Best 15 Paladin Spells in 5E Ranked | Paladin Spells 5E Guide

Welcome to our top ten Paladin spell list! We went through every available spell that a Paladin can get their hands on, and came up with some great options for new Paladins to look into. While there may not be as many options compared to Sorcerer spells in 5e, Paladins still have some great options. Paladins are Defenders with solid buff options, and that’s what should be focused on when adding to your Paladin’s abilities; Defensive options with some problem solving applications. So without further ado, see our Top 10 Paladin Spells 5E Rankings.

15. Dispel Magic

• School: Abjuration
• Level: 3rd
• Casting Time: One Action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: Verbal, Somatic
• Duration: Instantaneous

The first entry on our paladin spells 5E list is Dispel Magic. Choose one spell that is still in effect within 120 feet. If that spell is at Dispel Magic’s level (that you cast it at) or lower, then the spell automatically ends. If it’s at a higher level, you roll a d20 + Charisma against a DC of ten plus the spell’s level. Really good for stopping negative effects, such as Hold Person or Reverse Gravity! However, a full caster can do this job much better.

14. Shield of Faith

• School: Abjuration
• Level: 1st
• Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (small parchment with some holy text)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 Minutes

Give a target of your choice within range a plus 2 bonus to their AC for as long as the spell is in effect. The spell will last for ten minutes, which means that the odds of this spell ending before the end of the battle or whatever situation you are in will be slim to none. A 10% chance to dodge hits is nothing to sneeze at! And it just takes a bonus action, making it easy to throw on anyone at will.

13. Crusader’s Mantle

• School: Evocation
• Level: 3rd
• Casting Time: 1 Action
• Range: Self (30 foot sphere)
• Components: V
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Crusader’s Mantle is like a souped-up version of Divine Favor. Holy power emanates in a 30-foot sphere around you after casting it. As long as you concentrate on this spell, friendly creatures within that sphere, including yourself, gain an additional 1d4 radiant damage with each successful weapon attack. With multiple marital characters nearby, this can add up quickly.

12. Compelled Duel

• School: Enchantment
• Level: 1st
• Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You force an enemy to duel you. On a failed Wisdom save, it takes disadvantage on attack rolls against other creatures, and must make another Wisdom save if it wishes to move 30 feet away. You must attack the target and stay close to it, or else the spell ends. Other allies can’t attack it either. Really good way to keep a threatening enemy focused on you while your allies deal with casters and other threats. However, good positioning and timing will be key to make this effect as potent as it possibly can be.

11. Find Steed

• School: Conjuration
• Level: 2nd
• Casting Time: 1 Action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: Verbal, Somatic
• Duration: Instantaneous

You summon a ride-able spirit with an intelligent score of 6 that can communicate with you telepathically as long as it is within 1 mile of you. This Steed takes the shape of any ride-able creature, with the final decision being the Dungeon Masters in regards to if the shape is ride-able. While riding the Steed, any spell that only targets you can also target your Steed. Once the Steed reaches zero hit points, it will disappear. This can grant you solid mobility and give your enemies something to swing at that isn’t you. Good combo!

10. Command

• School: Enchantment
• Level: 1st
• Casting Time: 1 Action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: Verbal
• Duration: 1 Round

Command is a powerful spell that could be useful from end to end in a long campaign. This spell allows you to give a one word command to a creature within 60 feet of you. The key to this spell is creativity, as you can accomplish a great deal with a single word command. Casting it at higher levels also allows you to target more than one creature.

9. Aid

• School: Abjuration
• Level: 2nd
• Casting Time: 1 Action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (a tiny strip of white cloth)
• Duration: 8 hours

Increase the maximum and current hit point level for all of your targets by plus five points. You can target up to three willing characters, and an additional character per level above the second you cast this spell at. These hit points can be healed if necessary. This is essentially a 15 health heal, guaranteed, with a max HP boost. Good value! It’s best as a preparation spell, but can be used to pick people off the ground if necessary.

