Paladins are one of the best hard-hitter classes in Baldur’s Gate 3. What makes them a better option than Barbarians or any other classes is their versatility. For instance, you can start as a Paladin and become a fighter, defender, or support member of your party, thanks to the feats. Furthermore, you also get the Divine Smite ability that unlocks several spells and skills unique to your class.
However, you can’t solely rely on your skills and attributes to create the best Paladin build in BG3. Fortunately, there is a second option; after every 4 levels, you can choose from a variety of feats to upgrade your character. While each feat brings some value, you must choose the right ones to complement your build. Therefore, this article provides the top 5 best feats for Paladin, and you can benefit from them.
Table of Contents
Best Feats for Paladin Builds:
When you start as a Paladin, you can choose from 3 different Oaths or subclasses. These Oaths determine the direction in which your character will progress. Furthermore, there is a fourth hidden subclass, i.e., the Oathbreaker, that unlocks the dark side of your character.
So, you must carefully choose the upgrades and feats according to your subclass. Fortunately, the task becomes a bit easier when you shortlist the feats that go well with your battle plans. So, here are the top 5 best feats for Paladin that benefit all 4 subclasses:
Sentinel: Best Feat for Opportunity Attack
Requirements:
- Any Class
- Level 4
Description:
You get a reaction weapon attack whenever your ally is attacked by a foe within your melee radius. However, the Opportunity Attack won’t work if the attacked ally has Sentinel feat or if the enemy is out of your melee range.
Paladins are perfect attackers when it comes to melee combat. Combined with high Strength stats, their Divine Smite ability allows them to quickly drain huge chunks of HP in a single turn. So, when you activate the Sentinel feat, you get the chance to Opportunity Attack any nearby foe in the same turn.
Furthermore, when you use the Opportunity Attack on an enemy, its movement speed is reduced to zero for the next turn. Thus, using the Sentinel feat, you can bring down some of the toughest foes in the game. However, if you want to use the Tough feat, you should select Sentinel at level 8.
Tough: Best feat for Tank Hitter
Requirements:
- Any Class
- Level 4
Description:
After choosing the Tough feat, you will gain +2 hit points for every level. Before choosing this feat, all level upgrades don’t add to your total hit points.
The Tough feat is irreplaceable for all those players looking to create a one-hit-kill Paladin build. You can’t go wrong with this upgrade, as it has the power to make you invincible by the time you reach the endgame.
The benefit of this feat is simple: Choose it to increase your maximum hit points by +2 for every level you gain. However, for best results, you must select this feat as soon as possible: at level 4.
Suppose you choose the Tough feat at level 4, and the maximum level cap is at 12. So, you will get 8 level upgrades before you reach the final Act. In that case, you will earn +16 maximum hit points (8 levels x +2) before you face the final boss. Furthermore, you can combine it with the Sentinel feat to finish off any enemy in a single turn.
Heavy Armor Master: Best feat for Heavy Armor
Requirements:
- Any Class
- Level 4
- Proficiency with Heavy Armor
Description:
While you are wearing Heavy Armor, your Strength is increased by +1 (max 20), and damage from all non-magic attacks is reduced by -3 points.
Paladins are best suited for wearing Heavy Armor. Obviously, they are knights. Fortunately, you can benefit from this proficiency by selecting the Heavy Armor Master feat. Usually, the game lets you either upgrade your stats or choose a feat after level upgrades.
With this feat, you will gain +1 Strength points while wearing Heavy Armor. So, you get the boosts of Ability points as well as feat buffs in a single turn. The main benefit of extra STR is that all your melee and non-magic attacks will get a damage boost.
Furthermore, all non-magic attacks will deal -3 reduced damage. In some cases, this reduction may even result in zero damage from all enemies. So, if you are looking for a way to get the upper hand in battles, you should add the Heavy Armor Master feat to your build.
Great Weapon Master: Best feat for Melee Attacks
Requirements:
- Any Class
- Level 4
- Optional: Proficiency with Heavy Weapons
Description:
Critical Hits or killing an enemy with a melee weapon attack will grant you an additional melee attack in the same turn. Moreover, Proficiency with Heavy Weapons grants you an extra +10 damage at the cost of -5 Attack bonus.
When playing as a Paladin, you never think about spellcasting as your main ability. You will be wielding Greatswords and Heavy weapons as your primary attacks. So why not use this limit to your advantage?
By activating the Great Weapon Master feat, you will gain an additional attack after killing an enemy or landing a critical strike. Moreover, your proficiency with Heavy Weapons will yield even more boosts, guaranteeing that extra melee attack in every turn.
Lastly, if you are not confident in your critical strikes, you can combine it with the Heavy Armor Master feat to increase your odds. In short, if you plan to become a Tanky Hitter Paladin, you should choose the Great Weapon Master feat.
Ability Improvements:
Requirements:
- Any Class
- Level 4
Description:
You get 2 ability points to upgrade any stat (attribute) by +2 or two stats by +1, each point up to a maximum of 20 points.
If you are satisfied with your current feats and don’t want anything else, you can opt for the usual upgrade options. The game will grant you +2 points to invest in any stat without affecting your personal stats so far.
In the case of a Paladin build, your objective is to increase the Strength and Charisma attributes as much as you can. The Strength grants you damage boosts and unlocks heavier weapons. Similarly, the Charisma governs your social interactions and Divine Spells.
Similarly, if you respec your character to a Dexterity Paladin build, it can further increase your odds. The only problem is that upgrading your stats also increases the difficulty level of your enemies. So, they surely will give you a tough time even after you reach the maximum level.
Conclusion:
Baldur’s Gate 3 grants you various feats at levels 4, 8, and 12. You can use this opportunity to cover the flaws in your build and gain additional buffs. For instance, if you are playing as a Paladin, you must use every opportunity to upgrade your attack damage and damage reduction. Fortunately, there are several feats that grant you the required boosts. Therefore, this article covers the top 5 best feats to include in every Paladin build in BG3.
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