New to DDO and love Paladins

[KosmicRider]

I've always loved DnD Paladins. Played a ton of them in NWN and PnP. New to DDO because I wanted a new game to play and they seem fun to me.

So I am in the beginning of a human paladin. I read a bit and nothing is ever consistent. I want to be an intimitank sword and board.
I so far have 15 str
8 dex
14 con
10 int
8 wis
15 charisma.
I think...that's pretty much the average of my stats for a 28 build, might not be exact but close.

I took toughness and exotic weapon bastard sword

I plan on taking
Two Handed Fighting
Shield Mastery
Power Attack
Cleave
Great Cleave
Improved Critical: Slashing

Will try and go for defender of syberis 14 -16 but before that hunter of the dead.

all my attribute points will go into str.

I am thinking of simply making a pure paladin and just tank it up that way.
I know id beable to get feats easier if I splashed 2 levels fighter, but I am not too sure.

Skills: Balance, Use Magic Device, and Intimidate.

Any tips?
I love the idea of an intimitank and I feel that sword+board with bastard sword glancing blows, doublestrike, paladin crits, and cleave will help me maintain a decent dps.

If someone with the knowledge can help me perfect this, I would appreciate it.

I have also read Jung's guide as well.

[cru121]

I feel that sword+board with bastard sword glancing blows, doublestrike, paladin crits, and cleave will help me maintain a decent dps.

Yeah, it probably won't. You should use a two-handed weapon in most situations and just swap to shields when absolutely needed. Personally I like to take Power Attack / Cleave / Great Cleave asap. Though as a paladin you already have a few clicky attacks (smite, divine sacrifice), I think cleaves are more fun and stronger.

[EllisDee37]

Agreed. Great Cleave is the bee's knees.

[KosmicRider]

Agreed. Great Cleave is the bee's knees.

but what about the rest of it, I am planning on great cleave route as well. I read a lot of guides saying intimitanks are viable especially with bastard sword +two handed weapon for glancing blows helps in increasing dps and keeping agro. My main focus is tank and holding aggro/surviving.

[Fedora1]

Your build points look good, just make sure you get a WIS+3 item in time for your L1 spells, or you will need to rely on potions (owl).

I agree with others you should get PA/Cleave/GC early. THF is not as critical, you can save it for later.

The fighter splash is nice for feats, and if you are going for shields it gives you free tower shield prof.. Also extra strength enhancement and haste boost.

[Fedora1]

I read a lot of guides saying intimitanks are viable especially with bastard sword +two handed weapon for glancing blows helps in increasing dps and keeping agro. My main focus is tank and holding aggro/surviving.

It might be hard keeping aggro fighting with a shield, unless there are no pure fighters or barbs in your party. You will need to rely on Intim because your dps won't be as good as those.

[Soulfurnace]

Holding agro is hard - trust me.
Intimidate isn't really enough these days, you need good dps.
And frankly, even then you'll struggle if someone decides they want agro. [See - Furyshot]

[Relenthe]

You have to realise that tanking is only really needed on a few select quests. The rest of the time you are fighting trash and things die so fast that you may as well help them die faster by using a two handed weapon. Then when tanking is needed switch to swoard and board.

[KosmicRider]

Holding agro is hard - trust me.
Intimidate isn't really enough these days, you need good dps.
And frankly, even then you'll struggle if someone decides they want agro. [See - Furyshot]

All of this is good to know. I guess the main thing will be to tank as much as possible and pull agro as an offtank from those who are squishy. I don't know, maybe Ill just splash 2 levels of fighter and grab the thf feats so I can do both

[unbongwah]

I posted a basic S&B pally tank build here. The good news is you're on the right track. If you decide to go pure pally, you have to find two feats you can drop; I'd probably skip the THF chain and pick up a metamagic somewhere.

[EllisDee37]

The only times I'm aware of where tanking is essentially required:

Tower of Despair
Fall of Truth
Lord of Blades

Is there any instance in any other quest/raid where having a tank is preferable to having just another dps character?

[unbongwah]

You don't "need" a dedicated tank in most content any more than you "need" a dedicated healer or a full-time archer or a bunch of other roles people like to play. So what? Unless you're obsessed with minmaxing or speed runs or whatever, why not just let people play what they want (within reason)? The important thing is learning to pull your own weight and having fun.

[EllisDee37]

The important thing is learning to pull your own weight

That was the gist of my question. Does a well-built well-played tank pull its own weight?

[Lonnbeimnech]

That was the gist of my question. Does a well-built well-played tank pull its own weight?

99% of the time, no.

Very few places in the game where one is needed, and even in those places you don't need a 'tank', you just need someone that can hold agro and not die.

[EllisDee37]

99% of the time, no.

Very few places in the game where one is needed, and even in those places you don't need a 'tank', you just need someone that can hold agro and not die.

Well, as a guy who usually brings my cleric on guild raids, I greatly prefer having a real tank in ToD, FoT and LoB.

