What is the best multiclass combination for a Paladin in Baldur's Gate 3?
Multiclassing a Paladin in Baldur's Gate 3 can create a powerful and versatile character, but it requires careful planning to maximize effectiveness. One of the best multiclass combinations for a Paladin is with the Sorcerer class, creating a Paladin/Sorcerer hybrid. This build leverages the Paladin's martial prowess and divine smites with the Sorcerer's spellcasting flexibility and metamagic, resulting in a character capable of dealing massive burst damage while maintaining strong utility and survivability.
To start, you should focus on the Paladin class for the first few levels. Paladins gain access to heavy armor, martial weapons, and the Divine Smite feature at level 2, which allows you to expend spell slots to deal extra radiant damage on a melee attack. This is a cornerstone of the build, as it scales with the number of spell slots you have. By level 5, you will have Extra Attack, which significantly increases your damage output. At this point, you can consider multiclassing into Sorcerer.
When multiclassing into Sorcerer, choose the Draconic Bloodline subclass for the added durability and thematic synergy with the Paladin's divine nature. Draconic Resilience grants you additional hit points and a natural armor bonus, which complements the Paladin's tanky nature. Sorcerer levels will provide you with more spell slots, which can be used for both casting spells and fueling your Divine Smites. Additionally, Sorcerers gain access to Metamagic at level 3, allowing you to manipulate your spells in powerful ways. Twinned Spell, for example, lets you target two creatures with a single-target spell, which can be incredibly useful for buffing allies or debuffing enemies.
A key strategy for this build is to use your Sorcerer spell slots to cast spells like Shield and Mirror Image, which enhance your survivability in combat. You can also use spells like Hold Person or Blindness/Deafness to control the battlefield and set up devastating smites. The combination of high AC, strong defensive spells, and powerful offensive capabilities makes this build exceptionally versatile.
One important tip is to manage your resources carefully. Divine Smite is a powerful ability, but it consumes spell slots quickly. Use your Sorcerer spell slots judiciously, and consider using lower-level slots for smites while reserving higher-level slots for critical moments or powerful spells. Additionally, be mindful of your action economy. While you have access to both melee attacks and spells, you can only take one action per turn, so plan your actions carefully to maximize your impact.
A common mistake to avoid is neglecting your Charisma score. Both Paladin and Sorcerer abilities rely heavily on Charisma, so it should be your primary ability score. Aim for a Charisma score of at least 16 at character creation, and consider increasing it further as you level up. Strength is also important for melee attacks, but you can use spells like Shield of Faith or Divine Favor to compensate for a slightly lower Strength score.
Advanced techniques for this build include using Quicken Spell to cast a spell as a bonus action, allowing you to follow up with a melee attack on the same turn. This can be particularly devastating when combined with Divine Smite. Another technique is to use Twinned Spell to cast buffs like Haste on yourself and an ally, significantly increasing your combat effectiveness.
In terms of D&D rules, multiclassing requires meeting the ability score prerequisites for both classes. For Paladin/Sorcerer, this means having at least 13 Strength and 13 Charisma. Additionally, multiclassing affects your spell slot progression. While you gain spell slots based on your combined levels in Paladin and Sorcerer, you prepare and learn spells separately for each class. This means you need to plan your spell selection carefully to ensure you have a balanced mix of offensive, defensive, and utility spells.
A specific example of this build in action would be a level 7 character with 5 levels in Paladin and 2 levels in Sorcerer. This character would have Extra Attack, access to level 3 spell slots, and Metamagic options. In combat, you could use your action to attack twice with your weapon, using Divine Smite on a critical hit for massive damage. As a bonus action, you could cast Shield to increase your AC or use Quicken Spell to cast a spell like Hold Person, setting up a guaranteed critical hit on your next turn.
Overall, the Paladin/Sorcerer multiclass is a powerful and versatile build that combines the best aspects of martial combat and spellcasting. With careful planning and resource management, this build can excel in both single-target damage and battlefield control, making it a formidable choice for any adventuring party in Baldur's Gate 3.
To start, you should focus on the Paladin class for the first few levels. Paladins gain access to heavy armor, martial weapons, and the Divine Smite feature at level 2, which allows you to expend spell slots to deal extra radiant damage on a melee attack. This is a cornerstone of the build, as it scales with the number of spell slots you have. By level 5, you will have Extra Attack, which significantly increases your damage output. At this point, you can consider multiclassing into Sorcerer.
When multiclassing into Sorcerer, choose the Draconic Bloodline subclass for the added durability and thematic synergy with the Paladin's divine nature. Draconic Resilience grants you additional hit points and a natural armor bonus, which complements the Paladin's tanky nature. Sorcerer levels will provide you with more spell slots, which can be used for both casting spells and fueling your Divine Smites. Additionally, Sorcerers gain access to Metamagic at level 3, allowing you to manipulate your spells in powerful ways. Twinned Spell, for example, lets you target two creatures with a single-target spell, which can be incredibly useful for buffing allies or debuffing enemies.
A key strategy for this build is to use your Sorcerer spell slots to cast spells like Shield and Mirror Image, which enhance your survivability in combat. You can also use spells like Hold Person or Blindness/Deafness to control the battlefield and set up devastating smites. The combination of high AC, strong defensive spells, and powerful offensive capabilities makes this build exceptionally versatile.
One important tip is to manage your resources carefully. Divine Smite is a powerful ability, but it consumes spell slots quickly. Use your Sorcerer spell slots judiciously, and consider using lower-level slots for smites while reserving higher-level slots for critical moments or powerful spells. Additionally, be mindful of your action economy. While you have access to both melee attacks and spells, you can only take one action per turn, so plan your actions carefully to maximize your impact.
A common mistake to avoid is neglecting your Charisma score. Both Paladin and Sorcerer abilities rely heavily on Charisma, so it should be your primary ability score. Aim for a Charisma score of at least 16 at character creation, and consider increasing it further as you level up. Strength is also important for melee attacks, but you can use spells like Shield of Faith or Divine Favor to compensate for a slightly lower Strength score.
Advanced techniques for this build include using Quicken Spell to cast a spell as a bonus action, allowing you to follow up with a melee attack on the same turn. This can be particularly devastating when combined with Divine Smite. Another technique is to use Twinned Spell to cast buffs like Haste on yourself and an ally, significantly increasing your combat effectiveness.
In terms of D&D rules, multiclassing requires meeting the ability score prerequisites for both classes. For Paladin/Sorcerer, this means having at least 13 Strength and 13 Charisma. Additionally, multiclassing affects your spell slot progression. While you gain spell slots based on your combined levels in Paladin and Sorcerer, you prepare and learn spells separately for each class. This means you need to plan your spell selection carefully to ensure you have a balanced mix of offensive, defensive, and utility spells.
A specific example of this build in action would be a level 7 character with 5 levels in Paladin and 2 levels in Sorcerer. This character would have Extra Attack, access to level 3 spell slots, and Metamagic options. In combat, you could use your action to attack twice with your weapon, using Divine Smite on a critical hit for massive damage. As a bonus action, you could cast Shield to increase your AC or use Quicken Spell to cast a spell like Hold Person, setting up a guaranteed critical hit on your next turn.
Overall, the Paladin/Sorcerer multiclass is a powerful and versatile build that combines the best aspects of martial combat and spellcasting. With careful planning and resource management, this build can excel in both single-target damage and battlefield control, making it a formidable choice for any adventuring party in Baldur's Gate 3.