spell selection for high level paladin

[dehro]

Hi there,
I'm playing a level 16 paladin warforged, oath of the crown.

he's got sentinel, warcaster and shield mastery as feats
the party consists of a monk, way of the shadows, purple dragon knight, barbarian (can't remember which subclass), squishy cleric and necromancer (who walks around with a simulacrum for double damage)

so we're melee heavy, and just back from tackling the avatar of a god... I tend to try to soak up more damage than the others do, which means that I am often in need of healing sometimes relatively early in the combat (our DM doesn't pull punches )

what are good spells for a high level paladin to have prepared?

[Eldariel]

So, from Oath spells you have:
3rd Command, Compelled Duel
5th Warding Bond, Zone of Truth
9th Aura of Vitality, Spirit Guardians
13th Banishment, Guardian of Faith

That's a pretty solid list all things considered. Aura of Vitality is the most efficient healing effect in the game, Spirit Guardians is the best tanking and frontlining tool, period. Banishment is just a solid spell and Command and Warding Bond slot in nicely as non-Concentration powers.

To that end, we can kinda assume your Concentration is spoken for based on your Oath spells alone. You probably have already summoned your Greater Steed. You can afford to prepare situational spells that you might need under special circumstances:
- Death Ward (well, it's just a generally powerful spell but of course you aren't optimal caster for it since you have limited high level slots)
- Revivify (it's important to have handy, of course)
- Aid (again, a nice stackable buff)
- Healing Word (pretty gimme)

It's not necessarily a bad idea to prepare some debuffs and maybe a single target damage booster (though they're pretty redundant with magic weapons). Overall, your Oath list and ability to Smite already cover most bases so you have room to do kinda whatever with your spells prepared. I wouldn't prepare Smite spells simply because they compete with Concentration and you're generally better off with Spirit Guardians or potentially a friend protection aura. Dvinations are always good and since you have leeway, might as well prepare some.

[P. G. Macer]

So, from Oath spells you have:
3rd Command, Compelled Duel
5th Warding Bond, Zone of Truth
9th Aura of Vitality, Spirit Guardians
13th Banishment, Guardian of Faith

That's a pretty solid list all things considered. Aura of Vitality is the most efficient healing effect in the game, Spirit Guardians is the best tanking and frontlining tool, period. Banishment is just a solid spell and Command and Warding Bond slot in nicely as non-Concentration powers.

To that end, we can kinda assume your Concentration is spoken for based on your Oath spells alone. You probably have already summoned your Greater Steed. You can afford to prepare situational spells that you might need under special circumstances:
- Death Ward (well, it's just a generally powerful spell but of course you aren't optimal caster for it since you have limited high level slots)
- Revivify (it's important to have handy, of course)
- Aid (again, a nice stackable buff)
- Healing Word (pretty gimme)

It's not necessarily a bad idea to prepare some debuffs and maybe a single target damage booster (though they're pretty redundant with magic weapons). Overall, your Oath list and ability to Smite already cover most bases so you have room to do kinda whatever with your spells prepared. I wouldn't prepare Smite spells simply because they compete with Concentration and you're generally better off with Spirit Guardians or potentially a friend protection aura. Dvinations are always good and since you have leeway, might as well prepare some.

(emphasis mine)

Paladins don’t get Healing Word, only Cure Wounds.

[Mork]

In general I would leave the aid and death ward to the cleric. But with the rest of the suggestions I agree.
Furthermore taking along one of aura of life, purity and power(lvl5) can be very usefull depending on the kinds of opponents you are fighting. They will compete with spirity guardians for your concentration. But auro of power is very good if you're up against a lot of casters.

Furthermore, holy weapons is very nice on a monk. Getting 4 attacks per round +2d8 radiant damage is nice damage boost, and will help the monk also feel useful for a change :P

And bless is just always good. Maybe just on your melee buddies, maybe on everyone depending on how many saves have to be rolled, and what the cleric is already doing

[CheddarChampion]

Command is really useful. Not for getting someone to do something but because it denies them their turn.
Shield of Faith is good when you're trying to be an AC tank, especially if your AC is already high.
Protection from Evil and Good is great when you're fighting aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, or undead. Cast it on yourself to tank or cast it on the monk, fighter, or barbarian so they don't get charmed, frightened, or possessed.

If your cleric has Revivify and Raise Dead covered, you can back them up with Gentle Repose.
If you don't already have a magic weapon, Magic Weapon is good.
Does your DM like to use status effects? Get Lesser Restoration.

Fighting something really powerful? Do you have a good spell save DC? If you answered yes to both of these questions, Blinding Smite is a bit of a gamble but boy can it pay off.
Dispel Magic is good ins situations where you need to get rid of a lot of spells or if you want to remove buffs from an enemy.

Find Greater Steed is the #1 spell you need to get. Free flying mount, depending on the DM's ruling it can maybe attack when you don't ride it.
If you know that you're about to face a lot of necrotic damage, Aura of Life is good. If you know you're about to face a lot of poison damage, Aura of Purity is good.

When you level up, Circle of Power, Destructive Wave, and Holy Weapon are all good spells.

[RSP]

- Aid (for you and your Steed and a squishy; not needed of Cleric is willing to cover you and your Steed)
- Prot from E and G (cast while mounted to double up with your Steed)
- Revivify (to get the Cleric back up)
- Spirit Shroud (while mounted)
- Aura of Vitality
- Crusaders Mantle (between you, Steed and Monk, this will be a nice boost)
- Death Ward (while mounted)

[diplomancer]

I think Spirit Guardians is SO good, specially on a Paladin, that you can pretty much ignore any damage spell above 3rd level. Holy Weapon on the monk *might be better" than SG if you can do more combats with it, but otherwise it's pretty much a loss. Crusader's mantle is still very good also, specially if your necromancer loves having a lot of skeletons attacking and you can keep them in range, but without the control element of SG.

Always keep Find Greater Steed prepared, and try to always save at least one 4th level slot for it, at least until the probable last fight of the day.

Dispel Magic and Revivify are worth the preparation slot, I believe, as are the Aura spells if you expect to face that type of damage.

Circle of Power is amazing in the right battle, specially on a large party such as yours.

[Fryy]

I would recommend these spells:

Support the Cleric / Party
Cure Wounds - in case something bad happens to the Cleric and you're out of Lay on Hands
Revivify - in case something bad happens to the Cleric
Dispel Magic - in case something needs to be dispelled and no one else is prepared
Death Ward - don't ask the Cleric (player) to give up a 4th level spell every day for something you can cast yourself. Always have it on you. You could go to 0 hit points, have it kick-in, and then use a big lay-on-hands or up-cast cure wounds (which you prepared) on yourself the next round. Your steed gets the death ward, too. So, if you are riding your Pegasus/Gryphon and it gets hit hard by an AOE then you are less likely to crash land before your next turn.
Aid - this is like a mini mass cure spell. It can bring up downed 3 characters in a round. Aid adds hit points now.

Take all the Aura spells. I have used all 3. It's very nice to be prepared. The bard might have Aura of Vitality, but no one else will have the other 2. They're unique and thematic even if 2 won't be used that often.

Find Greater Steed - ride the mount and have it take the dodge action mostly and disengage occasionally. Take the Mounted Combatant feat next.

Holy Weapon - this is for you; not the monk. Holy Weapon is too thematic for you. Also, your existence alone (aura plus the spells mentioned above) is doing enough for the party. Plus, it can help stretch your smites / spell slots as each hit gets +d28 so it's like a 1st level smite for each hit for an hour.

Circle of Power - I wish it didn't compete with Holy Weapon (or Spirit Guardians) for your concentration.