Oath of Devotion Paladin Build - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Oath of Devotion Paladin Build

The Devotion subclass is the true roleplay of "Superman" You are the protector of good and always stand up to the weak. You could say this is the highest standard of Shining Knight in the Forgotten Realms. They never lie, cheat, steal, or trick people as this goes against their Oath.

This, of course, comes with its own caveats. The subclass excels in protecting and healing others. It makes them the weakest option in terms of damage compared to other Paladin Oaths. They are also similar to clerics and have innate healing support like Beacon of Hope.

Devotion Paladin is best played with Two-Handed Weapons. The subclass provides a unique action - Sacred Weapon. This gives bonus attack rolls based on the Charisma modifier. This is perfect to counter the penalty from Great Weapon Master: All In.

I do think this is the least powerful subclass out of all Paladin options.

So let's jump into the build!

Class Contribution

As this is the single class build the build gets all features just from Paladin.

12 Devotion Paladin

• Divine Sense​ - an easy advantage in case you fight these specific enemies.
• Proficiencies with all gear
• Lay on Hands​ - a healing action, which I found is best used outside of combat for curing diseases.
• The iconic Paladin action - Divine Smite. With optimisations 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.
• Extra Attack​ for an additional weapon attack from level 5 onward.
• Aura of Protection​ - one of the best paladin features, giving an easy way to maintain spell Concentration.
• Enables you to resist Frightened​ with Aura of Courage.
• Additional radiant damage with all melee weapon hits thanks to Improved Divine Smite.
• Sacred Weapon​ is a powerful option to improve the hit chance with your weapon.
• Sanctuary​ is one of those spells that are there for when things do not go as planned. It can save you from death, and help to rally.
• Subclass Aura of Devotion​ only has niche uses, which makes it somewhat disappointing.

Synergy with other builds

Devotion Paladin is similar to almost any other melee martial. The goal is to hit hard, and when opportunity arises, land that Divine Smite​ for maximum damage.

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 maximise the whole group's damage. As the build uses Divine Smite,​ this can exacerbate damage more than one expects. It is especially easy to utilise 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

By wearing a Bhaalist Armour, the Devotion Paladin can ensure that enemies are vulnerable to piercing 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

Support

As this build uses Great Weapon Master: All In,​ it does receive a penalty to attack rolls. For the early game, this is a major problem, but it becomes less and less apparent as you get more bonuses throughout the game.

In general, I would recommend someone who can cast Bless, specifically via The Whispering Promise + Healing Word​/Mass Healing Word. This is a cheap and easy way to increase attack rolls, and make you land hits early on easier. Here are some recommended builds:

• Clerics - Light Domain, Life Domain, Tempest Domain, etc.
• Lore Bard or Bardlock

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

Leveling Overview

Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your levelling 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 Devotion
		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	Paladin 10
11	Paladin 11	-
12	Paladin 12	Feat: Savage Attacker​

The Natural Strength Setup

Level	Class	Selection
1	Paladin 1	Subclass: Oath of Devotion
		Abilities: STR - 17 (15+2), DEX - 14, CON - 10, INT - 8, WIS - 10, CHA - 16 (15+1)
		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 Strength
9	Paladin 9	-
10	Paladin 10
11	Paladin 11	-
12	Paladin 12	Feat: Savage Attacker​

Build Variations

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

Setup	Description
Honour Mode Lockadin: 1 Hexblade 11 Devotion	This variation sacrifices the third feat, to obtain the Hexblade multiclass. The main point of this is to get Bind Hexed Weapon,​ which enables you to concentrate only on Charisma. This simplifies the build significantly, and you only need to worry about one stat for your damage.
Lockadin (Tactician or lower) 6 Warlock 6 Devotion	This variation only works on Tactician and below, and enables stacking of Extra Attack​ and Deepened Pact​ effects to get 3 attacks per action point at level 10.

