Editing Paladin (section)

===5th Edition===
Mechanically speaking, 5th ed paladins have a few minor differences; their "detect evil" is now 1+Cha mod uses per day, and can no longer be used on the same turn as a smite because move actions no longer exist. Additionally, it has changed from detecting alignment to detecting Celestials, Fiends, and Undead, as well as if areas have been consecrated or desecrated, meaning that the paladin can now be caught by surprise by mundane evil ''(Which makes sense, since Alignment is now strictly for roleplaying purposes, and has little to no mechanical backing)''. Smiting now uses spell slots, with higher spell slots dealing more damage. They also get different types of Smite spells as they level up, with additional effects. And their "lay on hands" power taps into a reservoir of hitpoints-per-day that expands with each level, rather than healing for a fixed value a fixed number of times per day, and, taking a page from ''Pathfinder'', removes diseases and poisons.  This new setup sacrifices raw healing power for flexibility of use to let them fill in a different niche from, say, a Life domain [[Cleric]].

Really got the shaft, like the [[ranger| other half-caster this edition]], with [[Fail|"dead levels"]] where they literally gain nothing but hitpoints, proficiency, and a single spell slot, are heavily-reliant on a ''very'' limited resource pool that only ever recharges on a long rest, but don't let that fool you, the Paladin is now one of the strongest classes in the game, with some of the best tanking and "nova" damage ''(in 1 turn)'' of any non-multiclass character, and if you start dipping into other classes for just a few levels you can get most of your MAD issues solved with a single Hexblade level and most of your spell slot issues solved with a few sorcerer levels while STILL scaling as a paladin, a.k.a. a tank that can provide healing AND damage with incredible buffs on top of that in the form of your auras and even some form of control. Not to mention how unstoppable you'll feel ''(expecially with the right subclass)'' in a campaign mostly populated by enemy undead/fiends. 

However. The best Paladin in 5th edition is arguably not actually a paladin, but a Hexblade, Sorcerer, or Bard with some levels of Paladin. Because spell failure is no longer a thing, a Paladin who soon multiclasses into a normally squishy arcane caster class will still be rocking heavy armor and a shield. To start with, a single level dip into Warlock lets the Paladin pick the Hexblade feature, making her melee attack and damage scale off of charisma rather than strength or dexterity. This has the tremendous benefit of making them highly single-attribute dependent as they literally cut people in half with their sexiness-boosted melee attacks. Levels of Bard and Sorcerer, apart from the obvious benefit of giving the Paladin access to powerful charisma-based arcane spells, increase their smiting ability much faster than actual Paladin levels... meaning a "Paladin" who has six levels in Paladin and eight in Sorcerer is going to be laying sown hugely damaging smites all day long. While giving the party huge boosts to saving throws. And they can use sorcery points to supercharge their spells while also having massive single-damage melee capability. However, this comes at the cost of most of your sturdiness and some of the really good higher level features.

In 5th Edition, paladins no longer must adhere to any alignment ''(though the fluff still talks like they're all Lawful Good and are effective against fiends and undead regardless of alignment)''. However, when they reach 3rd level they swear their Paladin Oath, which gives him a code of conduct for him to follow. Also, since paladins have their codes of conduct clearly stated in the PH, rather than leaving it up to the nebulous personal decisions of a DM as to what actually ''constitutes'' "Lawful Good" and its required behavior, it's a lot harder for DMs to force a paladin to fall on grey area moralities. A paladin that breaks his oath must seek atonement and absolution. An unrepentant paladin, a paladin who abandons their quest for justice, or a paladin whose repeated oathbreaking demonstrates an unwillingness to follow their chosen path may become an Oathbreaker ''(see [[Blackguard]])''.

If you want to add more complexity to the Paladin Oath, maybe because you want to push it more towards the flavor of the elder editions, the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide gives an example of "general oaths" for Paladins. No mechanical crunch is enforced, so you don't have to uphold everything, but they offer great examples for more ways of fleshing out paladins in your setting, with tenets like "be honest and keep promises" or "be generous and tolerant".

