One HECK of a Smite Evil

[Varnithis]

I have an odd idea, although I'm sure someone has thought of this already. Is it possible to have a functional Paladin that uses a scythe as his main weapon for halarious smite evil criticals? I would like to request a build that will give the most silly critical hits imaginable for a Paladin with a scythe at level 20 or below.

The entire point is to get smite evil critical hits that are just ridiculous. He doesn't have to be good at anything but that. I was considering making a Paladin like this as a joke in a game I'll be playing soon. He will be played as a Farmer who heeds a higher calling, but decides to use a weapon he is familiar with, something similar to the tools he used before. When he gets a critical on a smite, it's the wraith of his god that strikes through him.

Also, as a DM, what would you say happens to something that is hit for... say... 200 damage on a whack critical? Atomized?

I know this is silly, but I thank anyone who responds with helpful information, and I enjoy feedback of any sort.

[TheLogman]

The Psion of incredible Crits (http://www.nuklearpower.com/redmage30.php) It only requires 10 levels, so you could go 10 levels of Paladin either before or after, with the build doing 344-392 Damage BEFORE Smite Evil, you could do tons of damage, and as a bonus, it does use scythes!

Edit: I now see that this build is 3.0. However, it should still mostly work.

[Rachel Lorelei]

The Psion of incredible Crits (http://www.nuklearpower.com/redmage30.php) It only requires 10 levels, so you could go 10 levels of Paladin either before or after, with the build doing 344-392 Damage BEFORE Smite Evil, you could do tons of damage, and as a bonus, it does use scythes!

Thoroughly 3.0. 3.0 Psionics were very, *very* broken. 3.5 Psionics are very different from 3.0, and far better balanced (well-balanced, even).

As for the Paladin--it's a fun idea, but it requires too much luck to really count on: you smite how many times per day? And your odds of landing a critical hit during that smite are what?

[Umarth]

As for the Paladin--it's a fun idea, but it requires too much luck to really count on: you smite how many times per day? And your odds of landing a critical hit during that smite are what?

1 in 20 before feats/magic.
:smallsmile:

[ClericofPhwarrr]

Some things that would help:

Luck enhancement (SRD): +1 enhancement, lets you to reroll an attack 1/day.

Blessed enhancement (BoED?): +1 enhancemnt, auto-confirms criticals against evil creatures, but can't be combined with Keen, Vorpal, or the like. (Doesn't say it can't be combined with the Improved Critical feat).

[Nerd-o-rama]

You're going to want Charging Smite, probably all ten levels of Fist of Raziel (at least 3, for Confirming Smite), Rhino's Rush spell (Pal 2), the ability to charge, and an appropriate weapon. I'd go with a Falchion over a Scythe, as critting more often generally gives better returns than critting bigger. I'm not of a mind to run the numbers exactly, but those are all good starting points.

[Varnithis]

As for the Paladin--it's a fun idea, but it requires too much luck to really count on: you smite how many times per day? And your odds of landing a critical hit during that smite are what?

Oh I know it is totally unreliable. It is mostly just for amusement. Some crazy Paladin farmer uses smite evil, gets a critical, and that goblin/orc/whatever is just GONE. We mostly just goof off with our campaigns, and see how silly we can get things without breaking the rules and being overpowered.

[Varnithis]

You're going to want Charging Smite, probably all ten levels of Fist of Raziel (at least 3, for Confirming Smite), Rhino's Rush spell (Pal 2), the ability to charge, and an appropriate weapon. I'd go with a Falchion over a Scythe, as critting more often generally gives better returns than critting bigger. I'm not of a mind to run the numbers exactly, but those are all good starting points.

The goal is to hit something as obscenely hard as possible, not to be the most effective fighter :P

EDIT: I mean, when he gets a critical, it leaves a smoking crater of divine residue where that goblin was just standing.

This is good advice however, thank you.

[ArmorArmadillo]

I have an odd idea, although I'm sure someone has thought of this already. Is it possible to have a functional Paladin that uses a scythe as his main weapon for halarious smite evil criticals? I would like to request a build that will give the most silly critical hits imaginable for a Paladin with a scythe at level 20 or below.

The entire point is to get smite evil critical hits that are just ridiculous. He doesn't have to be good at anything but that. I was considering making a Paladin like this as a joke in a game I'll be playing soon. He will be played as a Farmer who heeds a higher calling, but decides to use a weapon he is familiar with, something similar to the tools he used before. When he gets a critical on a smite, it's the wraith of his god that strikes through him.

