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Oath of the Crown Paladin 6 / Hexblade Warlock 6

Baldur's Gate 3 Leveling Guide (Patch 8 / Hotfix 36)

Table of Contents

Build Overview

This build splits evenly between Oath of the Crown Paladin and Hexblade Warlock. The Paladin half provides Divine Smite, Extra Attack, heavy armor, and the game-changing Aura of Protection (+CHA modifier to all saving throws for you and nearby allies). The Hexblade half provides Bind Hexed Weapon (attack with CHA instead of STR), short-rest spell slots for more smites, Eldritch Blast as a ranged powerhouse, and the Accursed Spectre summon.

The level order below is designed so you never feel weak at any point and you get your bread-and-butter Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast + Repelling Blast online by level 3.

Race

Half-Orc remains the top pick. Savage Attacks adds an extra weapon damage die on crits, and Relentless Endurance keeps you standing once per long rest. Hexblade's Curse reduces your crit threshold, so Savage Attacks triggers more often.

Other strong picks: Zariel Tiefling (free Searing Smite/Branding Smite), Shield Dwarf (bonus HP, armor proficiency redundancy as safety net), Half-Elf (extra skill, Darkvision, Fey Ancestry).

Ability Scores (Point Buy)

Ability Score Notes
STR 8 Dump. Bind Hexed Weapon replaces this with CHA.
DEX 10 Can dump harder than the 1/11 build since you start in heavy armor.
CON 14 HP pool and Concentration saves.
INT 10 Dump.
WIS 12 Saving throws, Perception.
CHA 17 Primary stat. Hits 18 at first ASI, 20 at second.

Alternative: Drop WIS to 10, raise DEX to 12 for slightly better Initiative.

Background & Skills

Noble or Guild Artisan for Persuasion proficiency.

From Paladin (level 1): Persuasion, Athletics From Warlock (level 2): Arcana, Deception

Level-by-Level Progression

Level 1 -- Paladin 1 (Oath of the Crown)

Why start Paladin: Proficiency in ALL armor (including heavy), ALL weapons, shields, and WIS + CHA saving throw proficiencies. Starting Warlock would only give you light armor and simple weapons, forcing you to wait for Hexblade's medium armor. Starting Paladin means you're in plate mail from day one.

You gain:

  • Heavy Armor + Shield + Martial Weapon Proficiency
  • Lay on Hands (5 HP healing pool, cures diseases/poisons)
  • Divine Sense (detect celestials, fiends, undead nearby)
  • Righteous Clarity (Channel Divinity) -- Grant proficiency bonus to attack rolls for you or an ally. Strong buff for the whole early game.
  • Champion Challenge (Channel Divinity) -- Force nearby enemies to attack only you. Their attacks against other targets get Disadvantage.

Gameplay: Equip the heaviest armor you can find. Chain mail + shield = 18 AC at level 1. You're extremely durable but limited to basic weapon attacks. This is fine; you're tanking and using Channel Divinity to support the party.

Oath warning: Oath of the Crown tenets are Law, Loyalty, and Responsibility. Triggers that break your oath include: attacking the tieflings guarding Lae'zel's cage, evading arrest, prodding the Exhausted Bird, and breaking sworn promises. Play it straight and you'll be fine.

Level 2 -- Warlock 1 (Hexblade)

The build comes alive. You choose the Hexblade patron and immediately get a massive power spike.

You gain:

  • Hex Warrior -- Medium armor, shield, martial weapon proficiency (redundant with Paladin, but the real prize is below).
  • Bind Hexed Weapon -- Your main-hand weapon now uses Charisma for attack and damage. This is the build's engine. You can dump STR entirely.
  • Hexblade's Curse -- Bonus action to curse a target. Adds proficiency bonus to damage, reduces crit threshold by 1, heals you (Warlock level + CHA mod) when the cursed target dies.
  • Cantrips (pick 2):
    • Eldritch Blast -- Your ranged bread and butter. Scales with total character level (not Warlock level), so it gains beams at levels 5 and 11.
    • Booming Blade -- Melee cantrip with bonus thunder damage. Punishes enemies who move after being hit.
  • Spells Known (pick 2):
    • Shield (Hexblade expanded) -- Reaction, +5 AC until your next turn. Best defensive spell in the game.
    • Wrathful Smite (Hexblade expanded) -- Bonus action smite that adds psychic damage and can Frighten.

