Elf Oath of the Ancients Paladin Build Guide
Embracing the ancient magic of nature, the Elf Oath of the Ancients Paladin blends Fey heritage with unstoppable divine defense to protect the light.
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Why Oath of the Ancients?
Combining the Fey-born nature of the Elf with the Oath of the Ancients turns you into the ultimate mystical defender. As a Paladin of this oath, you are sworn to preserve life and light. Your Elf heritage naturally aligns with this theme, granting you the Fey Ancestry trait. This gives you advantage on saving throws against being charmed and immunity to magical sleep, ensuring you stay on your feet to protect your party from enchantment spells.
As you grow in power, your defensive capabilities skyrocket. At level 7, you unlock the Aura of Warding, a subclass feature that grants you and nearby allies resistance to damage from spells. Combined with your solid Strength (15) and Charisma (14), you can hold the front line against both physical beasts and powerful enemy mages.
Your elven traits also enhance your exploration capabilities. With Darkvision and Keen Senses, you can easily spot hidden threats in deep forests or dark dungeons without relying on noisy torches, allowing your party to keep a low profile while you stand ready as their shield.
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
Elf Traits That Benefit Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Fey Ancestry
Extra saving throw advantages protect against debilitating spells and effects.
Darkvision
Elf Darkvision helps Paladins scout ahead and fight in darkness without needing a torch.
Keen Senses
Free Perception proficiency is valuable for any Paladin, especially in exploration.
Trance
Trance means shorter rests and the ability to keep watch more effectively.
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
- ♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
- ♦ Strong melee damage output
- ♦ Divine Smite provides burst damage
Weaknesses
- ♦ May require careful feat selection to optimize
Pro Tips
Use Nature's Wrath to restrain fast enemies, letting your allies attack with advantage while you hold the front line with your 15 Strength.
Position yourself within 10 feet of squishy allies so your Aura of Warding can protect them from devastating magical area-of-effect damage.
Take advantage of your Trance trait to keep watch for four hours while others sleep, ensuring your party is never ambushed in the wild.
Don't fear enemy spellcasters; your Fey Ancestry protects you from charm spells, while your Ancients spells let you lock down slippery targets.
Other Paladin Subclasses for Elf
Other Races for Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Frequently Asked Questions
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