Best Oathbreaker Paladin Build - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)
Contents
Oathbreaker Paladin Build
Oathbreakers are a welcome subclass option for Paladins. They offer a breathing room to the limited role-playing of each Oath, where an incorrect choice means you have to either reload or pay the fine for breaking the oath. Unfortunately, you cannot select them in character creation and need to specifically break an Oath.
These Paladins are not necessarily evil and can do anything they prefer. There are no negative modifiers once you embrace this path. This also unlocks unique gameplay options with Oathbreakers, specifically for the undead and fiends
Opposite to other Paladin subclasses, Oathbreakers embrace the ability to control undead and reanimate them. It also has the only Aura in the game that gives a direct increase to damage based on the Charisma modifier - Aura of Hate.
So if you are interested in this type of Paladin let's move!
Starting the Game
We start with the early game. I would go into what are the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for Paladins. Some of these choices are impactful as you cannot respec them.
Races
Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc. Because Paladin gets Heavy Armor proficiency you have many more options on what to choose.
Race | Features | Description |
---|---|---|
Zariel Tiefling |
|
A very versatile race that has Darkvision and good fire resistance. Moreover, thanks to Thaumaturgy, they can further utilize high Paladin's Charisma. |
Half-Orc | Half-Orcs shine as Paladins. They can resurrect in case they die and get an additional die roll on a critical hit. This gives a big damage boost if you are using something like Polearm or Greataxe with a 1d10 or 1d12 damage roll. | |
Halfling | This race has a unique effect where they can reroll dice that roll 1. This results in better chances for critical hits, fewer missed attacks, and dialogue success. | |
Wood Half-Elf |
|
What makes these special is their increased moving distance. I think this is valuable as once you start taking out enemies one by one with Smites, this will prove advantageous. Overall the same applies to Wood Elf. |
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
The easiest one to break the oath is the Oath of the Ancients.
Overview | |
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Oath of the Ancients | |
Features | |
Healing Radiance | Heal yourself and all nearby allies for 5 hit points. Regain another 5 hit points next turn. |
Oath of the Ancients Tenets | Oath of the Ancients paladins abide by the following tenets: Kindle the Light. Through acts of kindness, enkindle the light of hope in the bleakest hollows of despair. Shelter the Light. Where love blooms, stand against the devilry that would snip its stem. Preserve Your Own Light. Delight in culture and small joys to preserve the light in your own heart |
Background
Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing and you can pick whatever you prefer. Paladin mainly benefits from Strength and charisma-related skills.
Background | Skills | Description |
---|---|---|
Soldier | Athletics Intimidation |
The most fitting option for Paladin, as you have high Charisma and Strength. |
Charlatan | Deception Sleight of Hand |
The deception proficiency is a good choice here, however, Sleight of Hand is mostly useless as it is better handled by Bard, Ranger, or Rogue. |
Noble | History Persuasion |
Another good choice as it fits the overall roleplaying theme. The downside is that you have low intelligence and History proficiency does not benefit much. |
Guild Artisan | Insight Persuasion |
The persuasion proficiency makes this also a relevant choice for Oathbreaker Paladin. |
Abilities
Now let's take a look at the abilities of the Oathbreaker build. Correct allocation will allow us to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.
Ability | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
Strength | 17 (15+2) | The main melee weapon damage ability. Either set it at 17 if you plan on using Auntie Ethel's Hair or leave it at 16 and use those two points on Wisdom. |
Dexterity | 10 | Dexterity is a debatable stat. If you are wearing a Medium Armor, having 14 is mandatory. However, with Heavy Armor 10 is perfect. Another thing to consider is initiative, and lower than 10 is a bad choice as you will go last in every fight. |
Constitution | 14 | Important stat for any build gives bonus HP and improves the success of Constitution Saving Throws, which ensures your Concentration spells don't break. |
Intelligence | 8 | Not an important stat for the build |
Wisdom | 8 | I would recommend going with 10, but this way you would need to sacrifice one ability point in Strength. This can be done if you will not use Auntie Ethel's Hair to improve Strength by 1. |
Charisma | 16 (15+1) | The main spellcasting ability of the Paladin. It also affects the power of Auras. |
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
Strength:
- Athletics
Charisma:
- Persuasion
- Intimidation
- Performance
- Deception
Summary - Leveling overview
This is a short overview and progression of the build. Use it to get a glance to pick the best options without going deep into the explanations. A more detailed description with texts, suggestions, and improvements can be found in the next sections.
