Unyielding Sovereignty or Hunter of the Dead?

[Zarimoth]

I have a paladin tank, that is NOT turning-oriented. I need 6 AP (I already have 3, 3 more to go) to get either Unyielding Sovereignty or Hunter of the Dead, and I need to decide which one to focus on getting first. I am currently level 9. Advice?

Also: Can I use Unyielding Sovereignty as a weapon against undead, like lay on hands?

[FuzzyDuck81]

1st tier HotD gives ghost touch, which isnt too hard to find on weapons (at level 9, presumably you have some by now already?) whereas unyielding is a very powerful single-use healing/resto/cure/everything - if its just a matter of which to get 1st rather than a flat only 1 and never the other, go with unyielding sovereignity as it'll boost your self-sufficiency (as a handy boost, apart from resting at a shrine, its also the only thing that can remove death penalties)

[flynnjsw]

Unless you have not taken the Basic Faith Enhancement, it is only 4AP for Unyielding Sovereignty. Now whether it can be used against undead I am not sure, but considering how long the cool down is, I would not suggest it even if it was. Now if you are asking about which is a better PrE for your level, I would suggest using HotD until you get out of the lower level Necro areas, and then pick up kotC.

Of course as long as it took me to type this, I probably got ninja'd.

[theb]

Both are good, so don't obsess. But it's hard to advise without knowing the rest of your build and level.

[Zion_Halcyon]

I have a paladin tank, that is NOT turning-oriented. I need 6 AP (I already have 3, 3 more to go) to get either Unyielding Sovereignty or Hunter of the Dead, and I need to decide which one to focus on getting first. I am currently level 9. Advice?

Also: Can I use Unyielding Sovereignty as a weapon against undead, like lay on hands?

If you are only level 9, why not get one, and then work up to get the other?

[Darkrok]

Now whether it can be used against undead I am not sure, but considering how long the cool down is, I would not suggest it even if it was.

It can not be used against undead.

[Zarimoth]

It can not be used against undead.

Too bad, because it heals 1000HP, and if it did that much damage, it could one-hit-kill any boss. What attracts me to HotU is that it improves the effects of healing. And yes, I am planning to get both eventually, I'm just wondering which to get first. US just seems a bit like a slightly improved version of Lay On Hands. Also: What about knight of the Chalice? Better or worse then Hunter of the Undead? Maybe I should get it instead.

[DelScorcho]

Unyielding sovereignty is probably the priority here. It is the best 4 AP you will spend with a pally build. If you are 9 pally and haven't taken the first tier of a PrC, you may consider an enhancement respec. Most of the PrC's have weird enhancement paths and you may not know which enhancement you are missing to get the PrC. Click the unavailable box and it will show what you need for the PrC.

[flynnjsw]

Too bad, because it heals 1000HP, and if it did that much damage, it could one-hit-kill any boss. What attracts me to HotU is that it improves the effects of healing. And yes, I am planning to get both eventually, I'm just wondering which to get first. US just seems a bit like a slightly improved version of Lay On Hands. Also: What about knight of the Chalice? Better or worse then Hunter of the Undead? Maybe I should get it instead.

Well Unyielding Soereignty is just an Advanced Faith Enhancement, while HotD and KotC are Prestige Enhancements. They are a bit different. Oh yeah, and 1000hp can not 1 hit any boss, just as an FYI. It is there for an "oh no, the cleric/fvs/bard is overwhelmed and I am in trouble, let me drop this and get myself back into the fight.

Now you do know that you can respec your enhancements correct? There is no reason not to try one for a while and then switch to the other. They all have their pro's and con's depending on your level and the quest area.

[Zion_Halcyon]

Too bad, because it heals 1000HP, and if it did that much damage, it could one-hit-kill any boss. What attracts me to HotU is that it improves the effects of healing. And yes, I am planning to get both eventually, I'm just wondering which to get first. US just seems a bit like a slightly improved version of Lay On Hands. Also: What about knight of the Chalice? Better or worse then Hunter of the Undead? Maybe I should get it instead.

People swear by KotC for endgame content. It has unrivaled DPS against devils.

