Optimizing a hammer of moradin

[Warior4356]

I have a 14 level gold dwarf paladin and would like some help optimizing him
I have
8 levels of pal
6 levels of hammer of moradin
Stats
18
10
20
11
10
19
Feats
Iron will
Weapon focus warhammer
Axethrower
Improved initive
Leadership

Magic items
+1 holy warhammer
+1 full plate
+1 arrow deflecting large steel shield
+4 perapt of wisdom

If there is anything else you need let me know

[Red Rubber Band]

Try give people a little bit more than 16 minutes to reply to your post :smalltongue:

Dictum Mortuum's Paladin Handbook (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.ca/2011/08/paladins-handbook.html). His handbooks and opinions are always worth a look/listen.
Over at the BG forums there is this (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10057), Wraazraaths' build compendium. Not sure how up to date it is, and how much longer it'll be around as those boards will be closing soon.

[Warior4356]

I was looking lfor some specifics to hammer of moradin

[Red Rubber Band]

Ah. I saw the original "Optimising a Paladin" title and gave no thought to the rest of your post. Apologies.

Try this (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19870622/Hammer_of_Moradin_Handbook) from the Wizard boards. Honestly never looked at the class, so I can't offer any feedback myself.

[MidgetMarine]

Honestly, It's so much better with a Cleric entry.

I'm playing a Hammer of Moradin now in a campaign (****ing love the class and the character) But, I'd say just grab some heavy armor, like Mechano Plate, a big shield and some of the Cleave feats and go to town.

The class is really fun.

[Warior4356]

Some optimazation would be nice feats magic items etc

[MidgetMarine]

Some optimazation would be nice feats magic items etc

items?

Hammer of Thunderbolts,
Wield it in two hands.
Use the hammer of Moradin's thundering blows and powerful grip similar abilities to just lay into your enemies.

Animated Tower Shield
Keeping up the AC while being able to wield two-handed?
F*ck yes.

Mechano Plate:
Mountain Plate's more useful and acceptable cousin.
Especially since you're a dwarf.
And Dwarf = F*ck speed penalties on armor

[vhfforever]

How open are you to retraining, and altering previously chosen levels?

[Last Laugh]

Stats
18
10
20
11
10
19
Feats
Iron will
Weapon focus warhammer
Axethrower
Improved initive
Leadership

If there is anything else you need let me know

What are you stats? 20 str 19 wis 18 con?
How are you using leadership? what does axethrower do and where can I find it?

What do you want your character to be better at? why do you feel like you aren't effective right now? How much gold do you have on hand?

[Warior4356]

18 str
20 con
19 cha
Not able to retrqin at all my dm is un moveable on that
Axetheower players cuide to farrun use Str mod as opposed to dec on thrown attacks with non light weapon

More dmg would be nice

[Diarmuid]

Honestly, It's so much better with a Cleric entry.

I'm playing a Hammer of Moradin now in a campaign (****ing love the class and the character) But, I'd say just grab some heavy armor, like Mechano Plate, a big shield and some of the Cleave feats and go to town.

The class is really fun.

I would agree that a Cleric entry would be better if the class in any way advanced spellcasting.

[Gwendol]

What mount do you use for your paladin?

Switch axe thrower to Brutal throw (it's the same feat, but no longer a regional Faerun feat, just a regular fighter bonus feat), and consider picking up power throw (it's like power attack for thrown weapons).

Hammersphere is a neat gadget (MiC) to get a spiritual weapon of sorts.

You probably want to get a wand chamber on your weapon, and put your favorite pre-combat buff spell on a wand in there (bless weapon comes to mind).

[vhfforever]

I was going to suggest Battlesmith, but you don't have a positive Wisdom modifier. And then Deepwarden, but with a low intelligence you'd never make the skill requirements.

Straight Paladin entry is good, but honestly there's not a lot you can do with it. Ranger 8 would be better for versatility and the like, but probably not for survivability.

Honestly, my favorite entry into HoM is Cleric 4 (Dwarven Substitution Levels to add +2 damage to hammers at the cost of a spell per day), Fighter 2 (for Feats), Battlesmith 1 (Wisdom to Damage with weapons you've made), Deepwarden 2 (for Con to AC instead of Dex).