Leveling Progression
Here is the detailed progression for the 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 the feel for the class you can start picking your options
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 really 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 strength investment if you plan to use them till the late game. This is somewhat gimmicky, however, if you are interested here is a guide on how to farm Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
You will naturally stack up your Strength to 24 with some choices and bonuses, meaning that the potions will not be as useful. In Act 3 there will be an upgraded version - Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength, that will set it to 27. This is the highest possible strength value.
So here is the setup once you get these Elixirs and decide to use them. Remember to respec, to get the full utility:
Ability | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
Strength | 8 | The potion will raise the strength to 21, meaning that we do not need this ability. |
Dexterity | 16 (15+1) | Having higher dexterity will ensure we go earlier, it will also give bonus armour class to medium armours. |
Constitution | 14 | This Consitution amount is enough to ensure decent HP and constitution saving throw success. |
Intelligence | 8 | Not an important stat for us |
Wisdom | 12 | Wisdom is the most prominent spellcasting ability target, so going below 10 is not recommended. |
Charisma | 16 (14+2) | Charisma will be useful in combat, spellcasting, dialogues, and auras. |
Of course, if you do not wish to use these potions, then don't worry, use the ability allocation I suggested at the beginning of the post.
Level 2
At level 2 we unlock the most famous action - Divine Smite. Moreover, we obtain 2 level 1 spell slots.
Actions | Description |
---|---|
Divine Smite | This Paladin-specific action gives +2d8 Radiant Damage and an additional 1d8 against undead and fiends. it expends a spell slot if hits. Using higher-level spell slots deals more damage. Note, its damage does not depend on Charisma but spell level. Oathbreaker also gets a special "red" animation |
However, we still have the main hurdle in front of us. You should already have left the tutorial zone. Our first goal is to break the Oath and unlock the Oathbraker subclass. I found that this can be done easily by killing two tieflings you find with Lae'zel at the Ravaged Beach in Act 1.
Subclass
Overview | |
---|---|
Oathbreaker | |
Features | |
Spiteful Suffering | You unlock it once you become an Oathbreaker. The action is useful on stronger enemies who you will be hitting multiple times. It gives an advantage on each attack and bonus necrotic damage. The action does not require a spell concentration slot |
Now, as we got the most important thing cleared, and can continue
Fighting Style
Here you can pick a style that fits your weapon usage or playstyle. For example, going with a shield and a one-handed weapon would benefit from Duelling. Want to avoid more hits? Take Defence for +1 Armour Class.
Style | Description |
---|---|
Great Weapon Fighting | When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack with a two-handed melee weapon, that die is rerolled once. |
Defence | Gain +1 to Armour Class, resulting in fewer hits being landed on you. I would go with this on Honour mode. |
Duelling | When you wear one one-handed weapon or weapon and shield, gain a bonus of 2 damage. |
I do not find Protection useful. It requires you to stay near allies and activates conditionally. I prefer permanent bonuses. I would pick Great Weapon Fighting as Two-handed weapons are the go-to option for me.
Prepared Spells
Paladin level 1 spells are okay. They do not provide any crazy bonuses but can work in some situations. Here are my recommendations for what is good to have in your arsenal
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Thunderous Smite | A smite alternative that deals Thunder damage and can make enemy prone. I would use it in case you have a free bonus action that you do not plan on using (for example you do not have Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack yet). Otherwise, use normal Smite. |
Shield of Faith | It gives a +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. Can be useful in some encounters, especially against low Wisdom enemies. |
Divine Favour | Another okay spell that can be useful to utilize the bonus action that will not be used in early game. |
For other slots pick what you want.
Level 3
Level 3 Paladin gains a lot of new things - new actions, class, subclass features, and spells. However, I do not think that these are very powerful boons, we will have to wait for better actions
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Divine Health | Get additional temporary hit points. The spell can be cast without using spell slots. May not be as potent, because you already have Armour of Agathys spell. |
We also gain subclass-specific actions. These use Channel Oath Charge, which means that your spell slots will not be expended when used.
