How do I build a tanky Paladin in Baldur's Gate 3?
Building a tanky Paladin in Baldur's Gate 3 involves focusing on high durability, strong defensive capabilities, and the ability to protect allies while dealing respectable damage. Paladins are naturally durable due to their heavy armor proficiency, access to healing spells, and the ability to use their Lay on Hands feature to restore health. However, to maximize their tankiness, you need to carefully consider your race, ability scores, feats, and spell selection.
First, let's discuss race. While any race can work for a Paladin, some races offer natural advantages for a tanky build. For example, the Half-Orc provides Relentless Endurance, which allows you to drop to 1 HP instead of 0 once per long rest, making you harder to kill. The Dwarf offers extra HP and resistance to poison, which can be useful in many encounters. The Githyanki provides proficiency in medium armor and some useful spells like Misty Step, which can help you reposition in combat. Ultimately, the choice of race depends on your preferred playstyle, but any race with bonuses to Strength, Constitution, or Charisma will serve you well.
Next, let's talk about ability scores. As a Paladin, your primary stats should be Strength, Constitution, and Charisma. Strength is essential for melee attacks and damage, Constitution increases your HP and survivability, and Charisma boosts your spellcasting and aura abilities. A good starting point for a tanky Paladin is to prioritize Strength and Constitution, with Charisma as a secondary focus. For example, you might start with 16 Strength, 14 Constitution, and 14 Charisma, depending on your race bonuses. Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom can be left at lower values, as they are less important for a tanky build.
When leveling up, you should focus on increasing your Strength and Constitution. At level 4, consider taking the Ability Score Improvement feat to boost your Strength or Constitution. Alternatively, you could take a feat like Tough, which increases your maximum HP, or Shield Master, which improves your defensive capabilities by allowing you to add your shield's AC bonus to Dexterity saving throws and use your reaction to reduce damage from certain spells.
For your Paladin subclass, the Oath of Devotion is a strong choice for a tanky build. This subclass provides abilities like Sacred Weapon, which increases your attack rolls and makes you more effective in combat, and Aura of Devotion, which protects you and your allies from being charmed. The Oath of the Ancients is another excellent option, as it provides resistance to spell damage and access to healing spells, making you even more durable.
In terms of equipment, you should prioritize heavy armor and a shield to maximize your AC. Plate armor is the best choice for a tanky Paladin, as it provides the highest AC bonus. A shield will further increase your AC, making you harder to hit. For weapons, a one-handed weapon like a longsword or warhammer works well, as it allows you to use a shield. Alternatively, you could use a two-handed weapon like a greatsword for more damage, but this will reduce your AC.
When it comes to spells, focus on defensive and utility options. Shield of Faith is a great early-game spell that increases your AC, making you even harder to hit. Cure Wounds and Lay on Hands allow you to heal yourself and your allies, keeping everyone in the fight. At higher levels, spells like Aura of Vitality and Revivify provide additional healing and utility. Remember that Paladins have limited spell slots, so use them wisely and prioritize spells that enhance your durability and support your party.
In combat, your role as a tanky Paladin is to draw enemy attention and protect your allies. Use your high AC and HP to absorb damage, and position yourself between enemies and your squishier party members. Use your Divine Smite ability to deal extra damage to enemies, especially when you land a critical hit. Remember that Divine Smite can be used after you see the attack roll, so you can save it for when you really need it.
One common mistake to avoid is neglecting your Charisma. While it may be tempting to focus solely on Strength and Constitution, Charisma is important for your spellcasting and aura abilities. A high Charisma score will make your spells more effective and increase the range and power of your auras, which benefit both you and your allies.
Advanced techniques for a tanky Paladin include multiclassing and optimizing your spell usage. Multiclassing into a class like Fighter or Sorcerer can provide additional defensive abilities and spell slots. For example, a two-level dip into Fighter gives you access to Action Surge, which allows you to take an additional action in combat, and the Defense fighting style, which increases your AC. Sorcerer levels can provide more spell slots for Divine Smite and access to powerful defensive spells like Shield.
In summary, building a tanky Paladin in Baldur's Gate 3 involves focusing on high Strength, Constitution, and Charisma, choosing a race and subclass that enhance your durability, and equipping heavy armor and a shield. Prioritize defensive spells and abilities, and use your high AC and HP to protect your allies in combat. Avoid common mistakes like neglecting Charisma, and consider advanced techniques like multiclassing to further optimize your build. With careful planning and execution, you can create a Paladin that is nearly unkillable and a valuable asset to any party.
