More halfling paladin questions

[geoffhanna]

After some serious thought I've decided my next character will be a Halfling Paladin.

This character will be STR-based, not DEX-based, and yes I understand the stupidity inherent in that statement and am willing to accept that stupidity.

This characters theme is "steadfast and immovable". I plan to plant him smack in the middle of the front line where he will stay regardless of what the bad guys may do to him. To implement his theme I am looking to amp up the AC, saves, and secondarily, HP. I have some ideas on how to achieve this already.

I am looking for tips; not builds mind you, tips and pointers about items, feats, enhancements, and techniques to consider. For instance, how much AC is enough? How high do saves need to be?

I've already reviewed Dworkin's (really amazingly succinct and helpful) guides including the latest 2.1 and found a lot of useful information. I plan to feed this character several +1 tomes right at creation so it would behoove me to try and get the build right the first time.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

[Jondallar]

Hawtty is a strength based Paladin 11/rogue2/fighter2 (and probably paladin 12)

The thing to remember is that a max strength halfling only loses 1 point of damage and the unnoticable 1/4 less carrying capacity compared to another race. What you gain is +1 to all saves and AC and the ability to have higher ac because you get a racial bonus to dexterity through action points and the ability to strength your saves via halfing racial enhancements. I would strongly suggest taking 2 rogue levels to gain evasion +1 rogue dex and max UMD/Balance/Jump. Fighter level(s) allow free combat feat and tower shield and Imtimidate as a class skill at level 1 and at 2nd level access to fighter strength 1. Bringing your strength up to 26 with a +1 tome and +6 strength item.

I use mithril chain shirt and a daggertooth belt (24 dex), To obtain a self buffable 5min unstanced AC of 49 (50 with a parrying weapon) in light armor. The same ac could be achieved with +5 mith BP and 2 less dex which could be put towards constitution ( I went base con of 10) and have built my HP up to 332 at lvl 15. By no means am I invincible but I have awesome saves across the board, 3 LOH, unyielding sovereignty, and 80% + chance on heal scrolls.

Also I took 12 wisdom at creation, because I chose to not use a wisdom item all the time.

Halfings can be the most resilient race in DDO and I highly recommensd you carry out you plan.

[Blazer]

I am looking for tips; not builds mind you, tips and pointers about items, feats, enhancements, and techniques to consider. For instance, how much AC is enough? How high do saves need to be?

I guess this depends on the level of content you run, by which I mean do you tend to run around only on normal maybe hard settings? Or do you primarily play on elite for nearly every quest?

I also must ask, by "steadfast and immovable", what are you looking to achieve? Are you looking to tank, i.e. intimidate, control, and hold aggro? Are you just looking to be highly survivable and self-sufficient? What weapon style are you going? I assume sword/board to really fulfill the "immovable" thing.

More info from you means better answers from the folks who will respond. In general, however, if you can hit a standing 20+ (no buffs) on all your saves, you're doing just fine as a paladin, which should be easily enough considering you're going halfling. Also you'll want to break 50 AC if you want to do any serious tanking and start seeing a decline in the frequency of getting hit. This may mean you'll need to spend a feat on CE since I don't know what kind of gear you've got lying around (+5 MFP, +5 MTS, +5 Prot are pretty key for reaching this mark).

[geoffhanna]

Content = up to and including elite
Sword & Board = yes
Intimidate = would be nice but seems unreachable
Equipment = yes +5 prot +5 MTS, no +5 MBP (but have +4)
Evasion = maybe, but do not want to wear a robe!

Is it possible to achieve 55 AC and 30 saves without taking some ftr levels?

[esoitl]

one thing to consider with a pally now is the new feat force of personality

i'm sure you've taken this into acount but if you want to parlay your casting abilities you can put whatever you would have bumped your wisdom into charisma instead

i feel this should be a standard for pally's as the spells are nothing spectaular that you can't use wands for(not that you cast much beyond the few buffs and resists anyways) and the bonus you get to the other saves would be of more benefit

you could really get by with an 8 wisdom with a massive charisma and force

[Blazer]

one thing to consider with a pally now is the new feat force of personality

i'm sure you've taken this into acount but if you want to parlay your casting abilities you can put whatever you would have bumped your wisdom into charisma instead

i feel this should be a standard for pally's as the spells are nothing spectaular that you can't use wands for(not that you cast much beyond the few buffs and resists anyways) and the bonus you get to the other saves would be of more benefit

you could really get by with an 8 wisdom with a massive charisma and force

FOP is ridiculous for a Paladin to take, honestly. Between aura enhancements and Divine Grace, there is ZERO reason to spend one of the few precious feats Paladins get on a saving throw feat. Plus throw in the fact that this character is built off a halfling platform, and the need to take a saving throw feat is even more inane.

[Blazer]

Is it possible to achieve 55 AC and 30 saves without taking some ftr levels?

You won't need 30+ saves. You can probably reach them, but they'll be overkill. 20+ will be fine and will be totally reachable as a halfling.

55 AC may be tough to reach without some unique and/or raid gear. You'll need the Daggertooth Belt (Fighter Armor Mastery II) I think, as well as a Chattering Ring. I'll assume you meant you have +4 MFP and not +4 MBP.

10 Base
12 +4 MFP
9 +5 MTS
5 Protection
1 Size
1 Dodge (feat)
2 Dodge (chaosgarde)
4 DEX (Daggertooth will give you +2 to your armor's DEX [making it +5] but you're limited by your +5 MTS to +4 DEX - I think I'm doing that right)
4 Aura
-------
48 AC

Chattering Ring is 51, DQ ring puts you at 54, Parrying weapon puts you at 55. I'm sure someone else can come along with a better plan (maybe one that includes less raid loot), but that's what I'm getting right now. Not impossible, but will take some work. 50ish seems easy enough with a good supply of barkskin potions though. CE would go a long way to helping you hit that 55 mark easier.

[geoffhanna]

What things 'break' CE and cause you to stop and reapply it?

Spells, obviously, and one would assume wands... feats? Potions? Clickies?

[Blazer]

What things 'break' CE and cause you to stop and reapply it?

Spells, obviously, and one would assume wands... feats? Potions? Clickies?

Spells, clickies, wands, scrolls. Not potions, you're safe there, except if you tried potions of Lesser Restoration, since that acts like a clickie. Feat activation (like Trip, Improved Trip, Sunder, etc) do not break CE. At least, I haven't found one that does yet.