Legendary swords waiting in anvils. Burnished plate armor resistant to dragon fire. No true knight is complete without shining armor to crusade in!
Paladins are one of Dungeons & Dragons' most beloved classes, combining the god-given miracles of clerics with the martial discipline of a fighter, thus becoming an adventurer’s most trusted ally.
Finsh your prayers, sharpen your blades, today we ride into ancient tombs and dragon guarded lairs in search of the best equipment for your Paladin to quest for in 5th edition.
Strap on to your saddle, for we make the gods proud as we finish the holy quest…all the while filling our pockets with powerful artifacts, for posterity of course. We’ll be using options from the Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG).
It’s important to remember that magical items are optional in 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, so make sure your campaign is making use of them before making puppy eyes and bringing your DM their favorite burger for one of these items, which are in no particular order when it comes to their use.
10. Holy Avenger
Forged to battle all forms of evil, this sword was blessed by the gods for their champions to smite the legions of darkness into submission.
As a paladin exclusive weapon, the Holy Avenger is the 5th edition equivalent to Excalibur on steroids.
With a +3 bonus to attack and damage, this magical weapon cleaves through fiends and undead like butter, dealing a whopping extra 2d10 radiant damage against them, as well as bathing nearby allies in an aura of protection.
Why the Holy Avenger is great.
- The best defense is a good offense. As a legendary weapon, the Holy Avenger has the highest possible bonus to attack and damage a weapon can have. This means that, combined with your paladin's divine smite feature, your damage output will reach new heights!
- Extra utility. Besides eviscerating enemies with ease, allies within 10 feet of you while you wield this holy relic benefit from an aura that gives them Saving throws against Spells and other magical effects, keeping them safe while you keep your foes away.
Holy Avenger details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Holy%20Avenger#content
9. Sentinel Shield
With an eldritch eye emblazoned on it, this shield protects their wielder in ways no other can, by heightening their senses so no blow comes undetected!
The reason for the Sentinel Shield’s awesome potential is that, while wielding it, you get advantage on all initiative checks, which is incredibly handy, and you have advantage on all Wisdom checks that involve perception, benefits so great that they are comparable to a feat, or even better.
Why the Sentinel Shield is great.
- Last? not anymore. Tired of rolling low on the initiative? We got you covered. This bad boy grants your paladin advantage on all initiative checks, giving you a second chance to strike fast in combat.
- Attunement free. Unlike most wondrous items, the Sentinel Shield does not take up an attunement slot, that’s right, you can benefit from this powerful magical item without it affecting your ability to equip another.
Sentinel Shield details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:sentinel-shield
8. Winged Boots.
Wounded, the dragon took to the skies, a red gemstone against the blazing sunlight, there was no way the knight could slay it then, no sword could reach it…those were its last thoughts before the knight’s boots sprouted wings, propelling the holy warrior towards the wurm’s neck, severing its head.
Tired of seeing your enemies fly away? Winged boots are the solution to your problem. These bad boys grant your paladin a flying speed equal to your walking speed for 4 hours, much longer than any combat normally lasts, and longer than the fly spell does.
Why Winged Boots are great.
- Much needed verticality. The paladin’s ability kit is geared towards a melee fighting style, which means that, once your foe is out of reach, it is extremely difficult to pursue. These boots solve that issue, by having a flying speed, you no longer need to rely on ranged combat to deal with these foes.
- Extra versatility. A lack of mobility is our paladin’s main weakness more often than not, even outside of combat encounters. The ability to fly allows us to circumvent extremely dangerous situations, and not only that, doing so for 4 hours straight lets us traverse severely long distances with relative ease.
Winged Boots details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Winged%20Boots#content
7. Defender
Taking the saying “the best offense is a good defense” to a whole new level.
This powerful blade, which can be any sword, allows their wielder to sacrifice some of their damage in exchange for a better Armor Class (AC).
This +3 legendary blade lets your paladin transfer some or all of the sword’s bonus to your AC instead of using it on an attack, and guess what? It stacks with the AC bonus from wielding a shield, and even the shield of faith spell, raising your AC through the roof.
Why the Defender is great.
- Superb AC. Since it’s a flat bonus, the Defender stacks with both a shield, which gives a +2 to AC, and the shield of faith spell, which grants another +2 to AC. This means that, if you wanted to focus on defense, you could give yourself a +7 bonus to Armor Class and become an impregnable fortress of holy wrath.
- A broad spectrum. Since the defender can be any sword, you don’t have to worry about its shape or form, a sensible Dungeon Master will make sure to make the holy blade from the prophecy one you, conveniently, feel comfortable using.
Defender details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Defender#content
6. Animated Shield
After cleaving a fiend in half, the avatar of the All-Father stands their ground, wielding their flaming greatsword with ease, one might think their back an easy target, so tantalizingly open…until a flying shield stops the assassins blow from an impossible angle, letting them gulp one last time before their head says goodbye to their neck.
