How the DnD 2024 Paladin works differently from 5e

The DnD 2024 Paladin is still recognizable in the new Player’s Handbook, but a host of small tweaks mean that the Dungeons and Dragons class feels very different. Wizards of the Coast has nerfed some of the Paladin’s more explosive features, but it’s also been very generous with the class’ resources and action economy. We’ve spent hours going through the 2024 Player’s Handbook, so here’s a guide that points out every update made to the One DnD Paladin.

If you’re looking to learn more about the new rules, check out our 2024 Player’s Handbook review. We can also explain the biggest changes to DnD 2024 backgrounds and DnD tools.

DnD 2024 Paladin features

The core traits of a Paladin are pretty much the same in the 2024 rules:

One key thing to note is that multiclassing into Paladin no longer gives your character proficiency in simple weapons.

Paladins can start out with 150 GP or the following equipment:

• Chain mail
• Shield
• Longsword
• Six javelins
• Holy symbol
• Priest’s pack
• 9 GP

That’s a little less flexible than the Paladin 5e’s starting equipment, but it’s not a game-breaking change. Now, let’s take a look at the more specific (and more significant) ways the Paladin class has evolved:

Lay on Hands

Level: One

Unlike its 2014 predecessor, Lay on Hands is now a bonus action. Apart from that, it works much like it did in 5e. Touch a creature (including yourself), and you can restore its hit points using a pool of HP you have available. You can heal up to the maximum amount of HP remaining in your pool, and you can spend five HP from the pool to remove the poisoned condition from a creature instead.

Spellcasting

Level: One

Paladins can no longer change their entire spell list on a DnD long rest. Instead, you can swap just one spell from your prepared spells on a long rest.

DnD 2024 Paladin spells

Plenty of the 2024 Paladin’s spells have been tweaked. The biggest change here is the Smite spells, all of which are now cast after you’ve landed a successful melee attack or unarmed strike. This guarantees that you’ll get to use your smite spell, and it means fewer of the smites require concentration.

Here are the other major changes to the Paladin spell list:

Level one:

• Command – When targeting multiple creatures, they don’t have to be within 30 feet of each other.
• Compelled Duel – Affected targets can no longer make a Wisdom saving throw to try and move away from you.
• Cure Wounds – An abjuration spell that now restores 2d8 HP rather than 1d8.
• Detect Magic – Can be blocked by just one foot of wood or dirt.
• Detect Poison and Disease – Ditto the new rules for Detect Magic.
• Protection from Evil and Good – Material components now include a flask of Holy Water that costs at least 25 GP, which the spell consumes)
• Searing Smite – No longer requires concentration.
• Thunderous Smite – Now an Instantaneous spell that doesn’t require concentration, and can be upcast to increase the damage by 1d6 for each spell slot level above first.
• Wrathful Smite – A necromancy spell that now deals necrotic damage rather than psychic. Also an instantaneous effect that no longer requires concentration, and it can be upcast to increase the damage by 1d6 for each spell slot level above first.

Level two:

• Find Steed – Casting time is one action rather than 10 minutes, and it now uses a unique ‘otherworldly steed’ stat block rather than an existing beast’s. Your Steed is capable of teleportation, healing, and frightening, and upcasting the spell improves its stat block.
• Gentle Repose – Now on the Paladin spell list (like in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything).
• Lesser Restoration – Now a bonus action.
• Magic Weapon – No longer requires concentration, but the spell ends early if you cast it again.
• Prayer of Healing – Now on Paladin spell list (like in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything). Also now an abjuration spell that targets five creatures instead of six. Affected creatures gain the benefits of a short rest and 2d8 hit points, but they can only be affected by the spell once per long rest. Can now affect undead and constructs.
• Shining Smite – A new bonus action spell taken after you hit with a melee weapon or unarmed strike. Its component is verbal, and it lasts for up to one minute with concentration. The spell’s target takes 2d6 extra radiant damage from your attack, and it sheds bright light in a five-foot radius for the duration. This gives attack rolls against it advantage, and it can’t become invisible. Using higher spell slots increases the damage for each slot level above two.
• Warding Bond – Now on Paladin spell list (like in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything).

Level three:

• Aura of Vitality – Now an abjuration spell, and its healing is a free action when you cast the spell and at the start of each turn while it lasts (rather than a bonus action).
• Blinding Smite – No longer requires concentration, and it automatically blinds the target. The creature still makes a Constitution save at the end of each of its turns to try and end the condition. Can also upcast to increase the damage by 1d8 for each spell slot level above three.
• Crusader’s Mantle – Can also be applied to unarmed strikes.

Level four:

• Aura of Life – Can affect constructs and undead.
• Banishment – Range is 30 feet rather than 60 feet.
• Locate Creature – Blocked by lead instead of water.
• Staggering Smite – Now an instantaneous enchantment spell that doesn’t require concentration. As well as damage, this smite gives a creature the stunned condition on a failed Wisdom save. The damage increases by 1d6 for each spell slot level above four.

Level five:

• Banishing Smite – Target is only banished if they’re reduced to 50 HP or fewer and they fail a Charisma saving throw.
• Dispel Evil and Good – You no longer make a melee spell attack when trying to send a creature to another plane (but they must still make a Charisma saving throw).
• Greater Restoration – Now on the Paladin spell list.

Weapon Mastery

Level: One

As per the new DnD weapon mastery rules, you can choose two weapons that you’re proficient in. This allows you to use the weapon mastery properties for those weapons (check out our guide for more info). You can also swap your choices whenever you finish a long rest.