Gameplay shift: Bind your weapon immediately. Every melee attack now uses CHA. Open fights with Hexblade's Curse on the biggest threat.

Level 3 -- Warlock 2

Your ranged game becomes elite.

You gain:

  • 2nd Warlock Spell Slot -- Two short-rest slots now.
  • Eldritch Invocations (pick 2):
    • Agonizing Blast -- Adds CHA modifier to each Eldritch Blast beam. This is the single biggest damage increase for your ranged output.
    • Repelling Blast -- Each EB beam pushes the target up to 4.5m (15 ft). Combined with Agonizing Blast, EB becomes a ranged cannon that also controls positioning. Push enemies off cliffs, out of chokepoints, or away from your backline.
  • New Spell (pick 1):
    • Hex -- Bonus action, 1d6 necrotic on every hit against the target. Stacks with Hexblade's Curse. Moves to a new target when the current one dies.

This is your "safe" level. EB + Agonizing + Repelling is now your bread and butter for any situation where melee isn't ideal. At range, you're outputting 1d10 + CHA per beam with knockback. In melee, you have Bind Hexed Weapon + Hexblade's Curse + weapon attacks. You're solid everywhere.

Level 4 -- Paladin 2

Divine Smite unlocks. This is the payoff for the Paladin side of the build.

You gain:

  • Divine Smite -- When you hit with a melee weapon attack, spend a spell slot to deal bonus radiant damage (2d8 at 1st level, +1d8 per slot level above 1st, +1d8 vs undead/fiends). This works with your Warlock spell slots, which recharge on short rest. You now have renewable smite fuel.
  • Fighting Style -- Defense -- +1 AC while wearing armor. Pushes your AC even higher.
  • Paladin Spellcasting -- Access to Paladin spell list. Prepare spells from: Command, Compelled Duel (Crown oath spells, always prepared), Thunderous Smite, Cure Wounds, Bless.

Why this matters: Warlock slots recharge on short rest. You can smite twice, short rest, smite twice more, short rest, smite twice more -- all before needing a long rest. No other Paladin gets this kind of smite economy.

Level 5 -- Paladin 3

You gain:

  • Oath Spells: Command + Compelled Duel (always prepared, don't count against your limit)
  • Turn the Tide (Channel Divinity) -- Shout to heal all nearby non-enemy creatures. Small but useful mass heal at level 3.
  • 2nd Channel Divinity charge

Gameplay: You now have three Channel Divinity options (Righteous Clarity, Champion Challenge, Turn the Tide). Champion Challenge + Turn the Tide makes you a legitimate tank/healer hybrid. Command is excellent crowd control -- "Grovel" forces a target prone, granting your melee allies Advantage.

Level 6 -- Paladin 4

You gain:

  • Feat or ASI:
    • +2 CHA (17 -> 19) if you're planning to take another +2 at the next ASI to cap at 20, OR
    • Resilient (Constitution) -- +1 CON (14 -> 15), proficiency in CON saving throws. Massively improves Concentration on Hex/Bless. This is the competitive pick if you value consistency.
    • War Caster -- Advantage on Concentration saves, cast spells as opportunity attacks (Booming Blade AoO is devastating). Strong alternative.

Note: If you take Resilient (CON) here, your CHA stays at 17 until your Warlock ASI at level 10. This is a tradeoff -- your to-hit and save DC stay slightly lower, but your Concentration is rock-solid. If that bothers you, take +2 CHA here and Resilient later.

Level 7 -- Paladin 5

Major power spike: Extra Attack.

