Advice for a Conquest Dexadin

[werescythe]

So I have an idea for a Dhamphir Conquest Paladin who focusing on dex instead of strength. Storywise she's kind of a failed paladin due to her vampiric nature, however since reanimation and resurrection is a little odd in this setting, I felt a conquest paladin would make more sense.

While I have a fairly good idea how I want to play her, I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to what feats and spells (perhaps even magic items) could be helpful in fleshing out this concept?

Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you.

[da newt]

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?543427-The-Wall-of-Fear-A-Complete-Guide-to-the-Oath-of-Conquest

might help

[RogueJK]

Oath of Conquest is one of the few Paladin subclasses where it makes sense to focus more on CHA than STR/DEX, or at least go 50-50. You're going to be relying on CHA-based saves and your CHAMOD more often than most other Oaths.

As a result, the stereotypical Hexblade 1 dip pays extra dividends here. The downside on a DEXadin specifically is that it's tougher to get the 13 STR needed to multiclass, so you end up having to compromise and water down your DEX. You're more of a CHAladin and less of a DEXadin. It also delays access to your sweet Paladin abilities by 1 level, which can be a downer.

If you want to dip Hexblade Warlock, you could do this:
STR 12+1
DEX 14
CON 13+1
INT 8
WIS 10
CHA 15+1
ASIs: +2 CHA at 4, then +2 CHA or Inspiring Leader at 8 and the other at 12
Start Hexblade, then go straight Conquest Paladin. Wear Half Plate Armor, wield a 1H weapon (using CHA) and a Shield, and take the Defense, Dueling, or Blind Fighting fighting style. You have Eldritch Blast as a CHA-based ranged attack option.


But if you're really wanting to lean into the DEX side, skip Hexblade and just go straight Paladin:
STR 8
DEX 15+1
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 10
CHA 15+2
Paladin Skills: Persuasion, Intimidation
Background Skills: Deception, Perception
Dhampir Racial Skills: Acrobatics, Stealth
ASIs: +2 DEX at 4, +1 CHA Half-Feat at 8 (like Fey Touched, Shadow Touched, Telepathic, Skill Expert, or Gift of the Gem Dragon), then +2 DEX or CHA at 12.
Wear Studded Leather or a Breastplate, wield a Rapier and Shield, and take the Defense, Dueling, or Blind Fighting fighting style. Keep a Longbow for a ranged attack option.

Unfortunately, being DEX-based, you won't get as much mileage out of Guided Strike as something like a STR-based Conquest Paladin with GWM. But you still have a high enough CHA to leverage your various fear effects to trigger Aura of Conquest, and a handy CHA-based Bonus Action Spiritual Weapon attack. And you have the ability to Empower yourself with your CON-based bite attack when needed, especially at Advantage when under 50% HP. Maybe keep a small live animal or two in your pack, like some rats, to munch on and Empower yourself before an important Stealth roll or other ability check.


If you're not dead-set on Dhampir, the newer iteration of Metallic Dragonborn from Fizban's makes a fantastic Conquest Paladin, with its access to the Dragon Fear half-feat and the revamped ability to substitute an attack for a breath weapon effect (rather than it taking your entire Action). Such a build would have four handy Dragon Breath options: You have AoE capabilities with your CON-based Elemental Cone breath. You have a save-or-suck option with your CON-based Enervation breath. You have the ability to Prone enemies with your CON-based Repelling breath (and remember that enemies who are affected by your Aura of Conquest have 0 speed and can't stand up from prone). And you have an additional way to inflict Frightened with your CHA-based Dragon Fear feat breath to further trigger your Aura of Conquest. You can use your Elemental or Fear Breath Proficiency times per day, and Enervation or Repelling Breath once per day.

That could look something like:
Metallic Dragonborn Conquest Paladin
STR 8
DEX 15+1
CON 15+1
INT 8
WIS 10
CHA 14+1
Paladin Skills: Persuasion, Intimidation
Background Skills: Acrobatics, Stealth
ASIs: Dragon Fear (+1 CHA) at 4, then +2 CHA at 8 and +2 DEX at 12.
Wear Studded Leather or a Breastplate, wield a Rapier and Shield, and take the Defense, Dueling, or Blind Fighting fighting style. Keep a Longbow for a ranged attack option.

