Image credits (left to right): Art by Katerina Ladon, Polar Engine, Ignatius Budi

The Preamble

Homebrew is one of my favorite ways to engage with D&D 5e. For the uninitiated, “homebrew” generally refers to any game element that has been designed by a fan of the game, rather than coming from an official publication. This can be basically anything, from custom settings to custom spells, with some people even going so far as to make custom classes for the game. Making homebrew can be a lot of fun, especially when you get to use it or see somebody else use it in game, but it also isn’t always intuitive, especially when you want to create something that could influence game balance. For example, what is the difference between an uncommon magic item and a rare one? What about the difference between a 4th level spell and a 5th level spell?

If you want to dip your toes into homebrew but aren’t quite sure how, or if you just want to learn a little bit more about how a certain subclass works, welcome! This series is designed for you. First, I will take some game element, such as subclasses for a certain class, a specific rarity of magic item, or spells of a certain level, and give an in-depth analysis of the way that game element is designed. Most of the time, this analysis will include a combination of hard and fast rules, patterns to look out for, and general advice about best practices. Then, in my next post, I will take you step-by-step through the process of making your own version of that game element, and give you a free piece of homebrew that you can use in your games as well. In this post, we’re going to be looking at how to design a subclass for one of my favorite classes to play: The Paladin.

Getting Started

Understanding the Class

Understanding how a class functions is crucial to understanding how to make a subclass for that class. This will not only help you know existing strengths and weaknesses of the class that your subclass may want to enhance or counter, it can also help you avoid redundant or conflicting features. For example, Barbarians get Advantage on initiative rolls at Level 7, so any subclass feature that gives advantage on initiative rolls would eventually be rendered worthless. All that being said, let’s run through a quick refresher in case you’re not super familiar with the Paladin.

Paladins are oath-bound warriors who primarily focus on damage and support. Many of their abilities are magical in some way, partially due to their status as half casters (characters who get spellcasting progression at half the rate of full spellcasters like Druids and Wizards). Arguably their best feature is Aura of Protection, which boosts ally saving throws by a considerable amount. They are also known for smiting fiends and undead with radiant damage, riding around on mounts conjured by Find Steed, and using spells like Shield of Faith and Aura of Vitality to keep allies in the fight.

Paladins rely on Strength and Charisma as their primary ability scores, followed closely by Constitution. Their Hit Point Die is 1d10 per Paladin Level, and they get proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws. They are proficient with Simple and Martial Weapons, and have Armor Training with Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, and Shields. Finally, and arguably most important for our purposes, Paladins get subclass features at Level 3, Level 7, Level 15, and Level 20.

Choosing a Concept

However, before we get into a bigger discussion of mechanics, we should take a second to talk about aesthetics: What kind of story does the class tell? Speaking broadly, a Paladin is a character who has sworn an oath to a single cause. Many are driven by religious zealotry, but others simply wish to bring good (or evil) to the world without associating themselves with any deity. The subclasses represent different kinds of oaths paladins can make: The Oath of the Ancients is for paladins who wish to preserve life and nature, while the Oath of Glory is for a paladin selfishly driven to accumulate personal accolades. It’s also possible for different subclasses to have similar goals, but wildly different approaches; both the Oath of Devotion and the Oath of Vengeance may be driven by a desire for justice, but while a Devotion paladin inspires others to stay on the straight and narrow, a Vengeance paladin is more interested in bringing down the hammer on the unjust.

Each Paladin oath also has a list of tenets, guiding principles that help define how the character will act in roleplay scenarios. A Paladin who breaks these tenets may lose their subclass features until they repent, or they may be forced to switch subclasses if they show no remorse for their actions. As a result, these tenets are usually written in such a way that you won’t break them on accident. For example, the Oath of Glory’s tenets are as follows:

• Endeavor to be known by your deeds.
• Face hardships with courage.
• Inspire others to strive for glory.

I struggle to image a lot of scenarios where you could break one of these tenets in such a way that the DM would force you to change your oath. There are some examples of tenets that are easier to break, such as the Oath of Devotion’s “Let your word be your promise,” but for the most part, these tenets are more to help you define your character’s values than they are to give the DM a “gotcha” moment.

