Oath of Crown Paladin Build - Royal Protector - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

In this post, I will go through the Oath of Crown Paladin Build - Royal Protector for Baldur's Gate 3. It's a subclass centered around tankiness and party support - imagine Cleric with Divine Smite. Oath of Crown offers good progression with valuable features up until the late game.

Oath of Crown Paladin Build - Royal Protector

This subclass offers interesting mechanics and blends two classes - Paladin with Cleric. The main feature is the Spirit Guardians​ spell, which allows you to become a light-covered melee tank. The tank part is possible thanks to the Champion Challenge,​ which applies penalties to those who attack other targets.

At the core, it is still Paladin, offering powerful Divine Smite​ to destroy foes outright if built correctly. Other Paladin features still play a role, like the Aura of Protection, prepared spells, healing, etc.

However, I do want to make the subclass stand out, even if it costs its power. The late game opens up Spirit Guardians,​ which in a sense allows you to fully replace Cleric, and debuff enemies with Radiating Orb​ and Reverberation. On top of that, you can support allies using items like The Whispering Promise + Turn the Tide, for buffs.

This build is a good alternative to the Loredin Build, but in a sense, gets some of its features earlier. I think both of these are good choices, and it depends on what you want. The major caveat might be the Oath of the Crown Tenets,​ making it easy to break the oath.

So let's jump into the build!

Class Contribution

The build does have variations, whether it is a pure or multiclass build. I do see merit in some variations to ensure that you can freely use all of the capabilities.

11 Oath of the Crown Paladin

• Divine Sense​ - an easy advantage in case you fight these specific enemies.
• Lay on Hands​ - a healing action, which I found is best used outside of combat for curing diseases.
• Righteous Clarity​ - improves hit chance on allies or yourself and costs only a bonus action. Great for negating the Great Weapon Master: All In​ penalty.
• The iconic Paladin action - Divine Smite. With optimizations and some preparations, this can land very powerful strikes and obliterate enemies.
• Fighting Style choice, for a small stat boost
• Divine Health​ helps resist diseases.
• Channel oath abilities - Champion Challenge​ and Turn the Tide. Both of these can provide good support in terms of healing and battlefield control in controlling the enemy's attention.
• Extra Attack​ for an additional weapon attack from level 5 onward.
• Oath spells, like Command, Warding Bond, and Spirit Guardians. The latter will prove extremely powerful in the late game, allowing it to debilitate and weaken enemies.
• Aura of Protection​ - one of the best paladin features, giving an easy way to maintain spell Concentration.
• A support-themed action - Divine Allegiance, albeit I rarely used it.
• Enables you to resist Frightened​ with Aura of Courage.
• Additional radiant damage with all melee weapon hits thanks to Improved Divine Smite.

1 Warlock Hexblade:

• Bind Hexed Weapon​ - the main level 1 highlight from Hexblade, which makes the weapon use Charisma as the main modifier.
• Warlock Spellslots that reset on short rest.
• Hex Warrior​ with bonus proficiencies in Medium Armor and Shield. This also lets you use Bind Hexed Weapon​ to use Charisma as the main weapon stat.
• Hexblade's Curse​ - not that important for the build, as it already has plenty of good uses for bonus action.
• Shield​ spell for little survivability after each short rest.
• Booming Blade​ cantrip, which will greatly improve your weapon damage and give some other bonuses.

Synergy with other builds

So the Crown Paladin, as you can expect, takes the role of a "protector". This overlaps with one class, particularly Cleric. So I do not recommend running them together, as you will be strapped for items - both of them want Radiating Orb​ and Reverberation​ gear.

Besides this limitation, you should not be limited to the standard melee martial gear.

Controllers

Almost any party can benefit from good controllers that use Hold Person, Glyph of Warding: Sleep,​ or Hold Monster. They guarantee a 100% critical chance and allow you to maximize the whole group's damage. As the build uses Divine Smite,​ this can exacerbate damage more than one expects. It is especially easy to utilize for melee builds:

• Fire Sorcerer - one of the most reliable builds for this type of setup with Hat of Fire Acuity + Scorching Ray​
• Lorecerer - similar to Fire Sorcerer, can use the same combo and can easily apply total control. Sadly, it is just limited to Hold Person and Glyph of Warding.
• Spellsword build - Sorcadin, Bardadin, Swords Bard Archer, other caster related builds- Lore Bard or even Arcane Trickster with access to unlimited scrolls.

Piercing party

If the group has a member which wears Bhaalist Armour, this enables the Crown Paladin to wear piercing weapons like Nyrulna, for double damage via Aura Of Murder.

• For Archers - Arcane Archer, Swords Bard Archer
• Thrower builds - Eldritch Knigh Thrower, Berserker Thrower
• Melee martials with piercing weapons - Bardadin, Battle Master, Sorcadin, Bladelock

Just having one of these will take your group to the next level and make the late game a breeze.

Melee Builds

Any kind of melee build can also benefit a lot from Crown Paladin, as it applies Reverberation. Multiple stacks can result in enemies being Prone,​ making them easy targets for those who can come close.