There are three oaths in the corebook: the Oaths of Devotion, the Ancients, and Vengeance, each of which requires behaving a specific way and which gives specific powers.

* '''Oath of Devotion''' is the closest to the iconic Paladin archetype. This Oath requires you uphold the principles of '''Honesty''' ''(don't lie or cheat, let your word be your promise)'', '''Courage''' ''("Never fear to act, though caution is wise" in the book proper, which basically means "don't be a coward, but don't be [[Leeroy Jenkins]]ing dat shit either")'', '''Compassion''' ''(Aid others, protect the weak and punish those who threaten them, show mercy to your foes but temper mercy with wisdom)'', '''Honor''' ''(treat others fairly, do as much good as possible with as little harm as possible, be an example to others)'' and '''Duty''' ''(be responsible for your actions and their consequences, protect those entrusted to your care, obey those who have '''just''' authority over you, so you don't have to [[Lawful Stupid| obey the local tyrant because s/he is technically the ruler now]])''. 
:In exchange for all that, you get iconic Paladin type spells like protection from evil, lesser restoration, beacon of hope, etc, the Sacred Weapon ''(you can charge up a weapon to become a glowing magical weapon)'' and Turn the Unholy ''(make undead and fiends flee from you)'' uses of Channel Divinity, the Aura of Devotion feature ''(immunity to charm and give this to close-by allies)'', the Purity of Spirit feature ''(constant Protection From Evil on self)'' and the Holy Nimbus ''(create an aura of radiant damage-dealing, fiend & undead spell-weakening light once per day)''.
* '''Oath of the Ancients''' is a bit of an oddity, and possibly owes its origins to the [[Warden]] of 4th edition. Basically, this is a paladin who sides with the light due to their appreciation for beautiful, life-giving things of the world, making them allies of more benevolent druids, wilderness fae like [[dryad]]s and nature deities, in theory. In reality, this is a class people take because it has by the far the best defensive aura in the game, halving the damage from all spells taken by allies in their aura. Between passively boosting saves and passively cutting incoming spell damage in half, Ancients Paladins are one of the most potent anti-magic classes in the game. An Ancients Paladin with levels in Bard for counterspell purposes will make your DM cry any time he tries to throw casters at your party.
:They're frankly kind of hippyish, with the tenets of "'''Kindle the Light'''" ''(promote hope in others with mercy, kindness and forgiveness)'', "'''Shelter the Light'''" ''(protect beauty, love, good and laughter)'', "'''Preserve Your Own Light'''" ''(try to avoid turning into a bitter cuss)'' and "'''Be the Light'''" ''(serve as an example of why hope and joy are important to believe in)''.
:If you take this Oath, you get druidic spells like ensnaring strike, speak with animals, moonbeam and tree stride. Your Channel Divinity can be used to create entangling vines with Nature's Wrath, or to Turn the Faithless and so repel fiends and fey. Your Aura of Warding grants you and nearby allies resistance to damaging spells. Undying Sentinel lets you cheat death once per day and makes you immune to aging. Finally, the Elder Champion is a nature spirit-like form you can assume once per day for a number of benefits, including regeneration and more potent paladin spells.
* '''Oath of Vengeance''' is similar to the Grey Guard of 3rd edition, and probably best fits characterization like [[Batman]] or [[Judge Dredd]]. It's all about punishing the wicked and the sanctity of vengeance. Of course, you don't have to portray this guy as a total asshole - in fact, the 3rd edition [[Greyhawk]] Knights of the Chase are pretty applicable examples for a Vengeance Paladin. 
:The tenets of this creed are "'''Fight the Greater Evil'''" ''(basically, measure the evil you see vs. the evil your sworn enemy would do; if the guy you really have a hate-on for is less of a threat, then focus on stopping this douchebag first, otherwise focus on your sworn enemy)'', "'''No Mercy for the Wicked'''" ''(you can spare lesser foes, but sworn enemies need to die or otherwise be punished)'', "'''By Any Means Necessary'''", and "'''Restitution'''" ''(it's your fault that your enemies hurt people, so you have the responsibility of helping those that they hurt)''.
