Caster Paladin

[Nagog]

Hey ya'll!

I've decided to take it upon myself to try and create a Paladin that tries to pass themselves off as a Wizard with martial training (like Gandalf from LoTR and The Hobbit). I've seen a lot of variations on the "X class tries to pass off as X class", and this is one I think I'd have a lot of fun playing. How would you suggest going about doing it, assuming the character starts at level 3?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Magic Initiate and Ritual Caster are obvious starting points, and the Oath of Redemption gives you access to a bunch of semi-iconic Wizard spells, especially at higher levels-- sleep, hold person, counterspell, Otiluke's resilient sphere, and so on.

[Dark.Revenant]

Take these Paladin-accessible spells that a Wizard can also cast:

Base Paladin
Cantrips: Light*, Mending*, Toll the Dead*
1st-level: Detect Magic, Protection from Evil and Good
2nd-level: Gentle Repose*, Locate Object, Magic Weapon
3rd-level: Dispel Magic, Magic Circle, Remove Curse, Spirit Shroud*
4th-level: Banishment, Locate Creature
5th-level: Geas

Ancients
2nd-level: Misty Step
3rd-level: Protection from Energy
4th-level: Ice Storm, Stoneskin

Conquest*
2nd-level: Hold Person
3rd-level: Bestow Curse, Fear
4th-level: Stoneskin
5th-level: Cloudkill, Dominate Person

Glory*
2nd-level: Enhance Ability*
3rd-level: Haste, Protection from Energy

Oathbreaker*
2nd-level: Crown of Madness, Darkness
3rd-level: Animate Dead, Bestow Curse
4th-level: Blight, Confusion
5th-level: Dominate Person

Redemption*
1st-level: Sleep
2nd-level: Hold Person
3rd-level: Counterspell, Hypnotic Pattern
4th-level: Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Stoneskin
5th-level: Hold Monster, Wall of Force

Vengeance
2nd-level: Hold Person, Misty Step
3rd-level: Haste, Protection from Energy
4th-level: Dimension Door
5th-level: Hold Monster, Scrying

Watchers*
1st-level: Alarm
2nd-level: See Invisibility
3rd-level: Counterspell, Nondetection
5th-level: Hold Monster, Scrying

*DM approval required (Tasha's, Xanathar's, DMG, etc.)

[Gale]

If you're playing in Eberron, or your DM is generous enough to let you use these items regardless, then you might want to take a look at the Imbued Wood Focus from Eberron: Rising from the Last War. It's a common magic item that can take the form of a wand, rod, or staff and can be used as a spellcasting focus by anyone. Sure, you can just use a component pouch if you're trying to avoid holy symbols, but an Imbued Wood Focus would help you sell the Wizard aesthetic much better in my opinion.

Another tip is that a staff, as in the spellcasting focus, doubles as a quarterstaff. (DMG, p. 140) So, you can have both a wizardly spell focus and weapon on you at all times. No need to break the aesthetic by carrying around a longsword. It also works great with Polearm Master, but I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that.

[Sorinth]

It's going to depend a lot on the campaign. A world where magic is rare it's pretty easy to pass any caster off as a Wizard since most people will think caster is caster and not delve any further. In a high magic world where most people know the difference between casters it's definitely harder.

That said, the easiest solution is to pass yourself off as a sort of High Elf Bladesinger. You are already expected to mix magic with martial training, and if you take GFB or BB as your High Elf cantrip combat wise you can seem pretty much like a regular bladesinger. Be a Dexadin and focus on smite spells and a few key wizard spells and it's plausible to look like a wizard.

[Corvino]

Paladin casting is pretty limited by the 1/2 caster progression. A caster cleric can still be very good in the front lines with a lot more casting. If you're looking to pass as a wizard there are a ton of options for gaining "Arcane" spells from Domain spell lists.

