[3.5] What's Right and What's Wrong with my Gear Selection?

[Adamantrue]

I'm playing around with a higher-level build than I'm used to, for a bunch of curiosity reasons (and for ideas to introduce in a game that I'm running). I've said before that I don't have a whole lot of experience with higher levels, and I'm trying to get more comfortable with them.

The assumptions being made here is that it would be for a game that wasn't based around dungeon crawls, so being dependent on the mount isn't going to be an issue there.

Gestalt Knight/Paladin 20
Ability Scores: Str 18 Dex 16 Con 14 Int 8 Wis 14 Cha 24
Flaws: Slow
Feats: Awesome Smite, Animal Affinity, Battle Blessing, Divine Might, Exotic Shield Proficiency (Rider's Shield), Improved Smiting, Mentor (Soldier), Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Ride-By Attack, Shield Specialization (Heavy), Shield Ward, Spirited Charge
Special Options: Drakkensteed Mount (Dragon Magic 13), Warded Special Mount (Expedition to Castle Ravenloft 208)

Weapon 1: Longsword +1 (Merciful Stunning Surge Longsword +2 for Lawful-Good wielders) 23,315 gp
Weapon 2: Lance +1 (Metalline Mighty Smiting Lance +3 for Lawful-Good wielders) 51,310 gp
Weapon 3: Lance +1 (Dancing Lance +1 for Lawful-Good wielders) with Oil Chamber and Lesser Crystal of Return 37,910 gp
Weapon Extras: Lesser Fiendslayer Crystal, Lesser Truedeath Crystal, Oil (Bless Weapon) x3 8,300 gp

Armor: Sanctified Mithral Full Plate +3 (Sanctified Soulfire Mithral Full Plate +4 for Lawful-Good wearers) with Oil Chamber x2 and Greater Crystal of Screening 63,050 gp
Shield: Darkwood Rider's Shield +3 (Empyreal Darkwood Rider's Shield +5 for Lawful-Good wielders) with Oil Chamber and Greater Crystal of Arrow Deflection 43,275 gp
Armor/Shield Extras: Restful Crystal, Oil (Diamondsteel, caster level 20) x2, Oil (Light of Wisdom, caster level 18), Oil (Shieldbearer, caster level 20) x3 12,200 gp

Minor Cloak of Displacement with Save Resistance +4 (Charisma +6 to Lawful-Good wearers) 65,200 gp
Third Eye Conceal (Lawful-Good wearers only) 84,000 gp
Ring of the White Wyrm with AC Deflection +3 82,000 gp
Belt of Battle with Str +4 and Con +2 32,000 gp
Armband of Confrontation with Dex +4 17,400 gp
Surcoat of Valor 4,000 gp
Riding Boots 12,000 gp
Reliquary Holy Symbol 1,000 gp
Heward's Handy Haversack 2,000 gp
Scout's Headband 3,400 gp
Ring of Friend Shield (paired with Mount) 50,000 gp

Mount's Gear:
Freedom Chain Shirt Barding 36,550 gp
Belt of Battle with Str +2 16,000 gp
Brute Ring with AC Deflection +4 34,300 gp
Armbands of Might with Dex +4 20,100 gp
Collar of Healing with AC Natural +3 and Con +4 39,000 gp
Helm of Glorious Recovery 5,600 gp
Noble Pennon 5,000 gp
Ring of Friend Shield (paired with Rider)
Exotic Military Saddle 60 gp
Bit and Bridle 2 gp

The Mount has a Belt of Battle in order to use the Brute Ring to push an opponent into charging range. It has Improved Bull Rush, combined with being Large, a Str Modifier of +9, and the Armbands of Might, so it should be fairly effective.

Key spells I expect to have memorized are Holy Sword (as an option for the Merciful Longsword against evil opponents), Find the Gap (for a massive Divine Mighting, Awesome Smiting, Two Handed Power Attacking Mounted Charging Lance attack while in Half-White Dragon form), Turn Anathema (to thin herds of demons & devils), and Favor of the Martyr (just a strong defense).

But again, I'm not that familiar with higher-level play. I'm not sure if I have a bunch of things I don't need, or a bunch of things I really should have, or whatever combinations of the two fills the needs of the build.

[Aegis013]

No valorous enchant on the lances? x2 charge damage, seems like it'd go well with this charger.

Shock Trooper feat would also benefit you.

[Adamantrue]

I was told that RAW, Shock Trooper doesn't work with Mounted Charges. Not correct?

Where is Valorous? I have a feeling its in one of those Champions of Valor/Champions of Ruin books that I don't have access to.