Action | Description |
---|---|
Control Undead | By using Channel Oath Charge you can take control of Undead. This is very powerful as the undead follows you until Long Rest. There are a few encounters where you can utilize this one. |
Dreadful Aspect | An area of effect ability that Frightens enemies. Although it does not deal damage, imagine getting 5 enemies frightened and they are not able to move and have a disadvantage on attack rolls. This is a very powerful action. |
In addition, we get subclass-specific spells:
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Hellish Rebuke | Use reaction to cast a fire spell. It is good in early levels, but later on, best to save the spell slots for Divine Smite |
Inflict Wounds | A decent spell, but I see no point using it as this will expend your spell slots that can be used on divine smites. |
Level 4
We finally unlock our first Feat which will greatly improve the overall performance of Oathbreaker Paladin. Moreover, another Lay on Hands Charge is added, for more healing actions. So let's deep dive:
Feat
Feat | Description |
---|---|
Ability Improvement | Another option is going for +2 Strength. This will give higher weapon damage and higher attack rolls. if using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, get +2 Charisma instead. |
Great Weapon Master | This is the strongest feat if you are using 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, that comes with a -5 penalty to attack rolls. This is problematic in the early game but can be overcome in various ways. I recommend checking my guide on Attack Roll Increase, to get ideas on how to mitigate it. |
Level 5
This level is a very big stepping stone for Oathbreaker. You will get access to the first level 2 spell slots, that improve your Divine Smite damage. Moreover, you unlock
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Extra Attack | Can make an additional free attack after making an unarmed or weapon attack. This will make you much more powerful in combat |
Oathbreaker bonus spells are very good for Level 5:
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Crown of Madness | Drives the target crazy and makes them attack the nearest person. To be honest I did not use it much, as the Concentration slot would be taken by other options. |
Darkness | The spell is great, but for it to work you would need the ability to see in magical darkness. It is a perfect choice if you would like to multiclass and go with Lockadin Build, to utilize Warlock's Devil's Sight. I will touch on this in the next section. |
Prepared Spells
As level 2 spells are unlocked here are some considerations to include in your build:
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Lesser Restoration | 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 greatly boost your success on hitting while having Great Weapon Master active. |
Build considerations
Okay, this is where I would like to touch one option that you could do with the build, if you wish to spice things up and access some unique synergies. The option is to pivot into Lockadin Build - Paladin Warlock Multiclass.
This is the perfect time to do that as on the next level you could go into Warlock. Why would you go this way?
- On Tactician difficulty you will access 3 attacks per action point on level 3.
- You gain Warlock spell slots that restore on short rest.
- You gain some spells like Hunger of Hadar that can immobilize groups of enemies and make them blind.
- You could go all in with Charisma, and forgo strength, as this attribute would determine your damage thanks to Pact of the Blade.
- You also keep the core of the Paladin and new dialogue options will open up
I leave this for you to consider and let's continue with the Oathbreaker build.
Level 6
For a Paladin, this is an important level. It unlocks their Aura - Aura of Protection. Why are they special? Auras are always active and there are no cons to using them
Action | Description |
---|---|
Aura of Protection | You and nearby allies gain a bonus to Saving Throws equal to your Charisma modifier |
Level 7
This is another milestone for the subclass where you unlock a specific aura. The Oathbreaker has the only aura that boosts damage. However, there is a big caveat:
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Aura of Hate | This aura gives bonus damage based on the charisma modifier if attacking with weapons. It affects the Paladin and nearby undead. With 16 Charisma this will be bonus 3 damage on each hit. |
Level 8
We get our second feat that will further improve the build. Here are the options:
Feat | Description |
---|---|
Great Weapon Master | If you did not take this feat and use a Two-Handed weapon now is the perfect time to do that. This improves your damage dramatically and also gives an extra attack that can be easily utilized with bonus action. Now bonus action has a very strong use case. |
Savage Attacker | A very popular choice and an extremely effective feat for Paladins as they have multiple damage rolls with Divine Smites. Take this if going with a One-Handed weapon and shield. |
Level 9
This is an important level as it finally gives level 3 spells. We also unlock the last spells from the subclass. These are great additions to the Oathbreaker build
Oath Spells | Description |
---|---|
Bestow Curse | Curse a creature with your touch. The curse either bestows Disadvantage on checks and Saving Throws or Attack Rolls, lets you deal additional damage to the target, or robs it of its actions. I would only recommend this to bosses as it is expensive to use. |
Animate Dead | Create an undead servant from a corpse. The level 3 spell slot cost is steep as this is your strongest Divine Smite. |
Prepared Spells
Here are my recommendations for level 3 spells. I do not think these spells are very powerful. They do not change the Paladin gameplay much but can provide some situational bonuses. It is still the best use case to use your Divine Smites.