So any kind of build that uses melee weapons will benefit from this. Archers can also work, it's just that they will need to come close enough to not get Threatened​, but still have the Advantage bonus.

Leveling Overview

Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear, as it is crucial.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Paladin 1	Subclass: Oath of the Crown
		Abilities: STR - 8, DEX - 16 (15+1), CON - 14, INT - 8, WIS - 10, CHA - 17 (15+2)
		Skills: Intimidation, Persuasion, Athletics
2	Paladin 2	Fighting Style: Defence​
3	Paladin 3	-
4	Paladin 4	Feat: Great Weapon Master: All In​
5	Paladin 5	-
6	Paladin 6	-
7	Paladin 7	-
8	Paladin 8	Feat: Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma
9	Paladin 9	-
10	Warlock 1	Cantrips: Booming Blade, any
		Subclass: The Hexblade
		Spells: Shield, any
11	Paladin 11	-
12	Paladin 12	-

Starting the Game - Level 1

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Oath of Crown Paladin build. If you have already started playing, feel free to do a respec at Withers and follow along. This will make it easy to follow the build step by step.

Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc.

Race	Features	Description
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	The build benefits from increased movement speed immensely. This becomes especially true once you get Spirit Guardians​ and want to apply all the revorb effects.
Wood Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.
Half-Orc	Savage Attacks​ Relentless Endurance​ Darkvision​	The half-orc features are a good addition for this kind of build, where you will engage in frontline combat. The instant resurrection and bonus critical damage will help immensely.
Zariel Tiefling	Darkvision​ Hellish Resistance​ Thaumaturgy​	Great race that offers unique looks and a few great features. I recommend Thaumaturgy​ as it helps immensely with dialogue checks without any negative consequences. The additional smites, like Searing Smite,​ can be helpful for a little more damage in the early and mid game to save spell slots.
High Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry	These picks are relevant mainly for the Booming Blade​ cantrip. However, as the build takes a dip in Hexblade, this does lose potential, and I would pick these only when going for pure 12 levels of Paladin.
High Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry
Gold Dwarf	Dwarven Toughness	Gains an additional hit point each level up

Class

Overview
Paladin
Features
Lay on Hands​	Use your blessed touch to heal a creature or cure it of all diseases and poisons.
Divine Sense​	Gain Advantage on Attack Rolls against celestials, fiends, and undead.
Channel Oath Charges	You gain the ability to channel the power contained in your Paladin Oath, which you can use to fuel certain actions.

Subclass

Overview
Oath of the Crown
Features
Righteous Clarity​	Excellent action to help land hits via increased attack rolls, especially early in the game.
Oath of the Crown Tenets​	Requirements that you need to meet to uphold the oath.

Background

Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing, and you can pick whatever you prefer. If you want to optimize, then it would be good to pick backgrounds that are based on your ability points of Charisma, Dexterity, or Strength.

Abilities

Now, let's take a look at the abilities of the Crown Paladin build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

The core mechanic to understand for ability points is that they give "ability modifiers" that apply to various skill checks. For example, Charisma works on Intimidation and persuasion checks. Wisdom on Survival or Animal Handling, and so on.

You get a higher ability modifier on even values - 10, 12, 14, etc. So keeping it on odd may be useless. However, there are various +1/2 modifiers in the game, specifically Auntie Ethel Hair or Feats that help round this up.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	Not that relevant, you can either increase it with Elixir of Hill Giant Strength for the early part of the game. Otherwise, Dexterity and later Charisma become the main weapon modifier.
Dexterity	16 (15+1)	One of the core abilities gives Armour Class, Initiative. This will be the main weapon stat if you don't use Elixir of Hill Giant Strength and until you unlock Bind Hexed Weapon.
Constitution	14	The Constitution will help with maintaining spell concentration and improving the HP pool.
Intelligence	8	This will not be relevant for the build
Wisdom	10	Just enough to remove the negative modifier for Wisdom.
Charisma	17 (15+2)	The main spellcasting modifier will play a major role in weapon, actions, and aura effectiveness.

Skills and Expertise

Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier or are useful in general:

• Intimidation
• Persuasion
• Athletics

Leveling Progression - Levels 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the Crown Paladin build to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get a feel for the class, you can start picking your options.

Level 2

By this time, you should have landed on the Ravaged beach already. The Paladin gives good features from the very start:

Action	Description
Divine Smite​	A very powerful action unique to Paladins. It will allow you to empower weapon attacks at the cost of spell slots. Use it when you need high damage to take out a foe as fast as possible or land a critical hit. Using higher-level spell slots will improve Divine Smite​ damage.

Fighting Style

Style	Description
Defence​	Gives +1 Armour Class, which results in a decent increase in survivability. I would say this is the only pick that has a significant impact on the build performance.

Prepared Spells

Spell	Description
Thunderous Smite​	Deals decent damage and gives use for Bonus Action early in the game, when you might not have a use yet. Also making an enemy Prone will make it easier to hit them next time.
Shield of Faith​	Gives +2 Armour Class as long as you can maintain concentration. Lasts until a long rest.
Command​	Can command the creature to drop a weapon, run away, come close, etc. It can be useful in some encounters, especially against low Wisdom enemies.

