In Baldur's Gate 3, Paladins and Clerics are the two divine spellcasters. They both get access to some of the same spells and can fill similar roles in the party composition. Though they are often considered to have fixed roles as damage dealers and healers, there is a lot more to them and a considerable amount of overlap in their abilities.

Due to having some abilities in common and being alike in of lore, it may be difficult for players to choose the right one for their character. It's hard to say which one is the best choice, as it depends on the player's preferences, but there is a lot that can be compared between the two. So, which areas do the two classes shine in?

As A Half-Caster, The Best Feature Of The Paladin Is Divine Smite

Clerics Have Access To Many More Spells Than Paladins

Despite the two classes actually being fairly similar, they're at opposite ends of the popularity scale, as revealed on X. Paladins are half-casters, which limits them to spells only up to level 3. Unlike Clerics, they don't get access to damage-dealing AOE spells. Paladins can perform various smite attacks, but the one they will likely be using the most is the iconic Divine smite. This spell is very reliable, being a very heavy hitter and not u a spell slot on a miss - players also have the option to turn regular critical hits into divine smites by using a reaction.

Meanwhile, Clerics are, of course, full casters. This means that later in the game, they have access to many different spells, often more than a player may know what to do with. Though aPpaladin won't have access to spells outside of third level without multiclassing, in the later game, Clerics get access to very powerful spells such as Harm, Insect Plague, Telekenesis, Blade Barrier, Planar Ally, and Flame Strike. Inflict wounds, and Guiding Bolt are also very powerful against enemies at the beginning of the game, and are acquired at level 1.

Paladins Are A Flexible Class, But The Versatility Of The Cleric Is Underrated

With The Different Domains/Subclasses, Clerics Can Fill Almost Any Role In The Party

Clerics are often written off as healers, though healing is generally a secondary ability to the classes that function as a role. It could be argued that Baldur's Gate 3 tries to prompt the player to think outside the box when it comes to this class, with Shadowheart defaulting to the trickery domain and Minthara originally being planned to be a Cleric but being changed to a paladin in early patch updates. With some domains having access to heavy armor and spells like Spirit Guardians, which do damage to surrounding enemies, Clerics can make decent front-line fighters.

Different Cleric domains can unlock abilities that other spellcasting classes can also learn. The War and Tempest domain Clerics have some very powerful damage-based spells and proficiency in martial weapons, shields, and all armor types. The Tempest Domain's "Destructive Wrath" ability deals the maximum damage possible when dealing thunder or lightning damage, and the War Domain's spell list gets access to a few spells that would otherwise be unique to paladins. If a team already has tough martial-based attackers, then a Cleric will likely be a good alternative to a paladin.

Whilst Paladin Oaths are a large part of the class' concept, they can sometimes be detrimental. Reddit ozangeo pointed out that a War Cleric may be a better choice for players who want paladin spells and to also do certain things without breaking their oaths, such as saving Mayrina whilst also getting Auntie Ethel's hair, or killing the Duergar slavers in a tactical manner.

Paladins always excel at being melee fighters and strength-focused, so they can still deal decent damage if they decide to perform a regular attack instead of a smite. Judging from how the subclass progresses in Dungeons & Dragons, the Spirit Guardians spell will probably come with the "Oath of the Crown" Paladin, which would make it a good competitor against damage-dealing Clerics. Also, Paladin spells use Charisma, an extremely useful stat outside of combat that can make several fights significantly easier, such as Yurgir in the Gauntlet of Shar.

Clerics Will Always Be More Effective At , But The Paladin Is Still A Good Contender

Clerics Can Be More Powerful, But Paladins Are More Reliable

It's likely no surprise that Clerics are always going to be the best choice for a class and can cast the largest variety of healing spells. Most of Paladin's spells are also available to Clerics, often at lower levels. Though lots of these spells are extremely useful, and a late-game paladin will often perform extremely well, a Paladin's spells will almost always be at a slight disadvantage compared to the Cleric's since they won't have the ability to upcast them like Clerics can.

The Oath of the Ancient's channel oath charge is a mass-healing spell, but since oath charges are quite limited, this will never compare to a Cleric's abilities but still could be the difference between winning or losing a battle. In general, the Paladin is probably the "safer" option, with the default stats being able to carry players throughout most of the game. Paladins are definitely the superior half-caster class. However, Baldur's Gate 3's Cleric class can be extremely powerful if built correctly, and with access to much stronger spells, it has the potential to do a lot more damage.

Source: Baldur's Gate 3/X, ozangeo/Reddit