Feats for a Ruby Knight Vindicator?

[Gale]

I'm planning on making a Ruby Knight Vindicator but I've been having trouble figuring out which feats to pick for him. I tend to be rather critical when it comes to picking feats and always seem to regret taking at least one of them down the line. Does anyone have any advice?
My character class progression is likely going to be Cleric 4/Crusader 1/RBK 10 for right now and starting off at level 7. Also I'm playing a Dragonborn so no bonus feat.

[Xerlith]

Cram a Prestige Paladin level in here and take Battle Blessing.

[Keld Denar]

You'll probably want Practiced Spellcaster ASAP, so your CL will be full even though you lose 3 caster levels. This helps your spells last longer and makes them harder to dispel. Power Attack is always good. I'd pick one of either Divine Might (+Cha to damage for 1 round for 1 TU attempt) or Law Devotion (+3/5/7 to either hit or AC for 1 minute, combos well with Power Attack). Extra Turning is a decent feat. You can never have enough, esp with one of the above mentioned feats and Divine Impetus. Your saves will be really good, so Quick Recovery (Lords of Madness) is not a bad choice for getting out of bad status effects. You'll have decent casting, and with Dispel Magic, you can even counterspell with Divine Defiance as an immediate action.

There are also combat options like Improved Trip or Three Mountains which you could possibly work out. I'd put together a framework of what you want to do and we can help fill in the gaps.

[Gale]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by a framework. If you're asking what my ultimate goal with the class is I'm not really sure but I think I'm leaning more towards crowd-control and being a tank.

Also, I have a question. Prestige Paladin requires the feat mounted combat. Would I have any practical use for this it? I've never actually used a mount before; I don't know if they're practical for a build like this or if the feat would mostly go unused.

[aleucard]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by a framework. If you're asking what my ultimate goal with the class is I'm not really sure but I think I'm leaning more towards crowd-control and being a tank.

Also, I have a question. Prestige Paladin requires the feat mounted combat. Would I have any practical use for this it? I've never actually used a mount before; I don't know if they're practical for a build like this or if the feat would mostly go unused.

Biggest uses I can think of for a mount are 1) charging with a lance (which always hurts even if you don't focus on it), 2) jargon-hauling (cause sometimes you either can't use extradimensional space or you don't have enough), and 3) one more ally on the field, with some teamwork-esque things if you're riding (several of which don't need more investment than skill points). If you're going this route, dip 3 levels of Prestige Paladin (you have Practiced Spellcaster, yes?) so you get both more of the Paladin's more useful abilities (Cha to Saves springs to mind) and that little bit extra for your mount. Don't expect it to last that long in a heavy fight, though. If it really doesn't appeal still, you can just get one of the ACF's that trades the thing.

I'm not a big fan of Divine Might (too little for too short a time), but Law Devotion (and Protection Devotion) are going to be very nice things to have. If possible, maybe you can round off the last of your class with Ordained Champion and get Holy Warrior? You'll delay your casting, but this is a gish.

[torrasque666]

All of these guys are suggesting Prestige Paladin, which is all fine and dandy, though you need to remember one thing while taking it into account. A) its a variant class that is entirely up to the DM to allow, and B) if the DM has read the section on Prestige Base Classes, then they know not to allow them in a game with the standard base classes as per the line "If you use any of the variant classes presented here, the standard version of the class should be unavailable. For instance, you shouldn't include both the standard paladin character class and the paladin prestige class in the same game."

Just a note. And I would agree with the Ordained Champion suggestion, if it weren't for the Special requirement of worshiping Hextor or Hieronious(or their applicable gods in the different settings)

[mabriss lethe]

If you go any route that lets you pick up Battle Blessing (which I recommend wholeheartedly) while retaining spontaneous healing, you can actually get decent mileage out of Imbued Healing, assuming you don't trade all of your domains for devotion feats (or alternately if you have a feat still open, pick up planar touchstone-catalogs of enlightenment for any domain you like.) Being able to pop off some domain specific buffs (minute/level) + some healing as a swift action can be a really useful combo.

[Optimator]

Quicken Spell and Divine Metamagic: Quicken is always a great choice for a windicator.

[Extra Anchovies]

All of these guys are suggesting Prestige Paladin, which is all fine and dandy, though you need to remember one thing while taking it into account. A) its a variant class that is entirely up to the DM to allow, and B) if the DM has read the section on Prestige Base Classes, then they know not to allow them in a game with the standard base classes as per the line "If you use any of the variant classes presented here, the standard version of the class should be unavailable. For instance, you shouldn't include both the standard paladin character class and the paladin prestige class in the same game."

This.

Also of note is the fact that something is only a paladin spell (and thus only subject to battle blessing) if it appears on the paladin spell list. Argue all you want about quickening every cleric spell with a one-level dip, but that's not how it works.

[Jeff the Green]

This.

Also of note is the fact that something is only a paladin spell (and thus only subject to battle blessing) if it appears on the paladin spell list. Argue all you want about quickening every cleric spell with a one-level dip, but that's not how it works.

Unless I'm horribly mistaken, it's also possible to interpret it as "a spell cast from spell slots given by the paladin class", in which case Prestige Paladin would get exactly nothing from the feat.

[Venger]

This.

Also of note is the fact that something is only a paladin spell (and thus only subject to battle blessing) if it appears on the paladin spell list. Argue all you want about quickening every cleric spell with a one-level dip, but that's not how it works.

While I also rule that BB only quickens pally spells, the feat itself doesn't actually say that:



You can cast most of your paladin spells faster than normal. If the spell normally requires a standard action, you can cast it as a swift action. If it normally requires a full round to cast, you can cast it as a standard action. Spells with longer or shorter casting times are not affected by this feat.

The first sentence is not related to the second and subsequent ones and unfortunately falls into fluff RAWwise. If they'd said "if the paladin spell normally" etc, you'd be right and there'd be no ground to stand on.

if you actually use paladin for RKV, sword of the arcane order is a great idea to give yourself some more worthwhile spells.

[Jeff the Green]

The first sentence is not related to the second and subsequent ones and unfortunately falls into fluff RAWwise. If they'd said "if the paladin spell normally" etc, you'd be right and there'd be no ground to stand on.

if you actually use paladin for RKV, sword of the arcane order is a great idea to give yourself some more worthwhile spells.

That is literally the most obtuse reading of RAW I've seen by a GitP regular. "The spell" only makes sense if there's an antecedent, which is conveniently provided by the previous sentence.

[Venger]

That is literally the most obtuse reading of RAW I've seen by a GitP regular. "The spell" only makes sense if there's an antecedent, which is conveniently provided by the previous sentence.

right, which is why I said I don't personally agree with it.