Dwarf Oath of the Ancients Paladin Build Guide
Combining sturdy dwarven resilience with nature's protective magic, the Dwarf Oath of the Ancients Paladin is an unyielding shield against both steel and spellcraft.
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Why Oath of the Ancients?
Becoming an Oath of the Ancients Paladin means dedicating yourself to preserving the light, beauty, and life of the world. As a Defender, your primary job is to draw enemy attention and absorb blows for your allies, making the Dwarf an exceptional race choice. By combining your natural Dwarven Toughness (which grants extra hit points every time you level up) with a high Strength score of 15, you can wear heavy armor and stand on the frontline without fear.
As you level up, your defensive capabilities become truly supernatural. When you reach level 7, you unlock Aura of Warding, a powerful feature that grants you and nearby allies resistance to damage from spells. When paired with Dwarven Resilience—which already gives you resistance to poison damage—you become a walking fortress that magic and toxins can barely scratch.
Your spells and channel divinity options, like Nature's Wrath, allow you to lock down speedy enemies in place, ensuring they cannot bypass you to reach your fragile teammates. With your Charisma of 14 boosting your spellcasting and aura effects, you will easily control the battlefield.
Oath of the Ancients Features
Nature's Wrath
Level 3When a creature within 10 feet of you that you can see hits a target with an attack roll, you can use your Reaction to add your Charisma modifier to the attack roll or saving throw DC. In addition, when you cast a spell that deals damage, you can spend 1 spell slot to increase the damage by 1d6 per spell slot spent.
Oath of the Ancients Spells
Level 3You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of the Ancients Spells table. [Oath of the Ancients Spells: 1st - Entangle, Goodberry; 2nd - Barkskin, Spike Growth; 3rd - Call Lightning, Plant Growth; 4th - Grasping Vine, Guardian of Nature; 5th - Maelstrom, Wrath of Nature]
Aura of Warding
Level 7Ancient magic still lingers in your aura, shielding you and your allies from fey and undead creatures. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have Resistance to damage from spells. In addition, creatures within 10 feet of you have Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened.
Undying Sentinel
Level 15You gain the ability to sense the presence of undead within 1 mile of you. If you sense undead this way, you know their general direction. When you sense undead this way, you can use your Reaction to gain Advantage on attack rolls against that creature until the end of your next turn.
Elder Champion
Level 20When you reach 20th level, you can use your action to gain temporary hit points equal to your Paladin level + your Charisma modifier. Additionally, for 1 minute, whenever a friendly creature within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your Reaction to reduce that damage by half.
Recommended Ability Scores
Dwarf Traits That Benefit Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Dwarven Resilience
Built-in damage resistance reduces incoming damage, keeping your Paladin alive longer in combat.
Dwarven Toughness
Extra HP per level makes this Paladin significantly tougher across all 20 levels.
Darkvision
Dwarf Darkvision helps Paladins scout ahead and fight in darkness without needing a torch.
Combat Effectiveness
| Level | HP | Melee DPR | Spell DPR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 0 |
| Level 11 | 81 | 7.15 | 0 |
| Level 17 | 123 | 7.15 | 0 |
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Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- ♦ Oath of the Ancients grants Nature's Wrath at level 3
- ♦ High hit points for frontline durability
- ♦ Strong species-class synergy enhances core abilities
- ♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
- ♦ Strong melee damage output
Weaknesses
- ♦ May require careful feat selection to optimize
Pro Tips
Use Nature's Wrath early in combat to restrain fast enemies, keeping them away from your fragile backline spellcasters.
Position yourself within 10 feet of allies so they benefit from your Aura of Warding's incredible magic damage resistance.
Lean on your Dwarven Toughness to confidently trigger opportunity attacks from enemies, shielding weaker allies from harm.
Combine your 15 Strength with heavy armor to block physical attacks, while your Dwarven Resilience protects you against poison.
Other Paladin Subclasses for Dwarf
Other Races for Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Frequently Asked Questions
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