Level 5 Paladin(2024 rules) - help with choices?

(I recognize that my paladin is not necessarily optimized. That is not my intent, I wanted a fun to play character idea.)

I just turned Level 5, playing an (slightly reflavored) Oath of the Genies Dragonborn Paladin (20/11/15/11/12/17). 

My prior big choices were:

• cold breath weapon/resistance (Silver dragon),
• Interception fighting style at 2
• Great Weapon Master feat at 4
• fighting with greataxe and pike (for reach/push).
• Tank/secondary healer role (cleric in party)/sometime face role, but not emphasized

 I'm trying to figure out:

1. Best Level 2 spells to prepare?
2. What Steed to use, does it matter since it's all the same Otherwordly Steed stat block?
3. Anything general guidance for play strategy now that I have multiple attacks, etc?

Lesser Restoration and Prayer of Healing can be real handy, especially if you don't have a Cleric in your party. Warding Bond is good if you're serving as the "tank" of the group and there's a much squishier character. But also keep in mind that you may often end up using your 2nd-level spell slots for upcasting stuff like Divine Smite, and you don't actually have to prepare any level 2 spells.

As for Find Steed, it's really just flavor, so I'd lean in on something thematically relevant to your Genie subclass. If there's one of the elemental smite effects that you find yourself using more than the others, do something with that. Dao's Crush? You're riding a magic horse made of rock. Efreeti's Fury? The horse's mane is fire. And so on.

Or a velociraptor styled warhorse - works for a dragonborn paladin, we have one in our party. Except don't call it "Fluffy" like ours did ... so much shame ...

I would also make the suggestion of Shining Smite as a 2nd level spell choice. It's damage is not incredible, but it grants Advantage on all attacks against that creature for 1 minute. Your party members will love you for using it if you are fighting a single tough monster.

Also, keep in mind that paladins can change 1 prepared spell per long rest. So if you don’t enjoy the choices you made, or you find you aren’t using something often, it’s pretty easy to swap it out.

For general tips, I personally like to use my smite on my first hit of the round, because there’s no guarantee I’ll hit on the second attack. But there are those who prefer to hold off and crit fish, hoping for a big pile of dice to roll. Beyond that, the strategy is about the same as you’ve probably been doing — run up and smash the bad guys.

The real trick will be deciding about GWM. The hew ability will compete with divine smite for your BA. If you crit, I’d definitely use the BA to smite over taking an extra attack. 

Quote from Xalthu >>

Also, keep in mind that paladins can change 1 prepared spell per long rest. So if you don’t enjoy the choices you made, or you find you aren’t using something often, it’s pretty easy to swap it out.

For general tips, I personally like to use my smite on my first hit of the round, because there’s no guarantee I’ll hit on the second attack. But there are those who prefer to hold off and crit fish, hoping for a big pile of dice to roll. Beyond that, the strategy is about the same as you’ve probably been doing — run up and smash the bad guys.

The real trick will be deciding about GWM. The hew ability will compete with divine smite for your BA. If you crit, I’d definitely use the BA to smite over taking an extra attack. 

 GWM master makes it even more tempting to wait for your second attack before you smite. Waiting allow you to see if the enemy dies or if you happen to get a critical hit on your second attack. It's often more effective to make that Hew attack rather than tacking on a smite to one of your first two swings (or just as effective without the spell slot cost).

Get a Long Mace...... adquire the [Crusher] feat.... and enjoy the smites !!!

OFC you can smite doors and if the aoe of that smite allow hitting some targets on the opposite side of that door, it will be so worthed.

Aid Wrathful Smite 

The mentioned Smite spells sound really fun. I'd also second Aid and Prayer of Healing.

Aid sounds simple, but granting 15 total new HP to your team (that stacks w/ temp HP) can be a difference-maker, especially at level 5. It's like pre-emptive healing, which is arguably the best. And it makes people feel good. 

Prayer of Healing's cool new attraction in 2024 is that in addition to the team healing, it grants the benefits of a Short Rest in 10 minutes! Normally it's an hour, so this can make Short Rests viable in tighter timetables you may find yourselves in. Again, your party will love getting their Short Rest goodies back in addition to some HP.

I think Aid spell dosen't stack temp HP with the actual Temp HP, due to new rules

Quote from Dertinus >>

I think Aid spell dosen't stack temp HP with the actual Temp HP, due to new rules

Aid doesn't add or interact with Temporary Hit Points at all. It increases the targets' actual Hit Points, both current and maximum. Any Temporary Hit Points the target might have (or acquire later) are applied on top of that as they're a totally separate thing.

This is the same in both 5e and 5.5e; there has been no change to how this spell works in the new rules.

2nd and 4th level spells are a bit of a dead zone for paladin, the two spells I'd recommend were already recommended by Wagnarokkr but you note you have a Cleric, where a cleric is usually better for casting Aid and Prayer of Healing, since both spells are essentially 1/day casts.

As such it really leaves Shining Strike, which has two uses, if you hit an invisible creature, you make it visible and it grants advantage on attacks against the target, which can be pretty nice for throwing down some real damage but maintaining this advantage does require making concentration checks. Advantage should never be underestimated and invisible creatures can be annoying, however there are other spells that do the job just as well/better, Like Faerie Fire, which multiple classes can get and is a 1st level spell.

This might be jumping the gun a bit, but if you were looking for help with your Feat/ASI selections, I’d personally recommend:

8: +1 Constitution and +1 Charisma

12: +2 Charisma

16: +1 Dexterity and +1 Intelligence

19: Boon of combat Prowlness (+1 Strength)

In my experience, there’s only one or two feats in particular Paladins possibly want, so I would focus more on high even numbers. That’s just my opinion though; someone more experienced will likely disagree.

Another option if you prefer to end up with a more even number and use one of the feats I mentioned would be:

8: Con +1, Cha +1

12: Resilience (Con +1)

16: Con +2

19: Boon of Combat Prowlness (Con +1)

Again, these are just my opinion, and I lack the experience of others, so wait and see how others respond to my comment before setting this path in stone.

Sentinel is good for opponents lacking magical means to escape a beating. It can help keep an enemy in your reach but also if your party gather under your aura they can all also keep whaling on it.

Heavy Armour Mastery is very nice in 5.5. that damage reduction REALLY adds up over a campaign.