Oathbreakers are the quintessential evil paladins, and there’s almost no better class to choose when doing a dark playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3.
In the tabletop version of D&D 5th edition, the Oathbreaker class was included in the Dungeon Master’s Guide and intended for villainous NPCs, but the class has caught on with players in a big way. Oathbreakers came late to BG3, but Larian clearly understood what made the class such a hit at the table. Paladins are already massively powerful half-casters that can smite their enemies with glee, but the Oathbreaker subclass adds some undead magic and dark power to the mix.
How to break your Oath
One does not simply start out as an Oathbreaker Paladin. You’re going to have to choose a different Paladin subclass and then break your Oath once the game gets going. It doesn’t matter what you choose because your Oathbreaker features replace whatever you start out as.
The easiest option here is to start as an Oath of Vengeance Paladin, then talk Arka out of killing Sazza when you reach the Emerald Grove. You can also get the ball rolling by killing an innocent person as an Oath of Devotion Paladin, or an innocent animal if you took the Oath of the Ancients.
Best race for an Oathbreaker Paladin
The good news is that you can’t really pick a bad race for an Oathbreaker. That said, you should remember that even though Oathbreakers can cast spells, they’re really melee fighters. Because of that, Githyanki and Half-Orc Oathbreakers are going to be extra powerful. Githyanki get psionics and mobility options, and Half-Orcs have Relentless Endurance and Savage Attacks. Crafty or skull-crushing, the choice is yours.
Best ability scores for an Oathbreaker Paladin
Oathbreakers need to make sure they have a good mix of Strength, Constitution, and Charisma scores. The former pair helps Oathbreakers become masters of melee combat and the latter makes sure Oathbreakers can use the handful of spells they unlock as they progress. Here’s the setup I’d recommend at character creation:
- Strength – 17
- Dexterity – 10
- Constitution – 14
- Intelligence – 8
- Wisdom – 10
- Charisma – 15
Best background for an an Oathbreaker Paladin
The best backgrounds for Oathbreaker Paladins make good use of the Charisma attribute. Paladins need high Strength for their weaponry, but they also need a reasonably high Charisma for all their magic. Since you’re already going to have a high Charisma score, you might as well pick a background that gives you some social skill proficiencies. You can choose one that boosts your Persuasion and helps mitigate a low Intelligence/Wisdom score, or you can embrace your weaknesses and focus on terrifying and pummeling your foes.
- Guild Artisan – Insight, Persuasion
- Haunted One – Medicine, Persuasion
- Noble – History, Persuasion
- Soldier – Athletics, Intimidation
Best feats for an Oathbreaker Paladin
When it comes to picking feats, Oathbreakers are in the same boat as all the other Paladins. Depending on the build, Oathbreakers only get 2-3 feats, and it’s tempting to only take ability score increases because you need to boost both Strength and Charisma. Items can help you smooth out those scores, however, so these are the feats I’d recommend considering:
- Ability Score Increase – You really should take at least one to boost Strength. The more often you hit, the more often you Smite.
- Great Weapon Master – This should take your second feat slot, since it greatly increases the chance you have to get in multiple attacks each turn.
- Alert – Going earlier in initiative is always great, but this should really only be a pick if you choose not to multiclass.
Best multiclass for an Oathbreaker Paladin
Oathbreakers are a bit limited when it comes to multiclassing because their signature ability – Animate Dead – doesn’t become available until 9th level. There are still some good multiclass options, though, especially if you’re willing to give up that particular spell.
- Oathbreaker 9, Warlock 3 – This is the route to go for Oathbreakers that want a little bit of everything. You have enough Paladin skills to jump into melee combat and start Smiting your enemies, but you can also save spell slots by leaning on your Charisma modifier with Eldritch Blast while letting your Animate Dead servants do the grunt work. Take Paladin first level, then do your Warlock dip before finishing out your Paladin levels.
- Oathbreaker 7, Bard 5 – Multiclassing with a College of Sword Bard is always a fantastic option for Paladins. They already have the Strength needed to make great use of the College of Sword’s new attack abilities, and all the Bard’s spell slots can be turned into Smites to really dump on the damage. Going this route sacrifices Animate Dead, but by taking Paladin up to level 7 you can still get all your Channel Oaths and the Aura of Hate damage buff for you and your allies. Once again, you’ll want to start as a Paladin to get proficiency in every type of armor, then you can push to level 4 to get a Feat before starting your multiclass.
