Dwarf choices

[f_gamer]

Hi. My recently dusted off 2nd life Pally Dwarf is level 28 now. Noticed he has "Knight's training". It's been so long I don't remember why I even had this (only using Great Axe or Dwarven Axe w/shield). Fred won't remove (something about an old life). This late in the game, I may keep it instead of burning up my free lesser heart.
Are there any good Dwarven Pally builds out there? I'd love to Epic Reincarnate and do my final life as a Dwarf. I'll likely stick with axes since the racial Dwarven Maul enhancements are inferior (and Silvanus is restricted to Forgotten Realms). Axiom of faith got me hopeful but I don't think I fully understand it. Thx

[Nugaot]

Hi. My recently dusted off 2nd life Pally Dwarf is level 28 now. Noticed he has "Knight's training". It's been so long I don't remember why I even had this (only using Great Axe or Dwarven Axe w/shield). Fred won't remove (something about an old life). This late in the game, I may keep it instead of burning up my free lesser heart.
Are there any good Dwarven Pally builds out there? I'd love to Epic Reincarnate and do my final life as a Dwarf. I'll likely stick with axes since the racial Dwarven Maul enhancements are inferior (and Silvanus is restricted to Forgotten Realms). Axiom of faith got me hopeful but I don't think I fully understand it. Thx

Knight's Training is free in your KOTC tree, do you have points spent there? SWF Pally is quite strong, you could use KT and SWF with a battleaxe or warhammer with dwarf training. Axiom lets you get your favored weapon bonus to mauls but you don't get the level 6 active that gives you the crit range you want in a Sylvanus build.

[f_gamer]

Knight's Training is free in your KOTC tree, do you have points spent there? SWF Pally is quite strong, you could use KT and SWF with a battleaxe or warhammer with dwarf training. Axiom lets you get your favored weapon bonus to mauls but you don't get the level 6 active that gives you the crit range you want in a Sylvanus build.

Thanks Nugaot. I was hoping Axiom would open the religion benefits I mostly small group and solo. Not sure SWF will work - sounds like really good. I know it's faster but believe you miss out on Strikethrough. This is what makes DDO so tantalizing for me - always so close to having the perfect class/race combo but the pieces rarely fit and when they do, the nerf gun comes out

[Nugaot]

Thanks Nugaot. I was hoping Axiom would open the religion benefits I mostly small group and solo. Not sure SWF will work - sounds like really good. I know it's faster but believe you miss out on Strikethrough. This is what makes DDO so tantalizing for me - always so close to having the perfect class/race combo but the pieces rarely fit and when they do, the nerf gun comes out

Imo you're not missing as much as you might think losing strikethrough. Kotc has free cleaves and with SWF attack speeds the animations for them are very quick. The slow cleave animation is why most people avoid taking them, but for free in the enhancement tree, with massive boosts to attack speed? Very nice stuff.

[unbongwah]

Dwarven Axe Training enhancements add extra Strikethrough to dwarven waraxes and (at tier-3) makes them into Favored Weapons. So you can make a SWF dwarf paladin using d.axes who can get 105% Strikethrough by level 26.

• 20% base
• 25% Dwarven Axe Training
• 20% Improved Second Strikes (KotC)
• 15% Wild Weapons
• 25% Wade Through

Dwarven axes have 18-20/x4 critical threat range with Improved Critical + Holy Sword. Need better single-target DPS for bosses/Champions? Switch to a battleaxe: Knight's Training is free from KotC so your crit profile becomes 16-20/x4.

Got Feydark Illusionist? You can go fully CHA-based or (for added lulz) CON-primary CHA-secondary with Throw Your Weight Around for CON to damage.

Feats are tight but doable: SWF x3, Offhand Versatility, Improved Critical, Precision (or Power Attack), leaving one heroic feat to spare (Magical Training if going Feydark in heroics, swap it out if/when using an ED which grants MT).

[unbongwah]

Just messing with the builder for fun.