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Elemental Weapon | Similar to Magic Weapons, this imbues your weapon with elemental powers and gives a bonus attack roll. The bonus is 1d4 decent damage. If the enemy is vulnerable to it this is doubled. Moreover, the spell lasts until a long rest if you can maintain the concentration |
Blinding Smite | Another smite in your arsenal. It is not as good as Divine Smite in terms of damage. However, it can be used to apply blind on the target |
Crusader's Mantle | An alternative to an Elemental Weapon spell, but instead you give 1d4 radiant damage to your group members. It also lasts only for 10 turns |
Level 10
We get two Paladin class-related boons - additional Lay on Hands charge and bonus Aura
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Aura of Courage | You and your cannot be Frightened. The effect can be deadly so becoming invulnerable to it is welcome |
Level 11
We get an additional level 3 spell slot and an improvement to all Smites, which a huge boost and makes up for the lackluster last two levels.
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Improved Divine Smite | Melee attacks deal an additional 1d8 damage radiant damage. This is a welcome upgrade making the iconic spell even more powerful. This upgrade works on all smites - thunderous, searing, etc. |
Level 12
This is the last level for Paladin's oathbreaker builds. We get the last Feat and there are some good choices to cover:
Feat | Description |
---|---|
Savage Attacker | A very popular choice and an extremely effective feat for Paladins as they have multiple damage rolls with Divine Smites. |
Alert | Another awesome feat, that almost guarantees that you go first. Moreover, you cannot be surprised, so this almost guarantees that you do some heavy damage on the first turn. |
General Tips
Now I would like to cover some general tips on how to play Paladin Build. It is an extremely powerful subclass with a few things
Bonus Ability points through Playthrough
During your playthrough you will have two major points in the game, where you can increase the ability points in this case - Strength:
- Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair, by sparing her life and getting her hair. This can be used to increase Strength by 1. This is the reason why we leave it at 17 so that in Act 1 we could have it at 18 (or 20 with Ability Improvement Feat)
- Potion of Everlasting Vigour - obtained in Act 2, in Moonrise towers, after offering Astarion's blood to the researcher. This gives +2 Strength. However, it will hurt your relations with Astarion, so avoid this choice if you romance him.
- Mirror of Loss. This also provides bonus ability points based on your decisions. It gives +2 to Strength.
With all of these in Act 3, you will reach 24, the maximum value of Strength, gaining a +7 Proficiency bonus to many of the rolls. This almost negates any need to use Elixir of Hill Giant Strength or Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength if you are against them and dedicate an Elixir slot for Elixir of Bloodlust.
Take control of the Undead
Oathbreakers can take control of the Undead from level 3 with Control Dead action. This is especially useful in Act 2 where there are many of them. They will fight for you and can be used as cannon fodder
They will follow you until a long rest, meaning that they can support you in multiple encounters.
Smites Explained
This is the signature action of Paladin, that invokes Radiant damage. It looks cool and does a lot of damage. However, there are a few caveats that should be explained.
First, the Paladin gets additional Smites - Thunderous Smite, Searing Smite, etc. They are cool and give additional effects. However, they are far weaker than Divine Smite. Why? Divine Smite only uses Action points and spell slots. Other ones take Action + bonus action. More or less you get more damage per action.
Of course, other Smites come with unique effects like Blind, Freighten, etc. They are also perfect when fighting enemies weak to specific elements - thunder, fire, etc. But if the enemy dies fast, there is no use for alternative smites. So they are best used against higher-health enemies.
Managing Great Weapon Master
One of the more important feats of the build is Great Weapon Master: All In. It gives a flat damage boost at the cost of decreased attack rolls. Generally, it is best to take this later in the game at level 8+, when you have higher attack bonuses and better gear.
However, if you can effectively use it at level 4, you will be able to easily kill most of the enemies you encounter, especially as it is easy to die in Act 1. So if you are up for putting in additional effort the benefits are immense. Here are the main ways to increase your attack rolls:
- 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 1 and 2 attack roll bonus.
- Gloves of the Growling Underdog - can be obtained in Goblin Camp, and gives an advantage for attack rolls.
- Svartlebee's Woundseeker - early game greatsword that you can get before engaging in any of the major battles of Act 1.
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.
Equipment Recommendations
Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Paladin Warlock multiclass build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.
Act 1
The early game can be hard, as you do not know where to find items. You also should make a decision, about what kind of setup you are going with - Two-Handed or One-Handed.
