Cleric / PaladinMulticlass Build Guide — D&D 5e

A cleric already wears armour and stands in melee. Two paladin levels add the one thing that makes standing there dangerous to the enemy: Divine Smite, which converts any spell slot into burst radiant damage on a hit, no action cost. Because the cleric is a full caster, the slot pool behind those smites is twice as deep as a pure paladin’s at the same level.

The second paladin level also brings a Fighting Style (Defense for +1 AC, or Dueling for +2 melee damage) and the paladin’s own small spell list — though you will rarely prepare from it since your cleric list is broader. The real prize is the smite economy: every slot you do not spend on a spell is a loaded weapon waiting for a critical hit.

The cost is two levels of cleric progression. You reach 3rd-level cleric spells at character level 7 instead of 5, and your preparation count is based on cleric level, not character level. Spirit Guardians arriving two levels late is noticeable. But a cleric who can Smite on a crit for 6d8+ radiant while also maintaining Spirit Guardians is a front-line threat that pure clerics and pure paladins cannot replicate.

Ability priority: WIS → STR (13) → CON — Wisdom drives cleric spellcasting and preparation count. Strength 13 is the multiclass requirement for paladin, and you need it for melee attacks. Constitution for hit points and concentration.