Aasimar Oath of Devotion Paladin Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start with a 15 Strength and 14 Charisma. At level 1, take the Defense Fighting Style to compensate for using a two-handed weapon. At level 2, you get Divine Smite, which pairs beautifully with your Aasimar Celestial Revelation for massive burst turns. Level 3 is where the build comes online: you gain your Oath of Devotion Spells (like Command) and Sacred Weapon. Because Sacred Weapon is a Bonus Action, you can immediately activate it and attack in the same turn. At level 4, take the Polearm Master feat. This gives you a reliable Bonus Action attack and reaction attacks when enemies approach, maximizing your chances to crit and land Smites.

Levels 5-10

Level 5 brings Extra Attack and 2nd-level spells like Find Steed. At level 7, you unlock Aura of Devotion. Position yourself carefully in combat; keeping your squishy casters within 10 feet means they cannot be Charmed into attacking you. At level 8, take Great Weapon Master. Your Sacred Weapon feature completely offsets the -5 attack penalty, turning your halberd strikes into lethal, highly accurate +10 damage blows. By level 9, you gain access to 3rd-level Oath spells like Beacon of Hope, though your spell slots are usually better spent on Smites.

Levels 11-16

Level 11 grants Improved Divine Smite, adding a passive 1d8 radiant damage to every attack—including your Polearm Master bonus attack. At level 12, bump your Strength to 17 or Charisma to 16 to improve your Sacred Weapon accuracy and Aura of Protection saves. Level 15 introduces Smite of Protection, a fantastic defensive reaction. When an ally within 30 feet takes massive damage, you can spend points from your Lay on Hands pool as a reaction to halve that damage. This essentially gives you an on-demand, targeted Absorb Elements for your entire party. At level 16, round off your Strength and Constitution scores with an ASI.

Levels 17-20

Level 17 brings 5th-level spells like Holy Weapon, which stacks absurdly well with your Aasimar radiant damage and Improved Divine Smite. Finally, level 20 unlocks your capstone: Holy Nimbus. As an action, you radiate 30 feet of bright light, granting allies advantage on crucial saving throws. Pop this during the first round of a boss fight alongside your Celestial Revelation, and you become a literal sun on the battlefield, melting enemies while making your party practically immune to magical effects.

Level 1-2 Spells

Command (Oath Spell): Excellent control. Instruct an enemy to 'Flee' to trigger your Polearm Master opportunity attacks when they run. Bless: Your bread-and-butter buff. Stack this with Sacred Weapon and you will literally never miss an attack. Lesser Restoration (Oath Spell): Frees up your Cleric's spell preparations. Find Steed: Gives you much-needed mobility to close gaps.

Level 3-5 Spells

Spirit Shroud: Adds 1d8 radiant damage to every attack. With three attacks a turn from Polearm Master, this out-damages standard Smites over prolonged fights. Find Greater Steed: Upgrade your warhorse to a Pegasus. Flight makes your Aura of Devotion highly mobile. Holy Weapon: 2d8 extra radiant damage per hit. Stack this with your Aasimar celestial trait to vaporize fiends.

Polearm Master

Take this at level 4. The Devotion Paladin needs as many attacks as possible to fish for crits and trigger Improved Divine Smite. The reaction attack when an enemy enters your reach guarantees you get the first strike in melee.

Great Weapon Master

Take this at level 8. This is the cornerstone of the Devotion Paladin build. Because Sacred Weapon adds your Charisma modifier to your attack rolls, you can comfortably take the -5 penalty to hit in exchange for +10 damage on every swing.

Fey Touched

If you need to round out an odd Charisma score, take this at level 12. Devotion Paladins lack innate teleportation. Gaining Misty Step allows you to bypass enemy frontlines and drop your massive Great Weapon Master strikes directly onto enemy spellcasters.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Start with Chain Mail and a Halberd or Glaive to support Polearm Master. Your primary goal is to save up 1,500 gold for Plate Armor to push your AC to 18. Keep a few javelins handy for flying enemies before you get your steed.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

Acquire Plate Armor and a +1 Halberd. Seek out a Cloak of Protection to stack with your Aura of Protection, making your saving throws untouchable. If you can find a Pearl of Power, it gives you an extra 2nd-level slot for another Divine Smite or a free cast of Zone of Truth.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

Look for a Belt of Fire Giant Strength. Setting your Strength to 25 frees up your ASIs to max out Charisma, which directly buffs your Sacred Weapon attack rolls, your spell save DCs, and your Aura of Protection. An Amulet of the Devout +2 is also crucial here for an extra use of your Channel Divinity.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

The ultimate goal is a Holy Avenger (if your DM allows a halberd version, or switch to a Greatsword if necessary). The advantage on saves against spells stacks hilariously well with your Holy Nimbus capstone and Aura of Devotion.

Your role is the Defender and primary single-target striker. You excel at standing between the enemy and your party's squishy casters, using your auras to protect them from magical debilitation while punishing anything that steps into your reach.

This build shines brightest when paired with a Lore Bard or an Enchantment Wizard. These classes are highly susceptible to being Charmed or frightened out of their concentration spells; your Aura of Devotion ensures their Hypnotic Pattern or Wall of Force stays up. Additionally, a Twilight Cleric is a perfect partner. Their Twilight Sanctuary grants temporary HP that stacks with your innate Aasimar Celestial Resistance, making you practically unkillable against necrotic damage threats.

Hexblade Warlock 1-2

The infamous Hexblade dip is actually stronger on a Devotion Paladin than any other subclass. Because Hexblade lets you attack with Charisma, and Sacred Weapon adds your Charisma to attack rolls, you get to add your Charisma modifier twice to every attack. It is completely game-breaking for your accuracy.

Divine Soul Sorcerer 4

Taking four levels of Divine Soul Sorcerer gives you access to the Shield spell to fix your two-handed weapon AC deficit. It also grants Absorb Elements and the ability to Quicken Spell a Booming Blade or Bless on round one without sacrificing your attacks.

• Clashing Bonus Actions: Sacred Weapon, your Aasimar Celestial Revelation, and Polearm Master's butt-end attack all compete for your Bonus Action. Do not try to activate everything on turn one. Pop Sacred Weapon first to secure your Great Weapon Master hits.
• Casting Sanctuary on yourself: Your level 3 Oath spell Sanctuary ends the moment you make an attack. You are a frontline striker; never cast this on yourself. Save it for the dying Wizard.
• Forgetting Aura of Devotion positioning: The 10-foot range is incredibly small until level 18. If you charge 30 feet ahead of your party to smite a goblin, you leave your Cleric vulnerable to a vampire's charm. Stay in formation.
• Hoarding Lay on Hands: Once you hit level 15, Smite of Protection requires points in your Lay on Hands pool to function as a damage-halving reaction. Do not blow all your healing out of combat; always keep 10-15 points in reserve for this reaction.