Oath of the Watchers Paladin Guide for Beginners: Mastering the Vigilant Sentinel in D&D 5e

The Oath of the Watchers Paladin is a guardian of reality, sworn to protect the world from extraplanar threats like fiends, aberrations, fey, and celestials. Introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, this subclass is perfect for players who want to play a vigilant warrior standing against cosmic horrors, eldritch invaders, and otherworldly entities.

Unlike other Paladins who focus on protecting people, conquering enemies, or seeking vengeance, Watchers specialize in magical defense, awareness, and battlefield control, making them the best Paladin subclass for countering spellcasters and extraplanar threats. If you love the idea of a divine sentinel, a planar guardian, or an eldritch slayer, this subclass is for you!

Why Play an Oath of the Watchers Paladin?

Key Benefits

• Best Paladin for Magical & Planar Defense – Aura of the Sentinel protects against mental attacks and surprise ambushes.
• Excellent Anti-Spellcaster & Anti-Demon Abilities – Can shut down enemy mages, fiends, and aberrations.
• Powerful Party Buffs – Grant allies bonus initiative and saving throws against magic.
• Strong Defensive Control – Prevent planar entities from overwhelming your party.
• Epic Roleplaying Potential – Play as a cosmic guardian, divine investigator, or eldritch hunter.

Compared to other Paladins, Oath of the Watchers is the best for countering magic users, extraplanar threats, and enemies that rely on mental attacks.

Core Features

Key Mechanics and Abilities

Oath Spells (Gained at Levels 3, 5, 9, 13, and 17)

The Oath of the Watchers spell list provides divination, protection, and counter-magic spells.

• Key Spells:

  • Alarm (3rd Level) – Detect intrusions while resting.
  • Detect Magic (3rd Level) – See auras of magical effects.
  • Moonbeam (5th Level) – Radiant damage that disrupts shapechangers.
  • See Invisibility (5th Level) – Detect hidden threats.
  • Counterspell (9th Level) – Negate enemy spells instantly.
  • Nondetection (9th Level) – Make a target immune to divination magic.
  • Aura of Purity (13th Level) – Protect against disease, poison, and harmful conditions.
  • Banishment (13th Level) – Send extraplanar creatures back to their home plane.
  • Hold Monster (17th Level) – Paralyze any creature for auto-crits from melee attacks.
  • Scrying (17th Level) – Magically spy on creatures from afar.

• Example: Use Counterspell to shut down an enemy mage, then cast Banishment to send a fiend back to its home plane.

Channel Divinity: Watcher’s Will (Level 3)

• As an action, grant yourself and allies within 30 feet advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws for 1 minute.
• Great for resisting mind control, fear effects, and illusions.
• Example: Protect your party from a mind flayer’s psychic blast or a vampire’s charm.

Channel Divinity: Abjure the Extraplanar (Level 3)

• Force all aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, and fiends within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw or be turned for 1 minute.
• Example: Use this to send a pack of demons or ghosts fleeing before the fight even starts.

Aura of the Sentinel (Level 7)

• You and allies within 10 feet (30 feet at level 18) gain a bonus to initiative equal to your proficiency bonus.
• Example: Guarantee your party goes first in combat, taking control of the battlefield before enemies can act.

Vigilant Rebuke (Level 15)

• When a creature within 30 feet succeeds on an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma save, deal force damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
• Example: If a Wizard resists a mind control spell, they also damage the enemy caster.

Mortal Bulwark (Level 20)

• For 1 minute:
  • Gain truesight (see through invisibility, illusions, and magical darkness).
  • Gain advantage on attacks against aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, and fiends.
  • Automatically succeed on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, or possessed.
  • When you hit a creature with an attack, you can banish it (once per turn).
• Example: Hunt down a mind flayer or archdemon, striking them down with divine clarity and instantly banishing them back to their home plane.

These abilities make Oath of the Watchers the best Paladin subclass for fighting spellcasters, aberrations, demons, and extraplanar invaders.

Gear and Dice Recommendations

Suggested Equipment

Weapons

• Longsword + Shield (Balanced Build) – Classic knightly weapon for defense and offense.
• Rapier + Shield (Dexterity Build) – Pairs well with high initiative and movement.

Armor

• Plate Armor – Maximizes AC for frontline combat.
• Sentinel Shield – Boosts initiative and perception.

Magic Items

• Amulet of the Sentinel – Boosts awareness and grants See Invisibility.
• Ring of Mind Shielding – Prevents mind control and psychic damage.
• Cloak of Protection – Boosts AC and saving throws.

Dice Recommendations from Runic Dice

Enhance your vigilant protector aesthetic with these thematic dice sets:

• Sentinel’s Vigil Dice Set: For a silver and blue combination representing an ever-watchful guardian, consider the Blue Sandstone Silver Font Gemstone DND Dice Set. Handcrafted from genuine blue sandstone, these dice shimmer with captivating blue hues and feature elegant silver numbering, embodying the steadfast vigilance of a sentinel.
• Eldritch Hunter Dice Set: To embody the essence of hunting aberrations with dark purple and black tones, the Purple Gemstone Amethyst DND Dice Set is an excellent choice. Made from genuine amethyst, these dice showcase deep purple hues, reflecting the mysterious and formidable nature of an eldritch hunter.
• Planar Guardian Dice Set: For celestial gold and white colors symbolizing cosmic protection, the Gemstone Opalite (Gold Font) DND Dice Set offers a luminous appearance with gold numbering, capturing the ethereal essence of a guardian traversing the planes.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Optimization Strategies

Best Feats for an Oath of the Watchers Paladin

1. Alert – Boosts initiative, making your party even faster.
2. Sentinel – Prevents fiends and extraplanar creatures from escaping.
3. Tough – Boosts HP, making you harder to kill.
4. Resilient (Wisdom) – Boosts Wisdom saves, making you nearly immune to mind control.
5. War Caster – Helps maintain concentration on Counterspell and Banishment.

Best Multiclass Options

1. Paladin 6 / Cleric (Knowledge or Arcana Domain) 14 – The Planar Scholar

• • Boosts Counterspell and grants divination spells.

1. Paladin 7 / Wizard (Abjuration) 13 – The Mage Slayer

• • More spell slots for Counterspell and defensive magic.

1. Paladin 10 / Bard (College of Lore) 10 – The Arcane Investigator

   • Grants Bardic Inspiration and additional utility spells.

The Oath of the Watchers Paladin is one of the best anti-magic, anti-demon, and anti-eldritch subclasses in D&D 5e, excelling at countering spellcasters, protecting the party, and preventing extraplanar threats.

If you want to play as a cosmic guardian, a divine investigator, or an eldritch slayer, this subclass is for you!