Fighting Style

Level: Two

You choose a fighting style from the list of fighting style feats (yes, they’re technically DnD 2024 feats now).

Alternatively, you can choose to learn two DnD 2024 Cleric cantrips, which count as Paladin spells for you and can be cast with Charisma as your spellcasting modifier. Plus, you can swap one of these cantrips whenever you gain a Paladin level. This is pretty much identical to the ‘Blessed Warrior’ fighting style offered in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

Paladin’s Smite

Level: Two

The Paladin 5e’s Divine Smite feature is now a spell, and you always have it prepared. You can also cast it without a spell slot once per long rest.

Divine Smite

The target of your attack takes 2d8 extra radiant damage, plus another 1d8 if they are a fiend or an undead. You can increase the damage by 1d8 for each spell slot above level one that you use to cast Divine Smite.

Given that Divine Smite is now a spell that costs a bonus action, and all other smites are spells that cost bonus actions on the same turn that you attack, it’s no longer possible to stack Divine Smite and other Paladin smites. This is a nerf, but it does feel a bit more balanced in our opionion.

Channel Divinity

Level: Three

The number of Channel Divinity uses your Paladin gets has increased since 2014. At level three, you can use Channel Divinity twice. You regain one use of it on a short rest and all uses on a long rest. From level 11, you get three uses.

As before, each of the DnD Paladin subclasses comes with a unique Channel Divinity option. Every Paladin can also use Divine Sense, a bonus action that tells you the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you, as well as any consecrated or desecrated object or location.

Paladin 2024 subclasses

Level: Three

The 2024 Player’s Handbook features four Paladin subclasses:

Oath of Devotion

The Oath of Devotion spell list is basically identical, except that Sanctuary has been swapped out for Shield of Faith. Your Sacred Weapon can deal its normal (non-magical) DnD damage type or radiant damage, and the light it emits seems to continue even if you’re unconscious. Turn the Unholy is no longer available as a Channel Divinity option.

The new level-15 Smite of Protection feature means that, when you cast Divine Smite, you and allies in your Aura of Protection have half cover until the start of your next turn. Holy Nimbus mostly works as before, but the damage enemies take now equals your Charisma modifier plus your proficiency bonus.

Oath of Glory

The Oath of Glory Paladin spells are the same apart from those at level 17. Now, you get Legend Lore and a new spell, Yolande’s Regal Presence. This level-five enchantment spell costs an action and surrounds you with a 10-foot emanation. When creatures you can see enter or end their turn in the emanation, they must make a Wisdom save or take 4d6 psychic damage, be pushed 10 feet away, and become prone. They take half damage on a successful save.

Peerless Athlete no longer affects how much you can push, pull, carry, or lift. Aura of Alacrity now affects allies who enter or start their turn in your aura (rather than starting their turn within five feet of you). Glorious Defense and Living Legend work pretty much as they did in fifth edition.

Oath of the Ancients

Nature’s Wrath can now have multiple targets, and Turn the Faithless is no longer available for Channel Divinity. The Oath of the Ancients spell list is identical. Additionally, Aura of Warding gives resistance to necrotic, psychic, and radiant damage rather than resistance to all spell damage.

Undying Sentinel lets you regain HP equal to three times your Paladin level when you choose to drop to one HP instead of zero. Finally, Elder Champion uses can now be restored by spending a level five spell slot.

Oath of Vengeance

The Oath of Vengeance spell list is unchanged. Vow of Enmity now triggers when you take the attack action, and you can transfer the vow to a different target for free if your original target drops to zero HP. Abjure Enemy is gone, and Relentless Avenger now also reduces a target’s speed to zero until the end of the current turn.

Soul of Vengeance works as it did in fifth edition, but Avenging Angel now gives you the ability to hover as well as fly. Uses of the capstone ability can also be restored by spending a level-five spell slot.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: Four, Eight, 12, 16

As in the 2014 rules, you choose one of the following:

Extra Attack

Level: Five

This is another familiar one. When you take an attack action on your turn, you can now attack twice instead of once.

Faithful Steed

Level: Five

You now always have Find Speed prepared, and you can cast it without using a spell slot once per long rest.

Aura of Protection

Level: Six

As in 2014, you create a ten-foot-radius ‘emanation’ that centers around you. You and allies in the aura get a saving throw bonus equal to your Charisma modifier. The only major difference is that the aura is ended by the incapacitated condition, rather than specifically being unconscious.

Abjure Foes

Level: Nine

As an action, you can spend a use of Channel Divinity and target creatures equal to your Charisma modifier that you can see within 60 feet. They must make a Wisdom save, becoming frightened for one minute on a failure. A frightened target can only do one of the following on their turn: move, use an action, or use a bonus action. The condition ends early if the target takes damage.

Aura of Courage

Level: 10

This aura makes you and your friends immune to the frightened condition. Additionally, the 2024 version can now temporarily block the condition if someone who was already frightened enters the aura.

Radiant Strikes

Level: 11

When you successfully hit with a melee weapon or unarmed strike, you deal 1d8 additional radiant damage.

Restoring Touch

Level: 14

You can now spend five HP from your Lay on Hands Pool to end one of the following conditions (instead of restoring HP):

• Blinded
• Charmed
• Deafened
• Frightened
• Paralyzed
• Stunned

Aura Expansion

Level: 18

Just like in 5e, your auras become 30-foot emanations.

Epic Boon

Level: 19

You choose an epic boon from the DnD 2024 feats list (see our guide for more information about your options).

For more on the DnD classes changes, here’s what the DnD 2024 Ranger and DnD 2024 Fighter look like in the new rulebook.

Source: Wargamer