A few questions that are not laid out in the various pali guides i have ran into.
1. Armor Choices. I have gone the weapon bond route... which means that mobility is key to success and getting around to help those in need. (and not getting myself flanked or in a tight spot.) What armor would be best to go with? I am thinking eventually medium mithril armor so i can get my full base movement. But, seeing as we just started... the mithril is going to be a bit expensive for my taste. Currently using a chain shirt (light armor) and a buckler. (AC = 19 w/ a +4 for dex.)
2. Ability Bumps. Obviously its either going to be DEX or CHA. Which are currently both @ 18 (str being a 16 and con a 14). With obvious advantages to both... which ultimately would benefit my build more? Bumping DEX or CHA for the pali buffs?
3. Feats. I had thought about this quite hard. And it is kinda viable to go a switch hitter route. But, after Precise shot, Rapid Shot, Point blank shot, Many Shot, Deadly Aim, and Shot on the Run... where should i go next? Should i then start to push towards buffing up my Falchion via feats? (Imp. Critical, Power Attack, Critical Focus, etc.) I have a decent strength at 16... but, i dont know if i should start going with the dodge/mobility line after lvl 9 to gain concealment whilst moving/strafing around the combat or if the switch hitter is a more versatile option.
4. Weapon Bond Choices. Which weapon bond choices are key to the ranged paladin's success? simple question. Havent gotten far enough to take the time to consider one route or another.
** keep in mind this game is CORE ONLY! no 3.5 books allowed and no Pathfinder add-ons allowed. **
current party.
NG Human Cleric of Sarenrae (same as my deity)
CG Halfling Rogue
CG Human Fighter (two weapon, short sword/Long sword)
CG Dwarf Fighter (single weapon w/ shield)
CG Halfling Bard (Only arcane spellcaster)
1) Yep, start with chain shirt, then eventually move to either elven chain or mithral breastplate (depending on your preferences). Buckler is fine, but you'll want to take the feat that lets you attack and still get it's benefit (if you qualify, don't have my book with me).
2) If you're going for the archer, boost the dex. You want to be able to hit as many times as possible with your arrows, especially if you're using Rapid and Many shot feats, you'll want every + you can get.
3) That's a 50/50, honestly. You can either be a sniper, or start rounding out your character so you can handle melee as well. There are equal pluses and minuses to both.
4) Brilliant energy is right out, since you can't apply it to the bow (only to ammunition, which is not your bond). So, I'd suggest flaming, holy, or disrupting if you're going against something that they will affect. If you're not sure, or you have a bunch of targets, I'd go with speed (which goes back to the dex boosts in 2).
A few questions that are not laid out in the various pali guides i have ran into.
1. What are your full stats? Race?
2. What level are you starting at? 1st?
3. What level are you looking to play towards/how long will it take to get there?All that said, I would boost CHA over DEX, but that's me.
I would look at celestial chainmail for later on, but for now deal with a chain shirt until perhaps getting a mithril breastplate in the midlevels if needed.
If your front rank holds well you shouldn't get attacked much, I would consider the spell shield other and use your lay on hands to heal the damage you take via it.
I would not take weapon specific feats for non-bows. Likewise you won't qualify for shot on the run without spending 2 other feats.. don't.
Feats:
PBS, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim, Manyshot, Improved Precise Shot, and Improved Critical should take you until 11th or 13th.-James
1. Human Str 16
Dex 18Con 14
Wis 10
Int 12
Cha 18
2. Currently level 2. New campaign.
3. Probably around 15-18th. We play weekly. Last campaign took us about 2 years to get to 16. (3.5 dnd)
Shot on the runs only qualification that may not be viable is Mobility. Which is probably important considering my build. I want to be within 10 feet of combat due to my auras. I want my melee'ers to be able to take advantage of my auras. So naturally... i want to be able to be right up in the thick of things... not sniping from farther away. I will have the danger of being attacked considering the amount of damage the build will produce. Shield other will probably be used on the bard or rogue depending on who needs it most. With my ability to heal myself as a swift, high AC and smiting ability. I will be a hard target to take down.
Improved Crit hardly seems worth it considering that the threat range on a bow is only 20. I would deem an extra lay on hands, or mercy may be more reasonable than increasing the threat range to 19-20... but that could be just me.
I think the ideal thing to do would be to boost Dex and plan on ending up eventually with Celestial Armor.
I would probably favor staying on the bow line and taking Weapon Focus (at least) in the bow. Shot on the Run isn't very good in most circumstances but if you feel it will be useful to you in this campaign go for it.
Improved Crit in the bow may be worth it at high levels, I'm not sure. Generally the more damage per shot you're dealing the more attractive it will be.
I would say the best choice for divine bond in the lower levels is simply upping your bow's enhancement bonus. To hit will be important to you, especially if you're smiting and Deadly Aiming you will have a ton of damage on each arrow and will want them all to hit. Holy isn't as important to you as you can bypass DR/Good by smiting anyway, though holy will probably be a common choice once your bow is already +5.
1) Yep, start with chain shirt, then eventually move to either elven chain or mithral breastplate (depending on your preferences). Buckler is fine, but you'll want to take the feat that lets you attack and still get it's benefit (if you qualify, don't have my book with me).
