Before we address the question of how many spells can a paladin prepare in DnD 5e. We must first analyze and understand what a paladin actually is.
A paladin is a class in Dungeons and Dragons that serves as the righteous guardian of his creed. He serves to protect the weak wherever they may be and to bring justice to the world – think Superman but if he found God.
Unlike Superman though, the paladin is limited to only the abilities he has. So let’s look at what he’s about shall we.
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What Does a Paladin do?
The Paladin is a class that enjoys getting stuck into the middle of a fight, not because he wants to mind you; but because he must. He’s an excellent fighter who can also be an excellent support to his allies. Boasting not only great fighting prowess and capabilities but the ability to heal his allies if needed.
Now it’s time to get technical. Of the divine spellcasters, the Paladin is the more battle-oriented one. The divine spellcaster classes being the Paladin and Cleric of course.
The Paladin mainly relies on his Charisma and Wisdom ability scores to cast his spells. But unlike most arcane spellcaster classes, the paladin relies in his faith towards his God to bless him with the spells with which he may cure wounds, or wrathful smite his enemies.
Unlike some other classes though, the paladin is only a half-caster. Which means that he doesn’t get access to the highest level of spells like certain other classes. This serves to differentiate spellcaster classes from one another. Of course, it’s best to consult the paladin table down below to get a better understanding.
Though the differences end there, as the principles behind casting mostly remain the same. The paladin has a set number of spell slots, this number is determined by your Charisma modifier + half of your Paladin level, which is rounded down. You have a minimum of one spell slot to use.
Of course, all the spells and oath spells must be prepared beforehand. And those are the basics basically. Prepare spells, cast a spell today, use up all your prepared slots, have a long rest at the end of the day, and go about the same manner until you get bored.
As always, for a full list of spells and more details, I’d advise consulting the Player’s Handbook to better understand the class and the spells you can cast. As there really isn’t a better guide than the player’s handbook… except maybe 5eguide that is.
Now to answer the question of this article.
How Many Spells Can a Paladin Prepare?
For a graphical exhibition consult the table below.
Now, to further comment on what this table actually represents.
As mentioned previously. The Paladin is a class that must prepare their spells before casting. The requirement for this is that you have a free slot for the level of spell you want to cast. If we take an example from the table above. A 5th level Paladin may cast 4 1st level spells, or 2 2nd level spells.
All your spellcasting, at least regarding the offensive spells is based on the spellcasting DC system that we looked at in a previous article. You can check more on that over there, what’s important to mention here is that all your spell casts rely on your Charisma stat; so don’t forget to calculate that modifier.
Another important feature to mention for this class. That is the sacred oath system. The sacred oath system (depending on which oath you chose that is) allows you a special oath spell that doesn’t take up a spell slot. So as long as you stay true to your oath you’ll have access to them. This is useful because you don’t have to prepare them like your other spells.
But, there’s a catch…
You actually have to stay true to your oath to have access to the benefits. That means if you break the oath, no more oath spell for you.
Let’s take an example from the Oath of Devotion. With the Oath of Devotion, you dedicate yourself to upholding the highest of chivalric virtues. Virtues like Honesty, Courage, Compassion, Honour, and Duty must all be upheld. It’s a cool system that helps with roleplay, actually forcing you to get into the character you have made for yourself. Of course, if you break an oath you have to repent in time, or else the DM might decide severe consequences for you. To repent you must confess your sins to a cleric of the same faith as yours, or another brother of the order. He may also hold a fast or spend a night in prayer as a sign of his penitence. (Always read oath the oath description people)
The paladin also may adorn himself with any holy symbol he deems fitting, as is expected of any lawful good paladin who wishes for divine favor.
In Conclusion
That’s a very basic explanation of what you need to know about casting spells as a paladin. It is a rather interesting class that allows you to explore multiple playstyles, one thing I really like about the class.
Those are the basic spell mechanics that are much the same among most divine spellcaster classes. And while many divine spellcasters can cast cure wounds – only the paladin does it in style.
Of course, the most important part is to go out there and learn for yourself. Will you be a paragon of virtue when you play as a paladin? Or will you be a harbinger of doom?
That’s the beauty of Dungeons and Dragons and the reason we keep coming back to it. You never know what you’ll experience.