You gain:

  • Extra Attack -- Two weapon attacks per Action. Doubles your melee DPR and doubles the chances to proc Hexblade's Curse bonus damage.
  • 2nd-Level Paladin Spell Slots -- Your Paladin slots upgrade.
  • Oath Spells: Warding Bond + Spiritual Weapon (Crown, always prepared)
    • Spiritual Weapon is a bonus action summon that attacks independently. It lasts 10 turns and doesn't require Concentration. Excellent action economy.
    • Warding Bond links you to an ally, granting them +1 AC and resistance to all damage, but you take the same damage they take. Use on squishy backliners if you have HP to spare.

Combat rotation is now: Hexblade's Curse (bonus action) -> two weapon attacks with Bind Hexed Weapon -> each hit benefits from CHA to-hit/damage, Curse proficiency bonus damage, and crit threshold reduction. If the target dies, you heal. If you crit, you smite. If you need range, EB + Agonizing + Repelling handles it.

Level 8 -- Paladin 6

The reason you went 6 levels into Paladin.

You gain:

  • Aura of Protection -- You and all allies within 10 ft (3m) gain a bonus to ALL saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier. With 18 CHA, that's +4 to every save for your whole frontline. With 20 CHA, it's +5. This is widely considered the single most powerful party buff in BG3. It makes your entire group dramatically harder to CC, frighten, charm, or kill with save-or-suck spells.

This is the Paladin capstone for this build. From here, every remaining level goes into Warlock.

Level 9 -- Warlock 3

You gain:

  • Pact Boon -- Pact of the Tome -- Since you already have Extra Attack from Paladin 5, you do NOT need Pact of the Blade. Pact of the Tome gives you three additional cantrips from any class list (Guidance, Shillelagh, and a third of your choice). At Warlock 5, you'll also gain bonus spells: Animate Dead, Call Lightning, and Haste (usable once per long rest each, no slot cost).
    • Alternative: Pact of the Blade -- On Tactician/Balanced difficulty, Deepened Pact Extra Attack stacks with Paladin Extra Attack for 3 attacks per action at Warlock 5. On Honor Mode, they do NOT stack. If you're playing Tactician, Blade is the damage king. If Honor Mode, take Tome.
  • 2nd-Level Warlock Spell Slots -- Your two Warlock slots are now 2nd level, making Divine Smites hit for 3d8 radiant.
  • New Spell (pick 1):
    • Darkness -- Creates magical darkness. With Devil's Sight (you don't have it yet but will pick it up at Warlock 5), you attack with Advantage while enemies are blinded inside. For now, it's still useful as area denial.
    • Alternative: Misty Step -- Bonus action teleport. Great for repositioning in heavy armor.

Level 10 -- Warlock 4

You gain:

  • Feat or ASI:
    • +2 CHA -- If not at 20 yet, get there now. 20 CHA means +5 to attacks, damage, spell DC, Aura of Protection saves, and EB beams. This is the single highest-value ASI in the game for this build.
    • If already at 20 CHA: Savage Attacker (reroll weapon damage), Alert (+5 Initiative), or Great Weapon Master (if two-handing).
  • New Cantrip -- Pick up Minor Illusion or whatever utility you're missing.
  • New Spell (pick 1):
    • Counterspell -- Shut down enemy casters with your Reaction. Extremely valuable in Acts 2-3 where enemy spellcasters become more dangerous.
    • Hold Person -- Paralyze humanoid targets. Paralyzed enemies auto-fail STR/DEX saves, grant Advantage to attackers, and melee hits are automatic crits. Crit + Divine Smite = obliteration.

Level 11 -- Warlock 5

Big Warlock power spike.

