Bard / PaladinMulticlass Build Guide — D&D 5e

Two paladin levels give the bard Divine Smite, heavy armour, shields, and a Fighting Style. Divine Smite converts any spell slot into burst radiant damage on a hit — and because the bard is a full caster, the slot pool feeding those smites is twice as deep as a pure paladin’s. A Swords Bard with Extra Attack and Smite hits like a paladin with a bard’s spell flexibility.

Charisma is the shared stat that makes this work. It drives your bard spellcasting, your Bardic Inspiration, and the Lay on Hands healing pool (minor), while also being the stat that would power paladin auras if you took more levels. At just two levels, you do not reach Aura of Protection — but you get the smite engine, and that is the prize.

The cost is two levels of bard progression. Your Magical Secrets at Bard 10 arrives at character level 12, and your Inspiration die scales with bard level, not character level. A College of Swords bard absorbs the martial overlap naturally: Blade Flourishes + Smite on the same attack creates burst damage that rivals a Sorcadin.

Ability priority: CHA → STR (13) → CON — Charisma for spellcasting and Inspiration. Strength 13 is the paladin multiclass requirement, and you need it for heavy armour and melee attacks. Constitution for durability.