Lockadin (Paladin / Warlock) Build Guide — BG3's Smite-Spam Powerhouse

Lockadin At-a-Glance

Why Lockadin Outperforms Pure Paladin

Pure Paladin 12 has 9 spell slots per long rest at level 12 (4 first, 3 second, 3 third, 2 fourth — actually fewer than this list when you account for slots being used for spells like Bless or Spirit Guardians). Lockadin gets 5 Paladin slots from Paladin 6 plus 2 Warlock slots that refill on every short rest — for a total of 5 + (2 x 3 short rests) = 11 slots per long rest, dedicated entirely to Smite damage.

Warlock's Pact Magic slots are always cast at the highest level available — at Warlock 5+, your Pact slots are 3rd-level. A 3rd-level Smite deals 4d8 radiant damage (plus 1d8 vs fiends/undead). Two 3rd-level slots refill every short rest. This means Lockadin chains nova smite turns indefinitely with proper short-rest cadence.

Beyond Smite economy, Lockadin gains Eldritch Blast as a no-cost ranged attack option. Pure Paladins are melee-only; Lockadin can blast from 18m for 1d10 + CHA per beam (2 beams at character level 5, 3 beams at character level 11). This solves Paladin's biggest weakness — having nothing to do when a target is out of melee range.

Vengeance subclass specifically adds Hunter's Mark (concentration, 1d6 bonus damage on each weapon hit), Misty Step (Bonus Action 18m teleport — fixes Paladin mobility), Hold Person (paralyze a humanoid, paralyzed targets auto-crit from melee), and Haste (additional attack action) to the Paladin spell list. Each of these is a top-tier spell. Vengeance is the strongest Paladin subclass when combined with Warlock multiclass.

Lockadin Level 1–12 Progression

Recommended Starting Stats

Feat and Invocation Choices

Act 1 Equipment Progression

Act 2 Equipment — Smite-Boosting Items

Act 3 Equipment — Best-in-Slot

Combat Rotation — Smite Chain Turns

Turn 1 setup: Cast Hunter's Mark (Bonus Action, concentration) on the priority target. This adds 1d6 to every weapon hit for the rest of the fight (or until concentration breaks). Activate Vow of Enmity Channel Divinity on the same target (Bonus Action — but this uses up your Bonus Action that was for Hunter's Mark, so order matters). Better order: Vow of Enmity (Channel Divinity, Action) → next turn cast Hunter's Mark (BA) — but this loses turn 1 damage. Optimal alternative: skip Vow of Enmity in trash fights, use it on bosses.

Turn 2 (core rotation): Extra Attack with Pact-bound weapon = 2 weapon attacks. Each attack: 1d8 (weapon) + 5 (CHA via Pact) + 1d6 (Hunter's Mark) + 1d4 (Strange Conduit Ring) = ~17 damage base. On any hit, you can spend a spell slot to Divine Smite: 1st-level = +2d8 radiant, 2nd-level = +3d8, 3rd-level (Pact slot) = +4d8. A 3rd-level smite adds ~18 damage to one swing. Two smited attacks per turn = ~70 damage per turn at level 11.

Burst turn (boss kill setup): Use Killer's Sweetheart trigger (after any kill, next attack auto-crits). Crit doubles all weapon dice AND smite dice. A crit smite at 3rd level: 8d8 radiant + 2d8 weapon + 2d4 conduit + bonuses = ~75 damage on a single swing. Stack with Vow of Enmity Advantage and you can almost guarantee landing the crit if your first attack misses, then crit on attack 2.

Smite economy: You have 5 Paladin slots (4 first, 3 second, 2 third) + 2 Warlock slots (always 3rd at Warlock 5+). The 2 Warlock slots refill every short rest. Across 3 short rests per long rest, that's 6 Warlock slots used. Plus 5 Paladin slots = 11 total Smites per long rest. Cast Smites on every confirmed hit; never go to long rest with spell slots remaining if there's a fight to use them on.

