Making My First Paladin - Brainstorm/Advice-seeking

[Tyrael]

Hiya, folks.

I've recently joined a campaign my roommate just started, which currently consists of a Rogue, a Dwarf Paragon, a Sorcerer, and a Cleric. The world is homebrew, being set on a far away (extraplanar?) realm called the Outlands, a highly magical and exotic place where you never know what you can find. The party has been exiled there by Emperor BBEG, bereft of any equipment and wandering around to get their bearings. The group is currently level 3 and has only had one session so far, rescuing some weird blue sheep/goat things.

The party is mostly restricted to PHB-only due to the newbie-ness of most of the players, but more experienced players (like myself) are allowed to select from stuff outside core with DM approval. He's also 100% fine with homebrewing minor things if they make sense and I can justify them (for example, a Barbarian getting to use STR for Intimidate checks instead of CHA).

Here's where I come in. The DM thinks it might be interesting for me to play a Paladin and act as a sort of face/leader/tank. Having never played or built a Paladin before, I was intrigued and agreed. The Cleric of the group is devoted to Garl Glittergold, and last night I was brainstorming and I thought that creating a Kobold Paladin of Garl Glittergold (traditionally a gnomish deity) would be an intriguing twist from a RP and fluff standpoint. I'm envisioning less of a square-jawed, blue-eyed Mikodin and more of a wise Obi-Wan-Pallodi.

I got a lot of neat ideas from this thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33145



Here's where you, the Internet Oracles, come in. Now that I'm actually sitting down to try to build the character, I'm running into a few snags...primarily the fact that the Kobold's ability modifiers (starting from a stat-set of 18/16/14/14/12/8) pretty severely nerf his potential as any kind of tank or melee combatant. Even pumping his STR to 18, the Kobold modifier dumps it down to 14, which is mediocre-at-best for a melee warrior. So I'm mainly trying to decide what a Kobold Paladin can actually DO to be helpful to the party in anything beyond pure RP situations. I've read a few threads and suggestions for Small-sized paladins that mounts and charging is a great idea, but without equipment and without my Paladin mount, that's not quite an option at this point. Maybe I can try to stat him as an O-Chul-style tank who endures the everloving crap out of everything? Possibly ask the DM to remove the -2 CON for Kobolds? Something else altogether?

Secondly, I'm having a tough time researching the lore/theology/dogma of Garl Glittergold. I looked him up in the PHB and Deities & Demigods, but there's not a lot there. He's a gnomish trickster-god who protects people and trolls his enemies for the lols using pranks and tricks, which doesn't seem to work very well with a Paladin's Oath. I'm thinking that the Koboldian sneakiness/trappiness could synergize well with the Glittergoldian trolling, but it's not exactly very paladinny behavior.



What do you guys think?

[UserClone]

First of all, a Kobold who worships Garl Gliitergold is completely depraved. It's somewhat analagous to a Nazi joining the Allies, during WWII. I approve. However, Paladin of Freedom makes way more sense for that particular deity. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#paladinofFreedomClassF eatures)

Also, there is a different Chaotic Good Paladin variant class (as well as one for each non-evil alignment other than LG) detailed in Dragon #310.

However, mechanically speaking, I would have to implore you to consider a Crusader from Tome of Battle. They are mechanically equal or superior in almost every way to the Paladin, and they have lots more capability in combat, especially at low levels and most especially when magical weapons and other equipment are in short supply. Heavy focus in Devoted Spirit and White Raven are recommended, as you can get in some nice healing and leadership capabilities that way.

Like I mentioned, though, if you do insist on Paladin, the CG version just makes more sense for Garl. But there is no way in Baator that any kobold raised in kobold society would ever show any respect to Garl. You can read up more about Garl Glittergold and Kurtulmak in Races of the Dragon to learn why.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Should you go the Crusader route, consider also the Warblade. With a level of Bard and the Song of the White Raven feat from ToB, as well as Dragonfire Inspiration from Dragon Magic, as a Swift action you can give all allies within 30 feet a +1 morale bonus to saves vs. Fear effects and +1d6 fire damage to their weapon attacks (only once per day without spending another feat for four more uses per day). Your Warblade levels stack with your level of Bard for determining how high a morale bonus and how many d6s you add as well.

[NikitaDarkstar]

See if you can trade in some of the kobolds racial abilities to get rid of the stat penalties. Like losing the +2 DEX in favor of either no CON penalty or a lesser STR penalty. Same with Darkvision really, see if you can trade it in for a lesser stat penalty.

As for the rest, I'm really not well versed with paladins, but I'd suggest Monkey grip obviously to wield a bigger weapon, with the STR penalty you don't need a small weapon ontop of it, and if you can't get a lesser STR penalty, grab weapon finesse and you'll at least be able to hit.

But those are really the only ideas I have, and well, they're obvious enough as they are, so don't pay to much attention to me. :p

[Lord.Sorasen]

Do you get to be the modified kobold? http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a This one, I mean.

Also, there's a kobold variant called desert kobold. -4 strength, +2 dexterity, -2 Wisdom. Removes the con penalty, but makes it rather difficult to cast spells. There's also the Earth Kobold, which is -2 strength -2 constitution, but then you're a race with no + stats, and that's just sad.

[UserClone]

See if you can trade in some of the kobolds racial abilities to get rid of the stat penalties. Like losing the +2 DEX in favor of either no CON penalty or a lesser STR penalty. Same with Darkvision really, see if you can trade it in for a lesser stat penalty.

