Halfling Oath of the Ancients Paladin Build Guide
Combining halfling luck with the nature-preserving power of the Ancients turns you into an incredibly resilient, spell-resisting defender of the wild.
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Why Oath of the Ancients?
Choosing the Oath of the Ancients means dedicating your Paladin to the preservation of light, life, and the natural world. As a defender, your main job is to protect your allies from harm. Your halfling heritage plays beautifully into this role, particularly through your Luck trait, which ensures you rarely miss critical attacks or fail vital saving throws when holding the front line.
At level 7, you unlock Aura of Warding, an incredible feature that grants you and nearby allies resistance to damage from spells. When combined with the halfling's Brave trait—which gives you advantage on saving throws against being frightened—you become an immovable anchor against magical threats. No evil spellcaster will easily shake your resolve.
Additionally, Halfling Nimbleness lets you slip through the spaces of larger enemies. This allows you to position yourself perfectly to shield weaker party members or lock down enemies with your Nature's Wrath channel divinity. You are a slippery, nature-infused guardian who is incredibly difficult to take down.
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
Halfling Traits That Benefit Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Brave
Extra saving throw advantages protect against debilitating spells and effects.
Luck
Extra saving throw advantages protect against debilitating spells and effects.
Halfling Nimbleness
Moving through larger creatures' spaces gives the Paladin exceptional battlefield mobility.
Naturally Stealthy
Natural stealth abilities enhance the Paladin's ability to operate unseen.
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 melee damage output
- ♦ Divine Smite provides burst damage
Weaknesses
- ♦ Small size limits heavy weapon usage
- ♦ No Darkvision — may need light sources in dungeons
Pro Tips
Use Halfling Nimbleness to weave through enemy frontlines and drop Nature's Wrath directly on dangerous, high-value targets.
Position yourself within 10 feet of your squishiest spellcasters so they benefit from your spell-resisting Aura of Warding feature.
Lean on your Luck trait to safely trigger enemy opportunity attacks, drawing battlefield heat away from your allies.
Combine your Brave trait with Aura of Protection to lead the charge against terrifying monsters without fear of crowd control.
Other Paladin Subclasses for Halfling
Other Races for Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Frequently Asked Questions
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