Blondie (a Build by Request)

[sigtrent]

This build is from Sigtrent's build request thread

Build Name: Blondie
Author: Sigfried Trent
Requester: Commacheck
Last Updated: 07/01/10

Key Words [Paladin, THF, Elf, KOTC]

Objectives
The request was for a blond female elven paladin that was as dissimilar to a ranger because Commacheck had played those already. She also noted she was a new player so it was a 28pt request. To avoid rangerdom I decided to avoid TWF and ranged attacks.

Design
The original build, a shadow mark psudo-defensive paladin, caught a lot of flack for not being so hot. And indeed it wasn’t. Elf and paladin just don’t go that well together, especially if you are avoiding doing TWF or ranged attacks. Shadow marks added defense but ate up precious feats.

Now that they have the Valenar enhancements, Elf also has a THF option so for the new build I dove at that and with the new smites and Knight of the Challace you can actually make a great falchion character.

I went with rogue this time to pick up UMD. I’d already decided to make this a more charisma based build than strength and to really leverage charisma based abbilities. UMD was a natrual pick. Rogue also brings evasion which is also great considering the slightly below par HP on an elf.

One aspect of the original I stuck with was the diplomacy skill. For a DPS that can’t handle too much agro, it can be a life saver. You really don’t want to pull agro if you can help it, you even get a bit of sneak attack damage and you want agro in groups to be predictable. But the smites here can be killers and. Shedding back to the main tank is a handy skill to have.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 Lawful Good Elf Female
(18 Paladin \ 2 Rogue) 
Hit Points: 294
Spell Points: 245 
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 19
Reflex: 16
Will: 13

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    17
Dexterity            10                    10
Constitution         12                    12
Intelligence         12                    12
Wisdom               10                    10
Charisma             16                    20

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               4                    10
Bluff                 7                     9
Concentration         1                     1
Diplomacy             7                    28
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle                7                     9
Heal                  0                     0
Hide                  0                     0
Intimidate            3                     5
Jump                  6                     7
Listen                4                     6
Move Silently         0                     0
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                1                     1
Search                1                     3
Spot                  4                     6
Swim                  2                     3
Tumble                4                     5
Use Magic Device      7                    28

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Bluff (+4)
Skill: Diplomacy (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Listen (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+4)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I


Level 2 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Damage I
Enhancement: Follower of the Undying Court
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Smite Evil I


Level 3 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Paladin Charisma I
Enhancement: Paladin Toughness I


Level 4 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Courage of Good I
Enhancement: Paladin Bulwark of Good I
Enhancement: Paladin Resistance of Good I
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Lay on Hands I


Level 5 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Smite Evil II
Enhancement: Paladin Devotion I
Enhancement: Paladin Energy of the Templar I


Level 6 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Attack I
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Sacrifice I
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Might I


Level 7 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Knight of the Chalice I


Level 8 (Rogue)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+6)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Undying Call


Level 9 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Paladin Exalted Smite I
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Smite Evil III


Level 10 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Lay on Hands II
Enhancement: Paladin Toughness II


Level 11 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Energy of the Templar II


Level 12 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Paladin Exalted Smite II
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Smite Evil IV


Level 13 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Courage of Good II
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Might II


Level 14 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Sacrifice II
Enhancement: Paladin Knight of the Chalice II


Level 15 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Lay on Hands III


Level 16 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: CHA
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Bulwark of Good II
Enhancement: Paladin Exalted Smite III


Level 17 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Charisma II


Level 18 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Damage II


Level 19 (Paladin)
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II


Level 20 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: CHA
Skill: Diplomacy (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Knight of the Chalice III
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Accuracy I
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Might III

Play
What you want to do is stand and deliver heavy hits and smites. What you need to do is try to arrange someone else to pull agro so you can do that reliably. Your AC is not going to be all that exceptional. When you don’t need evasion heavy armor is a good idea, especially at lower levels. You will need to wear a wisdom item for your spell casting to work.

Variations
A 32pt version could run more dex for a better AC or more strength. tomes could certainly help and would permit a lower starting Int.

[Borror0]

Diplomacy?

[sigtrent]

Diplomacy?

Ya I guess I didn't explain that. Stat's were kind of tight as they often are on a paladin and as an elven paladin there were some defensive issues to deal with. Diplomacy seemed like the most utility for a survivalist build so you can shrug off agro when you need to raise companions or just when things are getting to hot for comfort.

Concentration didn't look to usefull, nor did my oft used default balance since it was neither a class skill nor a dex based build.

[Borror0]

Ya I guess I didn't explain that. Stat's were kind of tight as they often are on a paladin and as an elven paladin there were some defensive issues to deal with. Diplomacy seemed like the most utility for a survivalist build so you can shrug off agro when you need to raise companions or just when things are getting to hot for comfort.

Well, if you ask me, diplomacy is a waste of skill points on this build.

If you look at it, you're supposed to be a defensive specialist. So, if you're aiming at defense, why would you want to throw aggro on the cleric/caster/rogue?

[sigtrent]

If you look at it, you're supposed to be a defensive specialist. So, if you're aiming at defense, why would you want to throw aggro on the cleric/caster/rogue?

It isn't exactly a tank build though, no intimidate or agro holding abbilities and not a ton of DPS. For class skills paladin really only gets Heal, Diplomacy, Concentration... Diplomacy just had the most potent effect of the three and I couldn't think of an CC skills where I could get a usefull score. I agree it's not amazingly usefull but if you are about to die... it's pretty handy.

[Ralmeth]

Looks like a decent build, but I also wonder if you could put those skill points into things like Jump, Balance, Spot and/or even Concentration. Yes, most are cross class, but then Paladin's get the short end of the stick when it comes to skills that they actually need in DDO. If you take that Fighter at level 1, then Jump would be a class skill so you could spend some more points there If you don't want to be an Intimitank or go the UMD route, then these are the skills I would (and do) dump my points into. I've done a lot of Paladin builds and I've never found Diplomacy to be affective in combat. It would be a bit humorous though to see a Paladin cowering in terror in the middle of big fight