Dungeons & Dragons: How to Build the Perfect Oath of Vengeance Paladin (2024)

Paladins are one of the best classes in thanks to their spellcasting, tanking ability, and built-in healing. Outside of the inherent flexibility, paladins have a variety of subclasses known as Oaths to choose from, representing the character's ideals and what they dedicate their life to. One powerful option is the Oath of Vengeance, which dictates that the paladin doles out punishment to the evil — particularly to a sworn enemy.

This Oath is strong for many reasons, but without a solid foundation from race, feats, and other options, any character can fall flat. While any combination of these can be powerful under certain circ*mstances, the right build can make an Oath of Vengeance paladin in D&D 5e almost unstoppable.

Updated on June 7th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This feature guide about the best Oath of Vengeance paladin builds has been updated with brand-new information on species, multiclassing, magic items, and more, so players have a more thorough understanding on how to create and use such characters.

Oath Of Vengeance Build Summary

Perks Of An Oath Of Vengeance Build

Among their many versatile roles, D&D 5e paladins are one of the game's highest-damaging classes. Oath of Vengeance paladins focus on this aspect of the class' identity far more than any other subclass. On the downside, the Oath of Vengeance subclass lacks the balanced approach of the Oath of Devotion, the battlefield control of the Oath of Conquest, or the magic focus of the Oath of Ancients. On the upside, this subclass's features emphasize hunting down a single enemy and inflicting maximum damage, making them deadly against chosen enemies who provoked the paladin's vengefulk wrath. Thus, Oath of Vengeance is the best D&D 5e paladin subclass for those who want to dominate combat, an excellent expression of .

The Oath of Vengeance has no defensive or supportive abilities. Even its Abjure Enemies is designed to hamper foes' movement so the paladin can corner them more easily. Its other Channel Divinity, Vow of Enmity, sums up the subclass' mechanics. It gains advantage on every attack against a single enemy, marking an Oath of Vengeance paladin out as a boss-killer who should focus down one enemy. If a battle has no particular "boss" enemy, then the Vow Enmity may simply be used on whichever monster the paladin can most reliably reach ASAP and consistently hit. Thus, enemies who can fly or teleport are poor targets, but foes like a gray render, stone golem, or a giant ape are fine targets.

Relentless Avenger makes it even harder for enemies to escape a D&D 5e Oath of Vengeance paladin. Whenever the character makes an opportunity attack, they can move up to half their speed without provoking an opportunity attack. This makes fleeing enemies easier to chase down, rendering an Oath of Vengeance paladin almost inescapable. Soul of Vengeance buffs Vow of Enmity to make even more attacks against the target. It opens them up to reaction attacks when they attack while afflicted with Vow of Enmity. This doesn't just apply to other creatures. If an Oath of Vengeance paladin's opponent hits them, the paladin gets to hit back with their reaction.

Avenging Angel lets the paladin transcend their normal form to hunt down foes. They gain wings and a fly speed of 60 feet per turn for an hour. In addition, they develop a radius that frightens enemies within 30 feet and buffs attacks against these frightened foes. It exemplifies the Oath of Vengeance's approach of mobile, intimidating lethality.

Best Stats For An Oath Of Vengeance Paladin Build

The Oath of Vengeance relies on Charisma less than most D&D 5e paladins, even if CHA is a core stat for the paladin class. None of the Oath of Vengance subclass's abilities are fueled by Charisma or depend on it as a stat outside of saving throws, after all. Instead, such paladins should make Strength their top priority for ability scores. They want to hit as hard as possible with D&D 5e's biggest weapons, and this requires Strength. It also helps with Athletics, grappling, and other offensive options.

That isn't to say that D&D 5e Oath of Vengeance paladins should neglect their Charisma, of course. Their spellcasting depends on it, as do the saving throw DCs of abilities like Channel Divinity: Abjure Enemies and Avenging Angel. It's also invaluable in social situations. An Oath of Vengeance Paladin is more than capable of serving as a D&D party's face, similar to the best bard or warlock build.

Constitution is vital for any frontline warrior, especially an Oath of Vengeance paladin in D&D 5e. Their high mobility and focus on one enemy can often leave them alone and unsupported. They need the Constitution to fight by themselves and survive until allies can reach them, especially if they get in over their head. Even with heavy armor and a shield, a recklessly brave Oath of Vengance paladin will need plenty of hit points to tank a few blows while wreaking havoc on boss battle monsters.

