The Shadow Paladin (a build by request)

[sigtrent]

This build is from Sigtrent's build request thread

Build Name: Shadow Paladin
Author: Sigfried Trent
Requester: Maldavenous
Last Updated: 06/30/10

Key Words [Elf, Dragonmark, Paladin, Defender, Tank]

Objectives
The request was for a paladin using the elven dragon marks for displacement to aid in tanking. They to raise dead and to be able to tank up and self heal. They wanted to use a scimitar and follow the Valenar theme. Readers were a little disappointed there were no stealth skills on the original build although it wasn’t part of the request

Design
The original was a paladin with fighter splash and had a fairly weak offense but otherwise met the request. I struggled on the update for this one, determined to add value to the build. Its a challenge due to the feats and enhancements required for dragon marks and healing competing with those needed to make a tank or dps character.

I went back and forth with TWF and at first was determined to get Defender of Siberys III. But none of the configurations quite delivered what I was after. There was always some critical weakness and not enough focus in any one area. Either DPS was terrible, or HP was terrible, or there was no agro-control, or the healing wasn’t measuring up to the request.

In the end going rogue provided the out I needed. The starting skills gave me what I needed for a bit of stealth and the full UMD helped shore up any weakness in the healing department. With healing shored up I could focus feats more on TWF. Getting intimidate as a class skill also let me worry less about hate tanking and let Defender III go. That freed up levels for fighter which gave the feats needed to round out AC and hit points a bit more.

All of that squished together gives you a character that isn’t outstanding in any given area, but is pretty well rounded. Its a fiddly character with lots of buttons to push. Saves are good, HP is decent, AC can be decent with the right gear and buffs, DPS is reasonable and holy sword gives you a good DR bypass option. Its more an off tank than main tank but it can do a good job in groups without a healer or as a character that scrapes the party after a near wipe.

And of course its rather different. You just don’t see many characters like this. A stealthy paladin is certainly a novelty and it can really help for solo play.

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

Level 20 Lawful Good Elf Male
(4 Fighter \ 14 Paladin \ 2 Rogue) 
Hit Points: 314
Spell Points: 188 
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 21
Reflex: 19
Will: 12

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    22
Dexterity            16                    20
Constitution         12                    14
Intelligence         14                    16
Wisdom               10                    12
Charisma             14                    17

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               7                    15
Bluff                 2                     3
Concentration         1                    13
Diplomacy             2                     3
Disable Device        6                     7
Haggle                2                     3
Heal                  0                     1
Hide                  7                    13
Intimidate            6                    28
Jump                  5                    15
Listen                0                     3
Move Silently         7                    11
Open Lock             7                     9
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                2                     3
Search                6                     9
Spot                  4                     7
Swim                  2                     6
Tumble                4                     6
Use Magic Device      6                    26

Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Hide (+4)
Skill: Intimidate (+4)
Skill: Jump (+3)
Skill: Move Silently (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4)
Feat: (Selected) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Rogue Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I


Level 2 (Fighter)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Damage I
Enhancement: Fighter Intimidate I


Level 3 (Paladin)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Least Dragonmark of Shadow
Enhancement: Paladin Armor Class Boost I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use I
Enhancement: Follower of the Undying Court


Level 4 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Attack I
Enhancement: Paladin Charisma I


Level 5 (Paladin)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Bulwark of Good I
Enhancement: Paladin Resistance of Good I
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Lay on Hands I
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Smite Evil I


Level 6 (Paladin)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Lesser Dragonmark of Shadow
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use II
Enhancement: Paladin Devotion I
Enhancement: Paladin Energy of the Templar I


Level 7 (Paladin)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Courage of Good I
Enhancement: Paladin Focus of Good I
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Might I


Level 8 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Righteousness I
Enhancement: Paladin Defender of Siberys I


Level 9 (Fighter)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Undying Call


Level 10 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+5)
Skill: Hide (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Rogue Dexterity I
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I


Level 11 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Bulwark of Good II
Enhancement: Paladin Devotion II


Level 12 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Combat Expertise
Enhancement: Paladin Resistance of Good II
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Lay on Hands II


Level 13 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Redemption I


Level 14 (Fighter)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery I
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Smite Evil II


Level 15 (Fighter)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Sacrifice I
Enhancement: Paladin Exalted Smite I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Paladin Toughness I


Level 16 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Toughness II
Enhancement: Paladin Divine Might II


Level 17 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Bulwark of Good III


Level 18 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use III
Enhancement: Paladin Defender of Siberys II


Level 19 (Paladin)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Paladin Extra Lay on Hands III


Level 20 (Paladin)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Fighter Intimidate II

Play
The invisibility is great for quickly racking up explorers when you need to play solo, but this is a group build. It does best paired with a strong DPS or strong tank, switching rolls a bit either way. It also makes a nice backup healer or spot healer for a BYOH type group. Solo, your resources can get depleted rather quickly, although at lower levels it should do fine reguardless.

Variations
You can change a lot. You can easily tweak this for more DPS or better tanking by sacrificing the other. You can also free up AP if you drop some of the resurrection abilities and rely only on UMD for this. I wouldn’t run this at 28pts. Its hard enough with 32 to get this to work.

[Ghoste]

Not very shadowy, in my opinion. Reminds me of the stealth cleric build with no stealth skill...

[Cashiry]

Nice

[sigtrent]

Not very shadowy, in my opinion. Reminds me of the stealth cleric build with no stealth skill...

Heh... I'll have to do a stealth paladin some day just for the sillyness of it.

[Ghoste]

Heh... I'll have to do a stealth paladin some day just for the sillyness of it.

It's not the build I find perplexing, but the nomenclature.

[sigtrent]

It's not the build I find perplexing, but the nomenclature.

I just named it after its dragonmarks.. Marks of shadow.

[GeneralDiomedes]

Least dragonmark can cast Invisibility .. shadow refers to sight, not sound ..

[Ministry]

I made this guy about a year ago... an Elven Paladin - 16 with all the dragonmarks.

It's a good solid build and can be the main tank, except not so good in a few of the top level quests, especially where ac isn't nearly as important as hps and damage output.

It's a good build, but for whatever reason I find the "supposed" 50% missing due to displacement is more like about 20%.

My feeling is this is the best build for a paladin, because as we have all known for a long time, or recently realized, Paladins aren't meant to be the primary tank, but this one can be in about 80% of the quests and is a good solid second in about 15% more of the quests.

It's fun to play, doesn't require nearly as much attention from clerics and wizzys and most people will be happy to have you in the party.

[Ghoste]

Least dragonmark can cast Invisibility .. shadow refers to sight, not sound ..

Oh, I agree on that meaning. But this build lacks the skill to compliment the spell. Shadows are supposed to blend into the environment. This guy doesn't do that to any meaningful effect. He's all about the next level of dragonmark, displacement.

[llevenbaxx]

Oh, I agree on that meaning. But this build lacks the skill to compliment the spell. Shadows are supposed to blend into the environment. This guy doesn't do that to any meaningful effect. He's all about the next level of dragonmark, displacement.

Its a little easier to muster the needed skill points with a 24+ base int Mr Shadowmage.

[Ghoste]

Its a little easier to muster the needed skill points with a 24+ base int Mr Shadowmage.

Lol. Also very doable with sorcs. I've already got one going.

I'm just saying though, the name gives a different impression than the build delivers.

[Maldavenous]

Wow, I really wasn't expecting to see this here when I was trying to decide what I wanted to roll today (seeing everyone is playing low level right now). This made the decision kind of easy. I had created something similar attribute wise but hadn't played it yet. Didn't like the name anyway so I'm reworking it now.

Thanks a ton!