[strangebloke]

For armor, you basically have three potential load-outs

Heavy Armor: have to have decent strength to begin with, get good AC for low investment
Medium Amor: have to have decent dexterity to begin with, get moderately okay AC for moderate investment (can spec for stealth with breastplate, but your AC will suffer)
Light Armor: Going all in on Dexterity, will eventually get you decent AC, but you need to keep boosting dexterity (great for things like initiative and stealth and ranged combat.)


For weapons you're either going to be Sword(longsword or rapier) and Board or great weapon. Again, pros and cons. Great weapon synergizes with defense fighting styleand gives you a little more damage in exchange for slightly lower AC compared with S&B.

There's a general trend of fixating on the channel divinity and aura which pushes people to be cha-focused, but that isn't something you have to do. Personally I would, because its one of the main reasons to play a conquest paladin, but focusing either dexterity or strength or charisma is fine. If you do go straight CHA, hexblade is a good dip (hexblade is kind of busted) and you probably want to use a greatsword so you have access to one of your hands for spellcasting.

As for feats... all the usual big melee feats are good. Ask your DM if you can take an altered version of dragon fear. It's a bit jank (doesn't work the same as the fear ability you already have) but it fits with you being a scary undead.

[Corran]

While I have a fairly good idea how I want to play her, I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to what feats and spells (perhaps even magic items) could be helpful in fleshing out this concept?
Inspiring leader is nice for a decently sized party. You dont have to be the one to get it, but if no one else is going to, then it might be (depending on party size and party composition) very worth getting it. If so, get it from early on too.

Boosting concentration with a feat (on top of what aura of protection does for you) is worth it too. Warcater if multiclassing/dipping into an arcane caster, resilient con otherwise (in which case plan for an odd starting CON). In the case of resilient I'd want the boost at most by level 8, though depending on my odds of keeping concentration before that (ie party composition) I might even get it sooner if there is a slot for it. Warcaster you'll usually want just before multiclassing.

Max charisma cause you've got tons of good things keying off of it.

=================================

Between armor of agathys (good to upcast), aid, smites and spiritual weapon, your 2nd level spells slots can get used fast (without even going into the more situational options). Try to use them wisely.

Consider dropping a conquering presence (later on fear) at the same time an ally is using something that tests enemies' ability checks (minions that grapple/restrain, a spell like entangle, etc). Be mindful of how frightened enemies outside your aura of conquest can bypass you if given enough space around you. You dont want to make a squishy the only target to a frightened enemy that can hit like a track, such as by having every other ally of yours except the squishy be closeenough to you for the frightened enemy not to be able to get close to them, while the squishy being still within striking distance.

At level 7, immobilizing more creatures will often be more important than getting spared a few attacks aimed at you (at disadvantage). Boost defense by having a shield at the very least, but do pick up a whip for when the reach will work in your favor without sacrificing good positioning. Being dex based, I'd make sure to have a bow handy too (ie dont spend a fighting style for sacred flme). For a melee heavy party, knock them prone so that while inside your aura they wont get up while frightened.

Wrathful smite is extra juicy with your level 7 aura, still,dont spam it. Make sure you are still using it against a good target (enemy that hits hard in melee and less so or not at all from range/reach). If you cannot fit it inside your aura of hate, the allies could still try to position themselves to avoid said enemy.

Fear is very very very good with aura of hate in play, particularly if you can have it be party-friendly (through aura of courage; or through the careful metamagic if your DM is not ruling favorably on the interation of paladin auras and ongoing effects). Still. Aura of vitality, dispel magic, revivify. These are spells that you might want to use spells slots (or to leave slots unused for) if the party is light on such options. Crusader's mantle is good if you've running lots of summons too. Again, avoiding the somewhat more situational spells, though there is value in them too.

[werescythe]

Well, I'd prefer not to use any of the medium/heavy armor, which was why I went with Dex. Personally I'd prefer not to multiclass.

[Rashagar]

For me, I like how much mileage the half casters get out of the Fey/Shadow Touched feats. I'd probably only pick one of them though.

Shadow Touched's Invisibility could augment your stealth plays nicely, and let you pick up a first level spell you mightn't ordinarily get. (Cause Fear would play into your strengths, but you already have Wrathful Smite and I don't think there's too many situations where you'd want Cause Fear instead, though potentially some. Or you could take Disguise Self or Silent Image, which could enable tactics not normally in a paladin's wheelhouse.)