:A Vengeance Paladin's spells, as you might expect, focus on impeding the ability of enemies to escape and enhancing the paladin's ability to go after them - hold person, dimension door, scrying, etc. They can Channel Divinity to Abjure Enemy ''(frighten an enemy so bad they can't move)'' or declare a Vow of Enmity ''(make it easier to kick that creature's ass)'', gain the Relentless Avenger feature ''(free move if you score an attack of opportunity)'', gain the Soul of Vengeance feature ''(Vow of Enmity lets you get free attacks if the target tries attacking)'', and culminate with the Avenging Angel feature ''(transform into an angelic form once per day)''.
* '''Oath of the Crown'''  essentially more fully embraces the [[knight]] archetype of the Paladin's history, with the paladin's devotion being given specifically to society and the laws that built it up from the wilderness. You could alternatively flavor it as a hyper-patriotic ''(or nationalistic, depending on alignment)'' character like Stephen Colbert in the picture up top.
:This is a breed of paladin that focuses more on Law than on Good, with its tenets being '''Law''' ''(respect the law and hold it paramount)'', '''Loyalty''' ''(your word is your bond)'', '''Courage''' ''(do what needs to be done for the sake of order, no matter the odds)'' and '''Responsibility''' ''(the shit you do is all on you, so keep that in mind - also, you have duties & obligations, so you better damn will fill them)''. This means that Crown Paladins are the most likely archetype to fall back into the [[Lawful Stupid]] behavior feared and condemned of old, but they can also be sources of old-school Lawful douchebag character themes ''(i.e. "you lie, cheat and steal; you are scum and I must punish you!")'' and arrogant prick character themes ''(e.g. hating [[druid]]s, [[barbarian]]s, and nature [[cleric]]s for being primitives that don't appreciate the value of civilization)''.
:Because the Crown Paladin's focus is on the sanctity of law and society, with the specific ideology that the paladin is an Agent of Authority, their spells all fit into that theme, from the likes of zone of truth to outright mind-control spells like command and geas. They can use their Channel Divinity to issue a Champion Challenge ''(compel a creature to try and fight you)'' or to Turn the Tide ''(mass heal for allies)''. Divine Allegiance lets them soak up hits for nearby allies, Unyielding Spirit makes them harder to paralyze or stun, and their Exalted Champion feature means that, for an hour once per day, they can gain damage resistance vs. mundane weapons and grant advantage on death saving throws and Wisdom saving throws to themselves and allies.
:A comment on using Crown Paladins in homemade worlds in the back of the SCAG admits their magical powers don't quite mesh with the knightly archetype, but notes they make excellent examples of theocratic knightly orders - or even mystic ones, if one simply changes their flavor from "divine" to "arcane".
* '''Oath of Conquest''' is at best a fairly [[Lawful Stupid]] themed Oath and at worst goes all the way to Lawful Evil levels of tyranny; it dictates that its adherents should '''Douse The Flame Of Hope''' ''(use fear to intimidate defeated foes so badly they will never dare oppose you again)'', '''Rule With An Iron Fist''' ''(brook no dissent from those you have conquered)'' and to hold '''Strength Above All''' ''(what goes around comes around; if you can't beat someone, then either get stronger or be crushed in turn- there's no place for weakness in this Oath)''.
:Because Conquest Paladins are often allied to arch-devils, their bonus spells have a fairly [[Warlock]]ish feel to them, with spells like Armor of Agathys, Hold Person and Bestow Curse. Their Channel Divinity can be used to deliver a Conquering Strike ''(inflict fear with your weapon attack)'' or Guided Strike ''(big bonus to your To Hit roll)'', they exude an Aura of Conquest ''(disadvantage on saves vs. fear)'' at 7th level, they gain immunity to charming from their Implacable Spirit at 15th level, and at 20th level they become the Invincible Conqueror. This lets them buff themselves up for 1 minute once per day, during which time they Resist all damage, gain a bonus attack each turn, and deal critical hits on a 19-20 when making melee attacks.
* '''Oath of Redemption''', in stark contrast to the Oath of Conquest, is an oath dedicated to personal redemption for past misdeeds, using combat as a last resort. Of course, some morons might see this as an excuse to be [[That Guy]] and try to not help their allies in combat. However, the subclass is very good for support. They have shielding abilities and have an emphasis on rebuking those who attack first.