You gain:

  • 3rd-Level Warlock Spell Slots -- Your two short-rest slots are now 3rd level. Divine Smite with a 3rd-level slot deals 4d8 radiant (5d8 vs undead/fiends). That's an average of 18-22.5 bonus radiant damage per smite, twice per short rest.
  • Deepened Pact -- If you took Pact of the Blade, you now get a second Extra Attack (3 total attacks on Tactician/Balanced, still 2 on Honor Mode). If you took Pact of the Tome, you instead gain once-per-long-rest access to Animate Dead, Call Lightning, and Haste.
  • Eldritch Invocation (pick 1):
    • Devil's Sight -- See in magical and nonmagical darkness. Now Darkness becomes a devastating combo: cast it, stand inside, attack with Advantage while enemies can't see you. If you already took this, consider:
    • Mire the Mind -- Cast Slow for free once per long rest. Reduces enemy actions and movement.
    • One with Shadows -- Turn invisible in dim light/darkness at will. Great for positioning.
  • New Spell (pick 1):
    • Hunger of Hadar -- Area denial: creates a zone of blindness, cold damage, and acid damage. Pairs with Devil's Sight. Enemies inside can't see, you can.
    • Fly -- Self-explanatory mobility. Strong in many Act 3 encounters.

Eldritch Blast also upgrades here to firing 2 beams (at character level 5 it was 2, at level 11 it becomes 3). Wait, EB scales at character levels 5 and 10. At character level 11, you have 3 beams. Each beam does 1d10 + 5 (CHA) + knockback. That's 3d10+15 force damage with three instances of 4.5m pushback per turn as a cantrip.

Level 12 -- Warlock 6

The Warlock capstone for this build.

You gain:

  • Accursed Spectre -- When a creature under your Hexblade's Curse dies, you raise an Accursed Spectre from its corpse as a Reaction (no action/bonus action/slot cost). The spectre fights alongside you with bonus HP and attack rolls based on your Warlock level and CHA. Less useful in Act 2 (many undead can't be turned into spectres) but excellent in Acts 1 and 3.
  • New Spell (pick 1):
    • Blink -- 50% chance each turn to vanish to the Ethereal Plane, making you completely untargetable. Stacks with your heavy armor AC, Shield spell, and Aura of Protection for absurd survivability.
    • Shadow Blade -- Summons a psychic damage weapon with Advantage in darkness. Strong with Devil's Sight, but eats your Concentration (so no Hex). Choose based on playstyle.

Respec Guidance

This leveling order is designed to avoid dead spots, so you should NOT need to respec. But if you want to squeeze out extra power during specific stretches, here's when Withers is worth visiting:

Don't respec at all if: You're comfortable with the Pal 1 -> Lock 2 -> Pal 5 -> Lock 4 progression above. It's smooth and you're never truly weak.

Consider respec at level 8 (Paladin 6 complete): If you started with a different Paladin oath (like Vengeance for the aggressive early game) and want to swap to Crown for its unique spells, respec here. Withers lets you keep your overall level and redistribute freely.

Consider respec at level 12 (build complete): Once you hit the final level, you can respec to rearrange your invocations, swap spells, or change your Pact Boon if you want to try Blade vs Tome. This is a safe time to experiment since you have all your power budgeted.

If you started pure Paladin by mistake: If you dumped 5-6 levels into Paladin before taking any Warlock, you'll feel the lack of EB + Agonizing painfully in ranged situations. Respec at Withers to follow the level order above, putting Warlock 1-2 at character levels 2-3.

Final Build Summary at Level 12

Feature Details
Class Split Paladin 6 (Oath of the Crown) / Warlock 6 (Hexblade)
Armor Heavy Armor + Shield (AC 21+ with Defense style)
Attacks per Turn 2 melee (Paladin Extra Attack) or 3x EB beams at range
Melee Damage per Hit Weapon die + CHA mod + Hexblade's Curse prof bonus + Hex 1d6
Ranged Damage per Beam 1d10 + CHA mod (Agonizing) + 4.5m push (Repelling)
Smite Economy 2x 3rd-level Warlock slots (short rest) + 2x 2nd-level + 2x 1st-level Paladin slots (long rest)
Party Aura Aura of Protection: +CHA mod to ALL saves in 10 ft
Key Defenses Heavy armor, Defense style, Shield spell, Blink, Lay on Hands, Champion Challenge

