Paladins are one of the most powerful classes in D&D 5e 2014. Divine smites, Aura of Protection, and full spell access create a melee character with extraordinary burst damage and party protection. The challenge is their Multiple Ability Dependency: Strength, Charisma, and Constitution all compete for ASI slots.
The correct feat strategy addresses concentration first (Bless is too powerful to lose), then adds combat multipliers (Sentinel, Polearm Master), then utility (Inspiring Leader, Fey Touched). Half-feats that include stat bumps are disproportionately efficient for Paladins.
Disclaimer
This guide uses 2014 D&D Player's Handbook rules and TCoE. This is not a 2024 edition guide.
Paladin Feat Priorities
- War Caster - Bless is too important to lose; protect it
- Sentinel + Polearm Master - Battlefield control for the Guardian archetype
- Inspiring Leader - Extend Charisma into pre-combat party support
- Fey Touched - Half-feat utility with free Misty Step
Top Feats for Paladin
● War Caster
Paladins hold weapons and shields and concentrate on Bless constantly. War Caster covers somatic casting with full hands, gives advantage on concentration saves, and allows spell-based opportunity attacks. Non-negotiable for any Paladin who relies on Bless. War Caster guide
● Sentinel
Paladins are tank-protectors. Sentinel creates the zone of control that the Paladin's flavour implies: enemies cannot bypass you, leave your reach, or attack your allies without consequences. Combined with Aura of Protection, a Sentinel Paladin is the most protective frontline build in the game. Sentinel section
● Polearm Master
Polearm Master with a glaive or halberd gives Paladins reach (10 feet), a bonus action attack, and opportunity attacks on approach. Combined with Sentinel, enemies cannot reach your allies without being hit and frozen. Combined with Great Weapon Master, every attack deal +10 damage. Polearm Master section
● Resilient (Constitution)
Constitution for Paladins improves HP, concentration saves, and general survivability. If Constitution is odd and you want the proficiency bonus on saves, Resilient (Con) is a strong alternative to War Caster on builds where the somatic casting benefit is less relevant. Resilient guide
● Inspiring Leader
High Charisma Paladins get maximum value from Inspiring Leader. Pre-combat temp HP for the whole party compounds the Aura of Protection's spell save bonus. Together, the party is protected during combat and buffered going into it. Inspiring Leader guide
● Fey Touched
+1 Charisma or Wisdom (both useful), free Misty Step (repositioning for the melee Paladin), and a 1st-level enchantment spell (Bless, which Paladins can also take from their own list, or Command, or Silvery Barbs). Outstanding half-feat value. Fey Touched guide
● Great Weapon Master
Two-handed Paladins who sacrifice the shield for a glaive or greatsword deal enormous burst damage with Divine Smite. GWM on a crit with a full smite is one of the highest single-attack damage events in the game. Trade-off: losing shield AC and some melee survivability. Great Weapon Master section
● Alert
Going first lets Paladins cast Bless on round 1 before any ally is targeted. Also ensures they can position between enemies and the party backline before the enemy's first move. Alert guide
● Gift of the Gem Dragon (Fizban's)
A Charisma half-feat that feeds spell save DCs and Aura of Protection directly, plus a Strength-save reaction dealing 2d8 force damage and pushing an attacker away, exactly the frontline-melee position a Paladin already holds. Gift of the Gem Dragon guide
● Gift of the Chromatic Dragon (Fizban's)
No Ability Score Increase, but Chromatic Infusion's weapon damage stacks cleanly on top of Divine Smite bursts, and Reactive Resistance adds another survivability layer next to Aura of Protection. Gift of the Chromatic Dragon guide
● Gift of the Metallic Dragon (Fizban's)
Stacks with Lay on Hands as an additional healing resource, and Protective Wings reinforces the class's frontline protector role. Weaker than the other two Gift feats for a Paladin specifically, since Lay on Hands already covers some of the same ground. Gift of the Metallic Dragon guide
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Start BuildingFeats to Avoid
Sharpshooter. Paladins are melee characters. Divine Smite requires melee attacks. Ranged builds sacrifice both Smite delivery and Aura of Protection positioning.
Mage Slayer. Paladins have Aura of Protection for spell saves already. Mage Slayer is redundant for Paladin's spell defense needs.
Example Feat Progression
Level 4: War Caster. Protecting Bless from the moment the Paladin reaches spell access is critical. War Caster at level 4 is almost universal for Paladins.
Level 8: Sentinel or ASI (Strength or Charisma). If Strength/Charisma is odd, fix the stat. Otherwise, Sentinel creates the Guardian archetype immediately.
Level 12: Polearm Master (two-handed builds) or Inspiring Leader (shield builds). Two-handed Paladins complete the PAM/Sentinel lockdown. Shield Paladins add Inspiring Leader for party support.
FAQ
What does MAD mean for Paladins? Multiple Ability Dependent: Str, Cha, Con all compete for ASI slots.
War Caster vs Resilient (Con)? War Caster is better for most Paladins due to the somatic casting benefit in melee.
Is Inspiring Leader good on a Paladin? Yes. Charisma-primary with a support role makes it a natural fit.
Why is Bless so important? +1d4 to attacks and saves for three creatures constantly, the highest sustained party impact of any 1st-level spell.
Should a Paladin take GWM? Yes for two-handed Paladins; less applicable to sword-and-board builds.