The Analysis

Class Features up to Level 3

Before we look at any Level 3 Paladin subclass features, here is a list of all the features that Paladins have access to by the time they get their first subclass feature(s). This is important to know in case one or more of these features is referenced in a subclass feature. If you haven’t played a Paladin before, you may want to have a Player’s Handbook nearby to cross-reference the specifics of what each feature does, because I am simplifying some for the sake of brevity.

Lay on Hands. An iconic way for you to deliver healing to allies. At low levels, this is mostly for getting downed allies back in the fight, but as you gain levels, it becomes one of the best burst heals in the game. You can also forgo some of this healing to end the Poisoned condition on a creature.

Spellcasting. You gain spell slots at half the rate of progression as a full spellcaster. This means that by the time you reach Level 3 and your first subclass features, you will only have access to 1st level spells and spell slots. You can prepare your spells from the Paladin spell list, and Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Paladin spells. Unlike full spellcasters, you do not get any Cantrips here.

Weapon Mastery. Allows you to use the mastery property of two kinds of weapons.

Fighting Style. You gain one Fighting Style feat of your choice (located in Chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook). Alternatively, you can pick up two Cleric cantrips with the Blessed Warrior option presented here.

Paladin’s Smite. Formerly Divine Smite, this feature makes sure you always have the Divine Smite spell prepared, and gives you one free casting of the spell per day.

Side note: If you prefer the version of this feature from 2014, you may be interested in this variant rule.

Channel Divinity. You gain access to a special resource called Channel Divinity that you can use to fuel certain class features. The only option that you get from the base class at this level is the Divine Sense ability, which you can use to detect Celestials, Fiends, or Undead. More importantly, you will also be able to use this feature to fuel your subclass features at Level 3.

Paladin Subclasses at Level 3

Paladin subclasses, with one notable exception, follow a very strict formula at Level 3. Let’s start on the simpler end of things: All Paladin subclasses get a list of always-prepared Oath Spells, usually called “Oath of ___ Spells.” This list contains two spells each of 1st-5th level. For example, the Oath of Devotion Spells list looks like this:

Paladin Level	Spells
3	Protection from Evil and Good, Shield of Faith
5	Aid, Zone of Truth
9	Beacon of Hope, Dispel Magic
13	Freedom of Movement, Guardian of Faith
17	Commune, Flame Strike

This list should include spells that are thematically relevant to the subclass in question. The Oath of the Ancients is all about nature, so they get spells like Speak with Animals and Plant Growth. Meanwhile, the Oath of Redemption is written to be more of a pacifist, so they get spells like Sleep and Calm Emotions. It’s even better if these spells can also complement some of the subclass’s other features. For example, the Oath of Conquest‘s Level 7 feature is only effective against enemies who have the Frightened condition, so naturally they get the Fear spell at Level 9. Note that many of the spells mentioned above aren’t already on the Paladin spell list. Adding in some spells the class can’t normally cast is a great way to add some extra power and flavor to the subclass.

Equally important, all Paladin subclasses at this level also get one or two features that are fueled by Channel Divinity. The specifics of these features vary, but every subclass gets at least one option with clear combat applications. The Oath of Vengeance gets the iconic Vow of Enmity, which gives them Advantage on attack rolls against one enemy of their choice for a minute, while the Oath of Glory can distribute Temporary Hit Points when they cast Divine Smite. Some of these features, like Nature’s Wrath from the Oath of the Ancients, require an action economy cost (such as a Magic action) to activate, while others, like the Oath of Devotion’s Sacred Weapon, can be triggered as part of another action, like the Attack action.

For almost 12 years, these were the only kinds of features that any Paladin subclasses got access to. However, the Oath of the Noble Genies in the recent Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn book broke this tradition with Genie’s Splendor, a feature that granted a form of Unarmored Defense and an extra skill proficiency. While I think giving both of these features to an already-powerful subclass was unnecessary, if you are going to give another feature at Level 3 that has nothing to do with Channel Divinity and isn’t a spell list, it should be something like this: A very simple, and fairly passive, ribbon feature.

