How much damage can a Paladin do?

How Much Damage Can a Paladin Do?

As a Paladin, you’re an exemplary champion of good, armed with a mix of martial prowess and divine power. When it comes to dealing damage, Paladins are often expected to deliver significant blows to their enemies. In this article, we’ll delve into the inner workings of Paladin damage output and provide some answers to the question: How much damage can a Paladin do?

Base Damage Output

Paladins’ base damage output is directly linked to their class features and spells. Smite, their most iconic ability, allows them to deal radiant damage to creatures within a certain area. Additionally, Banishing Smite, a higher-level version of Smite, can be cast multiple times, increasing overall damage output.

Smite vs. Banishing Smite

Let’s take a closer look at the difference between Smite and Banishing Smite:

Key Points:

• Smite deals an average of 22-34 damage (depending on the player’s dice rolls).
• Banishing Smite deals an average of 64-92 damage (depending on the player’s dice rolls).

Caster Level and Spell Slots

As Paladins gain more levels, they can access higher-level spell slots. Banishing Smite requires a 5th-level spell slot, while Smite requires a 2nd-level spell slot. Paladins can cast Banishing Smite once per long rest, and Smite up to three times per short rest.

Paladin Feats and Abilities

Paladin feats and abilities can further augment their damage output. For example:

• Extra Attack: Paladins can choose to take the Extra Attack feat, allowing them to attack more often.
• Great Weapon Master: Paladins can wield larger weapons with increased effectiveness.
• Heavy Armor Master: Paladins can don heavy armor without penalty, providing increased survivability and ability to deal damage.

Optimal Paladin Builds

Optimal Paladin builds often focus on damage output, survivability, and party utility. Here are some key aspects to consider:

• Damage dealing builds: Focus on increasing damage output with Extra Attack, Great Weapon Master, and Banishing Smite.
• Defensive builds: Prioritize survivability with Heavy Armor Master and defensive feats.
• Utility builds: Combine damage output and survivability with utility feats like Pious Attire (which provides additional damage to creatures).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Paladin damage output is directly tied to their class features, spells, and feats. With careful selection of abilities and builds, Paladins can deal significant damage to enemies. Here’s a summary of key takeaways:

• Smite deals an average of 22-34 damage, while Banishing Smite deals an average of 64-92 damage.
• Caster level and spell slots determine the frequency and potency of Banishing Smite.
• Feats and abilities like Extra Attack, Great Weapon Master, and Heavy Armor Master can increase Paladin damage output.
• Optimal builds combine damage output, survivability, and party utility.

By understanding Paladin damage output and optimizing their build, Paladins can become formidable force on the battlefield, delivering significant damage to their enemies and securing victory for their party.