Got real obsessed with BG3’s Aura of Protection last weekend. Figured since I always run a paladin anyway, why not squeeze every drop of juice out of that sweet saving throw bonus? My goal was simple: see which subclass pairs absolutely juiced up the aura’s power. Grabbed my controller and dove in.
First, I just slapped the aura onto my Oath of Ancients paladin like usual, keeping the regular build. Felt okay, but honestly? A tad underwhelming when stuff started flinging fireballs. My buddies still flubbed those Dexterity saves more than I liked. Needed more sauce.
So, I started subclass hunting. Went digging through those levels:
- Devotion Paladin: Super straightforward aura buff here, right? Felt tankier for sure. Like hitting a nail with a reliable hammer.
- Vengeance Paladin: Focused on offense mostly, didn’t feel like the aura itself popped much harder than normal. Less wow factor.
- Oathbreaker Paladin: Dark vibes, totally different flavor! Actually boosted nearby minions with the aura too. Unexpected bonus, kinda neat.
Still felt like something was missing, you know? Just stacking levels only took me so far. That’s when I thought, “What about mixing classes?” Yep, multiclass time. Took a deep breath and hit Respec.
The Real Eye-Opener Was War Domain
Decided to try something nutty. Took my paladin (base of six levels) and slapped three levels of War Domain Cleric on top. Why? War Priest feature gives extra attacks sometimes. Seemed cool for frontline action.
This wasn’t the plan, but: Party comp suddenly mattered WAY more than I expected. Realized my Cleric’s spell slots were feeding my Paladin spells, making things like Shield of Faith or Bless way spammier. Casting Bless + Aura felt like cheat mode. Suddenly, everyone was passing saves they had no business passing. That paladin aura? It wasn’t just about MY bonus anymore. My whole team felt glued together.
Like, during one nasty fight in the Underdark, my Wizard buddy had sticky web stuff all over him. Old days? He’d be stuck. But with Bless, my Paladin aura, and the War Cleric spells fueling it? Broke free like nothing. Made me realize the real power comes from stacking effects. It’s less about the paladin subclass itself and more about building the team around that magic bubble.
Tried testing some Sorcerer dips after that, thinking Metamagic Quickened Spell might let me aura-boost AND smash faces in one turn. The theory seemed slick… But the screen turned black? Game crashed hard during combat near Moonrise Towers. Reloaded, got impatient. Too fiddly, felt worse than the Cleric combo anyway.
At the end of the day, wasting all that gold on constant respecs taught me one big thing: Optimizing that aura ain’t just about your paladin build. You gotta see what pals you travel with. Bless is like magic glue. Making sure your spellcaster buddies actually STAND IN the aura bubble? Priceless. For sheer, reliable saving throw juice without headaches? Paladin base + War Cleric levels made saving throws feel hilariously easy. Now if only camp supplies didn’t cost so much after respecs.