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 Devotion 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
High Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry	High subrace of elves gives access to additional cantrips. The main one to get is Booming Blade,​ which scales well throughout the game and is free to use.
High Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	One of the most recommended races, thanks to the simple boost of movement speed. All melee builds gain significant benefits from this.
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​	Excellent race for melee builds with a slight damage boost on crits, and the ability to instantly resurrect when Downed​.
Zariel Tiefling	Darkvision​ Hellish Resistance​ Thaumaturgy​	Gains access to additional free smites, but most importantly, gets Thaumaturgy, making it easy to pass Intimidation checks.

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 Devotion
Features
Holy Rebuke​	With steep casting cost, the effect is pretty disappointing.
Oath of Devotion Tenets​	The main requirements 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 Devotion Paladin build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

You have two options for setting up your ability scores. I will leave for you to decide how you want to approach:

Abilities	Description
Strength Elixir Setup: Strength - 8 Dexterity - 16 (15+1) Constitution - 14 Intelligence - 8 Wisdom - 10 Charisma - 17 (15+2)	This option is for those who would like to minmax the ability scores from the start. It allows you to have all the core abilities at very high values - Dexterity, Charisma, and Strength. It does limit your weapon options to Finesse for the early areas. Once you reach Druid's Grove, you can start using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength. This allows you to use better Two Handers. Later in Act 3, you can obtain Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength to get fixed strength value and open up other elixirs like Elixir of Bloodlust.
Natural Strength: Strength - 17 (15 +2) Dexterity - 10 Constitution - 14 Intelligence - 8 Wisdom - 8 Charisma - 16 (15+1)	This is more of a natural setup that enables you to freely use any weapon in the early parts of the game, namely Nautiloid and Ravaged beach. Once you reach Druid's Grove, you can either switch to the ability allocation above or continue with this one to keep elixir slot free. The setup can go 14 Dexterity, 10 Constitution, or vice versa depending on your priorities. These stat allocations are not perfect, but still viable to play. As you progress, you can reach 24 natural strength and use various gears like Gloves of Dexterity or Amulet of Greater Health to dump other stats.

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

Levelling Progression - Levels 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the Devotion 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.

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 for allies or the next attack.
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.
Divine Favour​	An easy way to boost damage with a bonus action.

Stocking on Strength Elixirs

Early in Act 1, after you reach the first settlement - Druid's Grove, 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.

Later, you will have an option to obtain Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength to increase strength by more and open up an elixir Slot.

This is pretty easy, and you can stock up on these in a few minutes. Here is a guide to stock up on Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.

Level 3

We continue levelling Paladin. Level 3 brings features 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
Sacred Weapon​	This is pretty good buff, and plays a significant role in the early game, where the low hit chance is the biggest issue. The main problem is that this costs a full action, so I would recommend only casting it before a combat sequence to save actions.
Turn the Unholy​	Can be a powerful option when there are undead and fiends nearby.

In addition, we get subclass-specific spells:

Spells	Description
Protection from Evil and Good​	The spell plays a minor role.
Sanctuary​	When well used, Sanctuary​ can be a game-changer as it disables enemy attacks against you. This can be a lifesaver when you are being overwhelmed and might need to retreat.

Level 4

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

Feat

Feat	Description
Great Weapon Master: All In​	One of the best feats for two-handed weapons. First, it gives a bonus attack using a bonus action if you kill an enemy or land a critical hit. Second, it gives a big 10 damage boost, which comes with a -5 penalty to attack rolls. I recommend checking my guide on Attack Roll Increase, to get ideas on how to easily overcome this penalty.

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
Lesser Restoration​	There are a few use cases for this spell, but otherwise it is not useful.
Silence​	Can be used to disable spellcasting if well placed, and force enemies to waste their turn for movement.

Level 2 Spells for Prepared list

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

Spell	Description
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.
Lesser Restoration​	It can heal disease, poison, paralysis, and some other negative effects. Not mandatory, but good to have if the situation arises.
Aid​	This can be a useful spell if you don't have another source of it. Still, Paladin is kind of 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
Aura of Devotion​	Sadly, it is an underwhelming aura that provides minor use cases, only against particular enemies like Mindflayers.

Level 8

A second feat becomes available

Feat

Feat	Description
Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma	The increased charisma will be great for both auras - Aura of Protection​ and Aura of Hate,​ to improve their effectiveness.
Ability Improvement - +2 Strength	If you are doing the Natural Strength setup, this is the best pick, as you maximise the ability score.