[Anymage]

Out of curiosity. Is this a purely academic question about how to make something constructed with game element X look like it includes game element Y, or are you playing in a setting where advertising your paladinhood is not a good idea.

If the former take Ritual Caster: Wizard, the sage background, use a spell component pouch, and prioritize spells that your list shares with the wizard list. That's how any caster can ape a wizard, though, and with slight adjustments how any caster could attempt to ape any other caster. Such a character would quickly get one dimensional in play if that was their only shtick, plus be really suboptimal when they avoided using their real class features to maintain the charade.

If the latter where your disguise is focused against specific npcs, knowing the specifics of such npcs would be more handy. Like trying to pass as just a fighter/cleric if possible, or just a straight fighter if divine casters are hated in general, would probably work better. The specifics would wind up being super campaign dependent, though.

[Arkhios]

Another tip is that a staff, as in the spellcasting focus, doubles as a quarterstaff. (DMG, p. 140) So, you can have both a wizardly spell focus and weapon on you at all times. No need to break the aesthetic by carrying around a longsword. It also works great with Polearm Master, but I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that.

What's worth noting is that, unless you have a class feature saying otherwise, you can't use a staff as a spellcasting focus. For example, a paladin can only use holy symbols as spellcasting foci. Otherwise, they have to resort into using spell components like some plebs.
However, there is a roundabout, but it requires a certain magic item (Ruby of the War Mage attached to a staff or quarterstaff, which would essentially be equivalent).


Paladin casting is pretty limited by the 1/2 caster progression. A caster cleric can still be very good in the front lines with a lot more casting. If you're looking to pass as a wizard there are a ton of options for gaining "Arcane" spells from Domain spell lists.

In the long run, a paladin will get just as many spell slots for 1st through 4th levels as a wizard would and only one (1) 5th level spell slot less than a wizard. Sure, it'll take them a while longer but they'll get there, eventually. Just because a paladin doesn't get spell slots for 6th through 9th levels, their spellcasting isn't as limited as you might think. Having Ritual Caster will be more than a remedy for the lack of those (very few I must add) high level spell slots. If anything, you might roleplay as you would Scrooge McDuck; miserly about expending your spell slots. No one will be the wiser unless you tell them you're not actually a wizard.

Also, as mentioned by some, taking magic initiate and/or spell sniper (I'd say sorcerer for both) might come in handy with being able to choose (up to) three more wizard-y cantrips from the sorcerer list, because for the most parts, their spell lists are very much alike each other.
...Unless, of course, your intelligence score is high enough for it to be worth considering taking those spells from the wizard's list instead.

[ATHATH]

What's worth noting is that, unless you have a class feature saying otherwise, you can't use a staff as a spellcasting focus. For example, a paladin can only use holy symbols as spellcasting foci. Otherwise, they have to resort into using spell components like some plebs.
However, there is a roundabout, but it requires a certain magic item (Ruby of the War Mage attached to a staff or quarterstaff, which would essentially be equivalent).

If you're playing in Eberron, or your DM is generous enough to let you use these items regardless, then you might want to take a look at the Imbued Wood Focus from Eberron: Rising from the Last War. It's a common magic item that can take the form of a wand, rod, or staff and can be used as a spellcasting focus by anyone.
That might've been why they mentioned imbued wood foci.

[RogueJK]

Paladin casting is pretty limited by the 1/2 caster progression.

Feats like Ritual Caster: Wizard, Magic Initiate: Sorcerer, and Fey Touched/Shadow Touched can help with that by giving your Paladin additional arcane spellcasting options that don't rely on Paladin slots or spell progression.

Combined with the existing crossover between the Paladin and Wizard spell lists, it's more than enough to pass yourself off as a Wizard to most folks.


Mechanically, a Tomelock/Paladin multiclass would also allow you to appear similar to a Wizard, with access to arcane cantrips and spells, a spellbook, rituals, etc., without becoming too MAD. But flavor-wise, it may not be quite what you're after.

