Best Oathbreaker Paladin Build - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

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	Darkvision Hellish Resistance Thaumaturgy - gain Advantage on Intimidation and Performance Checks.	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	Darkvision Relentless Endurance Savage Attacks	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	Halfling Luck Brave	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	Fleet of Foot - your base walking speed is 10.5 meters. Darkvision Civil Militia Fey Ancestry	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
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.

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.

Oathbreaker Paladin Leveling Overview

Level	Category	Choice
1	Abilities	Str 16(15+1), Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 16 (14+2)
	Class	Paladin 1
	Subclass	Oath of the Ancients (easiest to  break Oath)
	Skills	Athletics, Acrobatics, Intimidation, Persuasion
2	Class	Paladin 2
	Fighting Style	Great Weapon Fighting or Duelling
3	Class	Paladin 3
4	Class	Paladin 4
	Feat	Great Weapon Master or Ability Improvement - +2 Strength
5	Class	Paladin 5
6	Class	Paladin 6
7	Class	Paladin 7
8	Class	Paladin 8
	Feat	Polearm Master, Alert or Ability Improvement - Strength+2
9	Class	Paladin 9
10	Class	Paladin 10
11	Class	Paladin 11
12	Class	Paladin 12
	Feat	Ability Improvement - Charisma +2

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:

1. 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)
2. 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.
3. 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. You can easily do three smites on different targets with it. It has another effect when worn in an offhand, you can use it as a bonus action attack which replicates the main hand weapon.
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!