One of the more interesting features of paladins in 5th edition D&D is their separation from the divine. Paladins draw their power not from any one deity (although they could), but from the sacred oath each one vows when devoting themselves to the cause of righteousness.

Tabaxi are not the sorts of individuals one would expect to take up the mantle of a paladin, but that only makes the tale of your particular tabaxi all the more interesting. It’s not for lack of ability that they would be an uncommon sight, rather the difference in lifestyle. 

Regardless, the oaths of a paladin are available for any with the courage to take them. How would you build your Tabaxi Paladin?

The Tabaxi race can be found in Volo’s Guide to Monsters. Click here to pick up your own copy of Volo’s Guide to Monsters!

The Paladin class can be found in the Player’s Handbook. Click here to pick up your own copy of The Player’s Handbook!

How to Make a Tabaxi Paladin

Strength has long been the hallmark of paladins, which is interesting because it is mostly required for the sake of heavy armor and to make you better at hitting things. Paladins have proficiency with all weapons, meaning that there are times you might wish to use bows or crossbows (even though you can’t trigger your divine smite with them), so dexterity shouldn’t be completely abandoned either, and it would be a shame to waste the bonus we have as a tabaxi. 

Charisma powers a paladin’s spells and many of their class features. Because of this, I would suggest we prioritize charisma first, pump our strength to at least 15 (the requirement of plate or splint armor), and then boost dex as much as we can afterward. With what is left, try and bring your constitution up as much as you can, we need concentration for spells sometimes, and wisdom next, with intelligence as our least important stat.

As was mentioned in the introduction, anyone with enough bravery and courage could, and perhaps should, attempt taking paladin’s oath, and considering how similarly paladins play, the subclasses differ in how that power is used, with a large portion of the oath relating to the roleplay side of your character. Given this, and the fact that most oaths are pretty good, I would suggest whichever one best suits your character’s backstory.

How to Play a Tabaxi Paladin

Paladins have access to a variety of smite spells, all of which involve hitting a creature with a melee weapon. Branding Smite and Banishing Smite are the exception to this rule and can be triggered with ranged weapons. Because of our strength and dex distribution, we’re well equipped for ranged or melee combat using these abilities. 

Our Feline Agility allows for control of where we are on the battlefield, and our armor class makes us a good tank as well, meaning that we can easily serve a few roles in the party. Paladins do not gain many spell slots, so keep an eye on that, and remember to use your Lay on Hands sparingly if you can, save a few hit points worth of healing for bringing back downed allies in a hurry.

How to Roleplay as a Tabaxi Paladin

Usually, when a person is in a position that they take an oath, that action is either inspired by situation, experience, or need. The Oath of Vengeance might be sworn by one who has seen the poor suffer, whereas the Oath of the Crown might be taken by one of the king’s loyal subjects. 

Is there a monarch back home for whom your tabaxi is exploring? Are they an agent of the court? Perhaps they have seen many terrible things in their travels and took an Oath of Redemption in order to save those who were not too far gone. 

The choice is yours.