Last week's episode of Critical Role revealed a brand new paladin subclass designed by Matt Mercer - the Oath of the Open Sea. The subclass was designed with Travis Willingham's character Fjord in mind and incorporates a nautical theme that syncs up with Fjord's past as a sailor. Fjord gained access to his subclass's ability when he took his third paladin level, although he didn't formally take the Oath of the Open Seas until the most recent episode. As an Oath of the Open Sea Paladin, Fjord gains access to two new spells - create or destroy water and expeditious retreat. Fjord can also channel divinity for two new effects, one which creates a 20 foot patch of fog that heavily obscures the area for everyone but the paladin and his allies (who treat the fog as light obscurement), and an ability that allows the paladin to harness the power of the tides to push an enemy ten feet away from you when you hit them with an attack.
Mercer revealed that the new paladin subclass is also available on D&D Beyond for free, which means that we can see some of the other abilities in the subclass. Upon reaching Level 7, the Oath of the Open Seas paladin creates a 10-foot aura that prevents himself and others from being grappled or restrained. At Level 15, the paladin can use their reaction to cause water to crash into anyone that tries to enter or exit their melee range, causing them to fall prone if they fail a Strength saving throw. Finally, at Level 20, the paladin can channel the spirits of a Mythic Swashbuckler, granting them several powerful sea-faring abilities for a full minute.
The full Oath of the Open Seas subclass is available to use on D&D Beyond. Keep in mind that this is unofficial homebrew content, and is subject to future balancing and playtesting.
The best class for the Paladin to multiclass into is the Fighter because you can get the Action Surge, Fighting Style, Extra Attack, and Crowd Control. Also, a secondary multiclass choice for Paladin is the Sorcerer for players who want more spell-casting options without the focus on melee damage.
The Paladin's Smite feature is a popular way for many classes to add a burst of damage to their weapon attacks, but they also gain great benefit from pulling from D&D classes like the Warlock and Sorcerer, resulting in uniquely powerful archetypes.
Normally a Retribution Paladin will use a 2H Sword with high DPS, while a Holy Paladin will use a 1H Sword with caster stats, paired with an off-hand or shield.
Both Retribution and Protection are viable leveling specs. As Holy will lack damage, you will want to stay away from it. Protection will allow you to be nearly invincible when pulling enemies.
The Oath of Conquest 5e Paladin is a war-focused warrior who never leaves an enemy alive. They're well-suited to combat-heavy campaigns and a character build where you're more focused on holding enemies in place and dealing devastating blows.
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