 gold.

At the beginning, Oathbreakers possess the Channel Oath ability known as "Spiteful Suffering." This allows them to inflict necrotic damage on a target within a range of 3 meters, causing all subsequent attacks against that target to have an advantage. However, this ability can be resisted by making a Charisma Saving Throw.

Oathbreakers at Level 3 acquire two extra Channel Oath Abilities: Control Undead and Dreadful Aspect. By using Control Undead, they can gain control over an undead creature, effectively obtaining a temporary ally if the creature fails to resist a Wisdom Saving Throw. On the other hand, Dreadful Aspect enables them to emit a pulse that instills fear in nearby enemies who fail a Wisdom Saving Throw. Additionally, Oathbreakers gain "Hellish Rebuke" and "Inflict Wounds" as prepared spells, empowering them to counterattack with fire and inflict necrotic damage from a distance.

Upon reaching Level 5, Oathbreakers gain access to "Crown of Madness" and "Darkness" as prepared spells. These spells enable them to manipulate enemies into attacking their own allies and create areas of darkness to conceal their comrades. At Level 7, Oathbreakers acquire an "Aura of Hate," which allows them to add their Charisma modifier to damage rolls. Moreover, this benefit can be extended to undead or fiend allies within a 3-meter radius.

Level 9 Oathbreakers get "Bestow Curse" and "Animate Dead," letting them weaken their foes with curses and create undead to aid them in battle.

Oath Of Vengeance

At level one, an Oath of Vengeance Paladin possesses the capability to employ "Inquisitor's Might." This enables them to bestow additional radiant damage to their own weapon attacks or those of a comrade, as a supplementary action. The amount of bonus damage corresponds to the Paladin's Charisma modifier.

At level 3, Vengeance Paladins possess the ability to utilize their oath in the form of "Abjure Enemy" or "Vow of Enmity." "Abjure Enemy" enables them to invoke fear upon an opponent, making them more vulnerable to attacks, particularly effective against Fiends and the Undead. On the other hand, "Vow of Enmity" grants them the advantage of enhanced Attack Rolls against a target within a 3-meter range for 10 turns, which can be done as a bonus action. This level also bestows upon them the knowledge of additional spells, namely "Bane" and "Hunter's Mark." "Bane" has the power to weaken up to 3 creatures, while "Hunter's Mark" places a mark on a target, causing them to suffer increased damage from the Paladin.

Moving on to level 5, Vengeance Paladins acquire the abilities "Hold Person" and "Misty Step" as well, giving them the capability to immobilize humanoid adversaries and skillfully teleport across the battlefield.

Vengeance Paladins at level 7 gain "Relentless Avenger," increasing their movement speed by 4.5m on their next turn after executing an opportunity attack. This ability enables them to maintain pressure on their enemies and prevent any target from evading their pursuit. Furthermore, at level 9, they unlock the spells "Haste" and "Protection From Energy." These powerful spells allow them to grant additional actions to themselves or an ally, as well as provide resistance to a specific type of elemental damage.

Baldur's Gate 3 is currently available for PC and Mac, and will be released on September 6th, 2023 for PS5.