Optional - Elixir of Hill Giant Strength

Well, there is a trick early in Act 1, after you reach the first settlement - Druid's Grove. There, you can stock up on some powerful potions for Acts 1 and 2 - Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.

What do they do? They increase the Strength to 21 until a Long rest. More or less, this negates any need to have an investment in Strength if you plan to use it till the late game. This enables using various two-handed weapons, not just Finesse ones, and maximizes combat potential in the early game.

This is somewhat gimmicky, however, if you are interested, here is a guide on how to farm Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.

Level 3

We continue leveling Paladin. Level 3, brings some great things both for class and subclass. First, the class benefits:

Feature	Description
Divine Health	Prevents diseases from affecting the Paladin.

In addition, you get subclass actions:

Action	Description
Turn the Tide​	This can be a powerful buff action. Use it together with The Whispering Promise and Hellrider's Pride to apply Bless​ and Blade Ward​ on allies. This will make everyone stronger and resistant to damage.
Champion Challenge​	This action has been receiving a lot of attention, as it allows for control "aggro" as in standard Tank type of build from other games. However, I found it to be somewhat lackluster, once you get the hang of the mechanics, and having everyone in the party buffed up with Turn the Tide​ is my preferred option.

Level 4

Level 4 brings a new feat, slightly improving the build capabilities

Feat

Feat	Description
Great Weapon Master: All In​	This is an important feat as it gives a big damage boost to two-handed weapons. You also have various ways to increase attack rolls and counteract the negative rolls.

Level 5

Finally, level 2 spells are unlocked, new Oath spells, and you get a new and powerful class feature:

Feature	Description
Extra Attack	Can make an additional free attack after making an unarmed or weapon attack.

Always ready spells:

Spell	Description
Warding Bond​	This spell will play a significant role until you obtain Spirit Guardians. The idea is that you can improve the survivability of yourself and party member by splitting the damage. With heavy armor, you will be able to reduce incoming damage.
Spiritual Weapon​	Unfortunately, I do not recommend this, although it has its uses. Paladin is already limited with spell slots, so I would only use this on rare occasions.

Level 2 Spells for Prepared list

As level 2 spells are unlocked, here are some considerations to include in your build:

Spell	Description
Lesser Restoration​	It can heal disease, poison, paralysis, and some other negative effects. Not mandatory, but good to have if the situation arises.
Magic Weapon​	This spell can empower your weapons with bonus damage rolls and attack rolls. The higher the spell slot you use, the bigger the bonus. Another thing is that the bonus may seem low, but it will boost your success on hitting while having Great Weapon Master: All In​ active.
Aid​	This can be a useful spell if you don't have another source of it. Still, Paladin is limited with spell slots, so I would use this sparingly or rely on Cleric for this.

Level 6

Another important level for the build as you will get access to an Aura.

Feature	Description
Aura of Protection​	Gives a bonus to saving throws, making Paladin an excellent option for resisting spells and maintaining concentration with spells.

Level 7

A new subclass feature is unlocked:

Feature	Description
Divine Allegiance​	On paper, this sounds like an awesome ability. In reality, it comes with multiple shortcomings - the targeted ally still takes full damage from the enemy, the range is only 1.5 meters, various item effects are still passed onto you (if you wear Callous Glow Ring it damages you...). For this reason, I only see extremely niche use cases, where the ally might die as an activation reason.

Level 8

A second feat becomes available

Feat

Level 9

This level is a major upgrade for Oath of Crown Paladin, you can now become a full Revorb build.

Spell	Description
Spirit Guardians​	This spell is a game-changer as the Paladin can now cover the battlefield with radiant damage. The main selling point is that with a few gear updates, you can easily debuff enemies with Radiating Orb​ and Reverberation.
Warden of Vitality​	A niche spell that enables bonus action healing through multiple turns.

Level 3 Spells for Prepared list

To be fair, as a Paladin, you are very limited by spell slots, so I would avoid using these and save them for Spirit Guardians​ or Divine Smite​. Still, here is a recommendation:

Spell	Description
Blinding Smite​	Deals good 3d8 radiant damage and applies Blinded​ on the target.

Level 10 - Warlock Lv 1

Now you should multiclass into Warlock and get the Hexblade subclass. The multiclass functionality is avilable in the level up screen:

Class

Overview
Warlock
Features
Warlock Spell Slots	These spell slots can be used to cast spells and refill each Short Rest.

Cantrips

Cantrip	Description
Booming Blade​	The new cantrip can be used with a normal attack without any cost. When enemies move while under its effect, they receive thunder damage. In later levels, it gives a direct damage boost. So no reason not to use it every turn.
Any	Feel free to take any of the cantrips that you find relevant. Friends​ is great for some dialogue checks, but it is risky, as NPCs might attack you. Minor Illusion​can help pull enemies together before a fight. Blade Ward​ can be used in niche situations where you want to rely more on Warding Bond​, but I do not recommend this.