Gear Checklist by Act

ACT 1 -- Don't Leave Without These

Item Location Why It Matters
Chain Mail or better Starting equipment / vendors 16 AC base (+ shield = 18, +1 Defense = 19)
Phalar Aluve (longsword) Underdark, stuck in a stone near Selunite Outpost (X: 116, Y: -192). Pass a Religion or Strength check to pull it. Excellent longsword with party-wide buff/debuff aura. Sing mode adds 1d4 Thunder to allies' attacks; Shriek mode debuffs enemies. Best Act 1 weapon for this build.
Adamantine Splint Armor Grymforge, crafted at the Adamantine Forge using Splint Mould + Mithral Ore 18 AC, incoming crits become normal hits, attackers are knocked Reeling (-1 to attack rolls). Best armor until Act 3. The Splint Mould is in the lava area past the Grymforge waypoint. Mithral Ore is found in two deposits in the Underdark/Grymforge area.
Adamantine Shield Grymforge, Adamantine Forge using Shield Mould + Mithral Ore +2 AC, Shield Bash reaction that knocks attackers Reeling, crits become normal hits. If you can only forge two items, prioritize this + the Splint. Shield Mould is on the south side of the Grymforge near some Duergar.
Strange Conduit Ring Creche Y'llek, Inquisitor's Chamber, inside an Elegant Chest (X: 1360, Y: -657). Reach via Mountain Pass -> Rosymorn Monastery -> Creche. Need Githyanki Barrier Disruptor from Kith'rak Therezzyn (persuade or kill). +1d4 Psychic damage on all weapon attacks while Concentrating on a spell (Hex, Bless, etc.). Stays relevant the entire game.
Haste Helm Blighted Village, inside a locked chest in the Toll Collector's house (X: 29, Y: 405) At start of combat, gain 3 turns of Momentum (+1.5m movement). Nice quality of life for a heavy armor character.
Disintegrating Night Walkers (boots) Grymforge, looted from True Soul Nere after freeing/killing him Can't be Enwebbed, Entangled, or Ensnared; can cast Misty Step once per short rest. Huge mobility for a heavy armor build.
Sword of Justice (greatsword) Risen Road, looted from Anders (the "paladin" hunting Karlach). Can side with or against him. +1 greatsword that can cast Shield of Faith (Concentration, +2 AC). Good placeholder weapon if going two-handed.
Blood of Lathander (mace) Rosymorn Monastery, hidden chamber past the Creche. Requires placing the Dawnmaster's Crest in the correct slot. Careful: there's a trap that can destroy the weapon if you don't disarm it. Legendary mace: sunbeam once per long rest, auto-heal to 2-12 HP when downed (once per long rest), and undead/fiends within 6m at dawn take radiant damage. Incredible for a Paladin.
Infernal Iron (x3-4) Blighted Village basement (locked chest), Goblin Camp (Dror Ragzlin's hoard), Zhentarim Hideout (chest), Grymforge (Stonemason Kith, pass observation checks or buy) Give to Dammon in Act 2 for Flawed Helldusk Armor pieces AND Karlach's heart repairs. Collect all you can find.