Class Features up to Level 7

Paladins get a few class features between Level 3 and Level 7 that are important to be aware of, so I’ll give an overview of those before we continue.

Ability Score Improvement. Gives you a chance to increase one of your ability scores (usually Strength at this level), either increasing it by 2 with the Ability Score Improvement feat or a different feat of your choice. Some common feats to grab at this level are Great Weapon Master and Mage Slayer, depending on your weapon loadout. Alternatively, many Paladins will take a feat that increases Charisma here to improve their spellcasting and their upcoming Aura of Protection feature. As a side note, being familiar with some of the most common feats in the game is a good way to make sure your subclass is balanced properly: A subclass feature could be perfectly fine in terms of power on its own, but if it has a broken interaction with a specific feat, that could make the whole subclass overpowered.

Extra Attack. You can now attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Faithful Steed. You always have the Find Steed spell prepared, and you can cast it once per day without expending a spell slot. Remember that even if you don’t want to use this steed, you can always pass it off to one of your allies.

Aura of Protection. Maybe the best class feature in the entire game. You emit an aura in a 10-foot radius that gives you and your allies within the aura a bonus to all saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (hopefully at least +3 at this level). The aura becomes inactive whenever you are Incapacitated, but even so, it’s really strong. Keep this feature in mind as we take a look at Level 7 Paladin subclass features, as almost all of them reference it in some way.

Spellcasting. Not a new feature, but by this level, you also have access to 2nd level spells from the Paladin spell list, as well as your Oath spells list.

Now let’s revisit our subclasses and see what they give us at this level:

Paladin Subclasses at Level 7

This level isn’t quite as cut and dry as Level 3, but the vast majority of Paladin subclasses at this level give you some kind of boost to your Aura of Protection. The Oath of Devotion makes it so that creatures of your choice in your Aura of Protection can no longer be Charmed, while the Oath of the Watchers gives you and your allies a bonus to Initiative rolls while within the Aura. As a brief aside, technically before 2024, these features didn’t directly reference your Aura of Protection, and were instead their own auras with identical ranges. However, since the release of the 2024 Player’s Handbook, all Paladin features that involve an aura are now just buffs to your Aura of Protection.

There are some exceptions (namely the Oath of the Crown and arguably the pre-2024 Oath of Glory), but only one is notable: The Oath of Vengeance. Instead of granting an aura improvement, their Level 7 feature Relentless Avenger lets you reduce an enemy’s speed to 0 when you hit them with an Opportunity Attack, and then lets you move up to half your Speed after the attack. The existence of this feature is actually great if you are into homebrew, because it gives you an excuse to break the mold a little bit here. However, if you are going to break the mold, do keep in mind that this feature is reactive, rather than active; in other words, it doesn’t give you a unique action to take in combat, but rather gives you a special Reaction that you can take in the right circumstances. In this way, it ends up being like a lot of Paladin auras, because just like those auras, it will only come into play when certain conditions are met.

Class Features up to Level 15

As usual, let’s review the class features we get before our next subclass feature at Level 15.

Ability Score Improvement. You get another feat of your choice. In fact, you actually get two of these before Level 15; one at Level 8, and another at Level 12.

Abjure Foes. You get a new use for your Channel Divinity that overwhelms your foes with holy energy. Speaking of which, it’s worth mentioning that you also get an extra use of your Channel Divinity before Level 15.

Aura of Courage. An improvement to your Aura of Protection that makes you and your allies immune to the Frightened condition while within your aura. If you were planning on that as a Level 7 feature for your subclass, you’ll unfortunately have to go back and think of something else.

Radiant Strikes. This lets you deal an extra 1d8 Radiant damage whenever you hit with an attack using a melee weapon or Unarmed Strike. Note that the attack itself doesn’t have to be melee, so you can apply this damage to an attack with a thrown weapon, such as a Javelin or Dagger.