First, let's discuss race. While any race can work for a Paladin, some races offer natural advantages for a tanky build. For example, the Half-Orc provides Relentless Endurance, which allows you to drop to 1 HP instead of 0 once per long rest, making you harder to kill. The Dwarf offers extra HP and resistance to poison, which can be useful in many encounters. The Githyanki provides proficiency in medium armor and some useful spells like Misty Step, which can help you reposition in combat. Ultimately, the choice of race depends on your preferred playstyle, but any race with bonuses to Strength, Constitution, or Charisma will serve you well.
Next, let's talk about ability scores. As a Paladin, your primary stats should be Strength, Constitution, and Charisma. Strength is essential for melee attacks and damage, Constitution increases your HP and survivability, and Charisma boosts your spellcasting and aura abilities. A good starting point for a tanky Paladin is to prioritize Strength and Constitution, with Charisma as a secondary focus. For example, you might start with 16 Strength, 14 Constitution, and 14 Charisma, depending on your race bonuses. Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom can be left at lower values, as they are less important for a tanky build.
When leveling up, you should focus on increasing your Strength and Constitution. At level 4, consider taking the Ability Score Improvement feat to boost your Strength or Constitution. Alternatively, you could take a feat like Tough, which increases your maximum HP, or Shield Master, which improves your defensive capabilities by allowing you to add your shield's AC bonus to Dexterity saving throws and use your reaction to reduce damage from certain spells.
For your Paladin subclass, the Oath of Devotion is a strong choice for a tanky build. This subclass provides abilities like Sacred Weapon, which increases your attack rolls and makes you more effective in combat, and Aura of Devotion, which protects you and your allies from being charmed. The Oath of the Ancients is another excellent option, as it provides resistance to spell damage and access to healing spells, making you even more durable.
In terms of equipment, you should prioritize heavy armor and a shield to maximize your AC. Plate armor is the best choice for a tanky Paladin, as it provides the highest AC bonus. A shield will further increase your AC, making you harder to hit. For weapons, a one-handed weapon like a longsword or warhammer works well, as it allows you to use a shield. Alternatively, you could use a two-handed weapon like a greatsword for more damage, but this will reduce your AC.
When it comes to spells, focus on defensive and utility options. Shield of Faith is a great early-game spell that increases your AC, making you even harder to hit. Cure Wounds and Lay on Hands allow you to heal yourself and your allies, keeping everyone in the fight. At higher levels, spells like Aura of Vitality and Revivify provide additional healing and utility. Remember that Paladins have limited spell slots, so use them wisely and prioritize spells that enhance your durability and support your party.
In combat, your role as a tanky Paladin is to draw enemy attention and protect your allies. Use your high AC and HP to absorb damage, and position yourself between enemies and your squishier party members. Use your Divine Smite ability to deal extra damage to enemies, especially when you land a critical hit. Remember that Divine Smite can be used after you see the attack roll, so you can save it for when you really need it.
One common mistake to avoid is neglecting your Charisma. While it may be tempting to focus solely on Strength and Constitution, Charisma is important for your spellcasting and aura abilities. A high Charisma score will make your spells more effective and increase the range and power of your auras, which benefit both you and your allies.
Advanced techniques for a tanky Paladin include multiclassing and optimizing your spell usage. Multiclassing into a class like Fighter or Sorcerer can provide additional defensive abilities and spell slots. For example, a two-level dip into Fighter gives you access to Action Surge, which allows you to take an additional action in combat, and the Defense fighting style, which increases your AC. Sorcerer levels can provide more spell slots for Divine Smite and access to powerful defensive spells like Shield.
In summary, building a tanky Paladin in Baldur's Gate 3 involves focusing on high Strength, Constitution, and Charisma, choosing a race and subclass that enhance your durability, and equipping heavy armor and a shield. Prioritize defensive spells and abilities, and use your high AC and HP to protect your allies in combat. Avoid common mistakes like neglecting Charisma, and consider advanced techniques like multiclassing to further optimize your build. With careful planning and execution, you can create a Paladin that is nearly unkillable and a valuable asset to any party.