8. Cure Wounds

• School: Evocation
• Level: 1st
• Casting Time: One Action
• Range: Touch
• Components: Verbal, Somatic
• Duration: Instantaneous

A character within touching distance heals 1d8 plus your spellcasting modifier, which is the Charisma modifier for the Paladin class in 5e. If you set Cure Wounds in a spell slot above the first level, you will get to roll an additional 1d8 per level. It is extremely important to have a healer in the party, and playing as one part-time with a Paladin is better than having no healers in the party.

7. Branding Smite

• School: Evocation
• Level: 2nd
• Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
• Range: Self
• Components: Verbal
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Near the top of our Paladin spells 5E list is Branding Smite. This spell lasts one minute, and your next weapon attack after casting will deal an additional 2d6 radiant damage and cause the enemy to glow. That damage increases by 1d6 per level above the second that you cast this spell at. On top of that, this spell can be cast as a bonus action, so your Paladin will not skip a beat when it comes to combat. This damage is great all-around, and gives you some utility against invisibility.

Honorable mentions go to Wrathful Smite, which can really mess up a target’s action economy for slightly less damage and scaling potential. Blinding Smite and Staggering Smite are higher level smites that can do slightly more impactful effects on a fight.

6. Death Ward

• School: Abjuration
• Level: 4th
• Casting Time: One Action
• Range: Touch
• Components: Verbal, Somatic
• Duration: 8 Hours

Death Ward makes for a great backup plan any time your paladin is heading into battle. This spell lasts for 8 hours and does not require concentration, and for as long as it is active you are much harder to kill. When you would normally hit 0 hp, the effects of this spell reduces you to 1 hp instead. This only prevents you from death once per casting, but that could be a game-changer in many campaigns.

5. Banishment

• School: Abjuration
• Level: 4th
• Casting Time: One Action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (a distasteful item to the target)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You send one target to another plane of existence unless they successfully make a Charisma saving throw. If the target belongs to a plane of existence that is not the one you are currently on, they will be sent to their home plane. If they belong to the plane that you are currently on, they will be sent to a harmless demiplane. For each level above the fourth, you get to target another character with Banishment.

Throwing someone out of combat is good. For instance, if you’re fighting two people – a healer and a damage-dealer – sending the healer out of the fight can allow you to deal with the issue much more easily.

4. Revivify

• School: Necromancy
• Level: 3rd
• Casting Time: One Action
• Range: Touch
• Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (a diamond worth 300 gold that the spell consumes)
• Duration: Instantaneous

And number one on our Paladin spells 5e ranking list is Revivify. You revive a dead character back to life, leaving them with one hit point. The target cannot be dead for longer than one minute. It goes without saying how this is a powerful option for every party. Paladin spells are mostly for damage-dealing, rather than utility. Spending your slots on something as important as bringing someone back to life is well worth it! Now, the Cleric can keep theirs for a different scenario.

3. Summon Celestial

• School: Conjuration
• Level: 5th
• Casting Time: 1 Action
• Range: 90 feet
• Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (golden reliquary worth 500gp)
• Duration: Concentration, up to one hour

Often, having an additional ally in combat can turn the tide in a tough fight. There are few allies I would rather have on the battlefield than a celestial being. You can essentially summon an angel to fight by your side for up to an hour. These creatures are powerful, and their strength scales as you cast at higher levels.

2. Bless

• School: Abjuration
• Level: 1st
• Casting Time: 1 Action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (holy water)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 Minute

Whenever an affected character makes an attack roll or a saving throw during combat, they can roll an additional 1d4 before or after the initial roll, then add the result to their final outcome. This can be done as many times as the character wants as long as the spell is in effect. You can target up to three characters within range, and an additional one for each spellcasting level you have above the first. You’re adding an average of 2.5 to dice rolls, which is fantastic! Great use of Concentration, though the effect is rather minor.

1. Find Greater Steed

• School: Abjuration
• Level: 4th
• Casting Time: 10 Minutes
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: Verbal, Somatic
• Duration: Instantaneous

We put Find Greater Steed at the top of the list for a few reasons. First, it’s a great spell in general. You cast it once and get a powerful flying mount. What’s not to love about that? This spell is also great because it addresses one of the primary weaknesses of the Paladin, which is limited access to flight. Paladins are great up close and personal, but greater steed gives you some options for taking on foes like dragons that aren’t going to just stand in front of you.