Subclass

Overview
The Hexblade
Features
Bind Hexed Weapon​	This action allows you to bind any melee weapon and makes you proficient in it. This also results in using Charisma modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity. It also has a 20% chance to apply Hexblade's Curse​ without activating it.
Hexblade's Curse​	Using the bonus action, you can improve your damage and increase your crit chance. This is a great alternative to Hex,​ and it does not use a concentration slot.
Hex Warrior​	This passive is responsible for the multiple bonuses you get, specifically armor and shield proficiencies.

Spells

Spell	Description
Shield​	Extremely valuable spell early in the game. Albeit with limited warlock spell slots, this becomes expensive to use in later levels. So I would only use it for the early game, or if you are in a pinch.
Any	Using other spells would be a waste of spell slots, as their effects are minimal. Just take anything.

Level 11 - Paladin Lv 10

Back to the Paladin, which gives additional aura:

Feature	Description
Aura of Courage​	The aura is nothing spectacular, but as it's free and applies to nearby allies, no reason not to use it.

Level 12 - Paladin Lv 11

Feature	Description
Improved Divine Smite​	Free 1d8 damage boost!

That's it, the build is done!

Maximizing Ability Scores

Now, as the build progression is covered, there are a few aspects and important decisions you will have to make throughout the game. These will decide your final score for abilities.

Charisma

This is the most important ability, because the build uses Bind Hexed Weapon​ from hexblade, and it improves spellcasting capabilities:

1. 17 Charisma - the base from character creation.
2. Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair - you will want to get +1 Charisma if you pick this choice.
3. Feat 1 - Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma.
4. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Charisma.
5. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - Patriar's Memory - +1 Charisma if did not take Auntie Ethel Hair.

This results in 22 Charisma, so it is a good modifier of +6.

Potions, Elixirs, and Consumables

Let's take a look at what consumables you can use to further empower the build.

Potions

Consumable	Description
Potion of Speed	This is a very powerful potion. It gives an additional action point which can be used to cast a spell or attack. The activation is generally by drinking using a bonus action. However, you can stack together with party members and make one member Throw​ it on the ground, giving Hastened​ to everyone.
Oil of Accuracy	The attack roll bonus is pretty good, which improves your chances of hitting.
Diluted Oil of Sharpness	Helps with attack and damage rolls.
Elixir of Universal Resistance	Grants resistance to all damage; this is a particularly good pick for effective use of Divine Allegiance.
Potion of Angelic Reprieve	An easy way to restore level 1-2 spell slots. These are mainly used for Divine Smite.
Potion of Angelic Slumber	Fully restores all spell slots, but probably best saved for casters.
Potion of Invisibility	It can be used in two ways - the first one is to enter combat with a Surprised​ round, causing enemies to skip their turn. Another option is to leave combat if you see that it is not going in your favour.
Terazul	Gives Hastened​ and stacks with other sources of it. This is a late-game consumable.

Elixirs

Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.

Be sure to activate them before combat, as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.

Consumable	Description
Elixir of Bloodlust	The elixir gives an easy option to get an additional action point - just kill a foe. This can then be used to attack one more time or cast a full spell.
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength	For the early game, until you get Bind Hexed Weapon, the 21 Strength bonus is significant and can help a lot to hit better and harder. The dexterity alone is not enough investment, in my opinion, to maximize the weapon damage. Here is a farming guide for Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Gives an additional level 3 spell slot, especially useful when you see that none of them are available for one more encounter before a long rest.
Elixir of Vigilance	For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even Surprised​ mechanics.
Elixir of Peerless Focus	Gives an advantage in concentration savings. This makes it easier to maintain Spirit Guardians​ late game.
Elixir of The Colossus	Provides bonus damage of 1d4 and some other good bonuses.
Elixir of Heroism	Boosts attack rolls by 1d4; this is a good boost to increase the likelihood of landing attacks.
Elixir of Radiant Resistance	The elixir has a very niche use for Divine Allegiance, which reduces the damage and makes it easier to sustain health restoration on allies.

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers.

At first, you can only use the base powers. As you move to Act 3, you will be able to unlock the outer ring powers, also called Elite.

Illithid Power	Type	Description
Favourable Beginnings	Base	Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits with attack rolls.
Luck of the Far Realms​	Base	It's an easy way to ensure you land critical hits, especially good with Divine Smite.
Cull the Weak​	Base	It can help to kill an enemy faster if it is left with a few HP.
Psionic Backlash​​	Base	Excellent way to deal additional damage with reaction, early and mid game.
Ability Drain​	Base	Decreases enemy ability score.
Shield of Thralls​	Base	Excellent option for bonus temporary HP. It can also apply Stunned on foes after it is destroyed.
Illithid Expertise​	Elite	It can be used to maximize the effectiveness of charisma-based skills, especially those relevant to the main character.
Black Hole​	Elite	Potent spell that can be used to pull enemies together. You can then follow up with area-of-effect spells or attacks. In general, it is a very effective action in the hands of any character.
Psionic Dominance​	Elite	It can be used to save yourself from a deadly spell.
Freecast​	Elite	Gives a free use of spells and works on Channel Oath actions.

