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My home game became remote because I moved away a while ago. While I ran this wasn't so bad, but as a player it's beginning to bug me. I can't see the map very well (web cam to table maps) and I got nominated to play the Wizard this time. I figure I need to get used to it because of how I can't see the map as well anymore. Large blobs of boom seem easier to see than 5-foot-palooza.

Only I can't get the DM to fail a save. And it's not like stuff's overdone, like we are legit OPENLY-ROLLED seeing him save like clockwork every time I hit him with anything. Not even save-or-suck (I never bothered trying any of those) just anything with any save attached he will make. In a year he's failed a save against something I've tossed at him (this also includes reflex saves for fireballs) about 10 times, 12 at most. That's 1 a month.

Perpetual half-damage blast spells, no access to any save or suck, no "save to reduce" spell access and it's a mostly undead campaign. But they all save. Even my necromancer channel negative commands. They. All. Save.

So now I buff in combat, stand in the back, cast Disrupt Undead as a cantrip through a Mage's Crossbow (I have no ranged feats anyway) and wait for the fight to end. Then I hate casting spells for story reasons, because they almost always fail (yes, he saves versus his own cut scenes) and we have to find out other ways anyway.

I'm 10th level, and I'd rather play a vow of poverty monk at this point for more combat interaction. In a high magic setting, where learning new spells isn't terribly hard, what am I doing wrong here?

Bonus Irony Points: I was forbidden from taking the spell "Ill Omen" by any means during character creation. I pissed off the dice Gods...

I'm in a game currently playing a Cavalier with the Sister in Arms archetype (nevermind that he's male, I just love the flavor). After making the character I was thinking of going Cavalier 2 then dipping into Paladin for the Holy Tactician for 3 levels so I could get battlefield presence and become a teamwork feat junkie. So my question is:

Would that be a good idea? Should I skip that? Is Chevalier a better option later? Honestly I've never played a Cavalier and I'm trying really hard to be group support without dipping Bard to double down on the cheese. Any suggestions or comments would be great.

Thanks in advance, everyone!

I've had similar issues before, much to my chagrin, with DMs deciding that to challenge a player they can only remove their strengths first. I've had rogues who would go many a level unable to sneak attack anything as they were magically immune or otherwise had no discernible anatomy. Casters galore who simply got spammed with Dispel over and over in an attempt to play 'who has more charges' in their back-up wands. Rust Monster Uprisings that shook the pillars of creation because the group had more than 1 fighter. I've seen Cavaliers have their challenges simply fall off of targets because of various magic items on a shockingly consistent basis. But I'm going to get to a pretty specific point here about it all. Basically: How to make Smite not suck.

Now I say that knowing that if you play a Paladin in, say, Wrath of the Righteous, you are basically God. And all that you survey you may smite with a wrathsome hand. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the home-brew campaigns where "Oh... they're neutral." is the answer to everything. The kind of campaign where, the last time I played a Paladin, I made it to level 6 and had never smited anything because anything even slightly no-good was neutral. The only evil target was a Glabrezu that popped up when we were level 3 (basically a 'you need to leave now' situation).

I haven't seen any archetypes that replace smite, and probably because it's SUPPOSED to be a sometimes I-win button against an evil boss here and there. But every time I come armed to smite... the alignment is wrong. And as much as I love playing a Paladin, it's almost impossible to feel useful when you have 2 skill points a level, no orisons, low spells, and the one thing you're REALLY good at never happens (IE: Evil people need to die).

So I need some help with this. What suggestions do you guys have. And after you're done saying "get a new group" (multiple groups have this issue here for some infuriating reason) what could I do to make a Paladin without smite not suck?

Or current campaign is coming to a close at level 20. Sometime in the next month or month and a half we'll be ready to start a new campaign that, while it will be kind of short lived, I have a small problem.