[Charononus]

Holding agro is hard - trust me.
Intimidate isn't really enough these days, you need good dps.
And frankly, even then you'll struggle if someone decides they want agro. [See - Furyshot]

Intolerant blow needs to be kept up at all times at that point. Furyshot isn't I want aggro it's I want that pos dead now RIGHT NAOW! =P

[KosmicRider]

So this is all good information

I might drop two handed fighting for Quicken Spell. I just love tanky characters that just cannot die. So with that being said, as a paladin as my main focus and having a holy weapon, what do you think I should do? to be viable as a tank. I know one guide simply said two handed fighting, greater two handed fighting, and etc and tower shield prof, quicken spell, and etc, not really having cleave. For a two handed weapon. Then just equip a shield when necessary. I love the idea of sword and board (bastard sword focus) as opposed to khopesh.

What about Shield Mastery, Improved Shield Mastery, and Shield bash? I hear shield bash isn't that good. Main focus is survival and possibly protecting my squishy team mates and dps from getting focused. To take blows.

Another guide says take the dragonmark that gives globe of invulnerability. I don't know about that. I also know that tanks are heavily gear dependent. So you all definitely have a better end game experience than I do...what should I be looking at. If tank isn't going to be viable but in certain raids, what should I do? I know ill be feat starved as a pure paladin. What is the best route without gimping myself in that case? I do appreciate everyone's time and help.

[FranOhmsford]

Trying to understand why no-one has mentioned for me the all important feat for a Sword + Board Tank - Improved Shield Bash - http://ddowiki.com/page/Improved_Shield_Bash

Shield Mastery/Imp Shield Mastery help too of course.

DoS Paladin Pure - Well enough people say it works BUT I do prefer the 2 Fighter Levels myself for the extra feats:

Lvl 1 Human - Toughness, Power Attack {Save the B-Sword till later}
Lvl 3 - Cleave
Lvl 6 - Great Cleave
Lvl 7 Fighter - Shield Mastery {also gives FREE Tower Shield Prof.}
Lvl 9 - Imp Crit Slashing
Lvl 12 - Imp Shield Bash
Lvl 14 Fighter - Imp Shield Mastery
Lvl 15 - Exotic Wpn Prof: B-Sword
Lvl 18 - Two Handed Fighting

There's nothing you'll be Expected to Turtle Up and Tank before Lvl 18 so you can simply stick with Greatswords or Long Sword and Shield till that point.

P.S. There's a lot of very nice Heavy Shields at Lvl 8-14 but very few good Tower Shields - For a Pure Paladin the best choice would seem to be...
http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Madstone_Shield

You'll have your Holy Sword Spell of course BUT there's also plenty of good named {and random} Long Swords available...My personal favourite being:
http://ddowiki.com/page/Retribution


EDIT: Dragonmark of Sentinel is for one specific B-Sword Build - Built around one specific EPIC Weapon - http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Epic_Chimera's_Fang

Not sure how you'd fit in the THREE Feats required on a Pure Paladin {or even a two fighter splash tbh} BUT the Devs have stated that they're considering changing Dragonmarks to just the ONE Feat + Enhancements.

[FranOhmsford]

I also know that tanks are heavily gear dependent. So you all definitely have a better end game experience than I do...what should I be looking at. If tank isn't going to be viable but in certain raids, what should I do? I know ill be feat starved as a pure paladin. What is the best route without gimping myself in that case? I do appreciate everyone's time and help.

Best piece of advice I can give:

DON'T rush to End-Game!

Gearing an End-Game Tank is a Long-Haul Grind!
AND You'll be expected to have all that gear before trying to play Main Tank in End-Game Raids!

Most End-Game Players have ground out multiple lives now too {for Past Life Bonuses and of course more chances to pick up that must have gear}.

If you want to play a Sword & Board Tanky Paladin go for it BUT do it for the roleplay NOT the Fame!

This is why I specified a Lvl 8 Long Sword - Retribution and a Lvl 14 Tower Shield - Madstone Shield in my previous post rather than End-Game Gear.
You've gotta get there first!

[KosmicRider]

Best piece of advice I can give:

DON'T rush to End-Game!

Gearing an End-Game Tank is a Long-Haul Grind!
AND You'll be expected to have all that gear before trying to play Main Tank in End-Game Raids!

Most End-Game Players have ground out multiple lives now too {for Past Life Bonuses and of course more chances to pick up that must have gear}.

If you want to play a Sword & Board Tanky Paladin go for it BUT do it for the roleplay NOT the Fame!

This is why I specified a Lvl 8 Long Sword - Retribution and a Lvl 14 Tower Shield - Madstone Shield in my previous post rather than End-Game Gear.
You've gotta get there first!

I love you, platonically of course. Your post has definitely hit a mark inside of me that lead to the inspiration and motivation I needed. I plan on doing several past lives for him. Next life will be a fighter. I am also in a RP guild in sarlona so that's a big plus.