Restoring Touch. Now when you forgo some of the healing from your Lay on Hands feature, you can end more than just the Poisoned condition. This feature can now also end the Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, Paralyzed, or Stunned condition on a creature, and the more healing you forgo, the more of these conditions you can end at once.

Spellcasting. Again, you’ve had this feature for a while, but by this level, you also have access to 3rd and 4th level spells from the Paladin spell list, as well as your Oath spells list.

Paladin Subclasses at Level 15

This is the first level for Paladin subclasses where there’s not a clear template for what to do. In fact, this is really the only level for Paladin subclasses that doesn’t have a fair bit of consistency. Because there’s so much variety here, I think you can ultimately do whatever you want here, so long as it’s thematically resonant and appropriately powerful for Level 15. However, that’s not super useful if you don’t know where to start. So let’s look at what patterns we can find here.

First of all, most of these features are either reactive or passive. A reactive feature is something that you choose to activate, but you can only use it under certain conditions that may be out of your control. An example of a reactive feature is the Oath of Glory’s Glorious Defense, which lets you deflect an attack against yourself or an ally, then follow-up with a counterattack a few times per day. Meanwhile, a passive feature is an always-on ability that usually buffs your utility or defenses in some way. An example of a passive feature is the Oath of Conquest’s Scornful Rebuke, which causes enemies that hit you with attacks to take Psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Additionally, as rare as it is for campaigns to reach Level 15, it’s even more rare for them to reach Level 20, which is when Paladin subclasses get their next (and final) feature. That means that when a Paladin player gets this feature, they’re probably nearing the end of the campaign, so you should make sure whatever feature you grant them here will be impactful. In other words, you don’t want a feature here to be super situational, because otherwise, the player might never get to use it. I’ll talk more about creating features for this level in my next post.

Class Features up to Level 20

Ability Score Improvement. You get another feat of your choice, and at Level 19, you also get a special feat called an Epic Boon.

Aura Expansion. The radius of your Aura of Protection increases from 10 feet to 30 feet.

Paladin Subclasses at Level 20

Compared to Level 15, features at Level 20 are all nearly identical. Almost all of these features give you a temporary transformation that you can activate once per day, potentially more if you want to expend a 5th level spell slot. For example, the Oath of Conquest’s Invincible Conqueror transformation gives you Resistance to all damage, an improved Crit range, and an extra attack each round, while the Oath of the Watchers’ Mortal Bulwark transformation gives you Truesight, advantage on attacks against enemies from other planes of existence, and a chance to banish such enemies when you hit them with an attack. The exact duration of each transformation varies, but 10 minutes seems to be the current standard.

Again, there is one notable exception here, which is the Oath of Redemption’s Emissary of Redemption feature. This feature gives you two major passive benefits: Resistance to all damage dealt by other creatures, and the ability to reflect some of the damage you take back at those enemies. However, this comes with a caveat; if you target a creature with some sort of hostile effect, neither benefit works against that creature until you finish a Long Rest. This can be a good template if a limited-use transformation isn’t quite the right angle for your subclass.

Final Thoughts

On the whole, what have we learned? Well, first of all, we talked about a Paladin’s oath, the driving force behind each Paladin subclass. It may seem obvious, but I want to emphasize how important this is: Every Paladin subclass is defined by a sacred oath. This oath is just as important to a character as a Warlock’s Patron, or the origin of a Sorcerer’s magic. True, many DMs also require Paladins to swear this oath to a deity, but without the oath itself, that character is just a Cleric, or maybe a religious Fighter.

We also got a picture of the general structure of Paladin subclasses. All Paladins get at least one Channel Divinity options and an Oath Spells list at Level 3. Beyond that, most get a special aura at Level 7 and a powerful transformation at Level 20; but neither of those is set in stone. When it comes to Level 15, there are some patterns, but no clear rules, which means there’s plenty of room for experimentation.

All that being said, I hope you found a part of this helpful. And if you still don’t feel ready to create your own Paladin subclass, stay tuned, because in my next post, I’ll go even more in-depth as I walk you through the process from start to finish. I hope you’ll join me, if for no other reason than to get a cool subclass to use at your table. See you next time!