[Geigan]

I was told that RAW, Shock Trooper doesn't work with Mounted Charges. Not correct?

Where is Valorous? I have a feeling its in one of those Champions of Valor/Champions of Ruin books that I don't have access to.

It's in Forgotten Realms: Unapproachable East

[Adamantrue]

Yup. Another one of the books I don't have access to.

[Slipperychicken]

For less than 300gp, go through the "goods and services" section of the SRD, and pick up almost all of the items from the first table. A grappling hook, some rope, a 10ft pole, and a battering ram can solve a lot of problems. Also, search "list of necessary magic items". It has a list of useful effects like flight and immunities, and magic items to get them from. Locked gauntlets will protect you from disarm, bells and whistles can be useful signals. I don't know if you have armor spikes yet, but the threatened squares and enchantments are definitely worth it. Liquid Sunlight can serve as a cheap light source. There are a lot of online resources too, like Bunkos Bargain Basement.

[Aegis013]

I was told that RAW, Shock Trooper doesn't work with Mounted Charges. Not correct?


Shock Trooper

prereqs: Imp Bull Rush, Power Attack, BAB +6

-irrelevant other uses-

Heedless Charge:
To use this maneuver, you must charge and make the attack at the end of the charge using your Power Attack feat. The penalty you take on your attack roll must be -5 or worse. In addition to normal charge modifiers (which give you a -2 penalty to AC and +2 bonus on the attack roll), you can assign any portion of the attack roll penalty from Power Attack to your Armor Class instead, up to a maximum equal to your Base Attack Bonus.

I don't see anything saying that mounted makes it not work, a mounted charge is still a charge, if you power attack at the end of said charge, all you need to use Shock Trooper is met. I think it's Mounted Charge + Leap Attack that usually gets the questioning.

[ShriekingDrake]

No valorous enchant on the lances? x2 charge damage, seems like it'd go well with this charger.

Shock Trooper feat would also benefit you.

Would it be possible to double valorous the lances--or would that just not stack?

[Adamantrue]

Shock Trooper

prereqs: Imp Bull Rush, Power Attack, BAB +6

-irrelevant other uses-

Heedless Charge:
To use this maneuver, you must charge and make the attack at the end of the charge using your Power Attack feat. The penalty you take on your attack roll must be -5 or worse. In addition to normal charge modifiers (which give you a -2 penalty to AC and +2 bonus on the attack roll), you can assign any portion of the attack roll penalty from Power Attack to your Armor Class instead, up to a maximum equal to your Base Attack Bonus.

I don't see anything saying that mounted makes it not work, a mounted charge is still a charge, if you power attack at the end of said charge, all you need to use Shock Trooper is met. I think it's Mounted Charge + Leap Attack that usually gets the questioning. The explanation I got was that the mount is making the charge, not you (you just happen to also gain the bonuses).

I dunno. With Find the Gap & Smite involved, it is Shock Trooper really that necessary?

[Aegis013]

The explanation I got was that the mount is making the charge, not you (you just happen to also gain the bonuses).

I dunno. With Find the Gap & Smite involved, it is Shock Trooper really that necessary?

No, it's not necessary, it's simply very good. I thought I'd suggest it.

[Coidzor]

^: And you see why the mounted combat rules are borked.

...

A dancing lance is going to be kind of irrelevant because it can't charge from what I recall. So why do you have that? I don't see anything about TWFing charging with them either, as you don't have TWF or gloves of the balanced hand or Oversized TWF.

I don't see any wand chambers, and from what I recall offhand, wands are going to be cheaper, even partially charged, than oils.

I don't recall offhand what Empyreal does, but unless it has an effect very similar to Animated, you've got a conflict between the shield and your shield-based feats and the two-handed lance power attacking you mentioned.

[Adamantrue]

I didn't see anything in the Dancing Weapon entry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#dancing) that would imply it can't be used with a mounted charge. Do you have a reference that says otherwise?

I don't have any Wand Chambers, but the spells used for the Oils are Cleric and Sor/Wiz spells. I probably could pick up some cross-class ranks in UMD, but I'm actually a little tight with Skill Points. The big advantage with the Oil Chambers is that they can be activated with Swift Actions.

Empyreal grants bonuses to Saves (BoED). But the Shieldbearer Oil grants an Animated Shield-like ability.

[Geigan]

I didn't see anything in the Dancing Weapon entry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#dancing) that would imply it can't be used with a mounted charge. Do you have a reference that says otherwise?

I don't have any Wand Chambers, but the spells used for the Oils are Cleric and Sor/Wiz spells. I probably could pick up some cross-class ranks in UMD, but I'm actually a little tight with Skill Points. The big advantage with the Oil Chambers is that they can be activated with Swift Actions.

