3.5 Paladin/Fist of Raziel/Pious Templar build

[Mildly Inept]

Present campaign's been quite something. Last I was on here, I was about to give up on the character and reroll seeing how we were railroaded into a TPK then I got reincarnated as a gnome and therefore could not use heavy weapons. But I stuck through and got re-elfed after a month or so. Thought I'd hammer out a build all the way to level 20 so I won't have to agonize over what to pick each level and keep on clogging up the forums here. Levels 1-8 are already taken, so too late there. Divine Might was given a thumbs-up because we started at level 5, so I qualified for it when I took it. Party power level's a bit all over the place. Dwarf fighter/battlerager who is theoretically the tank but presently lacks the means to force enemies to attack him, sneaky klepomaniac ninja archer lady, God Wizard/Incantarix who's currently DMing for a bit because the DM wanted to play for a while, and a Druid (played by the once and future DM.) My elf is a Corellon/Vandria Gilmadridth kind of gal but I think the DM will accept Pious Templar despite the Greatsword not being either's favored weapon seeing how it's just fluff and nothing mechanical.

Wood Elf Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 10/Pious Templar 4

Flaws: Inattentive, Implacable

Paladin 1: Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/Day, Power Attack, Servant of the Heavens, Divine Might
Paladin 2: Divine Grace, Lay on Hands
Paladin 3: Aura of Courage, Divine Health, Improved Bull Rush
Paladin 4: Turn Undead
Paladin 5: Smite Evil 2/Day, Charging Smite
Paladin 6: Remove Disease 1/Week, Shock Trooper
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 1: Magic Circle, Smite 3/Day (Good Aligned)
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 2: Iron Will (purchased for 3000 gold)
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 3: Smite Evil 4/Day (Confirming), Awesome Smite
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 4: Sanctify Martial Strike
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 5 Smite Evil 5/Day (Holy)
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 6: Sunder Evil Item, Weapon Focus: Greatsword
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 7: Smite Evil 6/Day (Fiendsmite)
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 8: Empty Level. Sad!
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 9: Smite Evil 7/Day (Chain), True Believer
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 10: Holy Martial Strike
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 10/Pious Templar 1: Mettle
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 10/Pious Templar 2 Smite Evil 7/Day
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 10/Pious Templar 3: Weapon Specialization: Greatsword
Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 10/Pious Templar 4: Greater Weapon Focus: Greatsword


Stats are currently 22 STR (w/ gauntlets of Ogre Power,) 15 DEX 20 CON (w/ Amulet of Health +4), 10 INT 14 WIS 18 CHA (w/ Purple Plum helm) Primary goals are to hit things really hard and also not die. One might reasonably ask why on Earth anyone would go through all this trouble to squeeze every lasts bit out of a core Paladin chassis when the Crusader, Cleric, and Prestige Paladin exist, but the character concept kinda screamed Paladin so here we are.

[Anthrowhale]

Maybe take Weapon Focus[2-handed sword] at level 9, then take a level of Divine Crusader[War] at level 10, then switch back to Fist of Raziel, except advancing Divine Crusader spellcasting. Every level, you'll get a new level of spells (no dead levels!). Then, if you add in the Holy Warrior feat you'll deal steadily growing bonus damage on every hit---much better than Weapon Specialization.

If you can get a domain staff of the Spell domain, you'll be able to cast wizard spells. In this case, if you can potentially pick up Arcane Strike to add another source of smite-like damage.

If you can manage to retrain as per PHB II an entry like Paladin 6/Fist of Raziel 1/Divine Crusader 1/Fist of Raziel 9 gets you level 9 spells by level 16 provide a slight jealousy factor for wizards.

At level 21, you can potentially learn and cast epic spells.

[Narylinn]

Maybe take Weapon Focus[2-handed sword] at level 9, then take a level of Divine Crusader[War] at level 10, then switch back to Fist of Raziel, except advancing Divine Crusader spellcasting. Every level, you'll get a new level of spells (no dead levels!). Then, if you add in the Holy Warrior feat you'll deal steadily growing bonus damage on every hit---much better than Weapon Specialization.

I never thought of Divine Crusader as a worthwhile prestige class, since it doesn't have a 1/1 BAB progression and the spellcasting is so limited, but taking the Holy Warrior feat with it (if you have the War domain, of course) is genius. I always thought of Holy Warrior as something that would be good for, say, a Warpriest, but the idea of taking one level of Divine Crusader and then using a different prestige class that does have a 1/1 BAB progression to up that spellcasting progression is a great one.


If you can get a domain staff of the Spell domain, you'll be able to cast wizard spells. In this case, if you can potentially pick up Arcane Strike to add another source of smite-like damage.

This one I don't agree with. While the Spell domain's spells are normally just on the wizard/sorcerer spell list, I don't think a divine spellcaster who has one available to cast in a domain slot can use the arcane strike feat in this way, since they're still divine spells.

[Anthrowhale]

I never thought of Divine Crusader as a worthwhile prestige class, since it doesn't have a 1/1 BAB progression and the spellcasting is so limited, but taking the Holy Warrior feat with it (if you have the War domain, of course) is genius. I always thought of Holy Warrior as something that would be good for, say, a Warpriest, but the idea of taking one level of Divine Crusader and then using a different prestige class that does have a 1/1 BAB progression to up that spellcasting progression is a great one.

Fist of Raziel in particular really fits because it requires BAB+6 to enter and you can pay the one dead spell progression level while reaching BAB+7 for Divine Crusader entry.


This one I don't agree with. While the Spell domain's spells are normally just on the wizard/sorcerer spell list, I don't think a divine spellcaster who has one available to cast in a domain slot can use the arcane strike feat in this way, since they're still divine spells.
The Spell domain provides access to (Greater) Anyspell, which is a divine spell that, when cast, allows you to prepare and cast an arcane spell.
Anyspell allows you to ... prepare any arcane spell... When you cast the arcane spell...