Eldritch Blast usage: When melee range isn't possible (enemy on cliff, behind difficult terrain, casting from distance), use Eldritch Blast. At Warlock 5+ you get 2 beams. With Agonizing Blast (+CHA = +5 per beam) and Hex (1d6 per beam if cast, but Hex costs concentration which conflicts with Hunter's Mark), each beam deals 1d10 + 5 = ~10 damage. Two beams = 20 damage per ranged turn. Comparable to a non-Smited melee turn, ranged.

Warlock vs. Paladin Split — Why 6/6 Beats 7/5 or 5/7

Paladin 6 / Warlock 6 is the most common Lockadin split for very specific power-spike reasons. Paladin 6 unlocks Aura of Protection (+CHA to saves for nearby allies), the single best Paladin feature. Warlock 6 unlocks Fiendish Resilience (resist damage type per short rest) and importantly 3rd-level Pact slots — which deal 4d8 Smites that refill on short rests.

Paladin 7 / Warlock 5: Paladin 7 grants Aura of Hate (Vengeance subclass — undead and fiends near you take +CHA damage on each hit they take). Useful in Act 3 fiend-heavy fights but situational. Warlock 5 still has 3rd-level Pact slots, so you keep the smite economy. Trade: lose Warlock 6's Fiendish Resilience and the third Mystic Arcanum invocation slot. Recommended only if your Act 3 has many fiend boss fights.

Paladin 5 / Warlock 7: Paladin 5 grants Extra Attack — the largest Paladin power spike. Warlock 7 grants 4th-level Pact slots, which deal 5d8 Smites. Trade: lose Aura of Protection (+5 saves), the biggest single power spike for the party. Generally not recommended unless solo-playing.

Other splits like Paladin 2 / Warlock 10 sacrifice Extra Attack (Paladin 5) and Aura of Protection (Paladin 6) — both critical. Avoid this split. The optimal split is 6/6 because both classes' key features (Aura of Protection at Pal 6, 3rd-level Pact at Wlk 5, Fiendish Resilience at Wlk 6) all land within character levels 11-12.

Lockadin vs. Pure Vengeance Paladin

Verdict: Lockadin has more total Smite uses and a ranged option that Paladin lacks. Pure Vengeance Paladin has higher per-Smite damage and a much simpler combat rotation. For experienced players who want to optimize damage per long rest, Lockadin wins. For first-time Paladin players, Pure Vengeance Paladin is more forgiving.

Common Mistakes with Lockadin

• Not taking Pact of the Blade. Pact of the Blade grants CHA-based weapon attacks — without it, your Pact-bound weapons still use STR/DEX, defeating the purpose of stacking CHA. Mandatory at Warlock 3.
• Not using short rests. Lockadin's entire economic advantage is Pact Magic short-rest refills. If you only take 1 short rest per long rest, you're losing 4 free Pact slots per day. Take 3 short rests minimum.
• Smiting on a miss. Divine Smite is declared AFTER the attack roll resolves, only on hits. Some players incorrectly think they declare Smite before attacking — wait until you confirm the hit, then choose to smite.
• Wasting smite slots on trash. A 3rd-level smite on a 15 HP goblin is overkill. Save 3rd-level slots for bosses and elite enemies. Use 1st-level slots (2d8 = 9 average) on trash.
• Forgetting to bind a weapon. Pact of the Blade requires you to perform the Bind Weapon action on a magic weapon to make it your pact weapon. This persists across long rests but not across game sessions sometimes — always check that your pact weapon is bound at the start of each combat.
• Choosing Pact of the Tome or Pact of the Chain. Neither synergizes with melee-focused Lockadin. Pact of the Tome is for caster Warlocks. Pact of the Chain summons familiars. Always take Pact of the Blade.
• Going Bladelock alone (without Paladin). Pure Warlock with Pact of the Blade is significantly weaker than Lockadin because it lacks Extra Attack (Paladin 5) and Aura of Protection.
• Picking Warlock subclass other than Fiend. Great Old One has thematic appeal but Fiend's Dark One's Blessing (CHA modifier temp HP per kill) is the strongest passive sustain for Lockadin.