Empyreal grants bonuses to Saves (BoED). But the Shieldbearer Oil grants an Animated Shield-like ability.

Thing is, you aren't considered armed with said dancing weapon while it's dancing. Therefore it doesn't benefit from all your neat charging feats and multipliers from being mounted and so forth, making it pretty meh. If you dropped it you'd have a lot more money to play with which could open your list up to all sorts of suggestions.

Also could you tell us what books you do have so we can get a better idea of what to suggest?

[Keld Denar]

I don't see Freedom of Movement anywhere. Thats always big at high levels.

Also, I'd put a Revelation Crystal on your primary weapon. You have Awesome Smite, so you can negate miss chances on your attacks. The Revelation Crystal will paint your foe so that your allies can benefit.

Can you add Third Eye Clarity to your Third Eye Conceal? Clarity is nice for negating stuns and dazes. Blasphemy in particular is something you might confront regularly. Alternatively, taking the feat Quick Recovery (from Lords of Madness) will negate the need for that, especially with your amazingly amped up saves due to Divine Grace.

I don't see any Fortification. Crits can make the difference between life and death. Stop them.

[deuxhero]

For your build, given you alreddy have high HD on the knight side, losing HD for Mystic Fire Knight subs isn't going to hurt you.

[herrhauptmann]

Why sanctified armor? Doesn't that just boost turning?
Despite a high charisma, I don't see anything in the build really turn-centric.

Magebane weapon.
Smoking weapon (armor spikes)
Custom hat that grants a mindblank.
Some psychoactive skins might be nice. Power damping as your primary,and when you really need it, the troll one for regeneration.

It's leap attack that some DMs don't like seeing on mounted chargers. Shocktrooper/combat brute however, are generally fine. (Solve by being a zelekhut, centaur, or bariaur. You ARE your mount)

[Coidzor]

Sacred Armor/Shield property gives a +2 to effective cleric level for turning, sort of like half of a Phylactery of Undead Turning (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#phylacteryofUndeadTurning).

Helps make up for the paladin level -3 limitation that Paladins have, if one wants to use it.

[Adamantrue]

Thing is, you aren't considered armed with said dancing weapon while it's dancing. Therefore it doesn't benefit from all your neat charging feats and multipliers from being mounted and so forth, making it pretty meh. If you dropped it you'd have a lot more money to play with which could open your list up to all sorts of suggestions.

Also could you tell us what books you do have so we can get a better idea of what to suggest? I'm not surprised. Its not so far removed from the Shock Trooper ruling I got. That will free up a couple of bucks.

My books: PH 1&2, DMG 1&2, MM 1-5, the Completes & the Races books, MIC, Spell Compendium, BoED, BoVD, DotU, HoB, HoH, ToB, ToM, UA, Draconomicon & Dragon Magic, Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, Frostburn, Sandstorm, Stormwrack, Dungeonscape, Cityscape, Libris Mortis, Lords of Madness, Planar Handbook, and the Miniatures Handbook.

Keld Denar, my Mount has Freedom on his barding, which I think works well enough in situations like Solid Fog & such. In case of oddball Grapples (like a creature with Improved Grab), Shield Ward punches my check up to +35, so I think I may still be alright, assuming I'm always mounted.

Or doesn't it work that way?

Revelation Crystal might not be a bad idea. I dunno about Third Eye Clarity though...Favor of the Martyr handles those situations better, though I'd have to have it cast before I get tagged with one of those effects.

Mystic Fire Knight...its come up plenty of times. I ain't got the source, do I? Same for Smoking weapons, I think.

There's another Sanctified? I was referring to using my Full Plate as a Holy Symbol, from Dungeonscape, without worry of being Disarmed or Sundered. With the free cash from the dropped lance, I can probably get it Blueshined now too.

Third Eye Conceal should do the same job as a Mindblank item, shouldn't it?

The Light of Wisdom oil should boost my Cleric Level by 6 for a single Turning check (when determining the most power undead I can affect), and 2d6+24 for Turning Damage isn't too shabby. Its just a 1-shot, but still not bad for 2,700 gp.

I seem to recall someone had a utility-belt type of thing (not THIS (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=4400.0)), a sort of package containing all the necessary & handy items that were level-appropriate?

[herrhauptmann]

Whoops...
Everbright weapons.
Durable/Blueshine armor.
They're all flat cost. All protect your weapons/armor from rust/acid.

[CTrees]

Well, being a paladin negates a few of my normal suggestions, but I always think at least SOMEONE in the party should have an adamantine axe, just because sometimes? You really want a door right there.