Out of 6 players, 3 will be ranged (Flying Blade Swashbuckler, Inquisitor and Archery Ranger), 1 a cleric healer, 1 a Daring Champion Cavalier and that kinda leaves me to cover the hole in the line up. Which usually is kind of easy for me. But in this case... ugh. I had thought to do a Card Caster/Staff Magus and laugh up my horrible Gambit impersonations, but we need another melee.

So my question to the group is: What melee character is going to mesh with this group of misfits? My first thought was a Freebooter Ranger with Cavalier VMC to be a buff-magnet, but there's hardly anyone to use the flanking bonus so I ditched that. But I'll take any suggestions, and I appreciate in advance any advice you have.

P.S. If at all possible I'd rather be strength based. As it stands we're going to have a whole team of people who couldn't kick in a door with a horse and a running start. But I'm not heart-set on it.

I have a GM who does everything in his power to deny bonuses. If a ranger selects undead as a favored target after a few levels of nothing but undead then the GM never uses undead again. If we have a paladin then all the enemies are neutral. If we have a rogue with too much sneak attack dice the enemies have uncanny dodge or fight in pairs so they can't be flanked.

We're about to start another campaign where I'm highly considering a paladin (we are all required to play a divine class) and the budget of a paladin seems to be smite evil. A bonus I know I'll never use because nothing but mooks will be evil.

I just need some advice on an archetype or something to help not feel like I'm wasting my time. Suggestions are more than welcome.

I'm going to admit I'm kinda new to this, and I have 0 idea if this is balanced, but I wanted some opinions on it. If I messed up just tell me. I'm trying to learn and I wanted to hopefully add something a little different to a Paladin from what I've seen this far.

Battlelord

Many Paladins are the divine agents of their gods across the battlefields royal courts the world over. Most are exemplars of both the compassion and swift justice of their deity. Some, however, are drawn to battle like moths to a flame. They throw themselves into the midst of a fight as much to protect the side they see as right and just as to punish the wicked. Mobile and able to take in the battlefield at glance, these Paladins are experts at directing the ebb and flow of combat to better coordinate their allies to victory.

Skills
The Battlelord adds Knowledge (History), Perception (Wis) and Perform (any) (Cha) to their list of class skills.

Skill Ranks Per Level
4 + Int modifier

Weapons and Armor
A Battlelord is not proficient with heavy armor.

Commander's Ire
At 1st level, the Battlelord can, as a move action, indicate an enemy in combat and rally her allies to focus on that target. The Battlelord and her allies gain a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against the target. This ability applies only to allies who can see or hear the Battlelord and who are within 30 feet of the Battlelord at the time she activates this ability. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the bonus increases by 1. At level 7 this becomes a swift action. The Commander's Ire lasts until the target dies or the Battlelord selects a new target.

This ability replaces Smite Evil.

Target Rich Environment
At 4th level when the Battlelord uses Channel Positive Energy, they may once per day expend 2 uses of the ability to mark all enemy targets within range with Commander's Ire. If used this way the Battlelord's enemies receiving no healing or damage from the use of Channel Positive Energy. The Battlelord may use this ability one additional time per day at 12th level.

This ability adds to and alters Channel Positive Energy.

Divine Bond
Upon reaching 5th level the Battlelord must select the weapon bond.

Turn the Tide
At 11th level the Battlelord may expend 2 uses of Divine Bond to grant the ability to all allies that can see and hear the Battlelord within 30 yards. The Battlelord may give any combination of bonuses or special abilities, but they must be the same to all allies and cannot be altered for each individual. For instance giving a +1 enhancement with Holy will apply to all allies within range. This grants the Battlelord and their allies the ability for 1 minute. Evil creatures gain no benefit from this ability.

This ability replaces Aura of Justice.

I have a game coming up in my group where we are required to play some kind of Divine character. I was considering the benefits of playing an Orc Hunter. I know the stat negatives are horrible, but I considered taking a level of Cavalier and being able to act as a party teamwork feat buffer.

My question is if this seems like it would even work or be worth the time. I'm not looking to optimize really, I just don't want to do anything that would gimp me horribly in the experience. Especially since we may be playing up to level 15 or so.