What is a Paladin in D&D?

A Paladin is a sacred warrior whose martial training and divine power are bound together by conviction and oath. The 2014 class combines the durability and equipment of a heavily armored martial character with limited spellcasting, burst damage through Divine Smite, healing through Lay on Hands, and some of the strongest party-protection features in the game. Strength and Charisma are the class's defining abilities for the conventional build.

Core class profile

The 2014 Paladin uses a d10 Hit Die.

The class is proficient with:

all armor;
shields;
simple weapons;
martial weapons.

Saving throw proficiencies are Wisdom and Charisma.

The usual build uses Strength for melee weapon attacks and Charisma for spellcasting, auras, and several class features.

Divine Sense

At 1st level, Divine Sense allows the Paladin to detect certain supernatural creatures and consecrated or desecrated places within the feature's limits.

It is not a general-purpose alignment detector.

Its targets and range are specifically defined by the feature.

The number of uses is tied to Charisma and restores after a long rest.

Lay on Hands

Also at 1st level, Lay on Hands gives the Paladin a pool of healing power equal to:

5 × Paladin level

The Paladin can spend points from that pool to restore hit points by touch.

The feature can also spend a fixed number of points to cure a disease or neutralise a poison under the 2014 rules.

The pool returns after a long rest.

Lay on Hands is reliable because it does not require a spell slot and the Paladin chooses exactly how many points to spend on ordinary healing.

Fighting Style and Spellcasting

At 2nd level, the Paladin gains a Fighting Style and Spellcasting.

The Paladin is a half-caster.

Spell slots progress more slowly than those of a full caster and reach a maximum of 5th-level Paladin spells.

Paladins prepare spells after a long rest.

Charisma is the spellcasting ability.

The spell list includes healing, protection, mobility, buffs, control, and smite-themed magic.

Divine Smite

Divine Smite is one of the class's signature features.

When the Paladin hits with a melee weapon attack, the character can expend a spell slot to deal additional radiant damage.

The damage increases with the level of the slot up to the feature's cap.

Undead and fiends take additional damage under the 2014 feature.

Because the Paladin decides to use Divine Smite after the attack has already hit, spell slots can be converted into burst damage efficiently.

This makes critical hits especially attractive because the additional damage dice from Divine Smite are part of the critical hit's damage roll.

Sacred Oath

At 3rd level, the Paladin chooses a Sacred Oath.

The Oath is the subclass.

The 2014 Paladin receives Oath features at:

3rd 7th 15th 20th

The Oath also grants Oath Spells and Channel Divinity options.

Oath of Devotion represents the classic honorable holy warrior.

Oath of the Ancients emphasises life, hope, nature, and resistance to magic.

Oath of Vengeance focuses on pursuing and destroying dangerous enemies.

Later books add additional oaths with themes such as conquest, redemption, glory, watchers, and crown service.

Aura of Protection

At 6th level, Aura of Protection becomes one of the Paladin's strongest features.

The Paladin and friendly creatures within 10 feet gain a bonus to saving throws equal to the Paladin's Charisma modifier, provided the Paladin is conscious.

At 18th level, the range increases to 30 feet.

This turns Charisma into a major defensive stat for the entire party, not just a spellcasting score.

Aura of Courage

At 10th level, the Paladin and nearby allies cannot be frightened while the conscious Paladin's aura applies.

The range expands at 18th level.

This gives the class another strong reason to think about ally positioning rather than only personal attacks.

High-level martial progression

At 11th level, Improved Divine Smite adds radiant damage to every qualifying melee weapon hit without consuming a spell slot.

At 14th level, Cleansing Touch allows the Paladin to end spells on themselves or willing creatures by touch, with uses based on Charisma.

The Sacred Oath then culminates in a major 20th-level subclass feature.

Party role

A Paladin is a front-line martial character, burst-damage threat, emergency healer, and defensive anchor.

The class is particularly strong when allies remain close enough to benefit from Aura of Protection without clustering so tightly that one area effect catches everyone.

Paladins are therefore more than “Smite machines.”

The best turns often involve balancing weapon attacks, spell slots, smites, concentration, healing, and aura positioning.

In short

A Paladin is a d10 martial half-caster built around Strength, Charisma, Divine Smite, Lay on Hands, and powerful auras.

The class can deal enormous burst damage, but its party-wide defensive contribution is just as important.