Are you a fan of grabbing the biggest, meanest weapon around and crushing your foes with it, but, do you like seeing your Armor Class (AC) be so high your DM has to open the fun part of the Monster Manual to challenge you? Then an Animated Shield is right up your alley!
Why the Animated Shield is great.
- Two hands? No problem. An animated shield is essentially a hands-free +2 bonus to AC, which means your paladin can wield the holiest two-handed weapon it can find to cleave its foes and more!
Animated Shield details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Animated%20Shield#content
5. Necklace of Prayer Beads
Adventuring is a hazardous task. Grievous wounds, impassable grounds, and disheartened nights, all of these could be willed away by prayers, but can also be solved by miracles.
This necklace has 3 to 6 magic beads that contain divine magic. By attuning to it, your paladin can greatly increase their spell-casting prowess…as a bonus action!
Why the Necklace of Prayer Beads is great
- Smiting intensifies. Divine smite is a paladin’s bread and butter. The ability to cast more spells without spending spell slots means that you can devote your divine fuel to melting your foes away with divinely infused strikes!
- Action economy. Each bead contains a spell that you can cast as a Bonus Action. This is glorious for anyone capable of doing it for you still have your Action free to do whatever you’d like after casting a spell which would usually be the main dish of your turn.
Necklace of Prayer Beads details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Necklace%20of%20Prayer%20Beads#content
4. Sun blade
If you believe photon cutlasses and medieval fantasy cannot mix, yet dearly wish they would, then 5th edition’s gods have a blessing to give: The Sun blade.
When deactivated, a Sun Blade appeared to be a longsword hilt with no blade, however, its wielder can cause a blade of pure sunlight to manifest, melting through their foes with divine radiance!
This +2 rare weapon only requires attunement and that you are proficient with longswords or shortswords, which you are as the avatar of a deity’s might. Not only does it illuminate the area around you, but this blade also deals radiant damage and is particularly harmful to the undead.
Why the Sun Blade is great.
- Undead’s bane. When you hit an undead with it, that target takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage. This means that you’re not only dealing a rarely resisted damage, but you also are the meanest foe any undead could face.
- Elegant and Civilized. Unlike most other longswords, the Sun Blade has the finesse property, this allows you to use your Dexterity instead of Strength when attacking, letting your dexterous paladin wield a blade worthy of its holy purpose!
Sun Blade details: https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/sun-blade
3. Armor of Invulnerability
Frightened, the horde of greenskins threw themselves bodily against the gates, but they didn’t budge. The knight should be dead, they had thrown everything they had at them, yet they still advanced. Fewer by the second, the orcs finally begged, they shouldn’t have burned that village, but no, this was no justice, this was vengeance.
This set of plate armor was forged by a clan of dwarves, wrought from the finest alloys, the Armor of Invulnerability makes its wearer resistant to all forms of non-magical damage, that’s right, even lightning and flame as long as it's natural.
As if it weren’t enough, our paladin can make themselves immune to non-magical damage for 10 minutes, and, since most enemies in 5th edition don’t have the means to deal magical damage, this turns you into an undying crusader!
Why the Armor of Invulnerability is great.
- Being durable. Since it makes you resistant to all non-magical damage, this means you now have effectively twice as many Hit Points against mundane damage, letting you outlive your enemies.
- Great AC. Since the Armor of Invulnerability is a set of plate and paladins are proficient with heavy armor, this means you’ll have an AC of at least 18.
Armor of Invulnerability details: https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/armor-of-invulnerability
2. Cloak of Displacement
Fashioned out of the hide of a monstrosity, this billowing cloak offers so much more than up to date fashion.
While you wear this cloak, all creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against you, but if you take damage, the property ceases to function until the start of your next turn. Since paladins are proficient with heavy armor and shields, as well as gain access to defensive spells, this makes you incredibly hard to hit!
Since it gives disadvantage to all attacks, this includes spells, meaning that you’ll incredibly lower the chances any attack will even scratch you.
Why the Cloak of Displacement is great.
- Blur on demand. This cloak essentially gives your paladin the benefits of the blur spell, except it does not require concentration and lasts virtually forever!
- A durable bulwark. As a paladin, you’ll have about 16 to 18 Armor Class (AC) or higher, depending on your armor choice. Mathematically, disadvantage on attacks against you is roughly equivalent to a whopping +3 bonus to AC, making you incredibly hard to hit.
Cloak of Displacement details: https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/cloak-of-displacement
1. Spellguard Shield
A Spellguard Shield has you covered. While wielding one, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, but wait, there’s more! Spell attacks also have disadvantage against you.
Why the Spellguard Shield is great.
- Spells are a threat. Spellcasters, especially high-level ones, have access to magic which can render even the bravest adventurer useless. Permanent advantage when saving against them, coupled with the paladin’s aura of protection gives you a good chance to succeed reliably.
Spellguard Shield details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Spellguard%20Shield#content
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