I can tell you though, when I get my barb leveled and geared, and start in on my Pali, I am going full HotU, Pure Pali, and have a plan in mind that might just make me pretty competitive, useful, and a lot more well rounded. But then as long as I am doing decent damage, I never cared about absolutely squeezing the last bit of DPS out of a build - I am more concerned with how fun it is to play.

[flynnjsw]

People swear by KotC for endgame content. It has unrivaled DPS against devils.

I can tell you though, when I get my barb leveled and geared, and start in on my Pali, I am going full HotU, Pure Pali, and have a plan in mind that might just make me pretty competitive, useful, and a lot more well rounded. But then as long as I am doing decent damage, I never cared about absolutely squeezing the last bit of DPS out of a build - I am more concerned with how fun it is to play.

The thing is, considering what you are fighting in endgame, the difference is quite noticible when you do not have KotC. While the healing amp is nice, it can also be acheived with gear.

[Diyon]

Let's not forget HotD II's wonderful immunity from energy drain. Goodbye negative levels forever, hello owning beholders.

[FuzzyDuck81]

Too bad, because it heals 1000HP, and if it did that much damage, it could one-hit-kill any boss. What attracts me to HotU is that it improves the effects of healing. And yes, I am planning to get both eventually, I'm just wondering which to get first. US just seems a bit like a slightly improved version of Lay On Hands. Also: What about knight of the Chalice? Better or worse then Hunter of the Undead? Maybe I should get it instead.

Its not a slightly improved version, its the most powerful single-target healing & restoration available (well, base anyways, a crit Heal spell from a well equipped cleric would heal more HP i expect)

HotD's main (imo) benefit isn't the bonus to healing (handy as it is) but the non-dispellable death ward effects. KotC grants 1d6 extra bane damage vs. evil outsiders (and currently bugged to include undead) per tier.

[flynnjsw]

Let's not forget HotD II's wonderful immunity from energy drain. Goodbye negative levels forever, hello owning beholders.

Or roll a WF Paladin.

[Zarimoth]

Ok, I think what I'm gonna do is reset, and try to get both US and HotU, and then maybe switch to KotC later in the game, closet to tier III. Good idea or bad?

[Ybbald]

Its not a slightly improved version, its the most powerful single-target healing & restoration available (well, base anyways, a crit Heal spell from a well equipped cleric would heal more HP i expect)

HotD's main (imo) benefit isn't the bonus to healing (handy as it is) but the non-dispellable death ward effects. KotC grants 1d6 extra bane damage vs. evil outsiders (and currently bugged to include undead) per tier.

Nah. My cleric friends tell me they crit for 800-900

and the KoTC follows the pattern of lesser bane/bane/greater bane
it goes +1, +1d6 / +2, +2d6 / +4, + 4d6
and an extra smite evil each tier

[QuantumFX]

Between those 2 choices, I would go for HotD. More turns = more Divine Mights, Healing amplification is always nice, and Ghost Touch is a nice perk.

However, in my experience... If you’re gonna go and pick up HotD then you should also pick up the SP boost enhancements for the short term. Nothing is more annoying than having left over Divine Mights at a shrine. (Because you don’t have the SP to match it up castings of Divine Favor.)

[flynnjsw]

Ok, I think what I'm gonna do is reset, and try to get both US and HotU, and then maybe switch to KotC later in the game, closet to tier III. Good idea or bad?

That's pretty much what I did.

[Tharlak]

Ok, I think what I'm gonna do is reset, and try to get both US and HotU, and then maybe switch to KotC later in the game, closet to tier III. Good idea or bad?

Good Idea.

While you will need to make decisions about what you are NOT going to take, you certainly have the action points to get both. They are both very useful. I like to get HotD at 6th level, just in time for all the undead nonsense to kick into high gear. Then swap to KotC when heading to the vale.

[flynnjsw]

Between those 2 choices, I would go for HotD. More turns = more Divine Mights, Healing amplification is always nice, and Ghost Touch is a nice perk.

However, in my experience... If you’re gonna go and pick up HotD then you should also pick up the SP boost enhancements for the short term. Nothing is more annoying than having left over Divine Mights at a shrine. (Because you don’t have the SP to match it up castings of Divine Favor.)

This of course would depend on which level of DM he gets to, or if he took the DM enhancements at all.