Kundarak SWF KotC
Paladin 20
Lawful Good Dwarf




Stats
               32pt     34pt     36pt     Tome     Level Up
               ----     ----     ----     ----     --------
Strength        16       16       16                4: STR
Dexterity       11       11       11       +2       8: STR
Constitution    16       17       18               12: STR
Intelligence    11       11       11       +2      16: STR
Wisdom           8        8        8               20: STR
Charisma        14       14       14               24: STR
                                                   28: STR


Skills
          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
         ------------------------------------------------------------
Concent      1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  3  1  3  1  1  1  1  1  23
UMD       1  1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1  11
Balance   2     1     1     1     1     1                              7
Heal                                                      2     2      4
Tumble    1                                                            1
         ------------------------------------------------------------
          8  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3




Feats


 1        : Single Weapon Fighting
 3        : Precision
 6        : Improved Single Weapon Fighting
 9        : Improved Critical: Slashing
12        : Greater Single Weapon Fighting
15        : Offhand Versatility
18        : Combat Expertise OR Stunning Blow
21 Epic   : Overwhelming Critical
22 Destiny: Perfect Single Weapon Fighting
24 Epic   : Bulwark of Defense OR Stunning Blow
25 Destiny: Crush Weakness OR Doublestrike
27 Epic   : Epic Damage Reduction
28 Destiny: Deific Warding OR Embodiment of Law
30 Epic   : Epic Fortitude
30 Legend : Scion of: Arborea


 1 Deity  : Follower of: Onatar
 6 Deity  : Onatar's Forge




Enhancements (Spent: 80 +0r +0u / Max: 80 +0r +0u AP)


Knight of the Chalice (41 AP)
Slayer of Evil, Courage of Heaven, Slayer of Evil II, Improved Courage of Heaven, Slayer of Evil III, Champion of Good
Extra Smites I, Improved Second Strikes III
Adept Combatant, Divine Might III, Exalted Cleave: Melee, Action Boost: Power III
Holy Combatant, Divine Sacrifice: Melee I, Lead the Charge III, Exalted Smite: Melee I
Knight's Training, Censure Demons, Vigor of Life
Ascendency, Censure Outsiders, Vigor of Life, Avenging Cleave: Melee, Holy Retribution: Melee

Sacred Defender (22 AP)
Holy Bastion, Sacred Defense, Divine Righteousness, Redemption
Extra Lay On Hands III, Improved Sacred Defense: Durable Defense III
Bulwark Aura III, Improved Sacred Defense: Resilient Defense II
Resistance Aura III, Greater Sacred Defense: Strong Defense III
Swift Defense

Dwarf (17 AP)
Dwarven Toughness, Dwarven Constitution
Dwarven Weapon Training: Axe Training
Child of the Mountain III, Dwarven Weapon Training: Axe Training
Dwarven Weapon Training: Axe Training
Dwarven Weapon Training: Axe Training

Leveling Guide
KoC0 Slayer of Evil; KoC1 Improved Second Strikes I, II, III
KoC1 Extra Smites I; KoC2 Exalted Cleave: Melee; KoC2 Divine Might I
KoC0 Courage of Heaven; KoC2 Divine Might II, III; KoC2 Action Boost: Power I
KoC2 Action Boost: Power II, III; KoC3 Exalted Smite: Melee I
KoC3 Divine Sacrifice: Melee I; KoC3 Lead the Charge I, II, III
KoC0 Slayer of Evil II; KoC4 Knight's Training; KoC4 Censure Demons
SD0 Holy Bastion; SD1 Extra Lay On Hands I, II, III
SD1 Durable Defense I; SD0 Sacred Defense; SD1 Durable Defense II, III
SD2 Resilient Defense I, II; SD0 Divine Righteousness; SD3 Strong Defense I
SD3 Strong Defense II, III; KoC4 Vigor of Life
KoC3 Holy Combatant; KoC2 Adept Combatant
Reset Sacred Defender
Dwarf: Dwarven Toughness, Dwarven Constitution
Dwarven Weapon Training: Axe Training
Child of the Mountain II, Dwarven Weapon Training: Axe Training
Dwarven Weapon Training: Axe Training

Knight of the Chalice: Improved Courage of Heaven
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
Ascendency, Censure Outsiders, Holy Retribution: Melee
KoC5 Avenging Cleave: Melee; Dwf2 Child of the Mountain III
Dwf4 Axe Training; KoC5 Vigor of Life
SD0 Holy Bastion; SD1 Extra Lay On Hands I, II, III
SD1 Durable Defense I; SD0 Sacred Defense; SD1 Durable Defense II, III
SD2 Resilient Defense I, II; SD0 Divine Righteousness; SD3 Strong Defense I
KoC0 Slayer of Evil III; SD3 Strong Defense II, III; SD2 Bulwark Aura I
SD2 Bulwark Aura II, III; SD3 Resistance Aura I, II
KoC0 Champion of Good; SD3 Resistance Aura III; SD0 Redemption; SD4 Swift Defense

Is Combat Expertise worth it anymore? Enh, probably not, but I threw it in there anyway; feel free to drop it and dump INT for another point of STR. The only must-have skill is 7 ranks of Balance for GSWF.

[SlowDM]

Stop being height conscious. You already run faster than everyone else