Equipment Recommendations

Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Oath of the Crown Build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.

Act 1

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Phalar Aluve	This is a perfect weapon from the early game up to the late game. If you want a more "optimized" setup, I would go with it. You can also take Great Weapon Master: All In​ feat and wield it with two hands, for a big boost to damage. The highlight is Phalar Aluve: Melody,​ which allows you to buff allies or debuff enemies, depending on what is needed more.
	Larethian's Wrath	Similar to Phalar Aluve, it can be used effectively with high Dexterity and comes with a unique area attack.
	The Skinburster	Very special weapon, that works well to better sustain Warding Bond​ effects with damage decrease via Force Conduit. Again, this would need Elixir of Hill Giant Strength before you unlock Hexblade.
	Unseen Menace	These weapons are go-to picks if you want other options, especially for more damage. You would need to use Elixir of Hill Giant Strength to wear these effectively.
	Svartlebee's Woundseeker
	Sword of Justice
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Gives bonus initiative, allowing one to go earlier in combat.
	Gandrel's Aspiration	Gives easy Advantage against monstrosities, for all weapon attacks.
Head	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	One of the best headwear for pure weapon damage increase.
	Holy Lance Helm	Get this helmet, as it will be useful later on.
	Wapira's Crown	Works well with Turn the Tide​ and can help sustain the damage from Warding Bond.
	Haste Helm	Improves movement speed, allowing one to reach important targets easily, early in the game.
Cloak	The Deathstalker Mantle	Accessible if you are Dark Urge.
Armor	Adamantine Splint Armour	My go-to pick if you decide to utilize the Oath of Crown Paladin spell - Warding Bond. The armor helps reduce damage and better sustain incoming damage.
	Luminous Armour	Make sure to get this armor as it will prove valuable later on. It can be used now, as you will apply Radiating Orb​ with Divine Smite.
Gloves	Hellrider's Pride	Best gloves if you are using The Whispering Promise + Turn the Tide​ to buff allies. These gloves will apply Blade Ward​ in addition to Bless.
	Gloves of Belligerent Skies	Make sure to get these gloves. For now, I would say they are not as important, but will become so later.
	Gloves of the Growling Underdog	Gives easy advantage on attacks, making it an easy choice to counteract the effects of Great Weapon Master: All In​ penalty to attack rolls.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	The best boots in the game for walking on Difficult Terrain.
	Boots of Stormy Clamour	Be sure to get these, as they will play a major role later on.
	Boots of Genial Striding	Excellent boots to help move through Difficult Terrain.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	If you can acquire it, this can be the best amulet option for most of the game.
	Amulet of Branding	Excellent amulet that gives an easy vulnerability source, for the mid-game.
	Amulet of Misty Step	Gives a free Misty Step,​ which greatly improves your mobility.
Rings	The Whispering Promise	Excellent ring to easily apply Bless​ when using Turn the Tide.
	Ring of Protection	Bonus armour for survivability.
	Ring of Salving	Helps with making Turn the Tide​ heal slightly stronger.
	Crusher's Ring	Movement speed boost, which is especially important in some big area fights in Act 1.
	Caustic Band	Improves damage on each hit.

Act 2 - mid-game

Pre Level 9

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Phalar Aluve	Continues to be the best sword with its buff until you reach level 9.
	Halberd of Vigilance	A weapon option if you want something new, but it requires using the Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	The bonus initiative still plays a major role
	Darkfire Shortbow	Allows casting Haste.
Head	-	Previous Act headwear
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. You want to equip this cloak to maintain that good Armour Class.
Armor	Adamantine Splint Armour	If using Warding Bond,​ this continues to be the best armor.
	Dwarven Splintmail	Somewhat inferior armor option if you skipped Adamantine Splint Armour.
	Luminous Armour	Medium armour options, if you are not using Warding Bond. Luminous Armour synergizes well with Divine Smite​ in applying Radiating Orb.
	Yuan-ti Scale Mail
Gloves	Flawed Helldusk Gloves	Solid gloves for damage boost.
Boots	Evasive Shoes	Gives +1 Armour Class, which is a significant survivability boost.
	-	Boots from Act 1 are still perfect.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	Continues to be the best amulet in terms of damage boost.
	Amulet of the Harpers	Excellent pick with Shield​ spell, without using your spell slots.
	Periapt of Wound Closure	Excellent amulet that can help in tight situations when you are Downed.
Rings	Callous Glow Ring	Easy radiant damage boost.
	Risky Ring	An excellent way to gain an easy advantage. Useful until you get Spirit Guardians,​ where maintaining concentration will be essential.
	The Whispering Promise	Still a useful ring for buffing allies with Bless.
	Ring of Protection	Improves armour class, making it easier to avoid enemy attacks.

