Knight in Shining Armor Build

[jcmcminis]

This is what I am planning for my 28pt, no tome human s&b paladin build. Just planning on using a long sword rather than spend a feat on an exotic weapon. Not overly concerened with dps just playing this for fun, feedback is welcome.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 04.23.01
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Knight  in Shining Armor
Level 28 Lawful Good Human Male
(20 Paladin \ 8 Epic) 
Hit Points: 406
Spell Points: 260 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 21
Reflex: 12
Will: 19

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 28)
Strength             16                    26
Dexterity             8                     8
Constitution         14                    14
Intelligence         10                    10
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma             16                    23

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 28)
Balance              -1                     7
Bluff                 3                    14
Concentration         6                    33
Diplomacy             3                    14
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle                3                    14
Heal                  3                    30
Hide                 -1                     7
Intimidate            3                    14
Jump                  3                    16
Listen               -1                     7
Move Silently        -1                     7
Open Lock            n/a                    n/a
Perform               n/a                  n/a
Repair                0                     8
Search                0                     8
Spellcraft            0                     8
Spot                 -1                     7
Swim                  3                    16
Tumble               n/a                    n/a
Use Magic Device      5                    25.5

Level 1 (Paladin)
Feat: (Deity) Follower of the Sovereign Host
Feat: (Selected) Shield Mastery
Feat: (Human Bonus) Toughness


Level 2 (Paladin)


Level 3 (Paladin)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Shield Bash


Level 4 (Paladin)


Level 5 (Paladin)


Level 6 (Paladin)
Feat: (Selected) Force of Personality


Level 7 (Paladin)


Level 8 (Paladin)


Level 9 (Paladin)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Paladin)


Level 11 (Paladin)


Level 12 (Paladin)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Shield Mastery


Level 13 (Paladin)


Level 14 (Paladin)


Level 15 (Paladin)
Feat: (Selected) Empower Healing Spell


Level 16 (Paladin)


Level 17 (Paladin)


Level 18 (Paladin)
Feat: (Selected) Shield Deflection


Level 19 (Paladin)


Level 20 (Paladin)



Level 21 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Epic: Overwhelming Critical


Level 22 (Epic)


Level 23 (Epic)


Level 24 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Epic: Bulwark of Defense



Level 25 (Epic)


Level 26 (Epic)


Level 27 (Epic)


Level 28 (Epic)
Feat: (Epic Destiny) Epic Destiny: Holy Strike

Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Holy Bastion (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Extra Lay on Hands (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Human - Human Versatility: Damage Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Human Adaptability: Charisma (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Human Versatility: Attack Boost (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Human - Human Adaptability: Strength (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Slayer of Evil I (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Courage of Heaven (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Slayer of Evil II (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Improved Courage of Heaven (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Slayer of Evil III (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Champion of Good (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Turning (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Smite (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Extra Smite (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Improved Turning (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Improved Turning (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Improved Turning (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Divine Might (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Vigor of Life (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Exalted Smite (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Exalted Smite (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Exalted Smite (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Charisma (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Censure Demons (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Vigor of Life (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Charisma (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Censure Outsiders (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Holy Retribution (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Holy Retribution (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Holy Retribution (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Vigor of Life (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Knight of the Chalice (Pal) - Sealed Life (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Sacred Defender (Pal) - Sacred Armor Mastery (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - To the Fore! (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Shield Combat (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Vicious Shield (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Shield Combat II (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Shield Specialization I (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Unbalancing Shove (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Unbalancing Shove (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Unbalancing Shove (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Shield Specialization II (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Missile Shield (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Missile Shield (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Missile Shield (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Shield Specialization III (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Shield Reposte (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Shield Reposte (Rank 2)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Shield Reposte (Rank 3)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Strength (Rank 1)
Enhancement: Vanguard (Pal) - Strength (Rank 1)

[unbongwah]

Playing a S&B build w/out DPS is never fun.

See my Sacred Vanguard thread.

[jcmcminis]

Playing a S&B build w/out DPS is never fun.

See my Sacred Vanguard thread.

I am just trying to optimize my feats, I figure why waste one on an exotic weapon. In my 30 years of playing pan & paper D&D, I have never been a number cruncher on top of the fact that I am a very casual player, it will probably take me several months to max this guy out.

