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Soranar
2010-02-27, 02:02 PM
Here's a build I had in mind, focused on using a Quarterstaff

Race: Human
Alignment: Lawful Good

STATS (32 pts buy)

STR 16
DEX 8
CON 16
INT 10
WIS 8
CHA 16

possible templates: Draconic, Dragonborn of Bahamut, Half-Dragon

Gear: Quarterstaff + Heavy armor

ACF or Variants

Monk: Decisive strike (PH2), overwhelming attack variant (SRD)
Paladin: Holy warrior (Co Champion, no spellcasting= gain 4 feats at level 4,7,11 and 14 from limited list), Charging smite Paladin (no mount, double smite damage on charges)

1 Monk Travel Devotion, Improved bullrush bonus feat: Power Attack
2 Paladin
3 Paladin Reckless Charge
4 Paladin
5 Paladin bonus feat: Divine might
6 Paladin Leap Attack
7 Paladin
8 Paladin bonus feat: extra smites
9 Paladin Shock Trooper

Result: Charge/Leap something evil with travel devotion

power attack is x2 with a 2handed weapon, another x2 from leap, smite x2 from charge, everything x2 from decisive strike

result: power attack x4 damage, smite evil x3 damage , if necessary add divine might for extra static damage

Greenish
2010-02-27, 02:07 PM
So, a charger with a poor weapon and only a single attack on charge?

Fizban
2010-02-27, 02:12 PM
Decisive Strike takes a full round action, so you can't charge with it.

@Greenish: Decisive Strike lets you double your damage for the rest of the round in exchange for making that one attack. The problem is that you can't make it a charge or anything, so most of the time it'll just make up for not being able to leap attack from the charge.

Soranar
2010-02-27, 02:22 PM
travel devotion makes your move a swift action, letting you use decisive strike on a charge

Greenish
2010-02-27, 02:26 PM
The problem is that you can't make it a charge or anything, so most of the time it'll just make up for not being able to leap attack from the charge.I see. In that case, one might consider dropping Leap Attack from the build. Jump is not a class skill for paladins, so it would eat your skill points, and you get -5 from MW full plate's Armor Check Penalty, -6 from your reduced speed, and you'll need 30' range (20' movement + 10' jump) to charge or the DC for jumping doubles. Oh, and in case you get to act on surprise round, you won't be able to move that 30' with charge.

Of course, enchantment bonus to move speed isn't that hard to come by, which would mean that you'll have a good chance of doing the leap attack if you have 30' to charge.

Still, you would probably be equally (or more) effective with a refluffed warblade.

[Edit]:
travel devotion makes your move a swift action, letting you use decisive strike on a chargeWouldn't full attack still be better?

[2nd. Edit]: Decisive Strike is full-round action, charge is a full-round action, how do you combine them with just an extra move action?

Soranar
2010-02-27, 02:36 PM
I see. In that case, one might consider dropping Leap Attack from the build. Jump is not a class skill for paladins, so it would eat your skill points, and you get -5 from MW full plate's Armor Check Penalty, -6 from your reduced speed, and you'll need 30' range (20' movement + 10' jump) to charge or the DC for jumping doubles. Oh, and in case you get to act on surprise round, you won't be able to move that 30' with charge.

Of course, enchantment bonus to move speed isn't that hard to come by, which would mean that you'll have a good chance of doing the leap attack if you have 30' to charge.

Still, you would probably be equally (or more) effective with a refluffed warblade.

[Edit]:Wouldn't full attack still be better?

Full attack vs Decisive strike

iteratives work well with dice based damage (xd6 weapons, bonus d6 damage, etc) but loses to 1 shot static bonuses (in this case: smite evil)

since you can only smite on 1 attack (not on every attack for 1 round) Decisive strike is always superior to normal attacks for a paladin)

the only exception would be a charging lance build but then you need a mount (and I'm tired of small paladins on medium mounts)

as for the jump thing, I guess I need a ring of jumping , monk still gives me 4 ranks in jump at level 1, I could also take able learner to keep it as a class skill

Zeta Kai
2010-02-27, 02:38 PM
Isn't a staff just a big... stick?

Ravens_cry
2010-02-27, 02:41 PM
Isn't a staff just a big... stick?
Or a simply massive twig.
And yes, I saw what you did there.

Soranar
2010-02-27, 02:51 PM
Isn't a staff just a big... stick?

Loosely inspired by Teddy Roosevelt

Greenish
2010-02-27, 02:51 PM
since you can only smite on 1 attack (not on every attack for 1 round) Decisive strike is always superior to normal attacks for a paladin)You can only Smite Evil 4/day at most (until epic levels), you can full attack as much as you wish. [Edit]: Okay, more, by spending a feat on it.

You can do one attack with Smite Evil and Decisive Strike, or full attack with one of the attacks being Smite. When you get more iteratives, full attack gains power faster than DS.


Also, both Decisive Strike and Charge are full round actions, so Travel Devotion won't help you there. (I edited it on my above post, but you probably missed it.)

Soranar
2010-02-27, 03:43 PM
right, can't combine full round actions

so I'd lose the leap, charge and shock trooper bonuses

guess it's back to spirited charge with lance

Pluto
2010-02-27, 03:53 PM
Monk/Druid[/Sacred Fist?] might be a better approach.

With Shillelagh, Rage (from the Druidic Avenger), Spikes and various other buffs, the damage output will be more reliable (1/day is really bad). Also, Lion's Charge is a Druid spell, usable in Wand Chambers and spell slots, making Charging Flurries an option. The Lion's Pounce feat might also be worthwhile.


For something closer to your build:

Monk/Cleric/Ordained Champion is almost strictly better.

Turn-Based smiting means more smites by default and greater ability to enlarge the smiting pool (Extra Turning, Nightsticks, etc). This also gets Spell Channeling at ECL 7, which is just ridiculous. Travel Devotion is available without feat investment. BA stays the same. Also, you have 4th level spells.

AtopTheMountain
2010-02-27, 03:53 PM
Uh... What's the point of the staff? As far as I can tell, you don't have anything that requires one. Wouldn't you do much better with a greatsword or something?

Greenish
2010-02-27, 04:04 PM
right, can't combine full round actions

so I'd lose the leap, charge and shock trooper bonuses

guess it's back to spirited charge with lanceOr you could just play some other class and call it a paladin?