Paladin Ability Scores: The Most Expensive Pair
Strength and Charisma are the most expensive pair of abilities in the game to fund together, and the Paladin needs both: Strength 15 for plate and the attack that precedes a smite, Charisma for the spell DC and, from level 6, an aura that hands the whole party a bonus to every saving throw.
Four legal Paladin allocations, and what each one costs
Strength 15 and Charisma 14 take 16 of the 27, and heavy armour lets the remainder skip Dexterity entirely without costing a single point of Armour Class. Each row below spends everything; the question is whether the leftover funds the smite DC, the hit points, or the saves.
| Allocation | Array | AC | Save DC (CHA) | HP lvl 1 | HP lvl 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended | STR 15 · DEX 8 · CON 14 · INT 8 · WIS 12 · CHA 14 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 44 |
| Oath of Conquest | STR 14 · DEX 8 · CON 14 · INT 10 · WIS 10 · CHA 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 44 |
| Oath of the Ancients | STR 15 · DEX 8 · CON 15 · INT 8 · WIS 12 · CHA 13 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 44 |
| Oath of Vengeance | STR 15 · DEX 10 · CON 14 · INT 8 · WIS 12 · CHA 13 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 44 |
Why this spread is expensive
Strength 15 costs 9 points and Charisma 14 costs 7, so the pair alone takes 16 of the 27 and leaves 11 for the remaining four abilities. On the recommended array that comes out at Armour Class 18 , a save DC of 12 from Charisma, and 12 hit points at level 1.
Charisma runs two systems on a Paladin, the spell save DC and the level 6 aura that every save in the party reads, which is why it is bought at 14 instead of dumped. Plate is what makes affording both possible: AC 18 arrives with Dexterity at 8.
The recommended spread in full
| Ability | Score | Point cost |
|---|---|---|
| STR | 15 | 9 |
| DEX | 8 | 0 |
| CON | 14 | 7 |
| INT | 8 | 0 |
| WIS | 12 | 4 |
| CHA | 14 | 7 |
| Total spent | 27 | |
Scores worth reaching exactly
- Strength 15
- Plate armour, and the attack that has to land before Divine Smite can be spent at all.
- Charisma 13
- The multiclass line in both directions: a Warlock or Sorcerer dip needs Charisma 13, and coming back needs Strength 13.
- Charisma 14
- Aura of Protection at level 6 hands the whole party +2 on every saving throw — the best two points on the sheet.
Subclasses that change the array
- Oath of Conquest — STR 14 · DEX 8 · CON 14 · INT 10 · WIS 10 · CHA 15
- Conquering Presence forces a Wisdom save against the Paladin's DC, so Charisma 15 outranks the fifteenth point of Strength.
- Oath of the Ancients — STR 15 · DEX 8 · CON 15 · INT 8 · WIS 12 · CHA 13
- Aura of Warding halves spell damage for the party, so this oath survives on Constitution and can drop to the Charisma 13 floor.
- Oath of Vengeance — STR 15 · DEX 10 · CON 14 · INT 8 · WIS 12 · CHA 13
- Vow of Enmity grants advantage rather than forcing a save, which makes accuracy and smite slots matter more than the DC.
Races that pay part of the tax
| Race | STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragonborn | 17 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 15 |
| Half-Orc | 17 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 14 |
| Tiefling (Zariel) | 16 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 16 |
- Dragonborn. Strength +2 and Charisma +1 is the exact pair the class needs, and the only fixed racial bonus that funds both.
- Half-Orc. Strength and Constitution, with Relentless Endurance covering the front-rank risk the aura strategy requires.
- Tiefling (Zariel). Charisma +2 and Strength +1, which is the Dragonborn pair reversed for a smite-forward build.
The mistake this array is built to avoid
Buying Charisma 15 for the spell save DC. A Paladin casts three spells a day and swings a weapon every single round — Strength 15 with Charisma 14 out-damages the reverse at every tier of play.
Divine Smite costs a spell slot and no ability score whatsoever, which is exactly what makes Charisma look droppable at level 1. The aura five levels later is what turns that saving into a 2 to 5 point penalty on every save the party makes.
Paladin ability score questions
What is the best point buy array for a Paladin?
Strength 15, Charisma 14, Constitution 14 spends 16 of the 27 on the first two scores alone, with Dexterity and Intelligence at 8. Plate ignores Dexterity, which is what makes dumping it to 8 safe here and reckless on most other classes.
Should a Paladin prioritise Strength or Charisma?
Strength. A Paladin swings a weapon every round and casts perhaps three spells a day, so Strength 15 with Charisma 14 out-damages the reverse at every tier. Oath of Conquest is the exception, because its aura forces a save.
Why does Charisma 13 matter for a Paladin?
It is the multiclass prerequisite in both directions. A Warlock or Sorcerer dip requires Charisma 13, and returning to Paladin requires Strength 13 as well, so a Paladin planning a Hexblade dip cannot let either score fall below 13.
How much does Aura of Protection change the maths?
At Charisma 14 the aura adds +2 to every saving throw for the Paladin and every ally within 10 feet from level 6. That is the best return on 7 points anywhere in this build, and it is why Charisma 12 is a false economy.
Where to go next
- Warlock — The Hexblade dip is the most common Paladin multiclass, and both need Charisma 13.
- Fighter — Shares plate and the Strength 15 requirement, without paying for a second high score.
- Every array on this page is a plain 27-point spread, so you can price the pair yourself and see each step priced as you go.