[Warior4356]

I cant retrain at all
How would i get a hammer of thunder bolts
I have a cestial dire boar

Celestial DIRE BOAR (Wilbur)
Size/Type: Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 11d8+33 (77) hp
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (–1 size, +12 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+17
Attack: Gore +13 melee (1d8+13)
Full Attack: Gore +13 melee (1d8+13)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Ferocity, Smite Evil
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, dr 5 magic, 10 resist Acid, Cold, Electricity, Darkvision 60, Spell resistance16
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will

[WhatBigTeeth]

First of all, boost that strength! 18 Str is very low at ECL 14, and for a character that uses it as a key attribute, it's far below the range you're going to want. Average monster AC at CR 14 is 27 (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869122/Optimization_By_The_Numbers), your attack mod is presumably +22 (14 BA, 4 Str, 3 Greater Magic Weapon, 1 weapon focus), and your average damage is presumably 1d8+2d6+7 (Holy Warhammer, 3 Greater Magic Weapon, 6 Strength).

So presently, you're going to expect to hit 90% of the time for an average 18.5 damage on a charge for 16.65 expected damage per round (disregarding crits); or to hit 80/55/30% of the time on a full attack for an expected 30.5 damage per round. And at an average fort save of +16 (community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869122/Optimization_By_The_Numbers), your DC 20 Power Strike will succeed about 15% of the time.

Adding a +6 Strength enhancement item, which should be easily within your WBL, would raise that to a 95% chance of hitting for an average 22.5 damage on a charge and an expected 21.37 damage per round; or on a full round attack, a 95/70/45% hit chance for 22.5 damage for an expected 47.25 damage per round and a 30% chance of a successful Power Strike. These still aren't great, but we're still talking an increase in damage output of ~50% and a doubled success rate at a very low cost.

In the same spirit, classes that boost strength and further multiply strength to damage would likely be worth pursuing with your remaining levels. I'm partial to Singh Rager for Lawful Rage+Pounce+Immunities+minor fear powers, and you already have most of its prerequisites filled, but Warmind could also be worth consideration.

Secondly, you might want to look at dipping into a class or classes that scale better into high levels for the remainder of the build. I'd be the first to acknowledge that the "use ToB instead" suggestion is tired and can be obnoxious, but dropping into Warblade would round out your defenses, provide solutions to many melee-related problems and give some additional options for melee. Plus it would open access to Bloodstorm Blade, which gives some useful abilities for the sort of strength-based thrower that HoM supports.

If ToB isn't something you'd want to use, Warmind can capitalize on that wisdom score and provide a few abilities to help you scale into high levels (at very worst, Telekinetic Boomerang will let you full attack with your hammer throws, and Psionic Lion's charge will let you pounce). Alternatively, Totemist or Incarnate 2/Ironsoul Forgemaster with an Open Chakra feat or two would keep the Dwarfy feel, but also gain abilities that would scale better into the high-level game, like flight, sensory modes, and pretty heavy numeric increases (the numbers element of Incarnum is based on character level, not class level, so it responds well to late-game dips).

Or, if you want to see HoM through to the end, you'll probably want to look at grabbing Law Devotion and probably power attack ASAP, to just push your combat numbers up, as they look disasterously low. And I'd normally think some modes of flight and see invisibility would be a very high priority (probably in the form of magic items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851)), but if you've managed to take a melee character to level 14 without them, I'm not sure if that piece of advice will apply to your game.

[vhfforever]

I cant retrain at all
How would i get a hammer of thunder bolts
I have a cestial dire boar


You would have to basically ask your DM to plant one somewhere, or let you go on a quest for one. They're typically not something that shows up in magicmart shops.


All good advice
Basically, all of this. Since you can only look forward and have no option to change your previous decisions, WhatBigTeeth has hit the nail on the head. I would suggest against Bloodstorm Blade however, because it more-or-less does everything the HoM does...but better, and you may end up regretting your choice of PrC in the end. Though levels of Crusader would both increase versatility and viability by putting you in at a point where you'll be picking level 4 maneuvers right out of the gate.

[Warior4356]

What atain able item

[MidgetMarine]

Attainable item? If you can, grab Mighty Wallop and get that on your warhammer.

Um.
As for an attainable item, I'd suggest the Impact enchatment.