Orc Oath of Devotion Paladin Build Guide
Combining the relentless survivability of an Orc with the protective, holy power of the Oath of Devotion makes you an unbreakable shield for your allies.
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Why Oath of Devotion?
Choosing the Oath of Devotion turns your Orc into the ultimate party Defender—a martial powerhouse who shields allies from harm. While Paladins are naturally tough, the Orc's Relentless Endurance trait means that even if a deadly blow would knock you unconscious, you can drop to 1 Hit Point instead once per long rest. This ensures you stay on your feet to keep drawing enemy attention away from your fragile teammates.
Your primary role is to get into the thick of the fight quickly. The Orc's Adrenaline Rush lets you use a bonus action to Dash toward your foes while gaining temporary hit points, closing the distance instantly. Once you are in position, you can channel your divine power with Sacred Weapon to add your Charisma modifier (ideal with your starting 14 Charisma) to your attack rolls, making your heavy strikes incredibly accurate.
As you level up, you become a beacon of purity. Features like Aura of Devotion protect you and nearby allies from being charmed, ensuring your front-line defense never wavers due to mind control. By focusing on Strength (15) for your physical attacks and Charisma (14) for your spellcasting, you embody a holy warrior who simply refuses to fall.
Oath of Devotion Features
Oath of Devotion Spells
Level 3You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Devotion Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work. [Oath of Devotion Spells: 1st - Command, Sanctuary; 2nd - Lesser Restoration, Zone of Truth; 3rd - Beacon of Hope, Dispel Magic; 4th - Freedom of Movement, Guardian of Faith; 5th - Commune, Flame Strike]
Sacred Weapon
Level 3As a Bonus Action, you can imbue one weapon that you're holding with positive energy. For 10 minutes, you add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls made with that weapon (in addition to your Strength or Dexterity modifier). The weapon emits bright light in a 20-foot Radius and dim light 20 feet beyond that. If the weapon is not magical, it becomes magical for the Duration of the effect.
Aura of Devotion
Level 7You emanate an aura of dedication while you aren't Incapacitated. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed. If a friendly creature in the aura is Charmed, that condition ends on it.
Smite of Protection
Level 15When a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see takes damage, you can use your Reaction to reduce the damage by half (round down) using your Lay on Hands. If a creature has taken more damage than its hit point maximum from the triggering damage, the creature is Incapacitated until the end of its next turn.
Holy Nimbus
Level 20As an action, you can imbue your presence with holy power, causing bright light to surge out from you. You emit bright light in a 30-foot Radius and dim light 30 feet beyond that. Creatures of your choice that you can see in that light gain Advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects until the end of your next turn.
Recommended Ability Scores
Orc Traits That Benefit Oath of Devotion Paladin
Relentless Endurance
Dropping to 1 HP instead of 0 once per rest is a powerful survival tool for frontline Paladins.
Adrenaline Rush
Bonus action Dash with temp HP gives the Paladin both mobility and survivability.
Darkvision
Orc 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 Devotion grants Oath of Devotion Spells at level 3
- ♦ High hit points for frontline durability
- ♦ Strong species-class synergy enhances core abilities
- ♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
- ♦ Strong melee damage output
Weaknesses
- ♦ May require careful feat selection to optimize
Pro Tips
Use Adrenaline Rush on turn one to close the gap to enemies, then activate Sacred Weapon to boost your high-accuracy attacks.
Position yourself within 10 feet of fragile allies to share your Aura of Devotion, keeping your party safe from charm spells.
Rely on Relentless Endurance to stay standing at 1 HP, allowing you to cast a quick healing spell on yourself next turn.
Leverage your 14 Charisma to boost your Devotion spell save DCs and maximize the accuracy bonus from your Sacred Weapon feature.
Other Paladin Subclasses for Orc
Other Races for Oath of Devotion Paladin
Frequently Asked Questions
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What makes Oath of Devotion different from other Paladin subclasses?
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