Rules edition: 2014 D&D 5e, using the legacy Half-Orc option and 2014 Paladin rules. This guide does not describe the revised 2024 Paladin. Ask your DM before combining options from different rulebooks.
A Half-Orc Paladin can be a defender, investigator, battlefield leader, wanderer, or anything else that fits the character. Neither ancestry nor oath dictates a personality. For this 2014 build, the Half-Orc’s Strength and Constitution increases support a weapon-focused Paladin, while Charisma remains important for spells and class features.
What the 2014 Half-Orc brings
The 2014 Half-Orc increases Strength by 2 and Constitution by 1. Its other notable traits are 60-foot darkvision, proficiency in Intimidation, Relentless Endurance, and Savage Attacks. Relentless Endurance lets you drop to 1 hit point instead of 0 when you are not killed outright, once per long rest. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, Savage Attacks lets you roll one of that weapon’s damage dice one additional time. It does not add a die for every Divine Smite die.
Those traits reward a sturdy melee character, but they do not require an aggressive or intimidating roleplay style. Decide what your character values, what their oath asks of them, and how their community shaped them; those choices are yours rather than mechanical rules.
Ability scores and a starting array
For a Strength-based Paladin, prioritize Strength for weapon attacks, then keep Charisma strong for spellcasting and Aura of Protection. Constitution is useful for hit points and concentration saves. Dexterity, Wisdom, and Intelligence depend on your party and character concept.
Using the 2014 standard array, try Strength 15, Constitution 14, Charisma 13, Wisdom 12, Dexterity 10, and Intelligence 8. After the Half-Orc increases, that becomes Strength 17 and Constitution 15. With 27-point buy, one option is Strength 15, Constitution 14, Charisma 14, Wisdom 10, Dexterity 10, and Intelligence 8; after ancestry increases, Strength is 17 and Constitution is 15. These are starting points, not mandatory “best” scores.
At 4th level, the 2014 Ability Score Improvement can increase two scores by 1 each. Raising Strength and Charisma is a balanced choice if both are odd; a feat or a different increase may suit your campaign better. The Paladin’s Aura of Protection arrives at 6th level, so Charisma contributes to more than spell attacks and save DCs.
Choose an oath for its play style
Oath of Devotion
Devotion suits a character who wants to protect others or pursue an ideal. Its 2014 Sacred Weapon option uses an action and Channel Divinity; it adds your Charisma modifier to attack rolls with one weapon for 1 minute. That is a benefit of Charisma, not a Half-Orc-specific bonus.
Oath of Vengeance
Vengeance is built around confronting a chosen enemy. Vow of Enmity can give you advantage on attacks against one creature, which can help you land weapon attacks. It does not guarantee critical hits, and you can define the oath’s purpose without making the character cruel or revenge-driven in every scene.
Oath of Conquest
If your campaign includes the 2014 option from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Conquest focuses on fear and control. Its Aura of Conquest begins at 7th level; it reduces the speed of creatures frightened of you while they are in the aura, and also deals psychic damage when they start their turn there. It is a specific subclass feature, not a benefit every Paladin gains from choosing an oath.
How the 2014 Paladin fights
Divine Smite is a 2014 class feature, not a spell. Starting at Paladin 2, when you hit with a melee weapon attack, you may expend a spell slot to add radiant damage. A 1st-level slot adds 2d8; each slot level above 1st adds another d8, to a maximum of 5d8, with another d8 against a fiend or undead (maximum 6d8). The 2014 feature does not require a bonus action. You can wait until you know an attack hit before spending the slot.
On a critical hit, the attack’s damage dice are rolled twice under the 2014 critical-hit rules. Savage Attacks is a separate benefit: it adds one additional damage die from the melee weapon. Keep the weapon’s dice and the smite’s dice distinct when you calculate the total, and confirm edge cases with your DM.
At Paladin 5, Extra Attack gives you two attacks when you take the Attack action. This creates more chances to land a hit, but spell slots are still a limited resource. Save them for moments that matter to your party rather than assuming every hit needs a smite. At Paladin 6, Aura of Protection adds your Charisma modifier to saving throws for you and nearby allies while you are conscious.
Weapons, feats, and table choices
A greatsword or maul supports a two-handed damage-focused style; a longsword and shield trades some damage potential for defense. A glaive or halberd can support reach and Polearm Master if your table uses the 2014 feat. Great Weapon Master is another 2014 option for heavy weapons, but its old text is different from the revised feat. Check the exact feat version your DM allows, and consider improving Strength or Charisma before taking a feat if your scores are still uneven.
Fighting styles also involve tradeoffs. Defense adds AC while you wear armor; Dueling supports a one-handed weapon with no other weapon; Great Weapon Fighting applies to qualifying two-handed or versatile melee weapons; and Protection uses your reaction while you wield a shield. Choose based on the equipment and job you actually want in the party.
Background and roleplay prompts
Pick a 2014 background for the skills and story hooks it gives your character, then decide how that history connects to the oath. A former soldier might value discipline; a traveler might have sworn to protect a particular road or settlement; a former criminal might use hard-won knowledge to prevent harm. These are prompts, not ancestry-based expectations.
- What promise did your character make, and to whom?
- Who taught them what their oath means in practice?
- When two of their values conflict, how do they decide what to do?
- What kind of help do they accept from companions?
Edition boundary: The 2024 rules revise character creation and the Paladin. In that version, Divine Smite is a spell cast as a bonus action immediately after a hit, rather than the 2014 class feature described above. Keep the edition printed on your character sheet and check with your DM before mixing rules.
Official rules sources
- D&D Beyond: 2014 Basic Rules — Half-Orc traits
- D&D Beyond: 2014 Basic Rules — Paladin class and Divine Smite
- D&D Beyond: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything — Oath of Conquest
- D&D Beyond: 2014 Player’s Handbook errata, including feat updates
- D&D Beyond: 2024 Basic Rules — Divine Smite spell
- D&D Beyond: 2024 Basic Rules — character origins