Level 9

This level gives the last Devotion features:

Spell	Description
Remove Curse​	Both of these spells are good. However, as Paladin is limited by level 3 spell slots, I would avoid using them, and only utilise them as a last resort.
Beacon of Hope​

Level 3 Spells for Prepared list

Spell	Description
Blinding Smite​	Deals good 3d8 radiant damage and applies Blinded​ on the target.
Elemental Weapon​	Buffs your weapons, especially useful to increase hit chance and give a slight damage boost. This is an alternative to the Drakethroat Glaive and its Draconic Elemental Weapon​ buff, in case you already have a use for it.

Level 10

You gain 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 11

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

Level 12

The last level is quite important, as it allows selecting the last feat. It all depends on your requirements, but here are options:

Feat	Description
Savage Attacker​	In terms of damage, this is the best pick. With Divine Smite​ large number of dice rolls, you can enjoy a pretty significant damage increase.
Actor​	This is only relevant if you were not able to round up your Charisma by getting Auntie Ethel's Hair or Mirror of Loss Patriar's Memory.

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

1. 17 Charisma - the base from character creation.
2. (Optional) 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.
6. Feat 2 - Actor,​ if you were not able to get Auntie Ethel Hair or Patriar's Memory.

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

Strength

In case you decide to pump it naturally, here are the possibilities:

1. 17 Strength - the base from character creation.
2. Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair - you will want to get +1 Strength if you pick this choice.
3. Feat - Ability Improvement - +2 Strength.
4. Act 2 - Potion of Everlasting Vigour - +2 Strength.
5. Feat 2 - if not taken Auntie Ethel Hair, then you can take Athlete: Standing Up​ and get +1 Strength
6. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Strength.

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.
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 Hill Giant Strength	I recommend using this elixir until you are able to get Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength, which will be your best option. Here is a farming guide for Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength	You can obtain these in Act 3, before getting Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength, and maximize your strength to 27.
Elixir of Bloodlust	The elixir gives an easy option to get an additional action point - just kill a foe. It's the best elixir in the game in terms of damage potential.
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.

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.
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 Devotion Paladin 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)	Unseen Menace	These weapons are go-to picks if you want other options, especially for more damage. You either need high strength or Elixir of Hill Giant Strength to utilise the weapons effectively.
	Svartlebee's Woundseeker
	Sword of Justice
	Phalar Aluve	An excellent weapon that can be used with both dexterity and strength. It also comes with Phalar Aluve: Melody​ to apply buffs/debuffs depending on what you need in a combat situation.
	Larethian's Wrath	Similar to Phalar Aluve, it can be used effectively with high Dexterity or Strength and comes with a unique area attack.
	+1 Weapon	Purchase any +1 weapon in Druid's Grove like Greataxe +1, Greatsword +1, etc.
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.
	Grymskull Helm	Gives immunity to critical hits.
	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	The best Act 1 heavy armor, with critical immunity and damage reduction.
	Chain Mail +1	Early armour, once you get a few levels up, comes with 17 Armour Class.
	Githyanki Half Plate	This can be equipped when starting the game by taking it from Lae'zel. Perfect option with a high Armour Class.
Gloves	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.
	Hellrider's Pride	Excellent gloves that apply Blade Ward​ when healing with Healing Radiance​ channel ability.
	Gloves of Dexterity	One of the best picks for Natural Strength setup. This allows for maintaining high investment in Strength, Charisma, and Dexterity.
	Gloves of Baneful Striking	Applies the Baneful Strike​ effect, which weakens foe saving throws, making them perfect targets for control actions or spells. This can make many bosses easier, as you can now land spells with a higher chance. For example, you can use this to make Control Undead​ or Command​ easier to land.
	Luminous Gloves	It can be used together with Divine Smite​ to weaken enemies.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	The best boots in the game for walking on Difficult Terrain.
	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 main damage types.
	Amulet of Misty Step	Gives a free Misty Step,​ which greatly improves your mobility.
Rings	Strange Conduit Ring	The best ring for now in terms of damage boost.
	Ring of Protection	Bonus armour for survivability.
	Caustic Band	Improves damage on each hit.
	Crusher's Ring	Movement speed boost, which is especially important in some big area fights in Act 1.