* '''Oath of Glory''', first printed in ''Mythic Odysseys of Theros'' and later reprinted in ''Tasha's Cauldron of Everything'', focuses on emulating legendary semi-divine heroes, such as Gilgamesh, Hercules, and Achilles. Its tenants are '''Actions Over Words''' ''(gain renown by actually '''doing''' awesome things, not just boasting)'', '''Challenges Are But Tests''' ''(don't get discouraged by hardship)'', '''Hone the Body''' ''(be swole)'', and '''Discipline the Soul''' ''(work to overcome your flaws)''.
:Oath of Glory paladins get spells related to buffing themselves and others, like ''Heroism'', ''Enhance Ability'', and ''Haste'', with a few 'ask the gods for help' spells thrown in. Their Channel Divinity can make them a Peerless Athlete ''(you're extra swole for a while)'' or deliver an Inspiring Smite ''(heals allies after you hit an enemy really hard)''. At 7th level, they gain an Aura of Alacrity, which increases the speed of anyone in its area of effect. At 15th level, they can mount a Glorious Defense, which makes an enemy attack more likely to miss, and allows the paladin to counter-attack if that happens. At level 20, they become a Living Legend, allowing them to draw upon the stories told about them to buff themselves, granting them boosts to charisma checks and saving throws, plus allowing them to hit an attack they would have missed.
* '''Oath of the Watchers''' is Men In Black Paladin or maybe [[HFY]] Paladin sworn to protect mortal realm from extraplanar beings - this includes the obvious culprits like fiends, aberrations, genies, slaadi and elementals, as well as less malicious types, such as fey and celestials. Because they're dicks to mortals too, using us as pawns in their games. Their oath requires them to be vigilant to the point of paranoia and beyond and put the interest of  mortals above all.
:Watchers get a set of spells best suited for locating, protecting from and BTFOing outsiders back to their planes, can turn all kinds of extrapanar creatures like priests turn undead, or give their allies advantages for most common saving throws used by outsiders. Their aura gives bonus initiative which is always nice, they can retaliate with force damage when someone casts spells around them and as a capstone get to channel the power of HFY to get truesight, advantage on attacks against outsiders, banishing them on a successful hit.

Also, got several new fighting styles with the new Expanded Class Features UA, namely a sweet new fighting style to let them poach two cleric cantrips for a ranged combat option and some extra utility, as well as the fighting styles everyone else got, namely 1)Blind fighting, which lets you effectively fight a creature you can't see as long as it's not hidden from you; 2)Interception, which works like the protection fighting style except that it a] reduces damage by 1d10 plus your proficiency bonus instead of imposing disadvantage, and b] works with either a shield ''or'' a weapon instead of just a shield; 3)Thrown weapon fighting, which lets you draw a thrown weapon as part of the attack you make with the weapon, and grants you a +1 to the damage roll; and 4)unarmed fighting, which changes your fists to 1d6 plus strength ''(1d8 if both your hands are free)'' instead of the flat 1 plus strength, although <s>[[What| it isn't clear if divine smite even works on your fists]]</s> [[FAIL| it has been stated that RAI you can't smite enemies using your fists]]; RAW however smite merely requires you to make a attack in melee with something other than spells so it works.