What stats or feats do I need to hit better

[Arundal]

Hi, total noob question here, but my lvl 4 paladin has a hard time hitting anything. It's always miss miss miss. I'm posting at work so I don't have my stats/feats/ap here, but I'm sure my str is 18 at this point. Any help understanding this would be most welcome.

Averial lvl 4 paladin

[The_Phenx]

Use a higher + weapon.. that would be your greatest ally...make sure you dont have power attack on...and yes there are feats... such as weapon specalization.

[Arundal]

Thanks Phenx, but why no use power attack? I thought that would do more damage when I did hit. Or does it reduce my chances to hit?

[sjwalker1973]

Second question, what is your str? 18? get the pally boosts. and weapon focus. power attack lowers the base bonus when active. unless you have a str boost like barbarians turn it off unless you are buffed by magic.

[Aeneas]

Honestly, just go back through the korthos island quests, grab both "anger's" items and the insight goggles and you'll add +3 to your hit score. It turns level 3 characters into stormcleave runners.

[Jondallar]

your to hit is lowered by 4 if you are moving around and attacking, so as much as tactically possible remain stationary while fighting. If your wisdom is high enough u can cast divine favor which adds to your to hit and damage. Or if u cant cast spells, then look for a divine favor clicky item.

[Frodo_Lives]

Power attack reduces your attack bonus by 5, while increases your damage output by 5 (or 10 if wielding a 2 handed weapon).

Some people fall in love with the huge damage numbers from power attack, but to me it's a big mistake to use early on. My general rule of thumb is if I don't hit on at least a 9 or 10 with power attack then I don't use it. At lower or mid levels it's far more often than you'd think.

[hu-flung-pu]

Power attack reduces your attack bonus by 5, while increases your damage output by 5 (or 10 if wielding a 2 handed weapon).

Some people fall in love with the huge damage numbers from power attack, but to me it's a big mistake to use early on. My general rule of thumb is if I don't hit on at least a 9 or 10 with power attack then I don't use it. At lower or mid levels it's far more often than you'd think.

If my build allows it, I save it til I hit level six. Most things on normal die fast enough at that level, and as I start to miss more, and more, I switch it off, against heavy armored characters.

[Jarka]

Thanks Phenx, but why no use power attack? I thought that would do more damage when I did hit. Or does it reduce my chances to hit?

Although power attack does increase your damage output, it DECREASES your to hit by 5. So during the lower levels (imo mid levels too) I would use PA situationally, at best.

Weapon specialization or weapon focus are 2 feats that increase your to hit chances.

Also, a +3 weapon of nothing will hit more than a +1 of something. IE for to hit chances: +3 longsword > +1 longsword of pure good. (for damage output, the opposite is true)

[Andoir]

Weapon Specialization = +2 to DAMAGE
Weapon Focus = +1 to hit
Haste Pots = +1 to hit
Rage Pots = +1 to hit

As a previous poster stated...go back to Korthos and pick up the Necklace and Boots set that gives you a +2 to hit that stacks.

You are 4th lvl paladin, are you casting divine favor on yourself? There's another +1 to hit.

[SteeleTrueheart]

Weapon Specialisation is a fighter only feat so don't worry about that.

Weapon Focus (Feat) will give you +1 to hit with the type of weapon.

Extra strength (from worn item, or bull's strength buff) will improve your to hit.

Hero and Haste pots which will give you bonuses, I believe are only avilable for level 5+ characters.

Power Attack at level 4 will decrease your to hit by -4 (I think this scales with level until it maxes at -5 at levels 5+), as others have said it is not really useful for low levels.

Movement while attacking reduces your to hit by -4 (as others have said). So stay still.

Divine Favour spell that a paladin gets, assuming you have 11 Wisdom and enough SP from a WIS or SP boosting item since a level 4 paladin has a base 2SP, will give you +1 to your hit at level 4 for a duration of 1 minute.

Bless spell (you could cast or a group cleric) also gives +1 attack bonus and effects the whole group near you.

So at low levels:
- Don't turn on Power Attack
- Attack while stationary
- get as many spell/item/song buffs as you can

[PurdueDave]

OP...Are you proficient with your weapon? You'll get a warning icon in the upper right if you're not. Also defensive fighting, if you turned it on by mistake or something, will drop that to hit.

You should be hitting things OK regardless of feats. Power attack will drop it a bit but you should still be hitting typical mobs pretty frequently.

There's a feel for melee combat and you might be whiffing based on position...you're not hitting the mob because he's too far away or behind you.

Check that you are seeing a roll with your d20 on screen and it is missing. You'll get the number and it's bonus as some feedback and can see for yourself if your rolling high and still missing.

[Fallout]

One of the things that helped most for me until L8 or L10, is get the Carniflex. If possible, get it at L4-5. Its keen, and low level.

Like others said:

-Turn off power attack.
-Stand still when attacking. If you have Power attack on, and running around, its -9 to hit, which means you'll miss almost everytime.
-Korthos amulet to increase attack rolls.
-Heroism pots (tho it does get expensive). Or cheaper alternative, Bless potions.
-Use divine favor when you get the spell.
-Do tangle root elite ASAP (or House P favor) to get buffs. 30 min Bulls str is great until you get a +4 item at L9.