ACT 2 -- Don't Leave Without These

Item Location Why It Matters
Potent Robe Last Light Inn, reward from Alfira after completing "Rescue the Tieflings" quest. Requires: Alfira alive from Act 1, side with the Grove, rescue tieflings from Moonrise Towers prison. Your cantrips deal bonus damage equal to CHA mod, AND you get CHA mod as temp HP each turn. Note: This is clothing (10 AC), so you won't wear it in this heavy armor build. Assign it to a party member who uses cantrips (Sorcerer, other Warlock, etc.). Critical party item.
Flawed Helldusk Armor set Dammon, the tiefling blacksmith at Last Light Inn. Give him Infernal Iron. He crafts: Chest (first iron), Helmet (second iron), Gloves (third iron). No boots exist for this set. Prioritize Karlach's heart repair first if she's in your party. 18 AC chest piece with fire retribution aura and piercing damage reduction. Good stopgap for other party members. The helmet gives +2 to spell saving throws and +1 CON saves.
Shield of Devotion Sold by Quartermaster Talli at Last Light Inn +1 shield that grants Aid (bonus max HP) once per long rest. Solid upgrade over a basic shield if you didn't get Adamantine Shield.
Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength Find in the House of Healing (Shadowed Battlefield area), inside a locked chest guarded by undead. Sets STR to 23. This build dumps STR, so these are for another party member. Don't leave them behind though.
Eversight Ring Found in the Shadowfell, during the Gauntlet of Shar (on the way to the Nightsong). Check the treasure after the trials. Immunity to Blindness. Backup for Devil's Sight or useful for party members who fight near your Darkness spells.
Moonlight Glaive or Shar's Spear of Evening Reward from the Nightsong quest, depending on your choices Both are strong Act 2 weapons. Shar's Spear is for Shadowheart; Moonlight Glaive is a solid reach weapon option.
Resonance Stone Mind Flayer Colony (end of Act 2, after chasing Ketheric through Moonrise Towers), in a small alcove SW of the Necrotic Laboratory near the Mind-Archive Interface (X: 692, Y: -114). Rare spawn, may appear on a table or as loot from Mind Flayers. Grants Steeped in Bliss in 9m radius: Advantage on physical checks but Vulnerability to psychic damage + Disadvantage on mental saves. Extremely niche. Useful for Shadow Blade builds that exploit psychic damage, but dangerous if enemies deal psychic damage (like Ketheric). Keep it but deploy carefully.
Spireshield Amulet Sold at Last Light Inn vendors Advantage on saving throws vs Blind, Stun, and Deafen. Nice defensive amulet.
Armour of Moonbasking Dropped from one of the Myrkulites in Moonrise Towers Good medium armor for a companion, grants temp HP when stepping into moonlight.

ACT 3 -- Endgame Priorities

Item Location Why It Matters
Helldusk Armor (full set) Chest piece: Looted from Raphael after defeating him in the House of Hope (access via Helsik at the Devil's Fee, Lower City). Helmet: Hidden vault in the House of Hope, opposite the Boudoir barrier. Interact with the Inert Infernal Gem (Arcana check). Gloves: Boudoir, behind a painting in a safe (key from Haarleep). Boots: Wyrm's Rock Fortress, Gortash's personal quarters (sneak in or kill Gortash). Best armor in the game. Chest: 21 AC, fire resistance, -3 all damage, Fly (no concentration). Helmet: Darkvision, +2 saves vs spells, immune to crits. Gloves: +1d6 fire on weapon hits. Boots: Hellcrawler teleport + Infernal Evasion reaction. The chest piece doesn't require heavy armor proficiency (any class can wear it), so consider whether it's better on this build or another party member.
Birthright (helmet) Found in the House of Hope, Raphael's treasure hoard +2 CHA. Can push you past 20 CHA to 22 for even more Aura of Protection / EB / smite damage.
Viconia's Walking Fortress (shield) Looted from Viconia de'Vir during Shadowheart's questline in Act 3 (House of Grief, Lower City) +3 shield with Spellguard (Advantage on saves vs spells), Warding Bond reaction, and Reflective Shell. Best shield in the game.
Gontr Mael (longbow) Steel Watch Foundry, looted from the Steel Watcher Titan boss Legendary longbow with Guiding Bolt aura. Even though you're melee-focused, this is too good to leave behind for a party member.
Nyrulna (trident) Circus of the Last Days in Rivington, win it from Akabi the Djinni's rigged wheel. Let him scam you, then pickpocket the real ticket. He teleports you to a jungle with the trident at the end. Legendary returning trident with +3, +1d6 thunder, Zephyr Connection (returns when thrown), and AoE thunder damage on throw. Excellent for this build or any martial party member.
Markoheshkir (quarterstaff) Sorcerous Sundries in Baldur's Gate, behind the vault doors. Solve the portal puzzle by going through the correct sequence of doors. Legendary quarterstaff for casters with free elemental attunement and a once-per-long-rest bonus spell. Better for a dedicated caster party member, but too valuable to miss.
Cloak of Displacement Sold by Entharl Danthelon in Danthelon's Dancing Axe shop, Wyrm's Crossing Attackers have Disadvantage against you until they hit you. Resets each turn. Stacks with your AC and Shield spell for extreme evasion.
Amulet of Greater Health House of Hope, found in the archive Sets CON to 23. Massive HP boost and +6 to CON saves for Concentration. If you took Resilient (CON), your Concentration saves become nearly unbreakable.
Helm of Balduran Wyrmway, reward for defeating Ansur the dragon beneath Wyrm's Rock +1 AC, +1 saves, immune to crits, heals 2 HP at start of turn, immune to stun. Top-tier helmet.

