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A level 20 Paladin can deal 78 average damage in one conditional 2014-rules burst with a mundane greatsword, Strength 20, two successful attacks, and both 5th-level spell slots spent on Divine Smite. Against a fiend or undead, the same assumptions produce 87 average damage. Those figures are hit damage, not a universal maximum or expected damage per round: edition, weapon, ability score, subclass, target defenses, critical hits, and limited resources all change the result.
The edition matters immediately. The 2014 Paladin and revised 2024 Paladin do not handle Divine Smite the same way, so a calculation must identify which rules it uses.
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Under the 2014 rules, a straightforward pure Paladin burst can deal 4d6 + 12d8 + 10, or 78 average damage, if both greatsword attacks hit and the Paladin spends both 5th-level spell slots on Divine Smite. The target must not resist the damage for that total to apply.
Against a fiend or undead, each Divine Smite gains another 1d8. The same two hits therefore deal 4d6 + 14d8 + 10, or 87 average damage on average. This is a reproducible scenario, not the greatest number any level 20 Paladin could theoretically create with every possible feat, magic item, subclass interaction, or favorable target condition.
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The underlying 2014 class rules are in D&D Beyond’s 2014 Basic Rules. The revised rules are different enough that the 2014 calculation should not be copied into a 2024 character sheet.
How is the 78-damage example calculated?
The example fixes the variables that otherwise make the question ambiguous:
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- Pure level 20 Paladin
- Mundane greatsword
- Strength 20, giving a +5 Strength modifier
- No damage-boosting magic item or feat
- Two successful attacks from the Attack action
- One 5th-level Divine Smite used on each hit
- No resistance, vulnerability, or other target-specific adjustment
A 2014 level 20 Paladin has Extra Attack, allowing two attacks when taking the Attack action. The class table also provides two 5th-level spell slots, which is enough to use the maximum base Divine Smite on both hits.
| Damage source | One hit | Two hits |
|---|---|---|
| Greatsword | 2d6 | 4d6 |
| Strength 20 | +5 | +10 |
| Improved Divine Smite | 1d8 | 2d8 |
| 5th-level Divine Smite | 5d8 | 10d8 |
| Total | 2d6 + 6d8 + 5 | 4d6 + 12d8 + 10 |
The average is 14 points from 4d6, 54 from 12d8, and 10 from the two Strength modifiers: 14 + 54 + 10 = 78. The calculation assumes that both attacks hit. It is therefore conditional damage on a successful turn, not an accuracy-adjusted average over many rounds.
Why does a fiend or undead take 87 average damage?
2014 Divine Smite adds another 1d8 when the target is a fiend or undead. That extra die applies to each qualifying smite, so two smites add 2d8 to the ordinary two-hit total.
The dice become:
4d6 + 14d8 + 10
Four d6 average 14, fourteen d8 average 63, and the two +5 Strength modifiers contribute 10. The total is therefore 87 average damage before resistance or another defense reduces it.
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The extra 1d8 is a property of Divine Smite, not a general bonus against every creature. A target that is neither a fiend nor an undead does not use the 87-point line.
Is 78 damage the maximum a level 20 Paladin can do?
No. It is a clearly labeled baseline burst, not an absolute ceiling. “Maximum” changes as soon as the question changes the weapon, ability score, feats, fighting style, magic items, subclass, target, hit results, or resources spent.
The example deliberately uses a mundane greatsword and excludes damage-boosting magic items and feats. A different weapon or build can change the weapon dice and modifiers. A magic item can add its own effects. A feat or fighting style can alter attack accuracy, damage, or the number of relevant attacks. Because the available data does not specify a universal equipment or feat package, assigning one number to every level 20 Paladin would be misleading.
Attack results matter as well. The 78 and 87 figures assume two normal hits. Missing an attack removes that hit’s weapon damage, ability modifier, Improved Divine Smite die, and any Divine Smite attached to it. Critical hits change the dice outcome, so a turn with a critical hit is a different scenario from the two ordinary hits used in the worked example.
Target defenses matter after the dice are rolled. Resistance can reduce the damage that reaches the target, while vulnerability or another target-specific rule can change the result in the other direction. A damage claim should therefore state the target’s type and defenses instead of presenting an unqualified total.
How many smites can a 2014 level 20 Paladin use?
The level 20 2014 class table lists two 5th-level spell slots, plus three 4th-level and three 3rd-level slots. The worked burst spends the two 5th-level slots, one on each successful hit, because a 5th-level Divine Smite provides the maximum base bonus of 5d8 per hit.
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Spending both top-level slots makes the 78-point example a resource-heavy burst. It does not describe every round of a full adventuring day, and it does not imply that all six lower-level slots are irrelevant. Lower-level slots can still fuel Divine Smite, but they produce a different total from the 5th-level calculation.
This distinction is important when comparing burst and sustained damage. Burst damage asks, “What can happen on this turn if the right attacks hit and the Paladin spends scarce resources?” Sustained damage asks for an encounter count, turn count, hit rate, target defenses, and a slot-spending plan. Without those assumptions, an average damage-per-round number has no single defensible value.
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Where does Improved Divine Smite fit?
