[4E] Comments on my Paladin Build

[mage1337]

Hey playgrounders,

Wanted to know your thoughts on my Balanced Paladin build, posted below. Please note that in the campaign setting I am playing in, Dragon Born are not available as a PC race.

Race: Human
Class: Paladin (Lay on Hands)

Str: 20
Con: 11
Dex: 10
Int: 8
Wis: 10
Cha: 14

Feats: Full Blade Proficiency, Mighty Challenge

Powers (At-will): Challenging Strike, Ardent Strike, Holy Strike
Powers (Encounter): Valorous Smite
Powers (Daily): Blood of the Mighty

Some particular questions I have are:
1) Will the Divine Sanction and the Divine Challenge class features deal enough damage on this build to be useful?
2) Would the Solar Enemy feat be good for this build?
3) Are my at-will choices sensible?
4) Can a non-dragon born Baladin every be effective? Would a simple, Str/Wis ardent vow Paladin be more powerful given that I have to play a human?

I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks in advance playgrounders!

[Ceaon]

Str: 20
Con: 11
Dex: 10
Int: 8
Wis: 10
Cha: 14

This seems like a straladin, not a balanced paladin.
A human balanced paladin is quite difficult to make. I'd suggest maybe Longtooth Shifter, Half-elf or Kalasthar if Dragonborn are unavailable.
For a straladin, the build looks solid, though.

Edit:

1) Will the Divine Sanction and the Divine Challenge class features deal enough damage on this build to be useful?
Divine Challenge: yes sir. Divine Sanction: probably not, but it's still free damage, just not much of a deterrent.
2) Would the Solar Enemy feat be good for this build?
Don't know this feat, but the name makes me think it depends on the setting.
3) Are my at-will choices sensible?
They're fine. I'd switch Challenging Strike for Valiant Strike though.
4) Can a non-dragon born Baladin every be effective? Would a simple, Str/Wis ardent vow Paladin be more powerful given that I have to play a human?
A dragonborn is the only race I'd use to be a Baladin. A Straladin or Chaladin seems a more sensible choice if you have to be human.

[Mando Knight]

My notes on this build:
1.) 20 in your main stat is horrible if you're human, since you don't have a racial boost to something else. Paladins get it worse, since you're far more MAD than others.
2.) Balanced Paladins are best off with Sword & Board. It helps their Reflex, keeps their AC top-tier, and allows you to grab some of the defensive powers and feats you couldn't otherwise.
3.) Balanced Paladins are balanced. This is lopsided.
4.) Holy Strike is worthless without a positive Wisdom modifier. Valiant Strike is one of the Paladin's best Strength-based At-Wills.

If you want a balanced Paladin, I would go with a build that looks like this:
level 1
Half-Elf, Paladin

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 13, Dex 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 16.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 11, Dex 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 14.


AC: 20 Fort: 14 Reflex: 14 Will: 14
HP: 28 Surges: 11 Surge Value: 7

TRAINED SKILLS
Religion +4, Insight +9, Endurance +2, Diplomacy +10

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics -3, Arcana -1, Bluff +3, Dungeoneering +2, Heal +2, History -1, Intimidate +3, Nature +2, Perception +2, Stealth -3, Streetwise +3, Thievery -3, Athletics -1

FEATS
Level 1: Mighty Challenge

POWERS
Dilettante: Acid Orb
Lay on Hands: Lay on Hands
Paladin at-will 1: Ardent Strike
Paladin at-will 1: Valiant Strike
Paladin encounter 1: Valorous Smite
Paladin daily 1: Paladin's Judgment

ITEMS
Plate Armor, Longsword, Heavy Shield, Adventurer's Kit
Now, this build loses out on one point of Divine Challenge damage and two points to-hit/damage for Strength attacks compared to yours, but is set up to qualify for Heavy Blade Opportunity by Epic (or Paragon if you slide one of your boosts to Dexterity rather than Strength or Charisma), grants an extra use of Lay on Hands per day, has an encounter ranged power to help persist Divine Challenge (and at better range than powers or weapons a Paladin gets), can pick between two excellent at-wills once the encounter powers have been used, and can pretty much multiclass wherever he likes. (so long as he doesn't want to be an Artificer, Wizard, etc.)

[The J Pizzel]

If you do keep that build (and I wouldn't recomend it), you definitely need the feat Mighty Challenge, especially since your Cha is so low. It adds Str. modifier to Divine Challenge.

Alternatively, I'd take Mando's build and go off that. Concidentally, we're playing this Sunday and I'm playing a pally similar to that one and I think he's gonna do alright...for being a pally at least.

[mage1337]

Thanks for the help guys. After reading through this thread, I've decided to just go with a straight Str/Wis Straladin, dropping the Strength to 18 after the human racial bonus to pump my other stats (such as Dex for heavy blade opportunist). Great advice all!