Now, from level 9, once you get Spirit Guardians,​ this is the recommended item setup:

Slot	Item	Description
Head	Holy Lance Helm	One of the best helmets for revorb setup, when enemies miss, further applying Reverberation​ when using Gloves of Belligerent Skies.
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. You want to equip this cloak to maintain that good Armour Class.
Armor	Luminous Armour	Helps apply the Radiating Orb​ effect on multiple enemies at the same time.
Gloves	Gloves of Belligerent Skies	The best gloves for Reverberation​ via the radiant damage sources.
	Luminous Gloves	Another option to apply Radiating Orb, but I would say using it together with Luminous Armour is overkill.
Boots	Boots of Stormy Clamour	The best boots for applying Reverberation​ from any condition effects.
Amulet	Pearl of Power Amulet	Use the amulet when you want to restore a level 3 spell slot. It can be removed after use.
	Broodmother's Revenge	Continues to be the best amulet in terms of damage boost.
	Amulet of the Harpers	Excellent pick with Shield​ spell, without using your spell slots.
	Periapt of Wound Closure	Excellent amulet that can help in tight situations when you are Downed.
Rings	Callous Glow Ring	An easy way to apply radiant damage together with Spirit Guardians.
	The Whispering Promise	Still a useful ring for buffing allies with Bless.
	Ring of Protection	Improves armour class, making it easier to avoid enemy attacks.
	Killer's Sweetheart	An easy way to get a crit hit for Divine Smite.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

There are plenty of gear variations here, and it all depends on how much you want to lean into weapon damage, revorb, and support side.

For example, items like The Whispering Promise + The Reviving Hands are excellent for support, but this might not be needed in Act 3. Gloves of Belligerent Skies + Ring of Mental Inhibition + Boots of Stormy Clamour + Luminous Armour allows for constant debuffs, weakening foes, and forcing them Prone.

Or you can wear items that buff damage like Legacy of the Masters, Strange Conduit Ring, and improve weapon capabilities.

As you can see, there are various choices, so pick the ones that best fit your party and gear availability.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Phalar Aluve	This continues to be the best weapon in terms of provided buffs. Still, as you have Spirit Guardians​ and two attacks, the main action point gets contested. I would only use this weapon if you do precasting for Phalar Aluve: Melody or are Hastened; otherwise, go for other options.
	The Skinburster	It works the same as already mentioned in Act 1 equipment, and gives the build more sturdiness with Force Conduit.
	Nyrulna	These are the best weapons if you have a way of getting Aura Of Murder​ from Bhaalist Armour. The best source is another martial build that stays in melee. The main outlier would be Duellist's Prerogative, which does not need Great Weapon Master: All In, allowing to substitute the feat for something like Ability Improvement, Alert,​ or Tough. Nyrulna is a very nice weapon option, as it has weapon actions that apply conditions which trigger revorb items, debuffing everyone again...
	Shar's Spear of Evening
	Duellist's Prerogative
	The Dancing Breeze	Two-handed Finesse weapon that has Whirlwind Attack. This allows you to hit each enemy with Divine Smite, but eats your spell slots very fast.
	Balduran's Giantslayer	Cool looking greatsword, which comes with a caveat. It requires strength, and this means you should use the Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength or Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength to get its full effect.
Ranged	Hellrider Longbow	Easy initiative source, to go early.
Head	Holy Lance Helm	Continues to be my favourite helmet option for enemies that dare to attack you.
	Helldusk Helmet	Gives Blinded​ immunity and disables enemy critical hits.
	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	Gives an easy way to obtain Arcane Synergy​ to boost damage.
	Helmet of Arcane Acuity	This helmet works well with Band of the Mystic Scoundrel for casting spells like Command​ via bonus action. The main problem is that Paladin is too low on spell slots to use this effectively.
	Helm of Balduran	Gives immunity to critical hits and heals every turn.
Cloak	Cloak of Displacement	Improves chances of avoiding attacks from enemies, in turn activating Holy Lance Helm.
	Thunderskin Cloak	As you will be constantly applying Reverberation, this cloak will make it easy to activate its effect.
Armor	Luminous Armour	The best armor for applying Radiating Orb​ debuffs when using Spirit Guardians​
Gloves	Gloves of Belligerent Skies	The best gloves for Reverberation​ via the radiant damage sources.
	The Reviving Hands	Upgraded version of Hellrider's Pride. Together with Turn the Tide,​ this can be used to easily apply Blade Ward​ on all group members, including you.
Boots	-	Boots from previous acts.
Amulet	Amulet of Greater Health	I would say this is the best amulet overall. It makes it easy to maintain Concentration, and makes it reasonable to use Divine Allegiance​ if you want to.
	-	Previous Acts amulets
Rings	Callous Glow Ring	Straightforward damage boost on each hit that you will do.
	Ring of Mental Inhibition	This ring has a good synergy with Champion Challenge, applying Mental Fatigue​ on successful effect, and further weakening foes for your casters.
	Ring of Arcane Synergy	With Booming Blade,​ you can now easily activate the ring for Arcane Synergy. Use this or Diadem of Arcane Synergy. I would pick this if you want to put more emphasis on melee hits.
	The Whispering Promise	If you are still using Turn the Tide,​ this ring can successfully continue to boost allies' stats. If you want to be more of a debuffer, there are other options below.
	Strange Conduit Ring	A more offensive ring option, as you will be concentrating on Spirit Guardians,​ it has easy activation.
	Band of the Mystic Scoundrel	This ring is perfect with Helmet of Arcane Acuity, which allows casting spells like Command​ with just a bonus action. However, I think Paladin is too limited by its spell slot amount for this to be worthwhile.
	Killer's Sweetheart	An easy way to get a crit hit for Divine Smite.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Crow Paladin Build. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to use the build effectively.