2) If you're going for the archer, boost the dex. You want to be able to hit as many times as possible with your arrows, especially if you're using Rapid and Many shot feats, you'll want every + you can get.
3) That's a 50/50, honestly. You can either be a sniper, or start rounding out your character so you can handle melee as well. There are equal pluses and minuses to both.
4) Brilliant energy is right out, since you can't apply it to the bow (only to ammunition, which is not your bond). So, I'd suggest flaming, holy, or disrupting if you're going against something that they will affect. If you're not sure, or you have a bunch of targets, I'd go with speed (which goes back to the dex boosts in 2).
Buckler - We have determined with the line on pg 150 "You can use a bow or crossbow without penalty while carrying it." and that the AC bonus still applies while using a bow but, not while using two weapons. It was a small debate and i suppose if the rules are questionable... its GM approval ultimately.
What about my extra smite abilities? or even extra saves? this is such a hard question to answer because both abilities are equally important in this build.
Brilliant energy is amazing but, alas not for the archer build. Flaming, holy, keen, axiomatic, merciful and speed are probably going to be my choices.
Holy, Merciful, Speed, axiomatic, flaming, in that order. eh?
1. Armor Choices. I have gone the weapon bond route...Bit of a trap choice. Weapon bond because of the short duration and standard action calling is only useful when you have time to prepare for a fight you can initiate within minutes.
which means that mobility is key to success and getting around to help those in need.The best way to help them will generally be killing those who are trying to kill them ... for that you have to full attack, for that you have to be non-mobile (without a mount any way).
4. Weapon Bond Choices. Which weapon bond choices are key to the ranged paladin's success?Merciful, Flaming or Flaming burst, keen and occasionally axiomatic/disrupting if you know it will be useful.
Holy is something you will want on your bow any way as standard. Speed doesn't stack with haste (which you will have from boots of speed or party buff). The rest isn't really relevant either for various reasons.
hadnt thought of that. you can put up to +5 enchantments on your bow... but, the bond goes above and beyond that. so holy and speed and +1 for the bow initially. then add the bond.
Buckler - We have determined with the line on pg 150 "You can use a bow or crossbow without penalty while carrying it." and that the AC bonus still applies while using a bow but, not while using two weapons. It was a small debate and i suppose if the rules are questionable... its GM approval ultimately.What about my extra smite abilities? or even extra saves? this is such a hard question to answer because both abilities are equally important in this build.
Brilliant energy is amazing but, alas not for the archer build. Flaming, holy, keen, axiomatic, merciful and speed are probably going to be my choices.
Holy, Merciful, Speed, axiomatic, flaming, in that order. eh?
Buckler : Ah, if thats how it's working in your game, go for it.
Extra Smite/Saves : Those are highly campaign dependent. If you're going to be fighting evil a lot, then absolutely go for smites. If you're going to be fighting spellcasters a lot, extra saves rock. If it's going to be balanced... then it becomes iffy on whether you're better off boosting those for situational bonuses, or just going for things that are always useful. Again, that's a world/game dependent choice, as well as an RP choice (character personality would be my deciding factor there, honestly).
Remember, you have to have at least a +1, and you can change your bonded weapon abilities when you need to, so don't lock them down into any specific pattern. If you're asking what order to use for usefulness, as in what gives you more bang for the buck...
I'd say it depends on the situation (sorry). Against a bunch of mooks, even evil mooks, Speed is more useful than Holy. Merciful is only useful if you want to capture someone. Axiomatic is only useful if the target is chaotic, and the same with Holy (only if they're evil). If they are chaotic evil, then holy axiomatic rocks. Flaming is a decent all arounder, unless you're dealing with red dragons or other fire immune creatures/people (unfortunately, fire is one of the most common resistances). But, to recap, yes, in order of bang for the buck, your damage boosters are going to go first. Holy, Axiomatic, Flaming. Merciful should only be used to capture. Speed is an odd man out. If you're dealing with evil entities, you might be better off with Holy. If neutrals, deffinately flaming or speed. The big problem with speed is it's a +3, which means the earliest you could get it would be mid levels (no chart in front of me). So it's mostly flaming and merciful at first (or just straight bonuses). It's not until you can enchant the weapon to a +1 that you can start using the bonding for bonuses, probably when you have a +2 bond. Then you can choose Holy/Axiomatic as well, or flaming/merciful and a +1. When you have a +3, then you get choices of holy/flaming or speed or axiomatic/merciful, etc.
At a level where you can apply speed with weapon bond you shouldn't need it. Boots of speed are one of the very few good martial items in PF which don't require standard actions for buffing ... and cheap too. Indispensable.
Whats the price on the boots of speed? 12k? it may be more worthwhile to imbue my weapon with it to continually get the effect. also get the holy attribute involved with the weapon creation... seeing as my character will be a weaponsmith (our gm has mandated that we all must have a means of occupation within the community.) i could feasibly create the weapon myself. the effects of haste are still valuable without the extra attack. the weapon bond then is more valuable pushing the limits of the added bonus to attack and damage. (+'s to the weapon itself.) keen seems to be a trap due to the limited threat range of a bow. i would rather be able to push the limits in a do or die sitch .... i.e. smite, weapon bond and available buffs through paladin spells (limited as they are, lol.)
with the bard pushing our morale and the added utility of paladin auras ... i think we may have something viable here. ;-)