Rules edition: This guide uses the legacy Half-Elf traits from the 2014 Basic Rules and the 2014 Paladin class. Paladin oaths from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything are labeled as optional. This build does not combine those rules with the revised 2024 species or class rules.
A Half-Elf’s flexible ability increases and extra skill proficiencies complement the 2014 Paladin’s mix of weapon attacks, spellcasting, and support. They give you room to support Strength, Constitution, and Charisma without deciding your character’s personality or oath for you.
What the 2014 Half-Elf brings
The legacy Half-Elf gains +2 Charisma and +1 to two other different ability scores. It also has 60-foot darkvision, advantage on saving throws against being charmed, protection against magical sleep, and proficiency in two skills of your choice. These traits can support a Paladin, but they do not make one ability-score arrangement mandatory.
Charisma helps with Paladin spellcasting, the number of uses of Divine Sense, saving throws against some Channel Divinity effects, and Aura of Protection. Strength supports attacks and heavy armor; Constitution supports hit points and concentration saves. The Half-Elf’s two +1 increases can improve Strength and Constitution while its +2 improves Charisma.
Start with a legal ability-score plan
Here is one 27-point-buy array before species increases: Strength 15, Dexterity 10, Constitution 14, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10, and Charisma 14. The scores cost 27 points. Assign the Half-Elf’s +1 increases to Strength and Constitution and its +2 to Charisma. Your final scores are Strength 16, Dexterity 10, Constitution 15, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10, and Charisma 16.
This array supports a Strength-based build, but you can move the flexible increases to suit a different concept. Dexterity can matter if you choose a finesse-weapon approach; Wisdom can help with common saving throws and Perception. The Paladin multiclass prerequisites, when multiclassing is allowed, are Strength 13 and Charisma 13.
Choose an oath for its features and story
The 2014 Paladin chooses a Sacred Oath at Paladin level 3. The Player’s Handbook options are Devotion, the Ancients, and Vengeance. Xanathar’s Guide to Everything adds Conquest and Redemption as optional choices. Choose for the oath’s features and the character’s commitments; Half-Elf ancestry does not require a diplomatic, heroic, or lawful role.
Devotion
Sacred Weapon adds your Charisma modifier to attack rolls with the chosen weapon for the feature’s duration. It can make Charisma useful in a weapon-focused turn, but it does not replace Strength or Dexterity in every part of the build. At Paladin level 7, Aura of Devotion protects you and nearby allies from being charmed while you are conscious. That later feature can overlap with Fey Ancestry, so the race’s advantage on charm saves is most relevant before then or outside the aura.
The Ancients and Vengeance
The Ancients oath offers a nature-centered path with its own defensive and control features. Vengeance focuses on pursuing a chosen foe. Both work with a Half-Elf; build your ability scores around the weapon, armor, and spells you plan to use rather than assuming either oath needs a special ancestry combination.
Conquest and Redemption
Conquest uses fear and control, so a strong Charisma score can support effects that call for a saving throw. Redemption offers protective and diplomatic tools; its Emissary of Peace feature grants a fixed +5 bonus to Persuasion checks for 10 minutes, rather than adding your Charisma modifier. These oaths are optional supplement choices, so confirm that your table is using them.
Plan attacks, spells, and concentration
At Paladin level 2, choose a Fighting Style that matches your equipment. Defense adds 1 AC while you wear armor; Dueling adds damage when you hold a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons; Great Weapon Fighting and Protection support other approaches. At level 5, Extra Attack gives you two attacks when you take the Attack action.
Divine Smite is a class feature, not a spell: after you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a spell slot to add radiant damage. It does not use your action or require concentration. Paladin spells such as bless do require concentration, so weigh that benefit against other concentration options before a fight. You prepare Paladin spells according to the class rules, while oath spells are always prepared and do not count against your daily number.
Choose feats only when they fit the campaign
The 2014 rules let you take a feat instead of an Ability Score Improvement when your table uses feats. Polearm Master can support a polearm plan with its bonus-action attack and reaction option. War Caster helps with concentration saves and spell components while your hands are occupied. Resilient (Constitution) improves Constitution saves and can help maintain concentration. Compare a feat with raising Charisma or Strength; neither choice is best at every level or for every party.
Round out the character
Paladins choose two class skills from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion. Use the Half-Elf’s two additional skill proficiencies to cover gaps your group actually has. A character might negotiate with a steady voice, keep a record of broken promises, or avoid public attention entirely. Heritage and oath are starting points for characterization, not fixed personalities.
For more class-wide spell, feature, and progression advice, see the Paladin guide. For another ancestry-specific 2014 build, see the Half-Orc Paladin guide.
Official Rules Sources
- D&D Beyond: 2014 Basic Rules races (Half-Elf traits).
- D&D Beyond: 2014 Basic Rules classes (Paladin features, spells, and oaths).
- D&D Beyond: 2014 Basic Rules character creation (ability-score methods and point buy).
- D&D Beyond: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (optional Oaths of Conquest and Redemption).