Paladin Backgrounds: 2014 vs. Revised 2024 Rules

Paladin Backgrounds: 2014 vs. Revised 2024 Rules

Paladin backgrounds changed substantially in the revised 2024 rules. A 2014 background mainly supplies skills, tools or languages, equipment, and a narrative feature. A revised background also controls your ability-score increases and grants an Origin feat, making it a much larger part of the build.

Rules edition: This is a comparison and conversion guide. For current recommendations and rankings, see our best Paladin backgrounds for revised 2024 D&D.

Paladin Background Rules at a Glance

What the Change Means for a Paladin

The revised Paladin names Strength and Charisma as its primary abilities. A revised background that includes one or both of those abilities can shape the build before play begins. Constitution remains valuable for hit points and concentration, so packages such as Soldier, Farmer, Merchant, and Hermit create meaningful alternatives rather than one automatic answer.

Under the 2014 rules, choosing Noble instead of Soldier did not determine your ability-score increases. The decision focused more heavily on proficiencies, the background feature, and the character’s history. Under the revised rules, Noble can support Strength and Charisma while Soldier can support Strength and Constitution, so the choice directly changes the starting numbers.

Noble: Then and Now

2014 Noble grants History and Persuasion, a gaming-set proficiency, a language, equipment, and Position of Privilege. That feature helps the character move through high society and request access to nobility. It is useful in campaigns where social standing matters, but it does not increase Strength or Charisma by itself.

Revised Noble keeps History and Persuasion but becomes a more mechanical package. Its ability choices include Strength, Intelligence, and Charisma, and its Skilled Origin feat adds three skill or tool proficiencies. That combination makes revised Noble one of the strongest general Paladin backgrounds.

Soldier: Then and Now

2014 Soldier supplies Athletics, Intimidation, military-related tool proficiencies, equipment, and Military Rank. Its value depends heavily on whether the campaign recognizes the character’s former organization and rank.

Revised Soldier supports Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and grants Savage Attacker. It still includes Athletics and Intimidation, but the feat now supplies an always-relevant combat benefit instead of relying primarily on a campaign-facing social feature.

Acolyte: Then and Now

2014 Acolyte provides Insight, Religion, two languages, religious equipment, and Shelter of the Faithful. It suits a Paladin connected to an organized faith, particularly when temples and religious institutions are active in the story.

Revised Acolyte offers Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma increases and grants Magic Initiate (Cleric). The new package adds spells and can improve Charisma, but it cannot improve Strength or Constitution. That makes it thematically strong and mechanically specialized rather than universally optimal.

Folk Hero and Farmer

The original Folk Hero and revised Farmer occupy similar story territory but are not the same rules package. The 2014 Folk Hero has Animal Handling, Survival, a tool proficiency, land vehicles, and Rustic Hospitality. The revised Farmer instead includes ability-score choices that support Strength and Constitution and grants Tough.

For a Paladin who began as an ordinary protector, both tell a coherent story. Farmer is substantially stronger for raw durability under the revised system, while Folk Hero’s value in a 2014 game depends more on how often Rustic Hospitality helps the party.

How to Convert an Older Background

D&D Beyond provides official guidance for using a background from an older book with a revised character:

1. Choose the background’s ability-score increases using the revised allocation: one eligible score by 2 and another by 1, or three scores by 1.
2. Ignore ability-score increases from an older species when using the revised background allocation.
3. If the older background does not grant a feat, choose an Origin feat.
4. Retain the background’s proficiencies and equipment unless the Dungeon Master approves a different conversion.

This method lets a 2014 option such as City Watch, Faction Agent, Haunted One, or Knight remain usable without pretending its original feature package was written for the revised system. Record the conversion clearly so everyone at the table knows which rules are in use.

Which Version Should You Choose?

• Use the original 2014 background when the entire campaign uses the 2014 Player’s Handbook and legacy character options.
• Use the revised background when the campaign uses the revised class, species, feat, and character-origin rules.
• Convert an older background when its story is important but the rest of the character uses revised rules.
• Do not take both sets of ability increases. The conversion guidance replaces older species ability increases rather than stacking with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the revised 2024 rules a new edition?

They are an update to fifth edition. D&D Beyond now labels the revised rules “5.5e” and the 2014 rules “5e” for clarity, while continuing to support both.

Can I use Position of Privilege with a revised Noble?

Position of Privilege belongs to the 2014 Noble background. The revised Noble grants Skilled instead. Combining the two requires explicit Dungeon Master approval and should not be presented as the default revised rules.

Can I freely swap the feat on a revised background?

The listed revised backgrounds grant specific Origin feats. Older backgrounds without a feat receive an Origin feat during conversion. Any additional swapping or custom design should be agreed upon with the Dungeon Master.

Which background is best for a revised Paladin?

Noble is the most broadly useful choice, but Soldier, Farmer, Merchant, and Wayfarer each support a distinct build. See our complete revised Paladin background ranking for the build-by-build recommendations.

Official Rules Sources

• D&D Beyond: revised backgrounds, Origin feats, and older-background conversion
• D&D Beyond Basic Rules: revised Character Origins
• D&D Beyond Basic Rules: 2014 backgrounds
• D&D Beyond Basic Rules: revised Paladin