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (One - Handed) | Larethian's Wrath | This weapon is also a contender for the best one-handed weapon in Act 1, as it has a unique Razor Gale effect, allowing it to hit multiple targets. |
Phalar Aluve | A perfect one-handed option. Its special Shriek ability will also give a huge boost to other party members. However, I would better use this with Cleric as the activation costs an action and the result is two lost attacks with Extra Attack. | |
Sword of Screams | A solid weapon, that gives a bonus 1d4 psychic damage each hit. | |
Melee (Two-Handed) | Unseen Menace | Great option as it increases the critical chance and provides an advantage on attack rolls. |
Sword of Justice | A very good choice, has +1 Enchantment but most importantly it can use a spell that gives +2 Armour Class. Fighters don't use the Concentration slot for anything else, so the Tyr's Protection is the perfect choice. | |
Everburn Blade | This sword is worth it until you reach Druid's Grove, there it is much better to buy items with +1 Enchantment like Greataxe +1 or Greatsword +1 as they give a better chance of landing attacks and minimal damage decrease. | |
Ranged | Bow of Awareness | The higher initiative bonus will allow you to start your turn earlier. |
Hand Crossbow +1 | Equipping two of these will allow you to attack with off-hand. This is important as you may not have use for Bonus Action. However, for dedicated ranged weapons check the options above. And it becomes useless once you get Great Weapon Master. | |
Shield | Adamantine Shield | It provides a substantial defensive boost by reducing critical hit damage. |
Safeguard Shield | Gives a bonus to saving throws, easily accessible early in the game. | |
Head | Diadem of Arcane Synergy | The best option that will lead you through the game. Be sure to use Divine Smite on the first attack, to activate Arcane Synergy. |
Grymskull Helm | Gives resistance to critical hits and allows the use of Hunter's Mark, for additional single-target damage. | |
Haste Helm | Provides increased speed at the start of the combat. | |
Cloak | The Deathstalker Mantle | The only option in Act 1 that is okay, is by providing once-per-turn invisibility. Only available to Dark Urge origin. |
Armor | Adamantine Splint Armour | Another powerful armor from Grymforge, that is a solid contender till Act 3. |
Chain Mail +1 | Early armor 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 | As a frontliner, it will be easy to get surrounded by two enemies, so the ensured advantage is very valuable. |
Luminous Gloves | These gloves may be used by your cleric. If not, you can equip them together with Luminous Armour to apply tons of Radiating Orbs. They will reduce the effectiveness of enemy attack rolls. | |
Boots | Disintegrating Night Walkers | Avoids slipping on various terrains and most importantly unlocks Misty Step each short rest. These boots can last till Act 3, as walking on icy surfaces can be deadly for melee build. The item removes this problem. |
Vital Conduit Boots | As you may cast some spells with concentration these boots will give bonus survivability via temporary hitpoints. | |
Amulet | Broodmother's Revenge | This is a very powerful amulet, that will lead you through most of the game, the 1d6 bonus damage is very good. |
Pearl of Power Amulet | Restores up to level 3 spell slot, this means that you can use it after a combat encounter to have an additional spell slot for Divine Smite. | |
Rings | Caustic Band | Provides 2 damage increase on each weapon hit, making it a good choice in Act 1. It is very expensive. |
Strange Conduit Ring | It's easy to activate it as you can concentrate on multiple spells in your arsenal, which will result in bonus psychic damage. | |
Ring of Protection | Gives defensive bonuses to Armour Class and Saving Throws. |
Act 2 - mid-game
Act 2 changes the landscape and there will be a lot of dark areas. For the Paladin Oathbreaker build, specifically two-handed this whole Act will be filled with various spears, glaives, and halberds, that top one another with various bonuses and unique actions. Feel free to try them out and fully enjoy their benefits.
