Elf Oath of Vengeance Paladin Build Guide

Combining elven grace with the relentless pursuit of retribution, the Elf Oath of Vengeance Paladin is an unstoppable striker that never lets prey escape.

3/10 Synergy Striker Role Medium Difficulty

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Why Oath of Vengeance?

The Oath of Vengeance transforms your Paladin into an aggressive, single-target damage dealer (or "Striker"). While other Paladins focus on defending allies, your primary job is to hunt down the biggest threat on the battlefield and eliminate them. By choosing an Elf, you gain vital defensive and sensory utilities that keep you on the offensive.

Your most crucial early-game tool is Vow of Enmity, which grants you advantage on attack rolls against a chosen foe. To make sure you do not lose your focus, the Elven Fey Ancestry trait protects you from being put to sleep or easily charmed, ensuring enemy spellcasters cannot easily derail your wrath. Additionally, having Darkvision allows you to hunt your quarry into pitch-black dungeons without needing a torch to give away your position.

As you level up, features like Relentless Avenger let you chase down fleeing enemies whenever you strike them with an opportunity attack. Combined with the Elf's Keen Senses for high passive Perception, you will easily spot ambushes and ensure no target ever slips away from your righteous fury.

Oath of Vengeance Features

Oath of Vengeance Spells

Level 3

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Vengeance Spells table. [Oath of Vengeance Spells: 1st - Bane, Thunderous Smite; 2nd - Hold Person, Misfortune; 3rd - Counterspell, Haste; 4th - Dimension Door, Guardian of Faith; 5th - Hold Monster, Scrying]

Vow of Enmity

Level 3

As a Bonus Action, you can utter a vow to strike down a creature you can see within 10 feet of you. For the next minute, you have Advantage on melee attack rolls against the creature. You can end this vow early if the creature drops to 0 hit points or if you become Incapacitated.

Relentless Avenger

Level 7

Your speed increases by 10 feet while you're not Incapacitated. In addition, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can make a Bonus Action attack against the creature.

Soul of Vengeance

Level 15

As a Reaction, you can attack a creature that has been hit by you or an ally within 10 feet of you during the last round. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Avenging Angel

Level 20

As an action, you can transform into an avenging angel for 1 hour. You gain a Flying speed of 60 feet. You gain resistance to all damage. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, that creature takes an extra 5d6 radiant damage. You can use this feature once, and you regain the ability to use it when you finish a Long Rest.

Recommended Ability Scores

Strength★

15(+2)

Dexterity

10(+0)

Constitution

13(+1)

Intelligence

8(-1)

Wisdom

12(+1)

Charisma★

14(+2)

HP (Lv1)

Initiative

Passive Per.

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Elf Traits That Benefit Oath of Vengeance 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
Level 5	39	7.8
Level 11	81	7.15
Level 17	123	7.15

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Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

♦ Oath of Vengeance grants Oath of Vengeance Spells 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 Vow of Enmity on boss monsters to double your chances of landing a devastating Divine Smite critical hit.

Leverage your Darkvision to initiate combat from the shadows, catching your target off-guard before they can react.

When Relentless Avenger triggers, use your free movement to reposition yourself and block the enemy's path to your squishier allies.

Don't worry about sleep spells halting your crusade; your Fey Ancestry makes you entirely immune to magic that forces sleep.

Other Paladin Subclasses for Elf

Elf Oath of Devotion Paladin Defender Elf Oath of Glory Paladin Striker Elf Oath of the Ancients Paladin Defender

Other Races for Oath of Vengeance Paladin

Aasimar Oath of Vengeance Paladin 10/10 Dragonborn Oath of Vengeance Paladin 10/10 Dwarf Oath of Vengeance Paladin 8/10 Goliath Oath of Vengeance Paladin 5/10 Orc Oath of Vengeance Paladin 5/10 Tiefling Oath of Vengeance Paladin 5/10

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Oath of Vengeance a good subclass for Elf Paladin?

Yes, it is an exceptional choice. The Oath of Vengeance relies on landing heavy melee attacks, and Elven traits like Fey Ancestry prevent crowd-control spells from shutting you down. This ensures your high-damage Striker can always reach their target. Plus, the Elf's Trance trait allows you to spend more time keeping watch, keeping your party safe while you prepare your daily vengeance.

What makes Oath of Vengeance different from other Paladin subclasses?

While most Paladin subclasses focus on defense, healing, and protecting the party, the Oath of Vengeance specializes in pure offensive power and relentless pursuit. Through features like Vow of Enmity, you excel at locking down a single high-threat boss and delivering massive, reliable damage, making you the ultimate offensive Striker.

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