Orc Oath of Glory Paladin Build Guide
As an Orc Oath of Glory Paladin, your innate physical might and supernatural speed turn you into an unstoppable, legendary frontline hero.
Is an Orc Oath of Glory Paladin a good build in D&D 5e?
The Orc Oath of Glory Paladin rates 5/10 for synergy in D&D 5e and plays as a workable striker. Its defining advantage is Relentless Endurance — Dropping to 1 HP instead of 0 once per rest is a powerful survival tool for frontline Paladins. Recommended ability scores using the standard array are STR 15, CHA 14, CON 13, WIS 12, DEX 10, INT 8, prioritising STR and CHA as the Paladin's main abilities, with a d10 hit die. It has 39 hit points at level 5 and 81 at level 11, with a baseline of about 7.2 melee damage per round at level 11 before magic items and feats. Main strength: Oath of Glory grants Inspiring Smite at level 3. Trade-off: May require careful feat selection to optimize. Overall difficulty to play: medium.
Calculated from the 2024 D&D rules (SRD 5.2) using the standard array. Full breakdown below.
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Why Oath of Glory?
The Oath of Glory Paladin is all about achieving legendary physical feats, making the Orc an absolute powerhouse in this role. As a frontline striker, you excel at rushing into the thick of battle to smite foes. Your Orcish Adrenaline Rush trait lets you sprint across the battlefield as a bonus action, gaining temporary hit points that shield you from harm. This mobility perfectly complements your Aura of Alacrity at level 7, which permanently boosts the movement speed of you and your nearby allies, ensuring no enemy can escape your wrath.
Additionally, your survivability is unmatched. When you use your Inspiring Smite Channel Divinity, you can distribute temporary hit points to your party right after landing a devastating Divine Smite. If an enemy does manage to wear you down, your Orcish Relentless Endurance ensures you bounce back to 1 hit point instead of falling unconscious, keeping you in the fight to achieve ultimate glory.
Oath of Glory Features
Inspiring Smite
Level 3Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack using Divine Smite, you can spend 1 sorcery point to grant yourself or a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your Paladin level. The temporary hit points increase to 1d8 when you reach 6th level, 1d10 at 14th level, and 1d12 at 18th level.
Oath of Glory Spells
Level 3You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Glory Spells table. [Oath of Glory Spells: 1st - Guiding Bolt, Heroism; 2nd - Enhance Ability, Magic Weapon; 3rd - Haste, Spirit Shroud; 4th - Dominate Beast, Stoneskin; 5th - Cone of Cold, Hold Monster]
Peerless Athlete
Level 3As a Bonus Action, you can gain temporary hit points equal to your Paladin level. Additionally, your Speed increases by 10 feet, and your Armor Class is increased by 1 until the start of your next turn.
Aura of Alacrity
Level 7You emanate an aura of quick action while you aren't Incapacitated. When an ally within 10 feet of you that you can see rolls initiative, that creature gains a bonus to its roll equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
Glorious Defense
Level 15When a creature within 10 feet of you takes damage while you're conscious, you can use your Reaction to grant that creature temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your Charisma modifier.
Living Legend
Level 20As an action, you can take the Dodge action and gain temporary hit points equal to your Paladin level + your Charisma modifier. Until the end of your next turn, whenever a creature within 10 feet of you takes damage, you can use your Reaction to reduce that damage by half (round down) using your Lay on Hands. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Recommended Ability Scores
Orc Traits That Benefit Oath of Glory 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 Glory grants Inspiring Smite 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
Combine Adrenaline Rush with your high Strength score to leap over obstacles and lock down distant high-value targets instantly.
Use Peerless Athlete before a battle to gain advantage on athletics checks, allowing you to easily grapple and shove enemies.
Activate Inspiring Smite immediately after a critical hit to maximize both your damage and the temporary hit points given to allies.
Position yourself carefully once you unlock Aura of Alacrity so your melee allies can also benefit from the extra movement speed.
Other Paladin Subclasses for Orc
Other Races for Oath of Glory Paladin
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oath of Glory a good subclass for Orc Paladin?
What makes Oath of Glory different from other Paladin subclasses?
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