Managing Great Weapon Master

The most important aspect of most two-handed builds is correctly utilizing Great Weapon Master: All In​ and its -5 attack roll penalty. By putting an effort into minimizing the debuff, from level 4, you can get 10 flat damage boosts, making most of the enemies a cakewalk.

• Bless​ from Cleric or Paladin, for a 1d4 bonus.
• Spells like Faerie Fire, and Blindness​ give an advantage to attackers.
• Oil of Accuracy or Diluted Oil of Sharpness, for a 1 and 2 attack roll bonus.
• Gloves of the Growling Underdog - can be obtained in Goblin Camp and give an advantage for attack rolls.
• Phalar Aluve: Sing​ gives 1d4 to attack rolls.

Now, if you want more in-depth information, I have a guide covering how to increase attack rolls, which lists a lot of options and combinations. You can then pick the bonuses based on your party setup.

Effectively using Divine Smites

The key aspect of any build that involves at least 2 levels of Paladin is Divine Smite. It is one of the coolest actions, punishing your targets with a ray of light. To use it effectively, there are a few tips that I have.

First, update your reactions and make sure the Divine Smite​ has a reaction on critical hit and asks you to use it:

This way, you will not waste your time with unnecessary pop-ups and can use it when needed. For example, using a critical hit Divine Smite​ on a weak foe with a few HP will feel like a waste. However, you still might want to use it on the boss even if it has few HP to finish them off.

If you want to use the normal smite, just activate it from the quick bar by selecting the Divine Smite​ action. Or set it also as a reaction "Ask", but it might get irritating with all the popups. Try playing, and decide based on your experience.

Overall, critical hits are extremely important for these attacks as the large number of dice rolls gets doubled and gets rerolled with Savage Attacker. That is why I recommend Killer's Sweetheart, Luck of the Far Realms,​ and spells like Hold Person.

Another option, if you want, a big nova damage, is to use one of the special smites - Blinding Smite, Thunderous Smite,​ and use Divine Smite​ as a reaction on the same attack. This can deal huge damage, but burns through spell slots very fast. I only recommend this if Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack​ has not activated.

As I mentioned, other types of smites - Thunderous Smite, Searing Smite, come with unique effects and can apply various effects like Blinded, Frightened, etc. Generally, I do not recommend using them if you have Great Weapon Master: All In​, as your bonus action is a very valuable source of damage.

Bind the Weapon

Once you get Hexblade dip, remember to activate Bind Hexed Weapon. This will force the weapon to use the Charisma modifier instead of Dexterity or Strength. Of course, if you opt out of using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength for the early game, continue to do that.

Once you have 20 Charisma or start using other elixirs, specifically Elixir of Bloodlust, Bind Hexed Weapon​ becomes essential.

Applying Revorb effects

So Revorb stands for items that apply Reverberation​ and Radiating Orb​ debuffs on enemies. Some of these items work closely together, while others apply separately. As the build uses radiant damage with Divine Smite​ and Spirit Guardians,​ it is easy to get these effects applied:

• The main item is Luminous Armour that applies Radiating Orb​ each time you deal radiant damage, for example, with Divine Smite, Callous Glow Ring, Spirit Guardians​, etc.
• Gloves of Belligerent Skies easily apply Reverberation​ with radiant, lightning, or thunder damage. Luminous Gloves are an alternative in case you do not have access to other gloves.
• Callous Glow Ring does additional radiant damage, which can proc Gloves of Belligerent Skies and Luminous Armour.
• For boots Boots of Stormy Clamour gives an easy way to apply Reverberation​ with various conditions.
• Holy Lance Helm, when you are missed, procs bonus radiant damage, which activates Gloves of Belligerent Skies.
• With Callous Glow Ring each weapon hit will also apply revorb effects, as it deals radiant damage rider.
• Champion Challenge​ also procs condition, meaning that you can activate Reverberation.

Proccing all of these effects will greatly reduce enemy hit chance and, with high Reverberation,​ can force enemies Prone, making them waste their movement speed, and giving allies an easy way to obtain Advantage. It ends up being total mayhem for enemy positions.

Champion's Challenge and its effectiveness

One of the main features of Crown Paladin is Champion Challenge. I do think it is somewhat overrated, however, in the late game, with Spirit Guardians,​ you have an option to lock down foes on yourself. The synergy is quite good.