[unbongwah]

A few comments:

• Your feats aren't too bad, but you should definitely take Power Atk - the sooner, the better. I wouldn't bother with Toughness nor Shield Deflection.
• If you don't want to go the b.sword w/glancing blows route, scimitars or rapiers are better than longswords; or take khopesh prof.
• Half-ranks of skills do nothing, so even out UMD. INT 10 grants 3 skill pts per lvl; for me the skill priorities would be Intim, UMD, and either Concentration, Heal, or Balance.
• Enhancements could do with tweaking. My view is if you're going S&B, you should put at least 41 APs into Vanguard (capstone), 13 APs into Sacred D. (defensive stance, +20% HPs), with the rest spread between KotC, racial tree, etc.

[Ralmeth]

Hey there! Your stats look good, though I would highly recommend that you drop Toughness and pick up Power Attack instead. There's no reason not to take the extra DPS, and the extra hit points from Toughness really aren't that much. You could consider to drop Force of Personality and Shield Deflection too as I think the extra defenses they provide really aren't necessary (I don't have them on my Paladin and don't miss them). Instead, the other feats I might consider would be Precision and Quicken. Precision will be helpful against mobs that have high fortification and Quicken will allow you an option to cast a spell uninterrupted when things get dire...The best uses of Quicken IMHO on a Paladin is a quickened Resurrection for a fallen friend when in the middle of a nasty fight (assuming you take the enhancement in the Defender tree that adds Raise Dead and Resurrection to your spell book), as well as to Quicken Healing Cacoon (assuming you have it).

Hope that helps & good luck!

[unbongwah]

Precision req's base DEX 13. That's doable on a 28pt pally, but it don't come cheap...

[Ralmeth]

Precision req's base DEX 13. That's doable on a 28pt pally, but it don't come cheap...

Good point. Probably not on a 28 point build.

[ThomasHunter]

Are 32pt builds still on sale? Possibly worthwhile?

Have fun with the build. I'm leveling my first Vanguard (A fighter) and he is a blast. Definitely spend the 41 points there! I also HIGHLY recommend bastard sword proficiency for the glancing damage. It really does seem to make a difference. Ugh. When I switch to my Everbright mace for oozes, it just feels so horrible compared to the power from the bastard sword!

[Ralmeth]

Are 32pt builds still on sale? Possibly worthwhile?

Have fun with the build. I'm leveling my first Vanguard (A fighter) and he is a blast. Definitely spend the 41 points there! I also HIGHLY recommend bastard sword proficiency for the glancing damage. It really does seem to make a difference. Ugh. When I switch to my Everbright mace for oozes, it just feels so horrible compared to the power from the bastard sword!

I agree...Going Bastard Sword and the THF feats are a great way to go on a 1st life Paladin S&B character because there are little prereqs (just strength which you should have) and thus it's easy to build into a 28 point character. Your heroic feats could be something like the following, though feel free to rearrange a bit if you'd like:
H-THF
1-Power Attack
3-Bastard Sword
6-ITHF
9-IC-Slash
12-Shield Mastery
15-Improved Shield Mastery
18-GTHF

[jcmcminis]

I agree...Going Bastard Sword and the THF feats are a great way to go on a 1st life Paladin S&B character because there are little prereqs (just strength which you should have) and thus it's easy to build into a 28 point character. Your heroic feats could be something like the following, though feel free to rearrange a bit if you'd like:
H-THF
1-Power Attack
3-Bastard Sword
6-ITHF
9-IC-Slash
12-Shield Mastery
15-Improved Shield Mastery
18-GTHF

Why should I take the two handed fighting feats if I am going to fight with sword & shield?

[unbongwah]

Why should I take the two handed fighting feats if I am going to fight with sword & shield?

http://ddowiki.com/page/Glancing_blows

"As of Update 5, two exotic weapons - bastard swords and dwarven waraxes cause glancing blows when wielded alone or with a shield (or with a Rune Arm, which Imbues each glancing blow with extra damage as well), not when used in two-weapon fighting. Despite being one-handed weapons, these glancing blows are improved in the same manner as two-handed weapons, including the Two Handed Fighting feats and class enhancements."

[jcmcminis]

ah ok thanks.