Also, as a DM, what would you say happens to something that is hit for... say... 200 damage on a whack critical? Atomized?

I know this is silly, but I thank anyone who responds with helpful information, and I enjoy feedback of any sort.

Start with a Talenta Sharrash (From Eberron Campaign Setting), it has an unheard of crit range of 19-20/x4.

Get Improved Critical, which nothing stacks with, but anyways. Get high power attack and just go all out.

Get on the back of your mount, pick up spirited charge, cast rhino's rush, and enjoy your critical hit of x4 and your damage multiplication of x3.

[Gerrtt]

Unrelated, in a way, but it reminds me a lot of this. (http://nwn.bioware.com/underdark/character_damageadept.html)

[Nerd-o-rama]

Why do people keep assuming that 19-20/x4 crit range wasn't errata'd? It's 19-20/x2 now.

On horseback, might as well go with a lance for an extra multiplier. Although you'd get better returns on a critical from using the Charging Smite variant instead of a special mount/Spirited Charge feat chain.

[SadisticFishing]

Make sure to get Power Attack, Shock Trooper, and Leap Attack.

I want to do the math now...

Okay, I will. I'm in a math mood. On a charging Smite...

Assuming 16 strength base. +5 levels, +5 tome, +6 enhancement, +4 morale (druid spell). That makes 36 strength, for a modifier of 13, which is 19 damage.

+5 weapon is simple enough.

Bardic bonus of +5.

Smite evil, paladin level of 20, charging smite, that's +60 damage.

Power attack for 20 BAB, with leap attack (that makes it a 3:1 ratio, right?) is another +60 damage.

2d4+19+5+5+60+60=2d4+149.

On a critical hit, that's 8d4+596. Wow.

Now, if we had, say... just charged last round, and also used the Combat Brute feat... that adds another 20 damage to our power attack, so another 80 on a critical hit. Make it a Goliath Greathammer (GG hammer), it's 4d12 instead of 8d4, and monkey grip to make it 12d6 instead again...

So, the best I see working pre-epic:

12d6+676.

That's a maximum damage roll of 748.

Woot.

Edit: I forgot Rhino's Rush. And Dragon Shamans, they're untyped damage! That doesn't multiply crits, eh, thereby making our damage +174x5 = 870, so:

15d6+845, for a maximum of 960.

Edit#3: Enlarge person: +2 str is +2 damage, as it makes our modifier +20. Also adds 5d6, so 30, for a total of +40 damage.

Exactly 1000 maximum damage.

[Varnithis]

Make sure to get Power Attack, Shock Trooper, and Leap Attack.

I want to do the math now...

Okay, I will. I'm in a math mood. On a charging Smite...

Assuming 16 strength base. +5 levels, +5 tome, +6 enhancement, +4 morale (druid spell). That makes 36 strength, for a modifier of 13, which is 19 damage.

+5 weapon is simple enough.

Bardic bonus of +5.

Smite evil, paladin level of 20, charging smite, that's +60 damage.

Power attack for 20 BAB, with leap attack (that makes it a 3:1 ratio, right?) is another +60 damage.

2d4+19+5+5+60+60=2d4+149.

On a critical hit, that's 8d4+596. Wow.

Now, if we had, say... just charged last round, and also used the Combat Brute feat... that adds another 20 damage to our power attack, so another 80 on a critical hit. Make it a Goliath Greathammer (GG hammer), it's 4d12 instead of 8d4, and monkey grip to make it 12d6 instead again...

So, the best I see working pre-epic:

12d6+676.

That's a maximum damage roll of 748.

Woot.

Edit: I forgot Rhino's Rush. And Dragon Shamans, they're untyped damage! That doesn't multiply crits, eh, thereby making our damage +174x5 = 870, so:

15d6+845, for a maximum of 960.

Edit#3: Enlarge person: +2 str is +2 damage, as it makes our modifier +20. Also adds 5d6, so 30, for a total of +40 damage.

Exactly 1000 maximum damage.

I simply must know from a DM out there: If the planets aligned just right, and something like this happened, how would you explain that hit? It doesn't even have to have the outside buffs, just a huge crit from under the Paladin's own power. Would there be anything left? A huge crater?

