A well-trod question I know, but curious to hear: What Paladin spells do folks actually use nowadays?
As good as many spells appear, my two questions are always: 1) What's the best use of my concentration? and 2) What's the best use of my action?
For me the answer is usually, Bless and then attack & smite. Maybe that will change with level 3 spells, but upcasting Bless & Aid still seem really attractive.
Level 1 Bless is one of the best spells in the game. I have seen it be a good use of concentration from a full caster at >10th level.
Heroism/Protection from Evil. Both of these perform similar functions. They shut down mind controlling effects on a single target (Heroism can be upcast to affect multiple). If in turn one you look up and see a bunch of Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, or Undead then Protection from Evil is a great spell. Meanwhile Heroism is a great source of temp HP and immunity to frightened. These are not as broadly useful as bless, but still worth preparing.
Divine Favor. Its a nice non concentration boost to damage. If you have many attacks because of your build (PAM, Dual Wielder) then it can be really quite good.
Level 2. Prayer of Healing. THe ability to grab a short rest in 10 minutes is a fantastic use of a 2nd level slot. 2d8 healing isn't great, but refreshing the Monk/Bard/Fighter/Warlock and letting people spend hit dice changes the game a bit.
Level 1 Bless is one of the best spells in the game. I have seen it be a good use of concentration from a full caster at >10th level.
Heroism/Protection from Evil. Both of these perform similar functions. They shut down mind controlling effects on a single target (Heroism can be upcast to affect multiple). If in turn one you look up and see a bunch of Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, or Undead then Protection from Evil is a great spell. Meanwhile Heroism is a great source of temp HP and immunity to frightened. These are not as broadly useful as bless, but still worth preparing.
Divine Favor. Its a nice non concentration boost to damage. If you have many attacks because of your build (PAM, Dual Wielder) then it can be really quite good.
Level 2. Prayer of Healing. THe ability to grab a short rest in 10 minutes is a fantastic use of a 2nd level slot. 2d8 healing isn't great, but refreshing the Monk/Bard/Fighter/Warlock and letting people spend hit dice changes the game a bit.
All those spells do look good. We’re playing 2014 rules still, so Divine Favor is still concentration. Without that, yeah I’d be rocking that quite a bit.
Haven't encountered enough fiends/evil/mind controllers yet to feel giving a targeted buff to one PC was at all close to a general buff to saves & hits to most of the team. But will keep those in mind. So much completion for concentration!
Prayer of Healing does look quite powerful, but we haven’t done more than one combat per day - usually long rest close to right after. But sounds helpful for a dungeon crawl for sure.
- Greater Restoration - remove bad conditions and curses
- Holy Weapon, matches a 5th level Spirit Shroud for DPR but lasts an hour instead of 1 minute
- Raise Dead - like revivify but can raise anybody who died in past 10 days instead of past minute, allowing it to be unprepared when not needed and can remove revivify for another spell. Costs more GP and a higher slot.
Summon Celestial - summon spell, avenger has long range and defender gives temp HP, lasts for 1 hour.
*can be unprepared once cast and prepared when needed
At 3rd level, I am pretty curious to try out Spirit Shroud, especially since it's a Bonus Action, and I wouldn't have to sacrifice action economy to cast it. May still prefer Bless to start because it boosts 2 key parts of the whole party, and I like that support feel while I attack. But if my concentration gets knocked - boom - replace with another powerful concentration spell with my BA. Dispel Magic & Revivify (if I have a diamond) seem crucial to have ready and could easily be out-of-combat, so again no competition for actions, just prep slots.
Didn't think about Shining Smite's help with Invisibility. Good call! Thus far have only kept Wrathful Smite prepared since as an Ancients I also have Ensnaring Strike. Both are concentration. Will have to make choices between these combat spells I rarely use (but are good) versus ample out-of-combat utility spells. Happy for the choices though.
If you have proficiency with Arcana then you can prepare scrolls of revivify and dispel magic so they are not hogging your prepared spells list. And also if someone else in the party has those spells in their spell list (a 1 lvl dip in Cleric orPaladin) then they have revivify in their classes spell list and so can use the scroll if you go down.
If you have proficiency with Arcana then you can prepare scrolls of revivify and dispel magic so they are not hogging your prepared spells list. And also if someone else in the party has those spells in their spell list (a 1 lvl dip in Cleric orPaladin) then they have revivify in their classes spell list and so can use the scroll if you go down.
Oh dang, I had no idea. Oddly enough, I do have Arcana proficiency.. (Doesn't help usually cuz my INT is for crap, lol).
Once I get some cash again, I will consider this, thanks!
A well-trod question I know, but curious to hear: What Paladin spells do folks actually use nowadays?
As good as many spells appear, my two questions are always: 1) What's the best use of my concentration? and 2) What's the best use of my action?
For me the answer is usually, Bless and then attack & smite. Maybe that will change with level 3 spells, but upcasting Bless & Aid still seem really attractive.
