Average FTW?

[Varis]

I was thinking of rerolling my paladin for the last time.
How to improve it though?
I've made a base 18 str pally, I've made a base 20 cha pally and while both worked pretty good, I could not shake the impression I have invested a ton of cash to pimp out a 1985 crysler van...

Going the AC route was embarassing too.. Nothing could hit me short of rolling a 20... but since it took me so much freaking longer to kill it, I ended up taking more damage from those lucky hits then when I tore them down in 10 secs...


So I figured... why bother with extremes?

Sword n Board with Power Attack

16 str instead of 18,
decent save, decent damage, decent AC, decent UMD, decent... wait... will this work??



here is some info: ELF Paladin 16

base stats:
Str. 16
Dex. 10
Con 14
Int. 10
Wis 08
Cha 16

Feats: 1st. toughness, 3rd. weapon focus: Slash, 6th. power attack, 9th. improved crit: slash, 12th. skill focus: umd, 15th. toughness

skills: UMD and Jump


If you get the impression I'm compensating for something with toughness.... you're right =)

So here is the breakdown of what 16 will look like... Going over Hit points, AC, saves, umd, to hit and damage.


HIT POINTS: 404

Paladin 160 + 2x toughness 38 + Paladin toughness 50 + con (22) 96 + heroic meat shield 20 + dragon 10 + false life 30

Armor Class: 54

10 base + 16 mith FP + 9 Madstone Shield + 5 Aura + 5 protection +3 nat.armor + 2 chaos guard +4 green steel
(chattering ring is too much a pain heh)


SAVES: Fort: 33, Ref: 25, Will: 24

Fort: base 10 + 6 con +4 resist +8grace +5 aura
Ref: base 5 +3 dex + 4 resist +8 grace +5 aura
Will: base 5 +2 wis +4 resist + 8 grace +5 aura

UMD: 9base + 8 cha + 3 cartouche +3 focus = 23 UMD (I will likely use a recitation scroll and drink a heroism potion to cast greater heroism but I wanna leave all those "buffs" out of my stats shown)


Attack: +5 greensteel longsword = +30+30+35+40+45

16 base + 9 str + 2 elven attack + 1 follower of whatever enhancement + 3 divine favor + 1 weapon focus: slash +5 weapon
- 5 power attack - 2 madstone shield

Damage: +5 greensteel longsword 1d10+24

9 Str + 5 weapon + 2 elven damage + 3 divine favor +5 power attack


so... put together that is:

HP: 404
AC: 54
saves: F33, R25, W24
UMD: 23
Attack: +30
Damage +24

I intend to use greater heroism scrolls to round those numbers off but the question is... does this work?
Can I kill stuff in a reasonable amount of time with a +24 damage (+ all the extra numbers like holy, good burst, etc)

My lay on hands is only 154 but that should still get me out of critical range in a fight.


So what do you think? Did I figure stuff wrong? Does it work or not work in your experience?

[Impaqt]

Minor Errors.....

Recitation does not help Skills. SO usinga Recitation scroll before the GH Scroll is useless.

Tower Sheild has a Dex Limit of 2 to AC so even though your MFP will allow 3, You can only use 2 with the Tower Sheild.

I think 2 Toughness feats is a Waste. 1 is all you need. 384 HP's on a Elven Melee is impressive as it stands. There is no diference game wise going to 402.

[llevenbaxx]

I made an elf pally much like this on my first go through with the class. I think by going middle of the road like you have with the stats is the right way to go. That said I didnt have a character that was wholly based around AC so I was less than affective at handling large groups beating on me. Just the way they set the game up, mob static attack bonus etc...

Making a character centerred around AC in a game that highly favors offense just seemed like a bad Idea to me. So I basically built a WF support melee. Has the emergency support with LOH/wands with save/AC auras, 396hps(not maxed, more to do) about 320sp for spells(they have to give us good ones eventaully) 28str, 26con, 14dex, int8, 20wis 24cha... and with little/no work I can still get AC into the high 40s(mid50s with party buffs).

I think taking the tanking "requirement" away from my pally I let him actually support the party better. I can pitch in some decent damage(4 levels of ftr-feats/hasteII boost) or support fighting(para,AC destruct etc) if we are caster short. Minor buffs if we lack a cleric and bard. The only adjustment I needed to make between the two builds was in my tactics, not being the first one in... etc.

Having much more fun on the WF nontank all all around build, hands down. Feel much more affective in just about any party.

AC with the current game mechanics is all or nothing. If this ever changes, its not at all difficult to get a decent 2nd rate AC to help take advantage of any of these potential changes.

Leave the tanking to the fighters, they can get a comparable AC without sacrificing all of their offensive potential. Just a thought.

[Varis]

Minor Errors.....

Recitation does not help Skills. SO usinga Recitation scroll before the GH Scroll is useless.

Tower Sheild has a Dex Limit of 2 to AC so even though your MFP will allow 3, You can only use 2 with the Tower Sheild.

I think 2 Toughness feats is a Waste. 1 is all you need. 384 HP's on a Elven Melee is impressive as it stands. There is no diference game wise going to 402.

thanks for the recitation info.. guess I gotta get a luck bonus item or the rabbit gloves to help.

As for the shield.. Madstone shield allows 3 or 4 dex, enough to max our your mithril fp.


What else would you spend that last feat on?

[Impaqt]

I never realized that about the Madstone sheild.. Hmmm.. Might have to swap out my Mithral Tower Sheild onmy tankl and pick u p TS Mastery I for the DR Boost....

AS for the extra feat. Dunno what ya got speced but SF: UMD would suit this build nicely.

[Aspenor]

Does anybody else find 16 charisma to be a bit overkill???

I'd tack the build points spent taking charisma from 14 to 16 on wisdom, for the *gasp* SP for casting paladin spells.

Then again I don't have a high level pally

[Muirtach]

Cleave or stunning blow could be an option over the extra toughness.

[Jondallar]

Does anybody else find 16 charisma to be a bit overkill???

I'd tack the build points spent taking charisma from 14 to 16 on wisdom, for the *gasp* SP for casting paladin spells.

Then again I don't have a high level pally

That is a good point, I did that with one of my chars and love not needing a wisdom item, or at least using only a +2 item that has other benefits.

[Varis]

That is a good point, I did that with one of my chars and love not needing a wisdom item, or at least using only a +2 item that has other benefits.

have you ever calculated how many SP's wis bonus gives to SP? =)

Sorry, wis is required to get to 14, no more. Mana is all about wizardry items and energy of the templar... once you get to 300+, you're set anyways... not like you're gonna heal with your mana.

I guess more wisdom = more mana and will save... but more Cha = more will, fort, ref, lay on hands, umd and smite bonus to hit...