Help with PC's Paladin

[ninjarabbit]

Strongheart halfling paladin 2

Str 14 (16 -2)
Dex 10 (8 +2)
Con 14
Int 12 (max ride, concentration, and put 5 ranks in handle animal)
Wis 12
Cha 16

Swap the longsword and shield for a lance, buckler, armor spikeas, and a reach weapon. Invest in a warpony or riding dog. Your feats should be power attack and mounted combat.

[Havok4]

The supermount route would be very viable with a character like this. It is one of the few things paladins do well.

[kevin_video]

I'm confused about this statement.  As you suggesting she would be better off focusing on casting?  Battle Blessing is an option at higher levels certainly.  Also a paladin WILL eventually feel useless as compared to full casters.

I assume a +2 Item eventually if she is interested in spells or a cleric dip.  Paladin spells ARE weak enough, however, that spell-less version is an option especially if the campaign won't go into higher levels.  And yes, a crusader would work even better with these feats because of thicket of blades, why does this make it worse for a paladin?

The reason you're confused about that statement is because you're reading it as is. I'm not saying she should focus on casting. However, IF you take paladin and IF you take cleric and IF you have WIS 8 what's the point? Why eventually feel useless compared to full casters when you can be useless now and forever? I don't get it. Have at least 10 so you can attempt 0th level spells. And even with a "+2 item eventually" that's still only 10 if you have an 8 WIS. So again, useless. you need a +4, or a +2 and your 4th level stat point going with WIS. So, either take a Priest feat, or don't give them a low WIS, or don't go cleric and just be a non-casting paladin (which is useless and you should be playing something else).

@ Havok4 -- No binder.

@ ninjarabbit -- No halfling. She wants human. And Ride, and Handle Animal are being traded out since she's not going mount.

@ McPoyo -- Here's the story if I didn't say it before. She's a friend that's played other games before. Her favorite being Maple Story, which she's played for the last seven years.

I needed more players, and she had mentioned that she was bored and looking for something new to get involved with. She's never done D&D, and was originally quite intimidated by the fact that it's a lot more involved for RPing than she's ever done before. That's not to say she doesn't know what D&D is, or that she doesn't know what kind of character classes are available. She knows a little about that thanks to Never Winter Knights.

To put her more at ease, I talked to her about the other players, and what they played, and how they were all knew. Everyone last one of them was green, and three of them were as green as her. This put her at more of an ease, but she worried that she wouldn't be able to play something that she's always enjoyed the concept of. The white knight. I was quite okay with that, and told her about the fighter, crusader, and even the actual knight class. None of them were what she was looking for. She wanted to play a white knight ala the paladin class, but without the stick up its @$$. So I showed her the paladin of freedom. Once she read it, she said that it was perfect for her. She could have the glistening white armour, the shiny sword, and the shield with her kingdom's emblem on it. She's not worried about the horse though since she can only call it once per day, and given the kind of campaign we're in, she's probably never going to use it (lots of dungeon delving).

And that's why she's taken that class.

So, looking over the suggestions...

Stats will be 16/10/14/10/16/12 and I'll be having her take Serenity at 3rd. Don't know exactly about the feats though as there were a few good ones brought up. I'll let her decide on those. This is her character after all.

[Rebel7284]

I was suggesting Wis 10, not Wis 8, thus the source of my confusion.

Do you know how long the campaign will last?  Spell-less variant IS a possibility.

Also, have you looked at all the paladin sub levels in champions of valor?  I don't remember off the top of my head if any of them fit her concept well, but who knows.  

edit: Or is the mystic fire knight from there already? It sounds familiar.

[kevin_video]

I was suggesting Wis 10, not Wis 8, thus the source of my confusion.

Do you know how long the campaign will last?  Spell-less variant IS a possibility.

Also, have you looked at all the paladin sub levels in champions of valor?  I don't remember off the top of my head if any of them fit her concept well, but who knows.

I know you were, but others were saying WIS 8. And even with a 10, taking cleric isn't good at low levels unless you fight someone and win a periapt of wisdom, or you have enough money to buy one as opposed to buying other stuff.

The campaign should make it to 15th level or higher. It'll depend on the players and how far they're willing to go.

I have. I mentioned in my opening post that she hasn't chosen a deity yet, but the Mystra Mystic Fire Knight might be a good idea. Especially for more spells and improved spellcaster (I do the PF way of spellcaster -3 so +2 would be beneficial for her).

[Rebel7284]

That's another problem with dumping charisma and focusing on wisdom, you get less turn attempts to abuse travel/animal/whatever devotion with.   Regardless of if she chooses to dip cleric later or not, these feats can be powerful.

Actually probably be best way to abuse devotion feats is play the Silverbrow Human and after dipping cleric substitute the second instance of turn undead for turn dragons.  Two turning pools. AND she might be able to pwn a wurmling somewhere.

[kevin_video]

It's alright. There's already a cleric in the party (an aasimar no less), and she's taking care of the undead aspect. There aren't going to be any undead to speak of, just enchanted beings, wizards, and constructs. I might eventually put undead in there, but they'll be very, very minor. And I haven't even thought about dragons.

[Rebel7284]

You use the turn attempts to fuel divine feats... it's good that there are no undead around, since that way the turn attempts can be used completely for this purpose.......

[Havok4]

Serenity makes wis determine your turn undead uses and abilities, so that is covered.

[kevin_video]

Don't you just love how fickle women are? 

So she thought about it today, and she wants a good mix of power, speed, and mastery over her weapon. And for a weapon, no more sword and shield. She wants a scythe. I don't know. She has agree to Power Attack though, and wants to stay as a regular human. No silverborn for her. And that's fine.

[ninjarabbit]

If she wants a scythe then her feats should be combat expertise and improved trip and she can pick up power attack at level 3.

[kevin_video]

If she wants a scythe then her feats should be combat expertise and improved trip and she can pick up power attack at level 3.

Can't take either feat. Don't have the INT for it. It's only 10.