All that leaves Intelligence, Wisdom, and Dexterity, with DEX arguably being the most important of those three. DEX isn't vital for any paladin, but ideally, the paladin will get a +1 modifier to DEX so they can roll decently on initiative should they lack items like a Sentinel Shield. A decent DEX score also means a paladin may at least not struggle too much with DEX saving throws, even if they will never be as agile as the best rogue build or ranger build. That leaves WIS and INT as the dump stats, especially INT, which serves no purpose to the Oath of Vengeance subclass. Even a +0 modifier on WIS is sufficient, while -1 on INT is perfectly fine. The party's artificer or wizard will handle the brainy skill rolls instead.

The Best Species & Background For An Oath Of Vengeance Paladin Build

Variant human and custom lineage are two of the Oath of Vengeance paladin's best species choices. Its free feat can increase the paladin's damage by an astonishing amount with Polearm Master or protect their spellcasting in the heat of combat with War Caster. This doesn't just provide a powerful feat from low level, either. It also allows a paladin to spend more Ability Score Improvements increasing their multiple key stats.

Other choices are worthwhile, too. Both the orc and the half-orc have many synergistic features. The orc's Adrenaline Rush further enhances the character's mobility, ensuring that only the fastest creatures can escape. The half-orc's Savage Attacks boost criticals even further and triggers often due to Vow of Enmity's advantage. Menacing also gives Intimidation, which is beneficial due to the paladins' high Charisma. Both species also give Relentless Endurance, which can avert a potentially fatal attack if the paladin gets in over their head.

The's Oath of Vengeance paladin. Its Magic Resistance, coupled with a paladin's Aura of Protection, makes saving throws almost guaranteed to pass except against the most dangerous opponents. Its increased movement speed makes the mobile Oath of Vengeance paladin in D&D 5e even better at chasing down its foes. The free skill proficiencies in Performance and Persuasion synergize well with high Charisma and allow the paladin to explore other skills from their class and background.

Aasimar is a fine choice for any paladin build, including the Oath of Vengance subclass. If a battle's strongest enemy can fly, such as a dragon, then the paladin should choose Radiant Soul as their option for Celestial Revelation, giving them the flying speed necessary to pursue the airborne enemy and attack them with Vow of Enmity's bonuses. Notably, an aasimar can fly even when wearing heavy armor this way, as opposed to flying species like aaraco*kra and owlin, which don't allow flight in heavy armor. Resisting necrotic and radiant damage is also a fine way to protect the Oath of Vengance paladin from harm against certain monster types and spells.

Earth genasi allows a paladin to hit hard while also having a surprising amount of stealth, thanks to innate spellcasting. D&D veterans all know that paladins struggle with stealth due to clanking armor and low DEX scores, but the earth genasi species can innately cast the Pass Without Trace spell via the Merge With Stone ability. Also, earth genasi can innately cast Blade Ward, which is clearly relevant for a front-liner like an Oath of Vengance paladin. Earth Walk, meanwhile, allows the paladin to easily walk over rough terrain, such as the rubble left behind from the Ice Storm spell.

By default, characters can create their own backgrounds in D&D 5e. Of the premade options, Courtier enables a D&D 5e Oath of Vengeance paladin's social features with proficiency in Insight and Persuasion. Mercenary Veteran provides benefits in and out of combat with Athletics and Persuasion, helping with talking NPCs around or wrestling them to the floor.

Best 5e Feats For Vengeance Paladins

A wide range of D&D 5e's best feats work well for an Oath of Vengeance paladin. With how offensively-focused their kit is, however, it's best to choose feats that build on this. Polearm Master is a vicious addition to their arsenal that works at any stage in the game. Polearms are suitable weapons for their long reach and high damage. A third attack every turn, with even more potential for opportunity attacks, turns an Oath of Vengeance paladin into a powerhouse.

Great Weapon Master is another logical choice. This is doubly true with Vow of Enmity, as its advantage cancels out the accuracy penalty. The result is a significant damage buff. Oath of Vengeance paladins are also likely to get kills or critical hits, unlocking more powerful bonus action attacks.

War Caster is one of the few defensive feats a D&D 5e Oath of Vengeance paladin should consider. Paladins have limited spell slots and often take a lot of damage. Advantage on Concentration checks is invaluable, particularly with the buff from Aura of Protection. This is doubly true of paladins who want to use other weapons like swords and shields, as it allows for spellcasting with somatic components when both hands are full.

The Best Spells For An Oath Of Vengeance Paladin

Paladins have one of D&D 5e's best uses for their spell slots that don't involve any casting, which leads to some unique spell slot management strategies. Divine Smite is more than enough for most characters, especially builds as damage-oriented as an Oath of Vengeance paladin, and such damage is worth saving nearly every spell slot for. However, there is no reason to neglect the paladin's spellcasting.

