Gnome Oath of the Ancients Paladin Build Guide
Blending the joyful magic of gnomes with the protective power of nature, the Gnome Oath of the Ancients Paladin is an incredibly resilient defender.
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Why Oath of the Ancients?
As an Oath of the Ancients Paladin, you are a guardian of light, life, and the natural world. What makes a Gnome so exceptional in this role is their innate magic resistance. While most Paladins excel at physical defense, your Gnome's Gnomish Cunning trait grants you advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic, making you incredibly difficult for enemy spellcasters to shut down.
When you reach level 7, this defense reaches legendary heights with your Aura of Warding. This subclass feature grants you and nearby allies resistance to all damage from spells. Combined with your Gnomish Cunning, you become an immovable magic-disrupting shield, protecting your party from fireballs and mind-control alike.
Additionally, your Darkvision ensures you can guard your friends in the deepest caves or midnight forests without revealing your position with a torch. By combining your high Strength for heavy armor with Charisma for spells, you stand as an indestructible, nature-loving defender.
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
Gnome Traits That Benefit Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Gnomish Cunning
Extra saving throw advantages protect against debilitating spells and effects.
Darkvision
Gnome 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
- ♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
- ♦ Strong melee damage output
- ♦ Divine Smite provides burst damage
Weaknesses
- ♦ Small size limits heavy weapon usage
- ♦ May require careful feat selection to optimize
Pro Tips
Use Nature's Wrath early in combat to restrain fast, heavy-hitting enemies, keeping them away from your squishier party members.
Stand close to your spellcaster allies so they can benefit from your Aura of Warding and survive devastating enemy spells.
Capitalize on Gnomish Cunning by confidently locking down enemy mages in melee, knowing their mental spells will likely fail against you.
Use your Darkvision to patrol dark perimeters at night, keeping watch without needing a light source that might give away your position.
Other Paladin Subclasses for Gnome
Other Races for Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Frequently Asked Questions
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