Alright so last week I was playing BG3 again – third playthrough, don’t judge – and I kept thinking: how can I make that Aura of Protection from my Paladin actually worth it? You know the one, where everyone near the Paladin gets their Charisma bonus added to saving throws? Sounds amazing, right? But who the heck really puts Paladin smack in the middle of the party all the time? It’s kinda awkward!
Figuring Out the Problem
First thing I did was look at my typical fights. My Paladin, usually swinging a big sword at the front, meant the aura only covered the melee fighters up there. The poor Wizard, Ranger, and Cleric hanging back to do their thing? Missing out completely on that sweet bonus. Kinda sucked, honestly. I needed a way to spread that aura love to the whole squad, especially the squishies who really need those extra saving throws. The big question became: which subclasses let me grab that aura and actually get it on everyone, without making my Paladin run laps around the battlefield?
Testing Different Subclass Combos
Okay, time to experiment. I respec’d my Paladin a bunch and tried different multi-classes:
- Tried sticking pure Paladin (Oath of the Ancients): The aura range is just too damn small. Felt like I was yelling “Stay close!” every turn while the ranged folks were like “Nah, we’re good back here.” Not efficient.
- Went Paladin 6 / Sorcerer: This was promising! Sorcerer gets Distant Spell. Aha! So I thought, great, I’ll just twin-spell a Haste on two allies far away… but wait, Distant Spell doesn’t affect the aura itself! It still only emanates 3 meters from me. My buffs could reach further, but the saving throw bonus was stuck near my boots. Felt like a trick.
- Looked at Paladin 6 / Warlock: This combo is classic for other reasons (Bladelock go brrr), but for extending the aura? Nothing useful in the early warlock subclasses. Fiend maybe for some temp HP, but not helping the range. Felt like I wasted a level.
I started looking outside pure Paladin stuff. What classes can also get the Aura of Protection somehow?
The Winner: Order Domain Cleric
This was kind of a lightbulb moment. I remembered reading something about Order Domain Cleric. Checked it out at level 6. Boom! They get “Divine Order” which, yes sir, includes Aura of Protection! Cleric levels instead of Paladin.
So I thought: screw it, let’s try building a character focused only on being the aura bot and supporting. Something like:
- Start Paladin 1: Grab heavy armor & shield proficiency. Gotta be tough to stand mid-field.
- Rush Cleric (Order Domain) to Level 6: This is the juicy bit. At Order Cleric 6, I get that coveted Aura of Protection keyed off my Wisdom. But I only need Paladin 1 for armor.
- Level 7: Paladin 2? Maybe grab the Paladin level 2 slot for Divine Smite for some extra punch? Or skip it?
- Rest Cleric? Or Sorcerer for more spells/slots?
Built it. Grabbed a Wood Elf for mobility (needed to reposition the aura!). Focused Wisdom (for the aura bonus and Cleric spells) and Constitution. Charisma? Didn’t need it for this aura! Felt liberating. My aura’s power now comes from Wisdom, not Charisma. Gear focused on AC, Saving Throws, and Movement.
Putting It To Work
Took this character into Act 2, right into a nasty fight with some big nasty area-effect spells. Here’s how it went:
- My “Aura Bot” planted themselves right in the middle of the party. Fighter? Close. Wizard? Close. Ranger? Close. Everyone huddled tight.
- Enemy Shadowcaster throws some gnarly darkness spell. Saving throws popped up all over.
- My Wizard normally has a decent Wisdom save, but that +4 or +5 from the aura? Made the difference. Passed!
- My Ranger flubbed a Dex save against some gas… but that big Cha bonus? Nope! This aura gave Wisdom bonus! Doh! Gotta remember it uses the aura bearer’s casting stat! (Cleric=Wisdom). But overall, multiple passed saves that would have failed.
The biggest win was positioning. I didn’t need the aura carrier stuck in melee. They were safe(r) in the center, projecting a decently sized 10-meter radius shield of “nope” against nasty spells and effects. It felt like I actually made Aura of Protection do the work it was meant to do – protecting the whole party, consistently.
The Verdict
After messing around with other stuff like Lore Bard secrets (takes way too long to get), this Order Domain Cleric route felt best. Getting the aura at level 7 total (Paladin1/Cleric6) without needing to max Charisma is huge. It frees up stats for survival.
So yeah, if you really wanna maximize that aura and actually make it useful for everyone:Order Domain Cleric is your best bet.
Grab heavy armor from somewhere (Paladin dip works, Fighter works too, even Cleric Nature Domain gets heavy armor). Plant that aura-bot dead center and laugh as enemy spell effects fizzle. Took some testing, but damn, it works sweet.