Act 2 - mid-game

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Shar's Spear of Evening	Obtainable at the later part of Act 2, depending on your decision regarding Nightston. This will reward you with one of these. The Shar's Spear of Evening is considerably stronger in Act 3, when also using Bhaalist Armour.
	Selûne's Spear of Night
	Halberd of Vigilance	One of the first weapons with +2 enchantment and comes with a Force damage rider.
	-	Previous Act weapons still play a decent role, and can be used effectively.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	The bonus initiative still plays a major role
	Darkfire Shortbow	Allows casting Haste.
Head	Helmet of Arcane Acuity	It's not better than Diadem of Arcane Synergy, but if you have Booming Blade,​ you could use Ring of Arcane Synergy instead. This means you can get some nice undead in Act 2 with a higher chance when casting Control Undead.
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. You want to equip this cloak to maintain that good Armour Class.
Armor	Dwarven Splintmail	A semi-upgrade to Adamantine Splint Armour with a boost to Constitution and AC, but lower damage reduction.
	Yuan-ti Scale Mail	I would only wear this if you have 16 dexterity, to make it a competitive armour.
Gloves	Flawed Helldusk Gloves	Solid gloves for weapon damage boost.
	Gloves of Dexterity	You will want to wear these gloves if you are using the Natural Strength setup, to invest dexterity points into Constitution.
	Dark Justiciar Gauntlets	Both of these gloves are a decent option, the higher ones give additional action to curse creatures in at least Lightly Obscured​ areas.
	Dark Justiciar Gauntlets
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	Shadow-Cloaked Ring	Gives additional damage boost while the target is at least Lightly Obscured.
	Strange Conduit Ring	Gives a psychic damage rider, which is easy to activate by using one of the Concentration spells.
	Risky Ring	If you have a hard time getting Advantage on your attacks, this is the easiest fix, although it comes with a disadvantage on mental saves.
	Ring of Protection	Improves armour class, making it easier to avoid enemy attacks.
	Killer's Sweetheart	Can be used for a single encounter, to get a guaranteed critical hit. After that, you can switch it with other rings.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

Here, the main setup change is that you will use Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength and switch them up with Strength Elixirs.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Shar's Spear of Evening (BiS)	These are the best weapons in terms of damage, but require you to have Bhaalist Armour for Aura Of Murder​ effect. I do prefer Nyrulna as it comes with neat weapon actions, which are usable and good.
	Nyrulna
	Balduran's Giantslayer	These are the two-hander options, without Aura Of Murder​. They are both decent weapon options, but are inferior to piercing ones, when it's easy to apply vulnerability.
	Silver Sword of the Astral Plane
Ranged	Hellrider Longbow	Easy initiative source, to go early.
Head	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	In terms of pure damage, this is the best option as it enables you to activate Arcane Synergy​ to utilize your high charisma for damage.
	Horns of the Berserker	A flat damage boost on melee attacks.
	Helmet of Arcane Acuity	This is one of the options, in case the headwear is free. You can use it together with Band of the Mystic Scoundrel to disable foes using the Command​ spell. It is also useful for Control Undead.
	Helm of Balduran	In terms of utility, this is one of the best headwear - critical immunity, Stunned​ immunity, and each round healing.
Cloak	Cloak of Displacement	One of the best defensive cloaks, improving your chances of avoiding enemy attacks.
Armor	Bhaalist Armour (BiS)	This is the best pick in terms of combat potential. It doesn't mean that you have to wear it, but at least one frontline member should have it. It will double piercing damage via Aura Of Murder, this is why Shar's Spear of Evening or Nyrulna are one of the best picks.
	Helldusk Armour	Both of these are great armours. I would probably prioritize Armour of Persistence for its Blade Ward​ effect.
	Armour of Persistence
Gloves	Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength (BiS)	Sets the Strength to 23, allowing you to stop using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength and opening the elixir slot for better ones like Elixir of Bloodlust.
	Legacy of the Masters	Gives a good damage and attack roll boost.
	Gloves of Dexterity	The simplest option for Natural Strength setup.
Boots	Helldusk Boots (BiS)	These are the best boots to take for any kind of build to avoid any of the various surface effects.
	Disintegrating Night Walkers
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	Gives increased damage as long as you drink a potion or get a healing source.
	Amulet of Greater Health	Not that high of a priority here, especially when not using items like Helmet of Grit. But still, one of the options if it's available.
	-	Amulets from the previous Acts.
Rings	Shadow-Cloaked Ring (BiS)	Pretty easy to get the bonus damage boost while enemies are at least Lightly Obscured.
	Strange Conduit Ring	As the build has plenty of concentration spells, the psychic damage rider is easy to obtain and can be even doubled if any of the party members use Resonance Stone.
	Ring of Arcane Synergy	This ring can only be used if you have Booming Blade. It is an alternative to Diadem of Arcane Synergy, which allows using different headwear, albeit at the cost of damage rings.
	Band of the Mystic Scoundrel	The ring allows casting spells with bonus action and can be used with Helmet of Arcane Acuity to boost your Spell success chance. Of course, you can also use it to cast Plant Growth​ to greatly empower your spellsword capabilities.
	Ring of Protection	A solid ring that boosts armour class.
	Killer's Sweetheart	A one-time ring that you can use to land a critical hit with Divine Smite​ and unequip it until the next long rest.
	Risky Ring	Still an option, but I would avoid it, as getting Advantage should not be a problem by this time in the game.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Devotion Paladin Build. This will help you utilise 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.

