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I'm playing a Paladin who worship Iomedae, lately some priest of a Iomedae temple gave me an artifact (it's a custom artifact based of the morrowfall) but in order to use it i must made a solemn promise to iomedea. the solemn promise is something that will happen when the sun is up. I must choose which solemn promise i will do. DM suggested me thing like "will not eat when sun is up" but something more "cool".

I'm out of idea... any nice idea?
Thanks

PS: Sorry for poor english.

Hi, i just want an advice on my Paladin S&B.
I want to focus on good Ac and good damage output. a good trade between both.

For the moment my character is Lvl3 and going to Lvl 4 soon.
(maybe i made some mistake from the beginning but i have to live with it)

STR: 15
DEX: 15
CON: 12
INT: 10
WIS: 9
CHA: 18 (16 + 2)

This is my feat progression that i planned:

L1: WEAPON PROFIENCY (FALCATA)
L1: TWO WEAPON FIGHTING
L3: IMPROVED SHIELD BASH
L4: +1 STR
L5: DOUBLE SLICE
L7: SHIELD SLAM
L8: +1 DEX
L9: IMPROVED CRITICAL (FALCATA)
L11: SHIELD MASTER
L12: +1 DEX
L13 : BASHING FINISH
L15 : IMPROVED TWO WEAPON FIGHTING.

The thing that i'm wondering:

- If i should trade Double Slice for Shield Focus.
- If i should drop ITWF and going to 18STR at LVL12.
- If going 17 DEX at LVL12 and getting a mitrail full plate that give +3 Max Dex bonus is maximising AC.

but the thing is that our DM do not let us buy anything we want.. most of our magical stuff have to be found.

Thanks

Yes Bashing finish is a good feat. will take it.

I test the feat progression in HeroLab Demo, and with those feats the program make the first shield bash at full bab and the second one at -5.
(the only attack that get -5 is the 2nd shield attack)
the main hand still suffer the -2 or -4 Twf panality.

Ok i see... so with shield master, i first shield slam will be at my full BAB and the second one at -5... i tought i could do both shield attack at my full BAB. -5 kind of hurt.

Can i decide at my first shield bash bull rush to push the target only 5' away? or it's the dice roll result that will decide?

Now i have to decide if i will raise my dex to 17 to take ITWF and make 2 shield slam or just keep one and put STR to 18 instead of 16.

Hi all,

I'm new to pathfinder and i have some questions a about TWF, Shield Bash, Shield Slam and Shield Master.

1- Assuming my character got Twf and Improved Twf, all secondary attack made with Twf are part of Full round action? if so i can't shield slam if not doing full round action.

2- Will the Shield Master negate the -5 malus of improved twf?
if so i can make 2 shield bash without any panality? (primary weapon still have -2 or -4 panality)

3- Shield Slam, they say i can move with the free bull rush if i have a remaining 5' step or move action. so you can 5' step while full attack.
do this mean i can make my 1st bull rush (shield bash), push the target back. (assuming it's pushed 5' away), take my 5' step and make my 2nd bull rush (shield slam)?

If my 1st shield slam push the target back more than 5', i'm out of luck i will not be able to do my 2nd shield slam unless i do not use the free bull rush for the first attack and use it for the second one?

Thanks and sorry for my bad english.

NAASTY..i mean, nice, though i´d recommend a few changes.

L1: Falcata- great weapon, even more fun than a bastard-sword
L1: Power Attack - it´s a bank, for day-to-day-work
L3: Two Weopon Fighting - with more BAB the penalties hurt you less
L5:Improved Shield Bash ? or cleave or two-weapon defense?
Shield Slam is great though for breaking formations

My reasoning is, you don´t need Double Slice, as you mostly attack with both hands/weapons when you´re smiting, your strength bonus won´t mean much then.

PS: Try putting the racial bonus to get a 16, after point-buy.

Improved Shild bath let you keep your shield bonus when you do a shield attack.

Shield Slam has improved shield bash as requiement.

And Shield Master have Shield slam as requiement.
Shield Master negate twf penalities when using your shield.

I'm checking both Archer and Sword and board,

For the sword and board, what do you think of that:

Human

STR: 16
DEX: 15 (13 + 2)
CON: 12
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 16

L1: Exotic Weapon profiency (Falcata)
L1: Two Weapon Fighting
L3: Improved Shield Bash
L5: Double Slice
L7: Shield Slam
L9: Improved Critical
L11: Shield Master

Sure it do not have to damage power of 2H or Archer but he can get nice AC. And maybe it's a bit for fun to play that just keep in distance and shooting arrows.

but it's really feat intensive... so no place for power attack, Extra lay on hand, toughtness, weapon focus etc...