One Handed Setup
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (One-handed) | Shar's Spear of Evening | One of the best weapons in the game. You will get it late in Act 2, but it can be a solid choice until you get the endgame weapons or Nyrulna. It is an alternative version of Selûne's Spear of Night |
Selûne's Spear of Night | Very powerful option as it can buff allies with 1d4 damage, and create difficult terrain. It is an alternative version to Shar's Spear of Evening. | |
Charge-Bound Warhammer | Similar option to Myrkulite Scourge, just the bonus damage comes from lightning. | |
Myrkulite Scourge | Deals bonus necrotic damage. Otherwise, it is a normal choice. | |
Shield | Shield of Devotion | Gives an additional level 1 spell slot, that can be used for Smiting. |
Adamantine Shield | The shield is still relevant especially as it gives resistance to Critical hits. |
Two-Handed Setup
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (Two-Handed) | Shar's Spear of Evening | One of the best weapons in the game. You will get it late in Act 2, but it can be a solid choice until you get the endgame weapons or Nyrulna. It is an alternative version of Selûne's Spear of Night |
Selûne's Spear of Night | Very powerful option as it can buff allies with 1d4 damage, and create difficult terrain. It is an alternative version to Shar's Spear of Evening. | |
Moonlight Glaive | Has a passive light effect, making it effective with Callous Glow Ring. Moreover, it gets bonus radiant damage and unique attack actions. | |
Halberd of Vigilance | A good choice for Act 2 and can be used till Act 3. Besides its unique benefits, it comes with bonus 1d4 force damage and not many enemies can resist it. | |
Drakethroat Glaive | You can imbue a weapon with any element 1d4 damage and gain a +1 to attack rolls. You can get the bonus elemental damage on any weapon. For example, drop another weapon on the ground, cast the spell with this glaive, and equip the said weapon. This is a very powerful combo, although it may be a bug. |
Remaining Items
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Ranged | Bow of Awareness | The higher initiative bonus will allow you to start your turn earlier. |
Head | Diadem of Arcane Synergy | The best option that will lead you through the game. Be sure to use Divine Smite on the first attack, to activate Arcane Synergy. |
Cloak | Cloak of Protection | Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. |
Fleshmelter Cloak | Reflect 1d4 acid damage if somebody hits you in melee range. | |
Armor | Reaper's Embrace | A very Oathbearker theme-like armor is available in late Act 2. It has the highest AC at this stage. |
Adamantine Splint Armour | The armor is still potent in Act 2, but be on the lookout for others with 19 Armour Class like Splint Armour +2. | |
Adamantine Scale Mail | Still plays a good role in Act 2, as its 16 Armour Class is plenty. | |
Gloves | Gloves of the Automaton | Similar to the option below, these provide an Advantage on attacks but require Bonus Action to activate the effect. It would be best if you did that before combat starts. Once you get Risky Ring, drop them. |
Gloves of the Growling Underdog | These gloves are mandatory at least until you get Risky Ring or if you do not use Great Weapon Master feat yet. | |
Flawed Helldusk Gloves | Provides bonus fire damage, however, only use it once you get Risky Ring. | |
Dark Justiciar Gauntlets | A solid option as it gives a bonus 1d4 necrotic damage. But only use it after you get Risky Ring. | |
Boots | Evasive Shoes | Bonus armor class for higher survivability. |
Disintegrating Night Walkers | The boots are still a good option in Act 2. | |
Amulet | Broodmother's Revenge | Still, the best amulet as it provides a substantial damage boost if healed - a cleric can do this easily. |
Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet | Not a perfect amulet, but could be useful once you have Risky Ring and other options are taken | |
Spell Savant Amulet | Gain an additional level 2 spell slot for more Smites. | |
Rings | Killer's Sweetheart | Allows dealing guaranteed critical hit per long rest. After this, you can just unequip it. Moreover, it can change an attack that misses and turns it into critical. |
Risky Ring | Provides an Advantage on attack rolls. This is a mandatory ring as it will both guarantee more hits and a higher chance of critical hits. | |
Callous Glow Ring | The bonus damage can easily stack from multiple sources. For example paladin base attack + Divine Smite. | |
Caustic Band | 2 Acid damage on any kind of attack. With multiple attacks you do the bonus is substantial. | |
Strange Conduit Ring | As you have multiple cheap spells to enable concentration, this ring is very useful for a bit more damage. |
Act 3 - Final Build setup
This is the last act of the game, where you will get access to the most powerful items. To get them as early as possible you will need some planning, but overall, it should not be a problem.
Spears from Act 2 - Selûne's Spear of Night and Shar's Spear of Evening are still good weapons.
