Tharien's page

Well, a crossbow and throwing axes may be more thematic, but a composite longbow is a better ranged weapon, and allows you to use ghost salt arrows to damage incorporeal undead, along with all the other weapon blanches you can use. Also talking about thematic, it makes me a little sad that as a stonelord you haven't considered getting Stone Plate instead of full plate, I'll admit mechanically it's not superior, but much more thematic.

You've sold me. Masterwork stone plate for the theme. I think I was just focusing on getting Dwarven Plate eventually, but I can probably just run with enchanting stone plate.

I think I'll keep the crossbow. Bows just seem wrong. I fully intend to get my Longhammer upgraded to Ghost Touch as soon as I can. Can't I put a ghost salt weapon blanch on bolts too?

Also, your AC should be pretty good for now, I would take Power Attack next, it's a boring choice, but few feats pull their weight like power attack. Although I'd also consider lowering your Dex to 12 since when you go to full plate, you're only getting +1 off your Dex, unless of course you're planning on Mithral full plate, at which point leave it.

It's too late to dump my Dex. I was originally thinking of taking Two Weapon Fighting, but that got lost along the way. Oh well. I'll definitely consider Power Attack.

You may also want to reconsider wearing a buckler, the Ac bonus would only be good for the first round, after that you would take a -1 to attacks with the Longhammer, and lose the AC bonus as well.

When I picked it, I was thinking I would generally fight one round with the crossbow, one or two with the Longhammer, and then when people got too close, draw the waraxe and go to town, whereupon the buckler would come into play again. As it happened, my Longhammer was super effective in Cassomir, and I kinda fell in love with the thing.

thanks for the advice. I definitely have to get the stone plate.

At the advice of the board, I went with the Stonelord over a run of the mill paladin, and now I'm locked in after playing Cassomir's Locker 4. I'm not terribly optimized, trying to be as rounded as possible, taking Torag's commandment to be well-prepared to heart.

Right now I'm Paladin (Stonelord)-2

STR-15
DEX-15
CON-14
INT-10
WIS-14
CHA-10

Currently wearing Breastplate with Buckler, will move to Mwk Full Plate when I can afford it.
AC 20 (Armor +6, Buckler +1, Dex +2, Heartstone +1)
HP 21

Feat: Steel Soul

Weapons
Light Crossbow (switch to Heavy?)
Dwarven Longhammer
Dwarven Waraxe
Throwing Axe (Cold Iron)
Throwing Axe (Alchemical Silver)
Dwarven Boulder Helmer
Spiked Gauntlets

After getting dressed down at the end of The Confirmation, I decided that he's become obsessed with preparedness, so I'm abusing the heck out of the Steady trait and carrying everything from Holy Water to smoked goggles in my backpack, and potions of CLW and enlarge person in my bandolier.

I figure that he should always start with the crossbow - most attacks I've been in have been at distance to start, drop that and commence crushing people with the longhammer. I figure I can save a potion of Enlarge Person for boss battles if needed. Between Stonestrike and my throwing axes, I'm pretty set for DR, I think.

I realized too late that I probably should have upgraded to a Cold Iron masterwork Longhammer but may still buy one.

What feats should I go to next? I was thinking Quick Draw to switch between weapons quickly, but either Dodge or Ironhide would improve my AC.

I am struggling to come up with a Paladin code for my Stonelord as well. A paladin of Torag should be played completely differently from one of Sarenrae.

That said, I found this to give a pretty solid code for Torag's faithful.

A dwarf wearing a battered breastplate and carrying a Longhammer enters. He wears a full helmet, under which can be seen a blond braided beard. He carries a heavy backpack, with a crossbow lashed to it. A well worn waraxe is at his side.

"My name is Tharien Darkhammer. I am new, both to the Society and the Crusade, but as Torag and St. Cuddy give me strength, I will stand before the tide of evil, and shall not break."

Thanks everyone... looks like the consensus is Stonelord after all. I'd already picked up the Boulder Helmet and a Longhammer regardless. I'm tempted to try to finagle the CHA up to 12 just to get an extra lay on hands, dropping DEX to 14

After losing my first character, I was playing around in PCGen and created a Dwarf Stonelord. He survived his first three adventures, and as I was leveling him up, it seemed the Stonelord advantages just don't seem to measure up. Heartstone is nice - especially with the DR - and seems better than Divine Grace, but Stonestrike seems to have nothing on Smite Evil.

As Stonelord, I was running
STR 15
DEX 15
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 14
CHA 10

with Ironhide for Feat. I had originally planned on a Two Weapon Fighting build (hence the 15 DEX) but fell into being the Tank, which worked for me. The Dex bonus worked for AC and for my crossbow, so I was loathe to change it.

As a Paladin, I would have
STR 14
DEX 14
CON 15
INT 10
WIS 12
CHA 13

The character concept has him having all his hair cursed off at some point, and had joined the Pathfinder Society to find a way of reversing the curse. He wears a full helmet with a false beard showing, and never ever takes it off.

Our next adventure has been postponed twice, so I have a little time to decide on his final build, but I'm really torn.