Help with NPC build

[ASBERON88]

I'm running a mercenary campaign, in which the group gets orders from the leader of the mercenary group. I need help building the leader. He is level 20, and has one level of paladin, but then lost all his paladin-hood after giving up hope on righteousness. He then became evil and joined a dark empire, however eventually learned from his misguided ways and turned his back on the empire, forming a mercenary group to take them on. Sorry if the description is a bit under developed, this is an NPC that more than likely will never be in combat, but I would still like to have his levels just in case. I was thinking duskblade, but I'm still not sure. Any ideas?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Is he any particular race? What does he enjoy doing, what are his hobbies, and what do you want him to be able to do?

PH2 chapter 8 has rules on retraining class levels, so a single level of fallen paladin should have been converted to fighter or paladin of tyranny or whatever else he wanted it to be at the next available opportunity.

He should be a big, powerful warrior, emphasis on big and powerful. I would make him a Warblade 1/ Fighter 9/ Warblade 9/ Fighter 1, with Dungeoncrasher, the Zhentarim Soldier (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) substitution levels, and the Dead Levels (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a) benefits. Make him a race with powerful build (Goliath or Half-Giant, LA bought off) or make him Human with the feat Jotunbrud (effectively powerful build but doesn't enable the use of larger weapons). Give him Imperious Command (DotU), Knock-Back (RoS), Knock-Down (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#knockDown), Combat Reflexes, some means of having reach (Willing Deformity and Deformity: Tall, Aberration Blood and Inhuman Reach, Enlarge Person + Permanency, or just EWP: Spiked Chain), EWP: Greathorn Minotaur Greathammer (MMIV) if he doesn't use a spiked chain, and his Fighter 10 bonus feat can be Weapon Supremacy in PH2. Focus on Iron Heart, White Raven, and Stone Dragon maneuvers and stances. Give him as many as the necessary item effects (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items) as possible.