I've got this little idea bouncing around in my head that I could use some help on. I want to use Flame blade as a main weapon, but I want to vital strike with it. To make this happen, and to be effective, I will need to be able to carry over some additional damage with the weapon blow (i.e., spell strike or similar) and I will need to be able to over write the base damage for the flame blade itself.
The warpriest sacred weapon (via weapon focus) would be ideal, but (for reasons that I will keep to myself for now) the character class has to be Paladin. Yes, it has to. There is an archetype for Paladin that gets sacred weapon damage, but it removes spell casting, which is needed to use flame blade.
So:
Must be Paladin
Must retain spellcasting (or gain flame blade as spell-like ability)
Sacred weapon damage, or similar ability to overwrite weapon-like spell damage
Variant Multiclass is an option, but not ideal
Yes, I am aware of UMD but want to avoid it. Yes, I know vital strike isn't ideal for this kind of thing. This is a thought experiment after all. Just exploring the potential.
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I don't see Flame Blade on the normal Paladin spell list; how are you getting that spell as a paladin?
Because Flame Blade is a spell, you can't increase the damage dice from size changes. You're stuck with that 1d8 base die. Vital Striking gives you a whopping +1d8 and I don't really see any way to increase that value.
Flame Blade is a spell, not a weapon, therefore not applicable to Weapon Focus or abilities such as the WP damage increase, or divine bond from Paladin.
That all being said, if you're willing to share more about your thought experiment, and what you're trying to get out of it, I'm sure you can get some help on that.
As for VMC... maybe go rogue for some sneak attack dice?
There's magic items which can produce a flame blade. If you don't want to use UMD then a scabbard of the lost kiss costs 8 600 gp for 2 uses/day at CL 4.
If you don't want to multiclass I can't think of another way to get spellstrike with a flame blade. If you just want additional damage then tricks to raise your CL can help a little, or a goblin fire drum adds a point or two, or that VMC magus might be able to be used to enchant the blade. Not certain about that last.
Edit: Also you're certainly going to want the flame blade dervish feat if you're not in PFS and you're casting the spell yourself rather than using the scabbard of the lost kiss.
Paladins of Sarenrae can cast Flameblade as a 2nd level spell (as per Inner Sea Gods).
I thought I could get away with using flame blade as the war priests sacred weapon, as it says the weapon is charged with his faith, and never mentions a manufactured weapon. But, I just realized that it calls out weapons that do pure energy damage as not applicable, so... Sad face. Otherwise, since it is wielded as a scimitar, feats/abilities that effect scimitars should work with it, and do if I'm up to date on my FAQs. The plan was not making the Flameblade the divine bond.
Magus does play a role in the build. I was considering just a few levels. The idea is to load the flame blade with the conductive weapon property (via gnome favored class bonus) and conduct damage through it at the same time as another touch spell.
Hmmm, there may be a way to salvage the sacred focus idea though. Benthic spell turns the damage of an elemental spell into bludgeoning ... Hmm.....
There are still fun things you can do. I played a character that did over 100 damage a round using spellstrike with acid splash and flameblade.