The holy blade of the Paladin cannot be stopped. However, in Dungeons & Dragons 5E… Getting the holy blade might be a minor problem. The Paladin loves magic items, as they can help cover some weaknesses in the Paladin’s gameplan. Because the Paladin needed more reasons to be an unstoppable beast! Our guide to the Best D&D 5E Paladin Magic Items will help you think about what loot you’re picking up.
The Best Magic Items for Paladins in 5E
When collecting magic items, even the best Paladin oaths should prioritize two different things; mobility and damage. The Paladin is gloriously bulky on the durability side, so getting into the fight and making a difference is important. That being said… Keep up with your +1, +2, and +3 Full Plates. Having good AC is important for a Paladin.
Combat Magic Items
Adamantine Armor
Other than gunning for +3 Armors, Adamantine might be something to look for. The ability to completely negate critical hits is fairly important. This will turn an unfortunate roll on a magic spell attack into no big deal. Considering you’re going to be the one eating the bulk of attacks, you might want to avoid the negative effects of natural 20s whenever possible. And, here is your opportunity! Just make sure either your DM is cool with adding enchantments to existing magical items, or that you’re alright with no numerical bonuses on this thing.
Holy Avenger
The traditional Paladin Sword. This +3 weapon combines the damage of a pure Numerical weapon with the utility of an anti-magic item. Instead of just standard anti-magic, however… You get an aura of it! That’s really strong! Up to 30 feet of advantage on saves against spells is a big deal. The weapon also hates fiends and undead, two pretty standard enemies for late game 5E. Overall, this is a very, very substantial goal to work towards.
Scimitar of Speed
For the Dexterity Paladin, this isn’t bad. Paladin’s use their bonus action mostly on magic. The Scimitar of Speed gives you a bonus action that you can use every single turn without spending resources. While the Paladin doesn’t really rely on making attacks to deal damage – instead relying on Smite – this puts a little cherry on top of your round that shouldn’t be neglected.
Sentinel Shield
Most Paladins use Shields, so magical shields are extremely important. Your choice in shield matters a lot, and a +3 Shield is normally what you’re looking for. However, early on (and potentially later!), the Sentinel Shield is perfect. You get advantage on Initiative, which means you have a higher chance to rush into a fight, become a threat, and then Smite a priority target.
Winged Boots
For melee characters like the redemption paladin, flying enemies are a chore. You’re reliant on your team to back you up if you ever want to fight them. So, Winged Boots offers a tangible solution to your problem. 30 feet of flight isn’t much, but you just need to get adjacent to the flying enemy to be a tangible threat. This item should be one of the first things you beg for.
Other Magic Items
Belt of Giant Strength
All Paladins would love to get a Belt of Giant Strength. At Storm Giant Level, you get a +9 Strength Modifier… Which is absurd. This is a big boost in accuracy and damage that you should definitely look for when possible. If you have a Fighter subclass in your party, however, this should probably go to them first.
Helm of Teleportation
Paladins are Zealous defenders of the weak, but… It pays to have an escape plan. The Paladin tends to be the slowest class on the battlefield, so the Helm of Teleportation offers a movement speed option that doesn’t rely on your actual movement speed. Hopefully, you won’t need to carry anybody out when you teleport. Your allies are going to need their own ways out.
Ring of Spell Storing
The Ring of Spell Storing is a utility item for the Paladin. With this item, you can cast any spell on the Paladin list without fail. This is great for if you like the Paladin’s utility spells, but you like to spam Smite. However, this should only be taken if you don’t need to worry about your casters using it. The Paladin spell list is great, but standard casters tend to have better emergency spells than you do.
Necklace of Fireballs
The Paladin is exceptional at dealing single-target damage. It is arguably the class with the highest burst damage per action in the game… Without death effects in the mix. However, it suffers quite a lot when surrounded by a swarm of low health enemies, very similar to most classes. With only two swings a round, and only one Opportunity Attack, your options are limited. The Necklace of Fireballs lets you play ball a little bit in this scenario. While Fireball will likely be outscaled by the time you get this, being able to throw the whole necklace and cast a level 9 Fireball is… really fun.
Necklace of Prayer Beads
The Necklace of Prayer Beads is unique to religious classes. For the Paladin, this allows you to spend your Bonus Action on extremely good spells. Being able to cast Bless as a Bonus Action is solid; being able to cast Planar Ally as a bonus action is absolutely absurd. Depending on what this necklace rolls, your Paladin will have absolutely ridiculous Standard Actions.
Conclusion
The Paladin needs Winged Boots if it ever wants to be a threat in mid-game combat situations. However, other than a get-in tool… The Paladin doesn’t really need magical items. Our Paladin 5E Guide can show you how to build an optimal character regardless of magic items. You can still do things to improve your utility and durability, though. So, look for any items that can help you do your primary jobs.
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