Improved Divine Smite adds 1d8 radiant damage to each melee weapon hit under the 2014 rules. In the two-hit example, that is 2d8 total, included in the 12d8 line alongside the 10d8 from the two 5th-level Divine Smites.
It is easy to double-count this feature by treating it as another 5d8 smite. It is not. Each melee weapon hit receives one 1d8 from Improved Divine Smite, while each Divine Smite contributes 5d8 at 5th level, plus the additional 1d8 against a fiend or undead.
The distinction also explains why the example requires melee weapon hits. The Improved Divine Smite portion is tied to those hits, whereas the Divine Smite portion is the slot-powered rider applied when the Paladin qualifies.
Can a Paladin’s subclass add damage outside the attack?
Yes. Some subclass damage happens on a different timing window and should not be folded into the attack total. The 2014 Oath of Devotion’s 20th-level feature, Holy Nimbus, requires an action, lasts one minute, and deals 10 radiant damage when an enemy starts its turn in the bright light. It is usable once per long rest.
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Holy Nimbus is therefore not an extra 10 points to append automatically to the 78-point attack. It consumes an action and triggers on a qualifying enemy turn, not as part of the two greatsword hits. If a calculation includes it, the calculation should show the separate timing, the action spent, the once-per-long-rest limit, and whether an enemy actually starts its turn in the bright light.
This is a general rule for comparing subclasses: identify whether a feature modifies a hit, triggers after a hit, uses an action or bonus action, or deals damage on another creature’s turn. Combining effects solely because they all deal radiant damage produces an inaccurate burst total.
What changes under the 2024 Paladin rules?
The revised 2024 Paladin uses a different Divine Smite action economy. D&D Beyond’s official comparison explains that revised Divine Smite is a spell used as a bonus action immediately after a hit, while Radiant Strikes arrives at level 11. See the official 2024-versus-2014 Paladin overview for the rule-change summary.
That bonus-action timing matters whenever a turn contains multiple hits or another bonus-action feature. A 2014 calculation that simply attaches two smites to two attacks cannot be transferred directly to a 2024 character without checking the revised spell and action rules. The 2024 Paladin also has a different feature lineup, so “level 20 Paladin damage” must specify 2014 or 2024 before any dice are added.
The worked 78 and 87 figures are explicitly 2014 examples. They are useful for understanding the older class’s burst structure, not as a claim about the revised Paladin’s exact output.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What assumptions should every Paladin damage comparison show?
A reliable comparison makes its variables visible. Include all of the following:
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- Edition: state 2014 or 2024, since Divine Smite and other features differ.
- Level split: identify a pure level 20 Paladin or list every multiclass level.
- Weapon and ability score: name the weapon, ability modifier, and whether the item is mundane or magical.
- Feats and fighting style: note any source that changes attacks, accuracy, or damage.
- Number of attacks: state how many attacks are attempted and how many actually hit.
- Critical results: separate ordinary hits from critical hits rather than blending them into one average.
- Target: identify creature type and resistance, vulnerability, or other relevant defenses.
- Subclass features: show effects that trigger on the Paladin’s turn separately from effects on an enemy’s turn.
- Resources: list spell slots, once-per-rest features, and any other limited resource spent.
- Time horizon: for sustained damage, specify the number and length of encounters or turns being averaged.
These conditions prevent a burst figure from being mistaken for a round-by-round promise. They also make two builds comparable: both calculations must spend the same kind of resources against the same kind of target under the same edition.
What is the most honest way to report the result?
Lead with the scenario, then show the arithmetic. For the 2014 example, the concise report is: “A pure level 20 Paladin with Strength 20 and a mundane greatsword deals 4d6 + 12d8 + 10, or 78 average damage, if both attacks hit and both 5th-level slots fuel Divine Smite. Against a fiend or undead, the total is 4d6 + 14d8 + 10, or 87 average damage.”
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Immediately label what the number leaves out: accuracy, resistance, critical-hit outcomes, magic items, feats, alternate weapons, subclass timing, and whether the character must preserve slots for later encounters. That wording answers the literal question while avoiding the false impression that every level 20 Paladin has one fixed damage ceiling.
The System Reference Document 5.1 is another primary rules reference for the 2014-era mechanics. Use the relevant edition’s rules text when a table, character sheet, or campaign house rule differs from the assumptions above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a level 20 Paladin deal 78 damage every round?
No. The 78 figure assumes two attacks hit and both 5th-level slots are spent, so it describes one resource-heavy 2014 burst. A sustained estimate would need an assumed hit rate, encounter schedule, target defenses, and a plan for lower-level slots.
What if only one of the Paladin’s attacks hits?
The two-hit total no longer applies: remove the missed attack’s weapon damage, Strength modifier, Improved Divine Smite die, and any Divine Smite assigned to that attack. The exact result depends on which slot was spent and whether the hit target is a fiend or undead.
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Does Holy Nimbus add 10 damage to the Paladin’s smite turn?
Not automatically. Holy Nimbus uses an action, lasts one minute, is once per long rest, and deals 10 radiant damage when an enemy starts its turn in the bright light, so its damage occurs on a separate timing window.
Can I use this calculation for the 2024 Paladin?
Not directly. The revised Divine Smite is a spell cast as a bonus action immediately after a hit, and the revised class has Radiant Strikes at level 11. Recalculate using the 2024 feature wording and action economy.
