new to the 5th edition, playing a Paladin and have to make up my mind...

[dehro]

It's our first foray into the 5th edition and all we have at the moment are the 3 core books, which is all that's allowed.
I started out with a Silver-Dragonborn Paladin of Kiri Jolith, and am now 2nd level.
before I take an oath, I want to make up my mind on whether I'm going Tank or Damage dealer...
so far my stats are:
STR 19
DEX 10
CON 15
INT 12
WIS 15
CHA 16

my background is accolyte.. (not my choice, the DM gave us 1th level character sheets already pre-made, to get us to hit the ground running)

my fighting style is Defense, for +1 AC... (my DM thinks that the duelling fighting style does not allow for a shield to be wielded.. I disagree but we're all having too much fun for me to want to be a stick in the mud and a rules lawyer on a system we're all still getting used to).
I'm wielding a longsword and shield, add my chainmail armour and my total AC is 19.

We're most likely leveling up quite soon, so.. Tank or Damage dealer? either way, what's the best oath to take?.. and what should I look for beyond that in future level ups?
all around, the Oath of the Ancients seems to be the most powerful, but that would depend, I guess, on which role I decide to end up playing... also, I don't know how
it should be noted that we have a barbarian and a fighter in the party as well.

ideas? suggestions?

[Ninja_Prawn]

my DM thinks that the duelling fighting style does not allow for a shield to be wielded.. I disagree but we're all having too much fun for me to want to be a stick in the mud and a rules lawyer on a system we're all still getting used to.

Dueling 100% allows you to wield a shield. The dueling style is designed to make sword & board competitive with other loadouts.

Tank or Damage dealer? either way, what's the best oath to take?

I'd say Ancients is the better tank, and Vengeance better for more aggressive roles. I'd just pick whichever fluff you prefer though; they're all strong.

it should be noted that we have a barbarian and a fighter in the party as well.

Maybe you should focus more on magic, then? The paladin doesn't get a lot of spells and it's generally better to spend your slots on smiting, but there are a few useful tricks in there.

[dehro]

Dueling 100% allows you to wield a shield. The dueling style is designed to make sword & board competitive with other loadouts.

I agree with you, but the somewhat cursory read through the DM (and the other DM in our gaming group) did, made them think otherwise.. since we're really just starting and this character was a pre-set/handout, I don't feel like making a big deal out of it.. further down the line, maybe I'll have it ret-conned.

I'd say Ancients is the better tank, and Vengeance better for more aggressive roles. I'd just pick whichever fluff you prefer though; they're all strong.

Fluff is somewhat difficult, for once.. he's 16 yo.. traits are :generous, he thinks the heroes of the past should be honored and is quick to pass judgement on others (and harsh in doing so). It's quite standard fare, but.. again.. he's 16.. so I'm not sure how to develop him.. (nor if I should.. this could turn out to be a play-test run..and not the start of a full blown campaign).

Maybe you should focus more on magic, then? The paladin doesn't get a lot of spells and it's generally better to spend your slots on smiting, but there are a few useful tricks in there.

That too is an option.. though I'm not sure how I should "evolve" the character, feats/stats/oath-wise to reflect (and enhance) that..... suggestions?

[kardar233]

Oath of Vengeance is quite offensively powerful due to its Channel Divinity option and access to Hunter’s Mark; it also gets an assortment of other useful spells like Misty Step and Dimension Door, plus Hold Person which is a crazy spell with Paladins. Oath of Devotion’s Channel Divinity is really good for a Great Weapon Master and quite solid for anyone else. Oath of Ancients is the most defensive option due to its aura but I think it’s a bit lacklustre otherwise.

[KRSW]

Dueling works with a shield in the offhand and that is the design intent of that style. For me, I would take Dueling for sword and board and Defense for 2handed. So, you are already kind of going the 2handed route and I would just stick with it.

From a role-playing perspective, I think Oath of Devotion makes the most sense unless you have a reason to take vengeance on something.

This is what I would do:
3rd Level Oath of Devotion
First ASI take Great Weapon Master
Second ASI go +1 Strength +1 Con
...

Anyways, the spellcasting paladin oath is definitely Oath of Conquest from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, so lets throw that out the window. You should focus on just using Bless as your main concentration spell, and using most of your other slots on smiting. If you have a bard, light cleric or druid in your party tell them to use faerie fire a lot. Honestly, if you are interested in making your party successful just talk with the other players and come up with some in combat strategies, that's generally what would be happening in game world at the campfire before going to sleep anyways.

[Nidgit]

Just gonna throw this out there: what if you multiclassed into Bard? If it's just the three of you, you could really use some magical support and the Bard is the best around at that. Sorcerer and Warlock are of course options too, but both are less versatile support and might end up wasting that beautiful STR stat.

As far as Oaths go, I find Ancients doesn't really come into its own until Level 7 or so. The abilities of the other of the other two Oaths are more immediately useful, but if you're most interested in the feel of Ancients then you should definitely go for it. As far as RP goes, it's compatible with pretty much everything Bard.

[CTurbo]

Vengeance has the best spell list, a very good Channel Divinity, but the worst level 7 feature. This is the most offensive of the 3
Ancients has a decent spell list, a "meh" Channel Divinity, but has the best level 7 feature. This is the most controlling of the 3
Devotion has a decent spell list, the best Channel Divinity, and a decent level 7 feature. This is the most protective of the 3

Any Paladin can be a tank and high DPR at the same time. I highly recommend bumping Str and Con at level 4 for sure no matter what you choose.


Edit: I know there will be a lot of people saying to multiclass Hexblade, Sorcerer, or Bard, but I would stick with Paladin all the way. Especially if you're new to 5e. The Paladin class is already about the strongest class from top to bottom. I don't see any reason to multiclass.

[KRSW]

I know there will be a lot of people saying to multiclass Hexblade, Sorcerer, or Bard, but I would stick with Paladin all the way. Especially if you're new to 5e. The Paladin class is already about the strongest class from top to bottom. I don't see any reason to multiclass.

I agree with this 100%, he also doesn't have access to SCAG cantrips to make multiclassing sorcerer ridiculous.

[dehro]

Just gonna throw this out there: what if you multiclassed into Bard? If it's just the three of you, you could really use some magical support and the Bard is the best around at that. Sorcerer and Warlock are of course options too, but both are less versatile support and might end up wasting that beautiful STR stat.

apologies.. I was just listing the other melee characters.. we actually also have a cleric, a bard and a ranger... (and I expect 1-2 more players to join the game soon-ish)..
I plan on going Paladin all the way. Multiclassing on a first run of 5th edition seems like a waste of opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the paladin properly.
thank you everybody, I'll be thinking about the options.