Rules edition: This build uses the 2024 Paladin class with the Goblin species from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (2022), subject to DM approval. It does not use the older Volo’s Guide Goblin ability-score bonuses or the 2014 Paladin class. Those 2014 options are explained separately below.
Use the 2022 Goblin species, not the older stat block
The Goblin in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is a playable species with Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Fury of the Small, and Nimble Escape. It does not assign the old fixed +2 Dexterity and +1 Constitution bonuses. With 2024 character creation, your background supplies the ability-score options and Origin feat. Choose a background that supports the version of Paladin you want to play instead of assuming the Goblin’s ability scores are fixed.
Fury of the Small can add damage when you damage a creature larger than you; it is limited to once per turn and uses equal to your Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest. Nimble Escape lets you take the Hide or Disengage action as a Bonus Action. Those features create tactical options, but they do not make every weapon or action choice equally effective.
Build for Dexterity and Charisma—or choose a Strength approach
Strength and Charisma are natural priorities for many Paladins: Strength supports weapon attacks and heavy armor, while Charisma supports Paladin spells and class features. A Goblin can instead lean into Dexterity with a finesse weapon and appropriate armor, then invest in Charisma and Constitution. Choose a background whose ability-score options fit the approach; the Guide background supports Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom, while Soldier offers Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. Backgrounds also grant an Origin feat, skills, a tool, and equipment, so compare the full package.
For an agile build, a rapier or shortsword and shield can keep the character mobile without relying on a Heavy weapon. A Small character has disadvantage on attacks with weapons that have the Heavy property; that restriction does not mean a Goblin cannot use every larger-looking weapon. Check each weapon’s properties before building around it.
Plan your Bonus Actions
The 2024 Paladin receives its subclass at level 3. At level 2, the Paladin’s Smite feature always prepares Divine Smite and permits one free cast after a Long Rest; casting the spell uses a Bonus Action immediately after a qualifying hit. Nimble Escape also uses a Bonus Action, as does the 2024 Paladin’s Lay on Hands. Decide which option matters most on a given turn: extra damage, a quick reposition or Hide, or emergency healing. The bonus action is a real trade-off, not a set of benefits you can all use at once.
Choose an oath and combat role
Select a Paladin subclass from the sources your DM allows and read its current features before choosing feats or planning a multiclass. An oath can express how your character uses power and what they promise to protect; Goblin ancestry does not prescribe an alignment or a personality. You might play a former raider protecting a community, a scout who swore to defend travelers, or a practical believer whose oath matters more than other people’s expectations.
In combat, use Nimble Escape when disengaging or hiding will change your position or protect you. Use Fury of the Small on a turn when its extra damage will matter against a larger foe. Save spell slots for the moments that justify them, and coordinate with allies before leaving a vulnerable party member behind to chase a target.
Example: managing a Goblin Paladin’s turn
Before combat, decide whether your character is built around Strength and heavy armor or Dexterity and a finesse weapon. The 2024 background rules let you raise the abilities listed by your background, so use those increases to support the chosen approach and Charisma rather than relying on an old species bonus. Check your ability scores against the weapon and armor choices in the equipment rules, and keep Constitution in mind if the character will hold the front line.
In a fight, a Goblin’s Bonus Action options are a tactical menu, not a stack of effects. Nimble Escape can let you Hide or Disengage; Lay on Hands can provide emergency healing; and casting Divine Smite after a hit also uses a Bonus Action. If you need to get an ally out of danger, healing may matter more than extra damage. If a foe is threatening you, Disengage may protect your concentration or let you reach a better position. Use Fury of the Small when you damage a larger creature and its once-per-turn damage will make a difference; its uses return after a Long Rest. Thinking about the party’s immediate need makes the Goblin’s mobility useful without sacrificing every round to damage.
2014 Goblin and Paladin rules: keep them separate
The Goblin in Volo’s Guide to Monsters uses older species text, including fixed ability-score increases; the 2014 Paladin also uses a different class progression and a different Divine Smite feature. The 2022 Goblin updates several traits, and the 2024 Paladin changes the class again. If your campaign uses 2014 rules, follow the Goblin and Paladin versions your DM selected. Do not combine Volo’s fixed bonuses, 2022 Goblin features, and 2024 Paladin features as if they came from one ruleset.
Official Rules Sources
- D&D Beyond Basic Rules (2024): Paladin class
- D&D Beyond Basic Rules (2024): Creating a Character and older-book options
- D&D Beyond species listings — Goblin is listed under Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.
- D&D Beyond: Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
- D&D Beyond: Volo’s Guide to Monsters, Goblin species — legacy option.
- D&D Beyond Basic Rules (2014): Paladin class — legacy rules.