As for the rest, I'm really not well versed with paladins, but I'd suggest Monkey grip obviously to wield a bigger weapon, with the STR penalty you don't need a small weapon ontop of it, and if you can't get a lesser STR penalty, grab weapon finesse and you'll at least be able to hit.

But those are really the only ideas I have, and well, they're obvious enough as they are, so don't pay to much attention to me. :p

No offense, but monkey grip blows. -2 attack for (usually) an average of +1 to damage is a foolish waste of a feat. If you want to do more damage, be a warblade or crusader and use maneuvers, or multiclass sorcerer for mighty wallop.

[LibraryOgre]

First of all, a Kobold who worships Garl Gliitergold is completely depraved. It's somewhat analagous to a Nazi joining the Allies, during WWII. I approve. However, Paladin of Freedom makes way more sense for that particular deity. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#paladinofFreedomClassF eatures)

Paladin of Freedom makes more sense for a LG deity, from the upper left of the Great Wheel (Twin Paradises/Bytopia)? Wah?

[Alefiend]

Strength is nice, but there's nothing inherent to the paladin that requires you to engage in brute-force melee. You can use finessable weapons and look for a source of bonus damage; you can fight from range; or you can try some kind of crazy DEX-based grappler who climbs on enemies and bites them to death.

[UserClone]

Paladin of Freedom makes more sense for a LG deity, from the upper left of the Great Wheel (Twin Paradises/Bytopia)? Wah?

Well actually, my PHB, Complete Divine, and Deities and Demigods have him as NG. He does live on Bytopia, but given that his portfolio contains humor, wit, and illusion, and he grants the Trickery domain (along with Good and Protection), yes, I'd say there's significant evidence for a strong following of Chaotic worshippers. He is also renowned for the jokes and pranks he pulls on other deities, though not all of his victims laugh off his jests.

*shrugs* YMMV, I guess. But still, to go along with the sneakiness and trapmaking, as well as the complete rejection of kobold society, I'd still think a chaotic alignment would better suit than a lawful one, and that Dragon issue #310 also has a NG paladin variant, so...

[Andorax]

I would also add my own huge objection to a kobold follower of Garl Glittergold...it's just wrong on so very many levels.

If you insist on a kobold paladin (already a very strange concept), might I suggest a paladin of Bahamut, or even (if you have the Draconomicon) Lendys.

To take it a step farther (and buy off your Con penalty at the cost of some of your Dex) you could play a Dragonborn Kobold Paladin of Bahamut. Doesn't help with strength, but it shores up one of your weak points.

[palindrome]

Here's my concern:

You may have a nice DM who decides, hey, you know what, one of my PCs combat is mount oriented, I really ought to run my game in such a way that allows him/her to actually play the way he/she prioritized his/her character.

Then again, your DM may not think of that or who knows what. Personally, it seems that playing a mount based character entails a lot of "please, dear Garl, let the next combat be in outside the tavern, because I just stabled my boar!" Having a medium sized mount may alleviate some of this problem, because it can fit into smaller areas, but you may find yourself spending a lot of time trying to maneuver between tables so that you can get a nice charge attack in. If this sort of thing appeals to you, that's awesome and power to you.

Honestly though, I think I might try to talk my DM into letting me have some slow sneak attack progression, instead of, say, turning undead. I know it's not a fair trade, but it also makes up for having to take such a huge hit in your stat column and not being a particularly powerful class anyway.

I know there are a lot of discussions about whether or not sneak attack can fit with a paladin code of conduct, but I say it fits with your character concept. "Hey, my god appreciates and rewards cleverness over brawn, and just because I'm not above sticking a sword in another guy's kidney when he's fighting my friend doesn't mean I'm incapable of doling out aphorisms and bits of wisdom."

[hamishspence]

On "worshipper of Garl"- suppose he was Raised By Gnomes- who didn't subscribe to the notion of killing all infant kobolds after defeating the soldiers?

On sneak attack- there's at least one PRC built around paladin-rogue multiclassing (Shadowbane Inquisitor from Complete Adventurer) so it's not entirely against the Code.

[Keld Denar]

I'd go with a Desert Kobold Sorcadin, actually. Kobolds are inherantly "dragony", so splashing together Sorcerer and Paladin is thematically aligned. This qualifies you for a few of the neat toys like Draconic Rites (I wouldn't go crazy, but 1 free Sorcerer level can't hurt much, especially since you are starting from a FREAKIN KOBOLD).

From there, look at ways to swing your Cha score like a sword. You won't have much Str to speak of, but if you can get at least to 13 by mid levels, you can take Power Attack and Divine Might. Divine Might gives you +Cha to damage for a round as a free action for the low low cost of 1 TU attempt (you'll eventually get TU from Sacred Exorcist). Divine Might favors having a large number of attacks, and you ARE a kobold, so you have a claw/claw/bite routine (even if you use a 2handed weapon, you still get an extra attack with the bite).

As far as the rest, how you RP is how you RP. A kobold worshiping Garl is kinda hillarious, if you can swing it (maybe he has an extraordinary sense of honor for a kobold, and owes a life-debt to a gnome cleric?). You should be able to work any paladiny backstory onto a Sorcadin chassis without too much concern or difficulty. The arcane spellcasting will really go a long ways toward making up for the fact that kobolds are kinda a crappy race, especially for a Paladin.