First, you make sure to have Spirit Guardians​ active with all the mentioned Revorb gear. Then you use Champion Challenge, which can proc Reverberation​ and Mental Fatigue​ (if you have Ring of Mental Inhibition equipped). If it's successful, enemies will be more inclined to attack you. As they come close, Spirit Guardians​ will activate, applying more debuffs.

To make Champion Challenge​ land easily, Resonance Stone is an easy way to force enemies to get a disadvantage on Wisdom Saving Throw.

Now, if enemies decide to attack you with multiple Radiating Orb​ stacks, they will miss you, wasting their attacks. All of these debuffs will weaken them, and more Reverberation​ will be applied on the next turn.

Making Divine Allegiance work

The most difficult part of the Oath of the Crown is the Divine Allegiance​ feature. It does work, but has a few caveats:

• Very short range of 1.5m, which requires you to be very close to an ally.
• The ally still receives full damage from the enemy; you somewhat heal it, but you incur damage yourself.
• The received damage is radiant. This means that you either have to use Elixir of Radiant Resistance or Elixir of Universal Resistance (which is a potion and works with other elixirs) or Warding Bond​ to gain resistance, which requires a cleric or someone wearing Viconia's Walking Fortress. Without these, the damage will eat away your HP quite fast, especially on higher levels.
• If you have an item like Callous Glow Ring, it will deal 2 damage to yourself, which sounds ridiculous, but it works like this.

So there are plenty of problems. You could use something like my Life Cleric Build or Viconia's Walking Fortress to get radiant damage resistance via Warding Bond. Good thing, it does not overlap with items for the Crown Paladin, but makes it somewhat tedious workaround, to make the Divine Allegiance​ work.

Early Game Combat

For this build, I would like to start with the part before you get to level 9:

• The Righteous Clarity​ is an amazing early game buff to increase your hit chance. More so, when you pick Great Weapon Master: All In.
• Once you obtain The Whispering Promise/Hellrider's Pride, you can use Turn the Tide​ to buff allies and yourself with just a bonus action. This will increase hit chance and damage resistance.
• Command​ can be used occasionally, if it has like 80% chance to land, otherwise I would not bother.
• Use Divine Smite​ especially on critical hits to inflict heavy damage. Use it sparingly, as otherwise it will eat through your spell slots.
• Once you get Warding Bond, you can use it together with heavy armor like Adamantine Splint Armour to reduce incoming damage and improve allies' survivability.
• If you don't have a cleric in the group, Aid​ can be used to improve max health. Still, you are limited by spell slots, so evaluate whether it is useful to use it.
• Champion Challenge​ is somewhat limited in use for now. You do need a higher Spell Save DC, and being hit with multiple enemies without damage resistances can mean easy death.
• Remember to activate Aura of Protection.
• If you are wearing Phalar Aluve, remember to apply Phalar Aluve: Melody​ on boss fights or bigger encounters, to either buff/debuff everyone around.
• You do get additional smites that use an action + bonus action with special effects. For example, Thunderous Smite​ is great at pushing off enemies or making them Prone. This opens up an easy advantage for yourself or your allies.

Late Game Combat

This part covers how the combat approach should work from level 9, once you get Spirit Guardians​:

• With Spirit Guardians​ unlocked, this should be your bread and butter in more difficult encounters. Make sure to equip at least some revorb gear, and you are set.
• Evaluate your hit chance. If you will be using melee weapon attacks and you have a low hit chance, use Righteous Clarity​ to buff yourself.
• This is where Champion Challenge​ can be useful, as you debuff enemies with Radiating Orb,​ they will have a high chance of missing, and it's okay if you are constantly being targeted by them.
• Depending on your setup, Turn the Tide​ with The Whispering Promise (and The Reviving Hands) can be useful to buff everyone just for the cost of a bonus action, especially if it is a bigger encounter.
• With hexblade dip, make sure to apply Bind Hexed Weapon.
• With Booming Blade,​ I do recommend using it on any weapon attack that you do, as it is free damage. If it's a crit, add Divine Smite,​ and you have powerful damage output.

Build Variations

Here are some variations that work similarly and utilize the same classes at their core.

Setup	Description
1 Storm Sorcerer 11 Oath of the Crown	This variation gives Constitution Saving Throw proficiency, which enables better spell concentration. Still, you will need to use Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength if you want to effectively use melee weapons, which limits the glove slot.
12 Oath of the Crown	Going for this variation enables you to get the third feat, which could be used for Savage Attacker​ or Polearm Master: Bonus Attack. However, this then almost demands using Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength or Elixir of Hill Giant Strength to set a good strength value to effectively use melee weapons. Otherwise, you would have to spend more feats into Dexterity or Strength.
9 Oath of the Crown 2 Stars Druid 1 Hexblade/Sorcerer	This variation gives very high constitution saving throw rolls, and Dazzling Breath​ to apply revorb effects via bonus action.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Oath of Crown Paladin - Royal Protector Build for Baldur's Gate 3. This is truly a great build with versatile item options, from Finesse weapons to polearms and longswords. It can also replace your cleric in terms of its spells and healing potential.

Cheers!