[Arkhios]

That might've been why they mentioned imbued wood foci.

Imbued wood foci didn't say anything to me, which is why I simply didn't pay much attention to the rest of the post (which I admit was my mistake). Good to know there is an option to bypass this issue. But I would also say it's similarly good to know that there is ANOTHER way besides imbued wood foci, because E:RftLW might NOT be allowed just as well as XGtE might not be.

[Kane0]

1: Castery background. Any of the guilds expand your spell list but failing that something like scholar, acolyte or charlatan for flavor
2: Castery race. Eberron subraces expand spell lista but failing that elf, half elf, gnome and tiefling are options
3: Choose the fighting style that lets you pick up a cantrip
4: Take some castery feats like ritual caster, magic initiate or fey touched
5: dont forget to purchase the proper equipment and pick up related skill and tool proficiencies

[stoutstien]

Finding a way to not rely on armor is the big factor. Either warding dwarf or aberrant DM feat for mage armor is the only way i know to get it from level one.

[Unoriginal]

Finding a way to not rely on armor is the big factor. Either warding dwarf or aberrant DM feat for mage armor is the only way i know to get it from level one.

Playing a Tortle or a Loxodon can work.

[Arkhios]

Finding a way to not rely on armor is the big factor. Either warding dwarf or aberrant DM feat for mage armor is the only way i know to get it from level one.

With Magic Initiate (Sorcerer or Wizard) you could learn Mage Armor as your one 1st-level spell. With an 8-hour duration even if available only once per long rest, it might be enough.

[stoutstien]

Playing a Tortle or a Loxodon can work.

Aye. Natural armor formulas are another option.

[Man_Over_Game]

Conquest with a single level into Hexblade would go a long way. Conquest Paladins are probably the most Charisma-dependent Paladin in the game, due to their buffs to Fear abilities, and Hexblade allows you to dump Strength.

[Bobthewizard]

A Mark of Shadow (Eberron) elf, dex-based vengeance paladin gets a good selection of wizard spells to choose from. It's a fun character and I like it more than an eldritch knight. A half-elf Mark of Storm or Human Mark of Passage mixes well with Oath of Redemption to get the same effect.

I don't use Ravnica, and combining it with an Eberron race is a little weird, but one of those backgrounds could give you even more wizard spells.

[kingcheesepants]

Are you decided on no multiclassing? Because if multiclassing is an option you could be a sorcerer heavy Sorcadin. Pal2/Sorc x. Get those smites, a fighting style, armor, weapons , lay on hands and lots of sorcerer spells and spell slots. Then just take ritual caster and voila who's to say you aren't a wizard.

[Arkhios]

Are you decided on no multiclassing? Because if multiclassing is an option you could be a sorcerer heavy Sorcadin. Pal2/Sorc x. Get those smites, a fighting style, armor, weapons , lay on hands and lots of sorcerer spells and spell slots. Then just take ritual caster and voila who's to say you aren't a wizard.

That's hardly a caster Paladin anymore. That's a sorcerer with access to 1st-level paladin spells and divine smites.

I mean, that would kinda miss the whole point. By a mile.

[Menji]

A Pal/Wiz multiclass is strong enough to make up for the heavy MAD tax, in my experience. War Wizard or Bladesinger, depending on desired flavor.

But yeah if you're not into multi, dunno.

[Gignere]

A Pal/Wiz multiclass is strong enough to make up for the heavy MAD tax, in my experience. War Wizard or Bladesinger, depending on desired flavor.

But yeah if you're not into multi, dunno.

If you can cut it with great rolls or high point buy a watchers Paladin / war wizard is probably game breaking at around levels 9+ especially if you kiss your DMs ass enough so she/he gives you a headband of intellect.

[Keltest]

Im going to be honest, this sounds like a worse (in some aspects) Arcana Domain Cleric with extra steps to me. Is there a reason you have to be a paladin, specifically?