Key Tactics Reminders

  • Short rest after every 1-2 fights. Your Warlock slots (your smite fuel) recharge on short rest. Two short rests per long rest means up to 6 smites per day from Warlock slots alone, plus your Paladin slots.

  • Aura of Protection is always-on. Make sure it's activated. Keep your squishiest party members within 10 ft / 3m of you during fights. Position carefully.

  • EB is not just a fallback. 3 beams x (1d10 + 5 + knockback) is 3d10+15 force damage with triple displacement. Use it to shove enemies off cliffs, into hazards, or away from your backline. It's often better DPR than melee if you can't reach the target.

  • Stack Hexblade's Curse + Hex on priority targets. Turn 1: Curse (bonus action) + 2 attacks. Turn 2: Hex (bonus action) + 2 attacks. Now every hit does weapon + CHA + prof bonus (Curse) + 1d6 necrotic (Hex).

  • Smite on crits. Hexblade's Curse reduces your crit range by 1 (crit on 19-20). Wait to see if you crit before declaring a smite, since smite damage dice are doubled on a crit.

  • Don't forget Spiritual Weapon. It costs a bonus action to cast (Paladin 2nd-level slot) but then attacks on its own each turn with only a bonus action. It lasts 10 turns with no Concentration. Excellent action economy when you don't need Hex/Curse on a given turn.

Party Gear Assignments (8-Person Party)

This section resolves gear conflicts across all 8 party builds so nothing is double-assigned.

Items thisThis buildBuild GETS:

Gets

  • Helldusk Armor (chest piece) -- You are the primary frontline tank and already have heavy armor proficiency. The -3 all damage, fire resistance, and free Fly (no concentration) are best utilized on the character who is always in melee with Aura of Protection active.

  • Birthright (helmet, +2 CHA) -- CHA is your attack stat, spell stat, save DC, AND your Aura of Protection modifier. +2 CHA here affects your entire party's saving throws. Nobody benefits more from this helmet.

  • Viconia's Walking Fortress (shield) -- +3 shield with Spellguard (Advantage on saves vs spells) and Warding Bond reaction. Best shield in the game on the party's primary tank.

  • Strange Conduit Ring -- +1d4 psychic while Concentrating (on Hex). You attack twice per turn with bound weapon + you're always concentrating on something. Strong fit.

Items thisThis buildBuild PASSESPasses to others:

Others

  • Helldusk Gloves -> Karlach (Throwbarian). She makes 4-6 attacks per turn vs your 2. The +1d6 fire per hit is worth far more on her. Your backup: Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength (if available, but STR is irrelevant for you) or Gloves of Dexterity (set DEX to 18 for Initiative).

  • Helldusk Helmet -> Gloomstalker or Life Cleric. Your backup: Birthright is better for you anyway (+2 CHA).

  • Helldusk Boots -> Astarion (Hellcrawler teleport fits his mobility). Your backup: Boots of Persistence (Freedom of Movement + Legendary Resistance).

  • Markoheshkir -> Shadow Sorcerer. Your backup: You don't need a staff. Use a bound one-handed weapon + Viconia's Walking Fortress.

  • Amulet of Greater Health -> Life Cleric or Gale. Your backup: Amulet of the Devout (+1 spell save DC if found) or any defensive amulet.

  • Potent Robe -> Shadow Sorcerer. You wear heavy armor.

  • Robe of the Weave -> Gale. You wear heavy armor.

Build designed for BG3 Patch 8 (April 2025) through Hotfix 36 (March 2026). No gameplay-altering patches have been released since Patch 8; all 2026 hotfixes are bug/crash fixes only.

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