Orc Oath of Vengeance Paladin Build Guide

An Orc's relentless physical power and mobility perfectly fuel the Oath of Vengeance's single-minded pursuit of bringing down high-value targets on the battlefield.

5/10 Synergy Striker Role Medium Difficulty

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Why Oath of Vengeance?

As an Oath of Vengeance Paladin, your primary role is a Striker—a high-damage dealer who locks onto a single, powerful threat and eliminates them. This subclass is famous for its Vow of Enmity feature, which grants you advantage (rolling two dice and taking the higher result) on attack rolls against one chosen foe. This pairs spectacularly with your high starting Strength of 15 to ensure you rarely miss your target.

This is where your Orc species traits turn you into an unstoppable juggernaut. Normally, Paladins struggle with mobility, but your Adrenaline Rush trait lets you dash as a bonus action while gaining temporary hit points. This allows you to close the distance to your Vow of Enmity target instantly, bypassing their defenders to strike where it hurts most.

If your target fights back, Orcish resilience keeps you standing in the pocket. Relentless Endurance ensures that if a foe manages to reduce you to 0 hit points, you instead drop to 1 hit point once per day. This extra chance to survive lets you stay on your feet just long enough to deliver one final, devastating Divine Smite to finish the job.

Oath of Vengeance Features

Oath of Vengeance Spells

Level 3

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Vengeance Spells table. [Oath of Vengeance Spells: 1st - Bane, Thunderous Smite; 2nd - Hold Person, Misfortune; 3rd - Counterspell, Haste; 4th - Dimension Door, Guardian of Faith; 5th - Hold Monster, Scrying]

Vow of Enmity

Level 3

As a Bonus Action, you can utter a vow to strike down a creature you can see within 10 feet of you. For the next minute, you have Advantage on melee attack rolls against the creature. You can end this vow early if the creature drops to 0 hit points or if you become Incapacitated.

Relentless Avenger

Level 7

Your speed increases by 10 feet while you're not Incapacitated. In addition, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can make a Bonus Action attack against the creature.

Soul of Vengeance

Level 15

As a Reaction, you can attack a creature that has been hit by you or an ally within 10 feet of you during the last round. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Avenging Angel

Level 20

As an action, you can transform into an avenging angel for 1 hour. You gain a Flying speed of 60 feet. You gain resistance to all damage. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, that creature takes an extra 5d6 radiant damage. You can use this feature once, and you regain the ability to use it when you finish a Long Rest.

Recommended Ability Scores

Strength★

15(+2)

Dexterity

10(+0)

Constitution

13(+1)

Intelligence

8(-1)

Wisdom

12(+1)

Charisma★

14(+2)

HP (Lv1)

Initiative

Passive Per.

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Orc Traits That Benefit Oath of Vengeance 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
Level 5	39	7.8
Level 11	81	7.15
Level 17	123	7.15

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Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

♦ Oath of Vengeance grants Oath of Vengeance 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 early in combat to charge directly at your Vow of Enmity target without wasting your main action.

Combine Vow of Enmity with your highest spell slots for Divine Smites, as the constant advantage greatly increases your chance of scoring a critical hit.

If Relentless Endurance keeps you at 1 HP, use your next turn to unleash a quick Lay on Hands healing pool on yourself to stay in the fight.

Leverage Relentless Avenger at level 7 to move after making opportunity attacks, preventing your primary target from ever escaping your wrath.

Other Paladin Subclasses for Orc

Orc Oath of Devotion Paladin Defender Orc Oath of Glory Paladin Striker Orc Oath of the Ancients Paladin Defender

Other Races for Oath of Vengeance Paladin

Aasimar Oath of Vengeance Paladin 10/10 Dragonborn Oath of Vengeance Paladin 10/10 Dwarf Oath of Vengeance Paladin 8/10 Goliath Oath of Vengeance Paladin 5/10 Tiefling Oath of Vengeance Paladin 5/10 Gnome Oath of Vengeance Paladin 4/10

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Oath of Vengeance a good subclass for Orc Paladin?

Yes, it is an exceptional combination. The Oath of Vengeance focuses entirely on offensive power and tracking down priority targets. The Orc's Adrenaline Rush solves the Paladin's biggest weakness—limited battlefield mobility—allowing you to reach your prey quickly, while Relentless Endurance keeps you alive in the thick of melee combat where you do your best work.

What makes Oath of Vengeance different from other Paladin subclasses?

Unlike other Paladin subclasses that focus on defending allies or healing, the Oath of Vengeance specializes in aggressive single-target damage and relentless pursuit. Features like Vow of Enmity ensure you almost never miss your mark, while later abilities like Relentless Avenger let you chase down fleeing enemies, making you the ultimate offensive frontline hunter.

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