Orc Oath of the Ancients Paladin Build Guide
Combining the relentless resilience of an Orc with the nature-preserving magic of the Ancients creates an unstoppable, self-healing guardian of the wilds.
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Why Oath of the Ancients?
An Orc Oath of the Ancients Paladin is a premier frontline defender, combining the raw physical power of an Orc with the warden-like magic of nature. By using your high Strength (15) to hit hard and your Charisma (14) to power your spells and auras, you can control the flow of battle and keep your friends safe from harm.
Your Orc traits make you incredibly difficult to take down. The Adrenaline Rush trait allows you to rush into the thick of battle as a bonus action, gaining temporary hit points to absorb early attacks. If an enemy does manage to break through your high armor class, Relentless Endurance lets you bounce back to 1 hit point instead of dropping to zero, keeping you in the fight.
This incredible survivability pairs beautifully with your subclass features. At level 7, you gain Aura of Warding, which grants you and nearby allies resistance to spell damage. As a defender, your job is to stand at the front, absorb magic, and protect your party, making you an immovable anchor for your team.
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
Orc Traits That Benefit Oath of the Ancients 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 the Ancients grants Nature's Wrath 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 to close the distance early in combat, putting yourself between squishy allies and dangerous enemies.
Position yourself centrally during magical shootouts so your allies can benefit from your Aura of Warding spell resistance.
Combine your Nature's Wrath Channel Divinity with your high Strength to restrain fast enemies and keep them from escaping.
Stack the temporary hit points from Adrenaline Rush with your defensive spells to shrug off heavy hits without using spell slots.
Other Paladin Subclasses for Orc
Other Races for Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Frequently Asked Questions
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