Maintain allies in close position

Paladins benefit from the allies that are close to them. The main reason is that their auras work in a small range - 3 meters. However, something like Aura of Protection​ is a huge boost for surviving spell effects. Sadly, you don't get any Subclass-specific auras, which limits your support and combat potential.

Spellsword Setup

Paladin can be a semi-spellcaster, albeit not too effective. They are limited by spell selection and spell slots. Still, a few possibilities exist. This is enabled by a few items:

• Helmet of Arcane Acuity - allows stacking Arcane Acuity​ with attacks.
• Gloves of Battlemage's Power - only works with Booming Blade​ attacks and also stacks Arcane Acuity​
• Items like Drakethroat Glaive with Draconic Elemental Weapon​ can apply Thunder Rider and Hat of Storm Scion's Power for attacks, also getting Arcane Acuity.
• The last puzzle is the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel, which allows casting illusion and enchantment spells with bonus action. Paladin comes with a good option for that - Command, which is cheap to use and does not use Concentration slot. Depending on subclass, you can also cast Hold Person​ (Vengeance) or Plant Growth​ (Ancients).

So if you want a unique spin on your Paladin setup, you have an option

Early Game Combat

This section covers how to play the build at levels 1-6:

• Overall, concentrate on hitting enemies, and getting attack roll buffs.
• Divine Smite​ should be used sparingly as it will eat away your spell slots fast. Try to only activate it on critical hits.
• The main feature of Devotion Paladin is Sacred Weapon. Try to cast it before combat if possible. This saves you a full action point, greatly improving your combat capabilities.
• The first big boost will be at level 4, once you get Great Weapon Master: All In. Remember, it can be disabled in case your hit chance is very low. Try to maintain 70%+.
• Your best friend is Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, which helps maintain high hit chance and equips more weapon options. use it after each long rest.
• Once you get Aura of Protection,​ remember to activate it.

Late Game Combat

This covers the combat from level 7 to 12.

• The core gameplay remains more or less the same. Hit enemies, maintain high hit chance, and land Divine Smite​ when needed.
• Remember to activate Aura of Devotion. Although it doesn't give much, it can be useful especially in late Act 2.
• If you decide to go for spellsword setup, be sure to use Command​ with Band of the Mystic Scoundrel, saving the action point use.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Oath of Devotion Paladin Build for Baldur's Gate 3. The shining knight subclass offers a decent kit and holds you to high standards if you plan to maintain the Oath.

Cheers!