Requesting help on a 32pt Pure Paladin build

[dankvader]

I was searching through the forums and didn't really see anything that was a pure 32pt pally build. I am new so I do not have tons of money to throw into this guy so gear and tomes will be added as found :)

My idea is to create good all around pure pally. Able to tank a bit, dps a bit, cast the needed pally spells and self buffs. However, i am still kinda new to the game (i have only 1 other character and he is a rogue) and would appreciate help as to guidance on skills and feats.

I was thinking:

16 str
8 dex
14 con
8 int
14 wis
16 cha

This way i can cast all the pally spells without any major hassle.
I saw http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p=1718366&postcount=10
and i thought this would be a good build to base my enhancements as well.

Should i use intimidate as the skill dump?

[Mark_G]

As you will see from the forums, most builds suggest a starting Wisdom of 8 and using a +6 Wisdom item to get your score high enough to cast all of the Paladin spells. You stated a desire to make spell casting easy. When I want to do this, I'll start the Paladin's Wisdom score at 10. Ridiculously easy to find a +2 Wisdom item to get that score to 12, and this Wisdom score will be high enough until you want to cast 3rd level spells (8th level?).

[sephiroth1084]

As you will see from the forums, most builds suggest a starting Wisdom of 8 and using a +6 Wisdom item to get your score high enough to cast all of the Paladin spells. You stated a desire to make spell casting easy. When I want to do this, I'll start the Paladin's Wisdom score at 10. Ridiculously easy to find a +2 Wisdom item to get that score to 12, and this Wisdom score will be high enough until you want to cast 3rd level spells (8th level?).
Honestly, I recommend going lower and starting with an 8. There is just too little benefit to anything higher.

Also, you won't be able to get a very meaningful AC (if you want to do that kind of tanking) without doing a lot of grinding, and without Combat Expertise (13 Int).

[Calaway]

1. Read Junts' excellent guide to creating a paladin, located somewhere on this forum

2. Pick a flavour, tank or DPS, as there really isn't enough material to build a Healer.

3. ???

4. Profit.

[sephiroth1084]

1. Read Junts' excellent guide to creating a paladin, located somewhere on this forum Couldn't agree more.

2. Pick a flavour, tank or DPS, as there really isn't enough material to build a Healer.
Paladin healers are garbage, even with all of the healing Junts built into his tank (Max, EH, Quicken, etc...). Your healing is for yourself and for emergencies for others at best, for your own emergencies at worst. Please, do not fool yourself into trying to make a healing-focused paladin.

As for tank vs. DPS, you can definitely have both: a tank with a DPS option isn't that far behind a purely DPS-focused paladin.
3. ???

4. Profit.
You left out fun. :)

[Lommar]

Here's a simple CHA-focused template for a 32 point build:

STR 15
DEX 13
CON 13
INT 13
WIS 9
CHA 15

which enables Two Handed Fighting, Power Attack, Dodge, Toughness, and Combat Expertise without tomes. Up your CHA on each level-up.

Skill up Intimidate, Use Magic Device, Heal, though if you're a pure Paladin you're limited to half the max possible level on the first two. If this cramps your style too much, consider starting with one level of Fighter or Rogue, and taking another level of the same somewhere down the line.

An alternative is to forget about Combat Expertise, and move 5 points out of INT as you see fit. Skill up either Intimidate or Use Magic Device, and Heal if you are human.

Another alternative is to drop Two-Weapon Fighting and be more defensive, move a point out of STR into CHA, and go sword+shield most of the time. You probably want Tower Shield Proficiency or Shield Mastery in its place, as one is a prereq to an important enhancement, and helps you tank some.

Paladin enhancements are very powerful. Target Defender of Siberys and Unyielding Sovereignty. This is a high-CHA build so target those that are CHA-based, like extra Lay on Hands and Extra/Exhalted Smite. Divine Righteousness is important for tanking. Toughness and CHA of course, Divine Sacrifice, Redemption for resurrections, and an action boost should eat up most of your enhancement points thru level 10.

For equipment, get a +2 WIS item at level 5 to let you cast your spells, albeit a level after you obtain them. Crits are very important so keep an eye out for keen longswords.

Human race works best, as the extra feat and skill point are quite valuable.

Good luck and have fun!

[sephiroth1084]

Here's a simple CHA-focused template for a 32 point build:

STR 15
DEX 13
CON 13
INT 13
WIS 9
CHA 15

which enables Two Handed Fighting, Power Attack, Dodge, Toughness, and Combat Expertise without tomes. Up your CHA on each level-up.