OK i got a LOT of usefull tips and tricks in the thread! thank you everyone!

Tonight i had a talk with my friend who will play the Fighter.
(we will start the campain next Monday).
I tought he would do the TWF Fighter and i was wrong, He will did 2HW figher focusing on Falchion and critical! like me! but he deceided that before me... i do not want to play something similar to him so i have to change my mind but i still want to play a Paladin!

So from now, 2 options for me, Archer Paladin or Sword and Board.
I'm learning toward archer. i know there is an archetype in ultimate combat but i have no access to it...

I will have to do some read about Archer Paladin.

Stats could look something like that:

STR: 13 (14 at Lvl4)
DEX : 18 (16 + 2 Human)
CON: 12
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 16

i'm sorry for this change after all the advices. :(

For my divine bond i will focus on Weapons bond.
and where does it say you can get +1 skill with divine bond?
not sure to understand.

What energy resistance type its best to focus on?

Finally i tought we had access to UM book but NOT! we have to stick
only with PG and APG!

So no go for Great Mercy. (will take toughtness)
I wrote that i would like to take Devastating strike but not access to this feat.. so maybe vital strike chain without devastating strike not worth it... better going with cleave.

the unsanctioned knowledge feat look really good but no access to it. :(

Also we do not have a bard or cleric in the group.

1 TWF fighter
1 Oracle of fire
1 Inquisitor
1 Summoner
1 Paladin (me)

Maculosa wrote:

Just to be sure:
in the devastating strike description:

"gain a +2 bonus on each extra weapon damage dice roll those feats grant (+6 maximum)."

Since im using a Falchion which is 2D4... devastating strike paired with Vital strike only would give me +4 DMG? since it say +2 per dice roll.. Vital strike let me roll 2 more D4. is i'm right?

Thanks
ps: im sorry if my english is not really good.

Not quite. With vital strike and devastating strike you would gain +2 damage. It is +2 per extra damage dice roll, not per extra damage die. Basically, devastating strike gives bonus damage based on the feat paired with it: vital strike is +2, improved VS is +4 and greater VS is +6.

Edit: Ninja'd

Good i was not sure.

In the Advanced player guide, the Human paladin favored class give +1 to energy resistance, max +10... so at LV10 you can have +10 to one kind of energy resistance... but what after level 10? do you choose another type of energy that you can put to +10 at lvl20? (at lvl20 you will have +10 to 2 type of energy resistance?)

Also which skills a paladin with only 2 skills / level should focus?
i tought on diplomacy and Umd if i take the trait dangerously curious.

Devastating Strike provides a benefit per ROLL of the damage dice, not per die.

Thus, Vital Strike, +2 dmg, because you roll sword damage twice.
Improved, +4, because you roll damage three times.
Greater, +6, etc.

In other words, wahoo. Furious Focus and Power Attack will generally net you MUCH more damage.

Not all foes you fight will be Evil, and you don't have infinite smites. A higher Str is thus more important...your combat bonuses will be the same regardless of combo when smiting, but better outside Smiting with high Str. Add to your Cha as you go along. The save boosts and stuff are useful, but combat is combat.

For Equipment I suggest getting a Sun Sword, Adamantine, and eventually upgrading it to +5. Yeah, yeah, you can do a falchion...but why? Sword and shield, leave 2h as an OPTION, rather then the default.

Your optimal weapon is probably a longsword + shield until you can get a proto-Sun Sword that can be wielded as a Shortsword, then switch to that. Use a buckler for defense.

In any round you need AC, one hand = buckler. In any round you want to Hulk Smash, use two. Mithral buckler = no penalty. Versatility is key in these things!

==Aelryinth

I must say we will not be able to buy the stuffs we want, most of the magic stuffs will have to be found. So this means probably we wont have all the good we would like to have.. so my character do not have to rely on magic items.

Your feat tree will have to be modified a little:

I might be wrong but as i understand you have to have the Lay Hands ability to take Extra Lay on Hands feat, which a paladin doesn't get till second level. You need to swap Extra Lay on Hands around with Furious Focus for you to meet the requirements.

