Pally spelll system is a bit wonky

[CyberThread]

You gain the normal spell slot option , but it has a prepared spell wonky bit.

Choose a number of paladin spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your paladin level rounded down?

So a 5th level pally with 14 charisma, would know 4 spells all could be 2nd or 1st , but you only get to cast them as per your spell slots.


What do you folks think , seems unusual, just to be unusual?

[T.G. Oskar]

Same as Wizard? Wizards can only memorize a number of spells equal to their Wizard level + their Intelligence modifier. At 1st level, that might mean at least 2 spells (with Int 12, though why you'd want Int 12 goes beyond me...) and a maximum of 6 spells...and the Wizard only gets 2 spell slots of 1st level. Eventually, the number of slots overcomes the number of spells you can memorize per day.

That depends on whether they can prepare the spells (shifting their list daily) or simply know them, as per the Sorcerer. If the former, then Paladins are now quite flexible in their spellcasting potential, even though they also know a few spells from memory thanks to the Oaths; if the latter, then they have a unique form of spellcasting that combines spontaneous spellcasting (or what passes for spontaneous spellcasting in 5e) with domains tacked in.

What really makes it wonky is spending spell slots to Smite. Thus, you have a competition between spells: do you use Divine Smite, do you smite through your spells, or do you use your other spells to provide a buff, heal, or do something else? That's the wonky part IMO.

[Yuki Akuma]

Let's compare some classes and their spellcasting! Because why not?

Bard: At level five, a Bard knows 8 spells, and has nine spell slots to cast them with.

Cleric: can prepare Wis Mod + class level spells, but also gain two free spells prepared for every spell level up to 5th. That is between 11 and 16 spells prepared at level five, at which point they have only nine spell slots to play with.

Druid: Same as Cleric.

Eldritch Knight Fighter: A 5th level EK Fighter knows 4 spells and has three spell slots.

Paladin: Cha Mod + half Paladin level, plus two free spells per spell level from his Oath. At fifth level, that's between 6 and 11 spells prepared, with six spell slots to play with.

Ranger: At fifth level, a Ranger knows 4 spells, and has six spell slots to cast them with.

Arcane Trickster Rogue: A 5th level AT Rogue knows 4 spells and has three spell slots.

Sorcerer: At fifth level, the Sorcerer knows 6 spells and has nine spell slots.

Warlock: At fifth level, Warlock knows 6 spells and has two spell slots. Yes, two. At least he recharges spell slots with a short rest.

Wizard: Wizards prepare Int mod + level spells. At fifth level, that's between 5 and 10 spells, and he has nine spell slots to play with.


So, what to take away from this? Well, at fifth level, Clerics, Druids and Paladins all can prepare more spells than they can actually cast in a day. The only classes that can't prepare more spells than they have slots are the Bard, Sorcerer and Ranger - who have limited spells known.

[Chadamantium]

At first I thought that made sense considering paladin isn't a full caster. Then I went and checked the PHB for the ranger and its casting was different from that. Maybe they're looking to vary each class's casting from each other in some way.

I'm still thumbing through the PHB so I'm still figuring this and that out right now.