One Handed Setup
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (One - Handed) | Nyrulna (BiS) |
Although this would technically be a weapon used for Throwing builds, it is perfect as a melee choice. You can still throw it for AOE lightning damage as Extra Attack works. What makes it also good is its unique action attacks providing crowd control capabilities. |
Duellist's Prerogative | Although the weapon is aimed at single-wielding without a shield, it is still useful as it allows additional attack using bonus action. However, if you want the bonus to critical chance you will have to forgo the shield. But that should not be a problem if you have Duelling passive | |
Devotee's Mace | Deals 1d8 bonus radiant damage and has +3 enchantment to damage and attack rolls. | |
Belm | What makes this one special is that it has a unique Whirlwind attack, that can target all nearby enemies with separate attack rolls. Moreover, it can do additional attacks using bonus action. However, it is a shortsword so its base damage is just 1d6. But you can easily do three smites on different targets with it. | |
Shield | Viconia's Walking Fortress (BiS) |
The strongest shield in the game. Has a special shield bash reaction that deals force damage. Moreover, gives good resistance to spells. |
Swires' Sledboard | Provides Force Conduit each turn, decreasing the damage that the wielder receives. |
Two-Handed Setup
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (Two-Handed) | Balduran's Giantslayer (BiS) |
Strongest weapon in the game. You need to have high strength with it from natural bonuses, Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength, or at least Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength. This way you get the highest possible damage improvements. |
Silver Sword of the Astral Plane | A good choice, specifically for Githyanki due to bonus damage and resistance. Otherwise, it falls short of other options. | |
Hellbeard Halberd | This gives a bonus of 6 poison damage per hit, which is very high, making it a strong top weapon contender. |
Remaining Items
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Ranged | The Dead Shot (BiS) |
Although this is the best bow, it is unlikely that you can use it as it is a contender for all builds. Feel free to use the ones from previous acts. |
Head | Diadem of Arcane Synergy (BiS) |
The best option that will lead you through the game. Be sure to use Divine Smite on the first attack, to activate Arcane Synergy. |
Sarevok's Horned Helmet | Alternative in case, you want something else. Increases critical chance, which can make your smites do crazy amounts of damage. | |
Cloak | Cloak of Displacement (BiS) |
Improves the chances of attacks missing the wearer until getting hit for that turn. |
Armor | Helldusk Armour (BiS) |
This armor has the highest armor class in the game. Moreover, it grants flying and burns enemies in flames when they attack you. |
Armour of Persistence | A solid defensive choice, that comes with damage reduction cantrip effects. | |
Armour of Agility | The armor does not limit the Dexterity bonus to AC. It is a good option if you have a Dexterity of 16 at least. Otherwise, go for the options above. | |
Gloves | Legacy of the Masters (BiS) |
The best gloves for melee martial build giving flat damage boost and improved attack rolls. |
Helldusk Gloves | Gives a solid bonus of 1d6 fire damage on hit, and provides a fire spell with Strength as a casting ability! | |
Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength | These gloves can be used to permanently increase Strength. This means you no longer need Elixir of Hill Giant Strength. Moreover, you can gimp on strength and leave it at 8. Use those attribute points on Dexterity or Wisdom. | |
Boots | Helldusk Boots (BiS) |
Allows avaoiding failed Saving Throws, and uses reaction to change the outcome. Moreover, provides bonus actions for mobility and damage. |
Boots of Persistence | Gives a huge boost to mobility and avoids difficult terrain. | |
Amulet | Broodmother's Revenge (BiS) |
The amulet still pulls strong even in the late game. |
Amulet of Greater Health | Makes any Constitution ability investment redundant as it maximizes it to 23 points. However, this means that you also sacrifice an amulet slot for something that could be more offensive. | |
Magic Amulet | Gives an Advantage on attack. I would use this only if you do not have Risky Ring. Otherwise, this does not provide much use, besides Saving Throw Advantage. | |
Rings | Ring of Regeneration | A decent option, but only if you need some healing. Otherwise, take at options below as they give more offensive bonuses. |
Risky Ring (BiS) |
Provides an Advantage on attack rolls. This is a mandatory ring as it will both guarantee more hits and a higher chance of critical hits. | |
Killer's Sweetheart (BiS) |
Guarantees a critical hit once per Long rest. Moreover, it can change an attack that misses and turns it into critical. | |
Caustic Band | 2 Acid damage on any kind of attack. With multiple attacks you do the bonus is substantial. Can be equipped after Killer's Sweetheart has been used |
Conclusion
Thank you for reading the Oathbreaker Paladin build for Baldur's Gate 3. This is a paladin subclass that does not have to follow any rules and can be both good and evil at the same time. Moreover, they can manipulate undead and even force them under their control
if you enjoyed the build, please leave a comment below!
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