L1: Power Attack
L1: Furious Focus
L3: Greater Mercy
L5: Extra Lay on Hand
L7: Vital Strike
L9: Improved Critical
L11: Improved Vital Strike
L13: Devastating Strike

You are right, my error Thanks

First, welcome, Pallies are great :). And the two-hander is optimal

For a "do more smite" type, I strongly suggest the Oath of Vengence pally. He gets to trade in 2 lay on hands for a smite @ 4, making the ability useable 5 times for you instead of 2. Gives you more of the pally special.

If you don't like this, the holy tactician is pretty insane as well, basically you give everyone a free teamwork feat. At 3 you can pick up the one that makes sure nobody is ever surprised, or +1 for each ally in contact with you (which is an "extra cheat" with familiars and animal companions), or up damage (give all flankers +2 extra to hit or d6 damage).

For feats, as a two-hander I like:

1) Power Attack, Cleave
3) Cleaving Finish (buys free attacks)
5) Furious Focus

Pallies have swift healing at their disposal... no need for toughness.

Oath of vengence look good for the ability to get more smith but at 11th lvl i prefer the base paladin aura of justice.

In which book is the Holy Tactician? don't forget that we are just allowed to use PH, APH and UM.

So... I would like to keep 18 STR since +4 x 1.5 2H = +6 DMG.. else the +3 for 16 Str will just give me +4 dmg.

What i can do, is to boost CHA to 18 at Lvl 8 and wait till lvl12 to raise Con to 14.

Feats:

L1: Power Attack
L1: Extra Lay on Hand
L3: Greater Mercy
L5: Furious Focus
L7: Vital Strike
L9: Improved Critical
L11: Improved Vital Strike
L13: Devastating Strike

I can use the favored class to get +1 Energy Resistance (FIRE?) / LVL instead of +1 HP.

But without Toughness, +1 HP Favored Class and 14 Con not before lvl12 that's means i will just have +1 HP / lvl until lvl12.

But i have +1D6 healing / lay on hand if not using mercy.

As for Cleaving Finish it's in a book we can't use.

Here is my feat tree I would do:

Give your weapon Keen eventually and save the feat slot. You could swap out the Extra Lay Hands for the Improved Critical if you wish to take it as a feat.

Critical Focus gives the bonus to confirmation rolls for making critical hits, eventually adding the Improved Devastating Strike bonus on top would make confirming critical hits almost a guarantee.
Bleeding Critical then adds 2d6 of bleeding damage each round till it is healed.

Or you could forget Critical focus and Improved devastating Strike and take Improved Critical and use the spell Bless weapon that make all your critical againts evils foes automatically hit for 1min / lvl this way you save another feat and no need to use a keen Weapon.

Just to be sure:
in the devastating strike description:

"gain a +2 bonus on each extra weapon damage dice roll those feats grant (+6 maximum)."

Since im using a Falchion which is 2D4... devastating strike paired with Vital strike only would give me +4 DMG? since it say +2 per dice roll.. Vital strike let me roll 2 more D4. is i'm right?

Thanks
ps: im sorry if my english is not really good.

L1: Toughness
L1: Power Attack
L3: Cleave
L5: Great Cleave
L7: Extra Lay on Hand
L9: Improved Critical
L11: ?

I'm wondering if the Cleave / Great Cleave is better than the Vital Strike / Devastating Strike chain.

Since i'm doing 2 handed Paladin my AC will sucks and using Cleave will suck up another -2 AC and cannot use full round attack, also you are not always surronded by many ennemies.

Vital Strike do not have any penalities, but you loose your full round action like cleave. but there are many times you cannot FRA, like when you move...

I my mind vital strike look better than cleave.

Hello! i'm new here and we will start a pathfinder really soon!
I played DD 3.5 but it's the first time i will play Pathfinder.

So for the occasion i'm going to play an Human Paladin.

I need some advices and tips to build.
Our DM only own Core, Advanced and Ultimate magic books so we are limited to those books.

So here it's what i planned:

Race: Human
Class: Paladin (2 Handed with Falchion)

Stats (25 point buy)

STR: 18 (16 + 2 Human)
DEX: 12
CON: 13
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 16

I'm going to use +1 HP for Favored Class and at Level 4 pump up CON to 14.
Level 8 and 12 will go to CHA.

FEATS:

L1: Toughness
Weapon Focus (Falchion)
L3: Power Attack
L5: Greater Mercy
L7: Extra Lay on Hand
L9: Improved Critical
L11: Some choice here: Cleave, Vital Strike, Furious Focus...

Traits:

Sacred Touch
Armor Expert

Any tought on this, is there anything that could be better?
(note that i want to stay 2 handed)

Thanks!