Paladins; seen as the great protector and champion of the people; are often pigeonholed as the quintessential divine hero. A character class: so inherently married to the parameters of a Lawful Good alignment, that they instinctively make decisions without acknowledging the possibility that nuance exists. Seemingly more rigid in their thinking that: when a situation arises that may require a less morally strict stance, they will only ever follow the rules -regardless of the consequences. It is this very assumption, however, that often makes Paladins the butt of the joke and overlooked as a viable and fun class to play.
Spells
Taking that into consideration, the new 2024 D&D update for Paladin comes off as a genuine attempt to not only streamline the class’s mechanics so that they will be easier to play but also to reignite the passions of players who may have inadvertently dismissed the class altogether. But whether said changes hit the mark that WoTC intended, or not, is still up for debate. Given that the changes are being seen as a mixed bag -both good and not so good.
The biggest change to the Paladin class is with its Divine Smite ability. Unlike the 2014 version, wherein the ability originally took an action to cast; now it is regulated to the classification of a spell and requires nothing more than a bonus action to invoke. Meaning: that it can only be used once per round. Spellcasting (in general) has also changed, granting spells earlier in progression, but the number of prepared spells available has decreased for Paladins. In the hope, that it will counterbalance the increase in viability granted by Weapon Mastery -now available to all melee characters.
Additional changes to spellcasting also include the downgrade of auras, wherein Paladins can no longer double stack auras across the entire party. The number of uses for the Channel Divinity ability has decreased but has also gained more chances to be used. Lay on Hands received a small tweak: now only costing a bonus action instead of an action and gaining the ability to affect both Constructs and the Undead. Additionally, to adhere to the Knight-in-shinning-armor aesthetic that Paladins are known for, WoTC added a new spell called Find Steed -which does exactly what it sounds like, summoning a spectral mount for the character to ride.
Subclasses
Picked up at level three, Paladins have their choice of various Oaths -depending on their background and chosen playstyle. In every way, the class oaths have been changed. Oath of Devotion Paladin spells, like Sacred Weapon and Holy Nimbus, will last ten minutes rather than the previous duration of only one. The Purity of Spirit feature has been replaced by Smite Protection -an ability that grants cover to the party, within the Paladin’s aura, after the implementation of Divine Smite. Sanctuary and Lesser Restoration; two spells rarely used in typical gameplay; have been replaced with the more versatile spells: Shield of Faith and Aid.
Oath of Glory Paladins have had their Aura of Alacrity improved. Now it utilizes the Aura of Protection utility to determine who it will affect. Peerless Athletics got a time duration buff of one hour and have gained a new spell called Yolande’s Regal Presence. Conversely, the biggest change to Oath of Ancients Paladins is the revamp of Undying Sentinel. Now, when a Paladin drops to zero hit points, players will no longer immediately resurrect with only one hit point. Instead, they will resurrect with a hit point total equal to three times their Paladin level. All while losing the previous inherent buff of resistances to all damage types.
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