Also, thanks for the math. I think I'm gonna go with this idea. Sure, it's a luck based goofy character, but it will be funny when it happens.

As for the NWN epic character... that is why 3.0 is bazorked.

[BardicDuelist]

:smallbiggrin: I thought monkey grip doesn't work that way?

[SadisticFishing]

The feats are:

Power Attack
Leap Attack (CAdv)
Improved Sunder*
Improved Bull Rush
Combat Brute (CWar)
Shock Trooper* (CWar)
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Minotaur Greathammer {1d12 19-20/x4} [MM4])
Monkey Grip (bad, for playing the character for real)
If you're using a scythe for character purposes, get Improved Critical (Scythe)

*: Not stricly necessary, but important nonetheless.

And remember, Charging Smite (PHB2)

So turns out you should probably be human, or buy a Keen weapon and lose some damage, and the ability to use Bless Weapon for auto-crits.

Scary thing is, you're still doing almost 300 damage on a non critical hit.

[SadisticFishing]

:smallbiggrin: I thought monkey grip doesn't work that way?

What way? It makes you able to wield a weapon one size larger. So from 1d12 to 3d6, then Enlarge makes it 4d6.

[Varnithis]

Can I see the math for him under his own power with maybe a bard buffing him? I'm not going to get all that going in this game XD. And yes, it will be human and with a scythe.

[SadisticFishing]

The math gets more and more complicated the amount you remove from it, ironically (I've done this sort of thing before, in WoW, and for Frenzied Berserkers).

Do it yourself :P

[Saint George]

I simply must know from a DM out there: If the planets aligned just right, and something like this happened, how would you explain that hit? It doesn't even have to have the outside buffs, just a huge crit from under the Paladin's own power. Would there be anything left? A huge crater?


I would allow it. It would be the case where the sky opened up and everyone heard a choir of angels as the Paladin reduced evil to dust. Hell, all evil in a mile radius is dust. And all water is blessed.

[Xuincherguixe]

And about 20 virgins are now immaculately pregnant.

3 of them men.

[bigbaddragon]

And about 20 virgins are now immaculately pregnant.

3 of them men.

Hahahahahahahahahaahaahahahah

[AslanCross]

I will use this thread for reference the next time the paladins in my games do insanely epic crits.

[nerulean]

We had a scythe-wielding paladin. I swear his die was loaded. He critted almost every smite he landed. We went epic for the final showdown (lv45) and he demonstrated that a paladin only ever needs one feat as soon as he hits lvl21: Great Smiting (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#greatSmiting).

[Illiterate Scribe]

How about dual wielding (and using that feat that lets you smite with two weapons) kaorti resin (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031014a) scimitars? It gives you an unbuffed 18-20/x4, that you could then stack up the buffs on.

[Person_Man]

Works better as a Cleric, but here's a Paladin option:

Paladin 4/Psychic Warrior 8/Master Thrower 1/Psychic Weapon Master (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20020927a) 7

Pick any weapon with a *4 Crit modifier. The Throw Anything feat (Comp Warrior) makes it a ranged weapon, so that you can use it as your Master Thrower Weapon.

Deadeye Shot trick from Master Thrower increases the crit mod of your weapon by 1 (to *5).

Increased Multiplier ability from Psychic Weapon Master increases the crit mod by 1 (to *6).

Psionic Critical ability from Psychic Warrior increases the crit range by 2, specifically stacking with the Improved Critical feat (so your total range is now 18-20).

Hurling Charge feat (Miniatures Handbook) lets you make a throw attack as part of a charge and then draw another weapon with Quickdraw, followed by a full melee attack on your charge thanks to the Psionic Lion's Charge psychic power.

So, if you roll 18-20, hit, and confirm your critical, you then multiply your damage by *6.

Headlong Rush feat (Races of Faerun) doubles your damage on a charge (to *7).

Battle Jump feat (Unapproachable East) doubles your damage on a charge (to *8).

Rhino Rush spell (Spell Compendium) double damage on a charge (to *9).

Valorous Weapon (Unapproachable East) gives double damage on a charge (to *10).

*10 damage if you roll lucky and *5 if you just hit as normal, full attack, and an extra attack. I'm not even going to bother to calculate damage. It's dead.

Completely unreliable and unplayable for a wide variety of reasons. But there you go.