Skill up Intimidate, Use Magic Device, Heal, though if you're a pure Paladin you're limited to half the max possible level on the first two. If this cramps your style too much, consider starting with one level of Fighter or Rogue, and taking another level of the same somewhere down the line.

An alternative is to forget about Combat Expertise, and move 5 points out of INT as you see fit. Skill up either Intimidate or Use Magic Device, and Heal if you are human.

Another alternative is to drop Two-Weapon Fighting and be more defensive, move a point out of STR into CHA, and go sword+shield most of the time. You probably want Tower Shield Proficiency or Shield Mastery in its place, as one is a prereq to an important enhancement, and helps you tank some.

Paladin enhancements are very powerful. Target Defender of Siberys and Unyielding Sovereignty. This is a high-CHA build so target those that are CHA-based, like extra Lay on Hands and Extra/Exhalted Smite. Divine Righteousness is important for tanking. Toughness and CHA of course, Divine Sacrifice, Redemption for resurrections, and an action boost should eat up most of your enhancement points thru level 10.

For equipment, get a +2 WIS item at level 5 to let you cast your spells, albeit a level after you obtain them. Crits are very important so keep an eye out for keen longswords.

Human race works best, as the extra feat and skill point are quite valuable.

Good luck and have fun!
Some of the above is good advice, but some points I absolutely cannot support.
-Heal is a completely worthless skill, do not take ranks in it! Balance, Jump (just enough to total 40 w/ a +30 from the spell +Str -armor check penalty), Tumble (1 or 2 ranks) are all much more useful.

-If you aren't going to go the AC route, you can start with an 8 or 10 Int, and a Dex between 8 and 10 (unless you want Two-Weapon Fighting).

-Planning on being able to acquire +1 tomes in order to hit the prerequisites for feats and enhancements is a good idea. Not ideal for a new player, but paladins are very difficult to work on without figuring in some tomes. +2s would be ideal, but +1s are manageable.

-Start with the 8 Wis; at level 5 you'll hardly have enough SP to keep any spells going anyway, and if you can get your hands on a +1 Wis tome, or are human, you can use the same level items as with a 9 starting score.

-At no point is Cha really worth more than Str on a paladin. Yes, for every 2 points of Cha above 12 you're gaining +2 damage vs. +1/1.5 from Str (Divine Might 1-4), and it adds to a lot of paladin features, but consistent damage and to-hit ultimately end up being slightly more important. As such, I wouldn't recommend putting your level up points into Cha instead of Str. The one exception comes at level 20 if it will bump you to the next bracket of Divine Might and you can't/don't want to rely on acquire the tome necessary to do so (ie you're at 17 Cha with a +2 tome), with the acknowledgment that you may want to lesser reincarnate upon acquiring said tome.

[SadHawksFan]

im curious, where and what is an item that gives 6 wis? i will need one soon because i started with 8 wis.

[sephiroth1084]

im curious, where and what is an item that gives 6 wis? i will need one soon because i started with 8 wis.
There are randomly generated and named items with +1 to +6 for a particular stat that you can find or purchase (Auction House or Broker). The items are normally available at each odd level, with +1 stat items being available at levels 1-4, then +2 at 5, +3 at 7, etc... Attaching a required race tends to lower the minimum level (ML) by 2, so a RR Halfling +3 stat item might be ML 5 rather than 7.

[Exorcist]

16 str
16 con
16 cha
10 dex
rest 8's

Kotc build with 2H fighting..

Or....

15 str
15 dex
14 con
16 cha

Kotc with twf.... This will lower your max str down to 34-36 with +4 tome.. I would higly recommend if doing twf to TR 2 times for 36 pt build for the extra pts..

36 pt builds below..

/w +3 dex tome... For twf

16 str/cha/con
14 dex


2hF....

18 str
16 con
16 cha

I personally use the one above... Still have the titan grip gloves to finally get but I stand with 38 str, 24 or 26 con (cannot remember), 33 cha (Can be 34 but don't like to use litany often)

Double madstoned, yugo pots, rage, titan clicky... 52 str/54 with +4 tome.. con up to 707 hp....
If I TR'd again to barb and back to Human pally again, I would get something like 750+ Hp and rage clickies from the barb feat.. More if WF.. I like humans more for the feat and survivability..