Optimizing a Shield Happy Aasimar

[Cyrus_Deluc]

My DM has given the option to redo some of my character's previous levels so I figured before I do, I'd send you guys a shout.

The main thing I'm looking for is some guidance in terms of PrCs, feats, and multiclassing, as well as any insight of equiptment and possible mounts that are better than dire tigers.
First off, I guess I could give some info about the campaign and the party I'm adventuring with... The main villian is an evil druid that went alienist who's using tactics like summoning dire elephants and other huge animals and then making them go pseudonatural which summarily makes them immune to critical, sneak attack, and gives them all these other advantages. He really likes finding ways to attack our flat footed and touch AC and has been using trip and grapple a lot against us. He's also done things like swarm us with many many weak creatures like kobolds and used the assist rules to rack up huge successes on grapple/trips.

Furthermore, magical items are quite hard to come by and throwing money around doesn't get much accomplished. I currently am due a magical item at cost for completing a quest for the wizard's guild (I'm saving up the money to get something really worth using that on), but I've roleplayed (and used my diplomacy skill) my way into a decent working relationship with an amazing half dwarf half elemental blacksmith who doesn't create anything that isn't masterwork quality and usually gives me a decent price and has contacts that can get all sorts of metals including mithril, greensteel, cold iron, and adamantium.

The Party

I'm playing an Aasimar Paladin who's the primary tank (largely because the half-orc barbarian likes to roll ones when he's rolling his d12 for hit die) and damage dealer because of divine might. I'm being supplemented by a ranger/rogue/fighter who'd building a character that will eventually be able to sneak attack and critical these pseudonatural bastards; a human druid who's currently our primary healer and crowd-control caster; a human wu-jen; a wood elf ranger that went order of the bow initiaite; a half-orc barbarian who's going frenzied berserker; and a human fighter who went lasher (whip usage).

Anyway, this is what I currently have (I don't have the character sheet so this is going off memory).

8 levels of Paladin (I bought off my LA)
HP: 100 exactly
STR: 18
DEX: 14
CON: 18
WIS: 20
INT: 16
CHA: 21

Equiptment
Masterwork Greensteel Scimitar: 1d8+strength mod
+1 Spiked Large Shield of Returning: 1d6+strength mod+1
Masterwork Full-plate

Feats:
Power Attack
Cleave
Divine Might (charisma mod to damage for rounds equal to charisma mod)

One of the main things I've been dealing with is the fact that I hardly ever use my smite (the pseudonatural monsters are always neutral) so I kinda feel like that's being wasted. Also, my DM has ruled that if I wait until like, level 18 I can get a dire tiger as my mount, so I haven't been using a mount at all.

In any case, what I was planning on doing was going divine shield and getting a shield-lance made so I could get a +5 bonus to AC, attack, and damage with my divine might and divine shield feats as well as double-damage for charging on my dire tiger. I've also considered going two-handed fighting with two large shields as he said I could get the AC bonus from both of them.

Again, the main thing I'm looking for is some guidance in terms of PrCs, feats, and multiclassing, as well as any insight of equiptment and possible mounts that are better than dire tigers.

I have access to many books including some 3.0 books, however my DM also reserves the right to say certain classes aren't allowed (Kensai has already been nixed, as well as 99.9 percent of unearthed arcana). In any case, the books we have are Complete Divine, Complete Warrior, Complete Adventurer, Defenders of the Faith (3.0), Masters of the Wild (3.0), the PHB, DMG, and MM, I also believe we're allowed some things out of Races of Stone and Heroes of Battle.

Thanks again for helping, guys.
Mike.

[Cybren]

Wield a heavy spiked shield two handed and get improved shield bash. best way to use a shield!

[Thomas]

Why is the shield returning? You don't seem to have Shield Throw (or Sling or whatever the feat in PHB2 is)...

[Cyrus_Deluc]

The shield actually came with returning (compliments of that blacksmith friend I made) and according to my DM, the returning enchantment allows me to throw it as if it were a throw weapon (although it does provoke an AoO for throwing within range of a melee combatant). We don't have the PHB2.

[Thomas]

Nope, you need the throwing special ability on it, too...

[Fizban]

Try grabbing a PrC from complete divine that doesn't smite evil. I've always liked the Divine Champion, which would give you some extra power depending on what domain you pick. The Pious Templar gets DR and a smite attack that can hit non-evil creatures I think.

Waiting until level 18 for your mount is kinda odd, but since you seem enamoured of the idea, I'll not suggest against it. You'll probably have to stick with paladin in that case, since the only PrC's that continue mount powers are completely focused on it, and you want to wait. Since you're using divine feats, extra turning is a good choice.

As for mounts better than dire tigers, first you'll have to figure out what happens if your mount is grappling while you're riding it, since dire tigers are built for grappling with improved grab. A dire wolf would be a better choice, since it can trip your enemies, dropping AC by 4 and severely mucking up their next action. It also helps that going by the animal companion table, a dire wolf is reasonable ten levels sooner than a dire tiger. If you like the tiger for it's pounce attack, a megaraptor has the same ability with only one less attack, and has the bonus of being a fricken dinosaur. In fact, I'd have to say just about anything is better than a tiger, if only because the interaction between grappling and riding can't be good.

As I usually do for mounts, I'm going to suggest the Wild Cohort feat, since it has much more flexibility than the paladin's mount. Then ask your DM if you can apply the paladin's mount benefits to your wild chohort, minus the extraplanar home and hit dice, and you're good to go.

What's your exact situation on getting equpment? You say you've earned the right to purchase one magic item, which you're saving till later. How about mundane equipment? Consumable magic items?

[Cyrus_Deluc]

Regardless of rules, my DM has given me the ability to throw the shield I'm currently using without any feats, so I'm taking full advantage of that.

Mundane equiptment is pretty easy to get, we've access to a major city, and in regards to consumable magic items I do know that we can purchase minor potions and things like thunderstones and tanglefoot bags pretty easily. And honestly, I'm more than willing to scrap my idea for a mount if there's a better build available.

[Nerd-o-rama]

If you're all that shield happy, you really ought to pick up a PHB2. In addition to Shield Sling (which you don't need due to houserule), there's also Agile Shield Fighter (Two-weapon fighting, but only applies to shield offhand attacks and has no Dex prereq), and...some other feat that lets you apply your Shield AC to all kinds of things like Touch attacks. Shield Specialization, I think. Both of those seem like they'd really help out your situation.

Not that you should have to spend more money to enjoy the game or anything...

EDIT: Actually, reading over the houserules more carefully, you can already go pretty crazy with double shields and whatnot...

[Closet_Skeleton]

You should have gone with Divine Shield over Divine might, especially since Divine Might is nerfed to being so crap in 3.5. In 3.5, Divine might only lasts 1 round while Divine Shield still lasts for your charisma modifier.

It seems wrong to miss out the main feat that benifits a Paladin with a shield.