Fey Touched, Misty Step is often useful and very vampire-y, there's a lot more good 1st level spell options for this feat but I might be tempted to pick up Charm Person, since it's a nicely thematic pick and helps on the social skills side of things.

Speaking of, one of the nice things about going Dex-based is the skills. With your race giving you 2 extra proficiencies and a bite that can give you a skill boost, it could be tempting to lean into this a bit.
You could pick up Guidance via the Blessed Warrior fighting style. Usually the other benefit of that style is taking a ranged damage cantrip, but if you're investing in Dex you can just carry a bow, which reduces the necessity somewhat. Still could be worth considering if +1 AC or +2 damage aren't doing it for you. (The Interception fighting style is also fun though.)

If you're investing in Dex and Cha and potentially Con (to boost your bite as well as your toughness) you probably won't have a lot of room for feats, unless you just ignore stat increases entirely.

[werescythe]

But if you're really wanting to lean into the DEX side, skip Hexblade and just go straight Paladin:
STR 8
DEX 15+1
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 10
CHA 15+2
Paladin Skills: Persuasion, Intimidation
Background Skills: Deception, Perception
Dhampir Racial Skills: Acrobatics, Stealth
ASIs: +2 DEX at 4, +1 CHA Half-Feat at 8 (like Fey Touched, Shadow Touched, Telepathic, Skill Expert, or Gift of the Gem Dragon), then +2 DEX or CHA at 12.
Wear Studded Leather or a Breastplate, wield a Rapier and Shield, and take the Defense, Dueling, or Blind Fighting fighting style. Keep a Longbow for a ranged attack option.

Sorry, I got drowned in a lot of the hexblade multiclass suggestions that I actually didn't notice this. Thank you.

In your opinion, which of the CHR increasing feats do you think would work really well and fit a vampire(ish) theme? I'm kind of leaning Feytouched because of Misty Step (some sort of bat teleport perhaps) and maybe dissinant whispers.

[strangebloke]

Sorry, I got drowned in a lot of the hexblade multiclass suggestions that I actually didn't notice this. Thank you.

In your opinion, which of the CHR increasing feats do you think would work really well and fit a vampire(ish) theme? I'm kind of leaning Feytouched because of Misty Step (some sort of bat teleport perhaps) and maybe dissinant whispers.

fey touched is probably the overall best feat here, though IMO dragon fear is pretty thematic even while technically you can't take it by RAW. It's also an additional AOE fear effect which is nice.

[RogueJK]

Sorry, I got drowned in a lot of the hexblade multiclass suggestions that I actually didn't notice this. Thank you.

In your opinion, which of the CHR increasing feats do you think would work really well and fit a vampire(ish) theme? I'm kind of leaning Feytouched because of Misty Step (some sort of bat teleport perhaps) and maybe dissinant whispers.

fey touched is probably the overall best feat here

Potentially. Just keep in mind that Conquest Paladins already get Misty Step as an Oath Spell, so that slightly lessens the value of Fey Touched since you're only learning one additional spell. A free Misty Step per day is still nice, though.


So you have a bunch of good options for vampiric-themed CHA half-feats, depending on what Vampiric abilities you're wanting to focus on:

If you want the Vampiric abilities of Invisibility and Fear, take Shadow Touched for Invisibility and Cause Fear.

If you want the Vampiric abilities of Invisibility and Illusions, take Shadow Touched for Invisibility and either Silent Image or Disguise Self.

If you want the Vampiric abilities of Teleportation and Mind Control, take Fey Touched for Misty Step and either Charm Person or Dissonant Whispers.

If you want the Vampiric abilities of Teleportation and Quick Reflexes, take Fey Touched for Misty Step and Gift of Alacrity.

If you want the Vampiric ability of being an extra-stealthy Predator of the Night, take Skill Expert for Expertise in Stealth.

If you want the Vampiric ability of being a suave smooth-talker, take Skill Expert for Expertise in Persuasion or Deception.

If you want the Vampiric ability of being an intimidating presence, take Skill Expert for Expertise in Intimidation.

If you want the Vampiric abilities of silent mental coercion and mind-reading, take the Telepathic feat.