Thoughts?
Level 1
Bless is one of the best spells in the game. I have seen it be a good use of concentration from a full caster at >10th level.
Heroism/Protection from Evil. Both of these perform similar functions. They shut down mind controlling effects on a single target (Heroism can be upcast to affect multiple). If in turn one you look up and see a bunch of Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, or Undead then Protection from Evil is a great spell. Meanwhile Heroism is a great source of temp HP and immunity to frightened. These are not as broadly useful as bless, but still worth preparing.
Divine Favor. Its a nice non concentration boost to damage. If you have many attacks because of your build (PAM, Dual Wielder) then it can be really quite good.
Level 2.
Prayer of Healing. THe ability to grab a short rest in 10 minutes is a fantastic use of a 2nd level slot. 2d8 healing isn't great, but refreshing the Monk/Bard/Fighter/Warlock and letting people spend hit dice changes the game a bit.
All those spells do look good. We’re playing 2014 rules still, so Divine Favor is still concentration. Without that, yeah I’d be rocking that quite a bit.
Haven't encountered enough fiends/evil/mind controllers yet to feel giving a targeted buff to one PC was at all close to a general buff to saves & hits to most of the team. But will keep those in mind. So much completion for concentration!
Prayer of Healing does look quite powerful, but we haven’t done more than one combat per day - usually long rest close to right after. But sounds helpful for a dungeon crawl for sure.
2014, I'd recommend:
1st level: Bless, Compelled Duel, Detect Magic, Shield of Faith
- Bless for when you can't attack or would do so at disadvantage only
- Compelled Duel / Shield of Faith for tanking/protecting party
- Detect Magic - great utility but less useful if others in the party have it
2nd level: Find Steed* (until Find Greater Steed), Prayer of Healing (added in tasha's), Shining Smite, Zone of Truth
- Find Steed, it's basically a free steed and then you unprepare the spell until it dies.
- Prayer of Healing is huge amount of healing
- Shining smite is situational but a great counter to invisibility
- Zone of Truth is for Role Play... very powerful utility in role play.
3rd Level: Blinding Smite, Dispel Magic, Remove Curse*, Revivify (until Raise Dead), Spirit Shroud
- Blinding Smite inflicts the blind condition, this often results in advantage against the target
- Dispel Magic / Remove curse - remove horrible effects
- Revivify - raise dead party members, so long as their body is intact
- Spirit Shroud - the best DPR you can get for a spell slot, but beaten by Holy Weapon at 5th level due to duration.
4th Level: Death Ward, Find Greater Steed*, Locate Creature
- Death Ward - a get out of jail free card against death
- Find Greater Steed, basically a better, flying mount over Find Steed
- Locate Creature, probably not as worthwhile if you have a ranger or another caster with Locate Creature, but finds creatures.
5th Level: Greater Restoration, Holy Weapon, Raise Dead*, Summon Celestial
- Greater Restoration - remove bad conditions and curses
- Holy Weapon, matches a 5th level Spirit Shroud for DPR but lasts an hour instead of 1 minute
- Raise Dead - like revivify but can raise anybody who died in past 10 days instead of past minute, allowing it to be unprepared when not needed and can remove revivify for another spell. Costs more GP and a higher slot.
Summon Celestial - summon spell, avenger has long range and defender gives temp HP, lasts for 1 hour.
*can be unprepared once cast and prepared when needed
Super helpful breakdown.
At 3rd level, I am pretty curious to try out Spirit Shroud, especially since it's a Bonus Action, and I wouldn't have to sacrifice action economy to cast it. May still prefer Bless to start because it boosts 2 key parts of the whole party, and I like that support feel while I attack. But if my concentration gets knocked - boom - replace with another powerful concentration spell with my BA. Dispel Magic & Revivify (if I have a diamond) seem crucial to have ready and could easily be out-of-combat, so again no competition for actions, just prep slots.
Didn't think about Shining Smite's help with Invisibility. Good call! Thus far have only kept Wrathful Smite prepared since as an Ancients I also have Ensnaring Strike. Both are concentration. Will have to make choices between these combat spells I rarely use (but are good) versus ample out-of-combat utility spells. Happy for the choices though.
If you have proficiency with Arcana then you can prepare scrolls of revivify and dispel magic so they are not hogging your prepared spells list. And also if someone else in the party has those spells in their spell list (a 1 lvl dip in Cleric orPaladin) then they have revivify in their classes spell list and so can use the scroll if you go down.
Life's hard - get a helmet!
Oh dang, I had no idea. Oddly enough, I do have Arcana proficiency.. (Doesn't help usually cuz my INT is for crap, lol).
Once I get some cash again, I will consider this, thanks!
What if.... the Paladin could cast some Mystic Knight's spells implemented in Dragon's Dogma : Dark Arisen game ???
(( some with the small chance of damaging seriously the user's shield... hahahaha... )) ... could be amazing... huh ???
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk