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Hello, Gamers!
Minthara, a Drow Paladin under the banner of the Absolute, stands out as a captivatingcompanionin the world ofBaldur’s Gate 3. This guide aims to delve into the nuances of optimizing Minthara’s build for those who choose to align with her or incorporate her into their party in Act 2. Her specialization in single-target burst damage and debuff utility makes her a formidable force on the battlefield.
Encountered within the Goblin Camp, Minthara can become a powerful ally or a formidable foe, depending on the path you choose. Her potential as a Paladin, especially when aligned with the Oath of Vengeance, unlocks devastating combat capabilities and strategic advantages.
Key Features & Mechanics
Spell Mechanics for Paladins
Focus on leveraging Minthara’s Paladin class features, particularly Divine Smite, to maximize damage output. While her spellcasting might be limited compared to other classes, the strategic use of her spell slots for Divine Smite or critical buffs and crowd control spells can turn the tide of battle. Given the complexity of her build and the strategic depth required, players are encouraged to engage with her abilities thoughtfully to unleash her full potential.
Many people are tempted to multiclass Paladin with Warlock, but this build will focus on maximizing Minthara’s potential as a Paladin solely. Stay tuned for our Lockadin guide in the future!
Once you have Minthara in your party, you’re going to want to respec her with Withers. Make sure her stats look like this before we start building her:
Constitution
Intelligence
At level 1, Minthara gets to pick her Paladin subclass. We will be pickingOath of Vengeancefor her. Oathbreaker Paladin also works well for this build, so if you can break Minthara’s Oath in Act 2, you may want to do that instead.
At level 1, you will gain access toLay on HandsandInquisitor’s Might. Inquistor’s Might will be nice for the extra damage this allows us to do.
At level 2, Minthara will get her first smites, a Fighting Style, and some spell slots. For your Fighting Style, you will pickGreat Weapon Fighting- two handed weapons are simply too good to ignore in Baldur’s Gate 3. You will be able to pick 5 spells to be prepared, and we recommend these:
Your biggest source of damage as a Paladin will be from your Smites, so we will take all the Smites we can save for Wrathful Smite, which is useless.
At level 3, Minthara unlocks a number of things. This level brings additional spell slots, unique subclass features, and passive benefits that can dramatically influence your approach to combat. Here’s a breakdown of the upgrades and how they can be utilized effectively.
You’re also going to want to pick a spell, and we recommend this one:
Level 4 gives Minthara her first feat, and we’re going to want to pickAbility Improvementto up ourStrengthto18. A lot of people will opt to takeGreat Weapon Masterhere, which is fine, too. That’s what we’ll be picking at level 8, so if you want to do it out of order, it won’t hurt you much at this point.
Minthara also gets another spell now. I recommend picking eitherDivine FavourorBless.
Level 5 is a huge deal for Paladins. At this level, Minthara receives a level 1 and 2 spell slot, another prepared spell, her Extra Attack, and 2 subclass spells:Hold PersonandMisty Step. She will also getBranding Smite(a level 2 spell) at this level, which we want to equip as soon as we can.
As for Minthara’s level 1 spell choice, you can pick whatever you like.
Paladins gain an additional prepared spell slot at level 6, increasing their total to nine. Additionally, they unlock the Aura of Protection feature. This feature grants both you and your nearby allies a bonus to Saving Throws, which is equivalent to your Charisma modifier.
For your spell selection, I recommend picking upMagic Weapon. The extra damage is nice.
At level 7, Minthara will gain access to the following enhancements:
For your spell slot, you should consider picking upLesser Restoration. The other spells aren’t very useful, unfortunately - and you probably have an abundance of Antidotes somewhere in your inventory.
At level 8, Paladins will get their next feat. If you didn’t pickGreat Weapon Masterat level 4, you will now. Pairing this feet with aPotion of Speedcan land you multiple Smites in a single turn. The ability to Smite repeatedly is why Paladins are famous for one-turn-downing boss enemies. With this build, you’re able to turn Myrkul into your play toy at this level.
At level 9, an Oath of Vengeance Paladin gains significant enhancements, including two level 3 spell slots and access to two subclass-specific spells, broadening their tactical options in combat.
At level 10, Paladins gain access to the following:
At this point, some builds will have you branch off from Paladin to Fighter. You sacrifice a feat by doing this, but gettingAction Surgeunder your Paladin’s belt is not a bad idea. For this build, we will continue with Paladin, as we will get stronger smites out of it.
At level 11, Minthara will getImproved Divine Smite,which also adds 1d8 Radiant damage to her melee attacks. This passive feature is always on, you will not actually have to Smite in order to take advantage of this buff.
You will also be able to pick another spell here. The most useful of our choices will beCrusader’s Mantle, so go ahead and pick that up for some extra damage.
Level 12 gets Minthara her last feat, we’re going to finish off our build by pickingAbility Improvementonce again. You’ll increase herStrengthto20with this last buff.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Gale Build
Focusing on area-based damage, this build leverages the Evocation subclass to unleash devastating spells while ensuring the safety of allies.
