Halfling Paladin Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start with the Dueling Fighting Style to compensate for the damage lost by not using a two-handed weapon. Choose Oath of the Ancients at level 3; the flavor fits a Halfling perfectly, and the spell list gives you excellent crowd control. At level 4, you must fix your awkward 15 Strength and 25-foot movement speed. Take the Squat Nimbleness feat. This bumps your Strength to 16, increases your walking speed to 30 feet, and gives you advantage on Athletics checks to escape grapples—crucial for a Small frontline defender.

Levels 5-10

Level 5 brings Extra Attack and 2nd-level spell slots. Immediately prep Find Steed. Because you are Small, you can ride a Medium mount like a Mastiff or Wolf anywhere a human can walk, including 5-foot dungeon corridors. Level 6 grants Aura of Protection, making your saving throws exceptional. At level 7, Oath of the Ancients gives you Aura of Warding, halving all spell damage for you and your mount. At level 8, take the Mounted Combatant feat. You now have advantage on melee attacks against unmounted creatures smaller than your mount, and you can redirect attacks aimed at your fragile Mastiff to your high-AC plate armor.

Levels 11-16

At level 11, Improved Divine Smite adds a permanent 1d8 radiant damage to your melee attacks, helping patch your lackluster sustained DPR. Level 12 is your chance to boost your Charisma to 16, expanding your Aura of Protection's bonus. Note that at level 10, your base class grants Aura of Courage, which makes you immune to being frightened. This unfortunately renders your racial Brave trait entirely redundant, which is one reason this synergy ranks at 4/10. At level 16, push your Charisma to 18 to maximize your spell save DC for Plant Growth and your saving throw auras.

Levels 17-20

At level 17, you unlock 5th-level spells. Destructive Wave is your ultimate crowd-control tool, allowing you to knock enemies prone around you without hurting your allies. At level 19, round out your build with the Inspiring Leader feat. As a Paladin with high Charisma, granting your entire party (and your summoned steed) a massive pool of temporary hit points after every short rest cements your role as the ultimate party Defender.

Cantrips

Paladins do not inherently learn cantrips. If you opt for the Blessed Warrior fighting style instead of Dueling, take Toll the Dead for ranged damage and Guidance to support your party's skill checks.

Level 1-2 Spells

Find Steed is non-negotiable; getting a Medium mount changes the entire geometry of the battlefield for a Halfling. Wrathful Smite is a phenomenal level 1 option because the frightened condition requires an action and a Wisdom check (not a save) to break. Bless remains mathematically competitive for your concentration from level 2 to level 20.

Level 3-5 Spells

Aura of Vitality provides unmatched out-of-combat healing. Find Greater Steed at level 13 upgrades your mount; as a Small creature, you can comfortably ride a Peryton for at-will flying without taking up a massive 15x15 footprint. Revivify is mandatory tax for any half-caster with access to it.

High-Level Spells

Destructive Wave deals 10d6 damage and knocks targets prone, making it the premier 5th-level Paladin spell. Circle of Power is a massive anti-magic buff; when stacked with Aura of Protection, Aura of Warding, and Halfling Luck, your party will effortlessly shrug off late-game magical onslaughts.

Squat Nimbleness

Take this exactly at Level 4. It rounds your awkward 15 Strength up to 16, bringing your attack rolls back on curve. More importantly, it increases your base movement speed from 25 to 30 feet, completely erasing the mobility penalty of playing a Halfling.

Mounted Combatant

Take this at Level 8. Because you are Small, your Find Steed mount is Medium, meaning it fits in any dungeon. This feat lets you force attacks targeted at your steed onto your high-AC Paladin, keeping your mount alive to maintain your incredible mobility.

Inspiring Leader

Take this in Tier 3 or 4. Your Charisma should be at least 16 by now. Handing out Level + Charisma modifier in temporary hit points to six friendly creatures (including your steed) every short rest is unparalleled damage mitigation for a Defender.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Start with a Longsword, a Shield, and Chain Mail. Because you lack Darkvision, you must convince a party member to cast Light on your shield, or carry torches. Your goal is simply to survive and provide a frontline presence while relying on Dueling to keep your damage afloat.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

Seek out Splint or Plate Armor as quickly as possible. A Saddle of the Cavalier is a massive power spike for a Halfling Paladin; it prevents you from being dismounted and gives enemy attacks disadvantage against your Mastiff or Wolf mount, pairing flawlessly with the Mounted Combatant feat.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

A Belt of Hill Giant Strength is your holy grail. Setting your Strength to 21 completely bypasses the limitations of your starting stats and frees up your ASIs to pump Charisma. Look for a +2 Shield to stack your AC into the mid-20s, making you an untouchable tank.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

The Holy Avenger (in Longsword form) is the ultimate Paladin weapon. It grants advantage on saving throws against spells for anyone in your aura. When combined with Oath of the Ancients' spell resistance and Halfling Luck, you effectively turn off enemy spellcasters.

As a Defender locked into a 25-foot walking speed (until you take Squat Nimbleness or mount up), you need a party that can force enemies to come to you, or lock them down while you waddle into melee. Because you lack Darkvision, a Cleric or Wizard who can cast Light or Darkvision on you is practically mandatory for dungeon crawls.

You pair exceptionally well with a Twilight Cleric; their Twilight Sanctuary grants you the Darkvision you desperately lack while layering temporary hit points over your high AC. A ranged Rogue (like a Scout or Assassin) benefits heavily from your Halfling Nimbleness—you can run right through the enemy line to stand next to their targets, enabling their Sneak Attack.

Hexblade Warlock 1-2

A single level of Hexblade completely circumvents the Halfling's awkward 15 Strength cap by letting you attack with your Charisma modifier using a Longsword. This allows you to dump Strength entirely (keeping just enough for heavy armor, or accepting the speed penalty and riding a mount) to max out your Aura of Protection faster. Two levels get you agonizing blast for a ranged option.

Divine Soul Sorcerer 1-3

Taking a one-level dip in Sorcerer grants you Shield, Absorb Elements, and Silvery Barbs. As a Defender, throwing up a Shield spell to hit 25+ AC ensures you hold the line. Divine Soul also gives you Favored by the Gods, an extra 2d4 to a failed save that stacks absurdly well with Halfling Luck.

• Using Heavy Weapons: Small creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. Put the Greatsword down and pick up a Longsword and Shield.
• Forgetting Halfling Nimbleness: You can move through the space of any Medium or larger creature. Don't get stuck behind a goblin; walk right through their space to smite the fragile wizard in the back.
• Ignoring Mounts: A Small creature can ride a Medium mount. A Mastiff fits perfectly in a 5-foot hallway, completely bypassing your racial 25-foot speed limitation. Cast Find Steed.
• Overvaluing the Brave trait late game: At level 10, Paladins get Aura of Courage, making them immune to fear. Your racial Brave trait becomes entirely dead text. Plan your build around your Auras, not your racial fear resistance.