Rules edition: This build uses the 2014 Paladin with the legacy Player’s Handbook Tiefling and, where noted, the Zariel option from Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes. These options are legacy content. The 2024 Paladin and Tiefling use revised rules, so do not combine their features with this build unless your DM agrees.
Why play a Tiefling Paladin?
A Tiefling Paladin pairs strong Charisma with a durable martial class and a useful set of innate traits. Under the 2014 Player’s Handbook, a standard Tiefling increases Charisma by 2 and Intelligence by 1, has 60-foot darkvision and fire resistance, and learns Thaumaturgy. Its Infernal Legacy also grants Hellish Rebuke at character level 3 and Darkness at level 5, each once per long rest. Charisma supports Paladin spellcasting and Aura of Protection; Intelligence is usually a lower priority.
The legacy Zariel Tiefling from Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes replaces the standard ability increases and Infernal Legacy spell progression. It increases Strength by 1 and Charisma by 2, learns Thaumaturgy, and can cast Searing Smite once per long rest at character level 3 and Branding Smite once per long rest at level 5. It keeps the Tiefling’s darkvision and fire resistance. These options do not make Zariel the only strong choice: use the version your campaign permits and pick the one that fits your character.
Ability scores and equipment
For a Strength build using point buy, a useful starting spread before species increases is Strength 15, Dexterity 10, Constitution 14, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10, and Charisma 14. A Zariel Tiefling reaches Strength 16 and Charisma 16. A standard 2014 Tiefling’s fixed increases do not improve Strength or Dexterity, so set those scores with point buy or the standard array and use Charisma as a strength. Paladins need Constitution to stay on the front line and maintain concentration; keep Wisdom respectable for common saving throws.
Heavy armor and a shield make a reliable defensive setup. A two-handed weapon trades some defense for damage. Dexterity builds can use medium armor and a finesse weapon, but a standard Tiefling does not receive a Dexterity increase under these legacy rules. At Paladin level 2, choose a Fighting Style that supports the weapon and party role you actually expect to use. At level 4, an Ability Score Improvement to Strength or Charisma is a dependable choice; take a feat when its benefit suits the campaign and your ability scores.
Choose an oath for its features
Your Sacred Oath arrives at Paladin level 3 and should guide both your story and tactics. Devotion rewards a straightforward champion; Vengeance focuses on pursuing a chosen enemy; Redemption supports protection and de-escalation; and Watchers is designed to oppose extraplanar threats. Each oath has its own features and oath spells, and those spells are always prepared. Check the subclass’s sourcebook and level table: not every oath appears in the free 2014 Basic Rules.
Let the oath shape the Tiefling’s story without assuming that ancestry dictates alignment or personality. A character might embrace, reject, or simply live with their fiendish heritage. Their community and personal choices can supply the conflict; the species itself does not require a redemption arc.
Prepare spells and spend resources
The 2014 Paladin prepares a number of spells after a long rest equal to Charisma modifier plus half Paladin level, rounded down, with a minimum of one. Oath spells are always prepared and do not count against that number. Bless is a strong early concentration option; Find Steed offers lasting mobility and utility; and Protection from Evil and Good can hinder specific creature types. Choose spells for the day’s threats rather than treating every slot as reserved for damage.
In the 2014 rules, Divine Smite is a Paladin class feature, not a spell. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a spell slot to deal extra radiant damage. It takes no action, but the slot is gone, so save higher-level slots for a critical hit or a dangerous target when that matters. Zariel’s Searing Smite and Branding Smite are spells granted by Infernal Legacy; casting them uses a bonus action and requires concentration. They can compete with other bonus-action or concentration options. Hellish Rebuke uses your reaction, which is also needed for opportunity attacks.
Feats, multiclassing, and table tactics
Polearm Master can add a bonus-action attack with an eligible weapon, creating another chance to land a hit; it competes with casting a bonus-action smite spell that turn. Great Weapon Master’s legacy 2014 version includes a −5 attack/+10 damage option, but that trade is not automatically worthwhile. Compare the hit penalty against your chance to hit, and remember that advantage can help but is not guaranteed. Feats are optional; follow the version and options your table uses.
A Warlock or Sorcerer multiclass can add useful abilities, but it delays Paladin features such as Extra Attack at Paladin level 5 and Aura of Protection at level 6. To multiclass into or out of Paladin, the 2014 rules require Strength 13 and Charisma 13. A Hexblade dip does not erase these prerequisites, and the Charisma-to-weapon-attacks feature applies only under its own weapon restrictions. Stay single-classed if reaching the Paladin’s next feature matters more to your campaign.
In combat, stand where your armor, healing, and later Aura of Protection can help the group, while staying close enough to allies to share the aura when it arrives at level 6. Use concentration spells when their party-wide value exceeds an immediate smite, and keep a free hand or component access in mind when carrying a shield. Out of combat, Charisma supports social skills, while your background supplies a separate history and proficiencies. Work with your DM to select backgrounds and subclasses from the books allowed in your campaign.