The Oath of Vengeance has one of the most combat-oriented bonus spell lists of any D&D 5e paladin Oath. Hunter's Mark is a mainstay damage buff that can last a character through the campaign. Bane, Hold Person, and Hold Monster can leave enemies helpless. Misty Step, Haste, and Dimension Door all give the Oath of Vengeance unmatched mobility among paladin subclasses.

The regular D&D 5e paladin spell list also has some valuable choices. Bless can buff other party members alongside the paladin and ensure high-damage attacks hit. Aid's Concentration-free maximum hit point increase can keep parties alive throughout the adventuring day. Cure Wounds is a fallback healing option for when Lay on Hands runs out.

Oath of Vengeance paladins do well with spells that buff damage on every attack they make. Divine Favor is a cheap option for fighting multiple weak enemies who might render Hunter's Mark or Vow of Enmity overkill. Spirit Shroud has many buffs alongside a 1d8 additional damage to every hit. Holy Weapon is expensive but can add countless d8s of radiant damage over a single fight.

Oath of Vengeance paladins can make effective use of D&D 5e's smite spells, but it has to be calculated. Most smite spells deal less damage than Divine Smite and require concentration. Nonetheless, Blinding Smite and Staggering Smite can render an enemy helpless for an entire combat, and Banishing Smite deals immense damage on top of reducing the enemy's numbers for a turn.

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Multiclassing A 5e Vengeance Paladin

Paladins have some of D&D 5e's best multiclassing potential. For a direct upgrade to the Oath of Vengeance's strengths, players can consider sorcerer levels after getting features like Aura of Protection and Relentless Avenger. This vastly expands the Oath of Vengeance paladin's spellcasting potential, particularly if the Divine Soul, Aberrant Mind, or Clockwork Soul Sorcerous Origins are taken. It also provides vastly more spell slots for Divine Smite.

Oath of Vengeance paladin. Pact Magic spell slots come back on a short rest, giving the character something in the tank for almost any encounter. It becomes even stronger with the Hexblade warlock patron. This completely upends the typical build. Charisma becomes the most important ability score as it dictates weapon attacks, spellcasting, and many ability checks while boosting saving throws.

Fighter is a more mundane multiclassing option that is still worth considering. An additional fighting style is invaluable for any D&D 5e paladin, whether it adds more versatility to the character like Archery or Superior Technique or provides a passive buff like Blind Fighting or Defense. In addition, Action Surge helps the Oath of Vengeance paladin make as many attacks as possible. The Champion's Improved Critical synergizes well with Vow of Enmity, and Battle Master Maneuvers make the Oath of Vengeance paladin in D&D 5e even more of a combat powerhouse.

The Best Magic Items For Oath of Vengeance Paladins

Oath of Vengeace Paladins will generally seek out the same magic items and equipment that other paladin subclasses would, but with even more emphasis on boldly rushing into battle to fight a boss monster right away. This means an Oath of Vengeance paladin will make light, if any, use of items like the Pearl of Power unless they're using some cool magic in between battles. Instead, an Oath of Vengance paladin may be treated more like a fighter who can smite.

Early in a campaign, an Oath of Vengeance paladin will want a Moon-Touched Sword, one of the game's best common magic items despite its lack of stat boosts. The key is simply that it's a magic item, so it bypasses certain monsters' resistance to damage from non-magical weapons. Moon-Touched Swords also give off light to serve as torches without the paladin using their other hand for a torch. Thus, a Moon-Touched Sword is a fine weapon until the paladin finds something stronger, such as a +1 sword or the Flame-Tongue sword.

As for stat boosts, an Oath of Vengeance paladin can skip the CHA-boosting Tome of Leadership and Influence, and instead search for STR-enhancing items like the Gauntlets of Ogre Power and the various giant-related belts, such as the Belt of Hill Giant Strength. Such items easily set the wearer's STR score well above 20, though Oath of Vengeance paladins should bear in mind that if the party has a fighter, barbarian, or Strength-oriented ranger, those characters may want the belt, too. These items are easily worth using an attunement slot for.

On defense, an Oath of Vengeance paladin will want items to maximize their AC and fend off negative enemy effects. Adamantine armor, for example, negates all critical hits and downgrades them into normal hits, while +1 or +2 armor can easily boost AC even further, along with +1 or +2 shields. Meanwhile, the Sentinel Shield allows the paladin to roll initiative with advantage, ensuring the paladin is charging into battle ASAP to use Vow of Enmity and inflict serious damage. The boost to the Perception skill, meanwhile, is just a bonus in the hands of an Oath of Vengeance paladin.

Dungeons and Dragons

A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

January 26, 1974

Publisher

Wizards of the Coast , TSR Inc.

Designer

E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson

Player Count

4-8 Players Recommended

Age Recommendation

12+

Length per Game

3 hours +

Expansions

Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition