Angelic Blood + Stigmata = Worthwhile?

[Rakeesh Sah Tarna]

Sigh... Too much anticipation for Wrath of the Righteous, I suppose...

Looking ahead to building a character to take on the Worldwound, and dallying with an Angel-blooded Aasimar Paladin (possibly Sacred Servant or Oath Against Fiends; Sadly, can't do both).

This combination would be too situational in most circumstances, but for a frontline melee-type in an AP nearly fully focused on a war with demons...

Angelic Blood:

Your blood is infused with holy power.

Prerequisites: Con 13, aasimar.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against effects with the evil descriptor and on Constitution checks to stabilize when you are reduced to negative hit points (but not dead). Furthermore, each time you take bleed or blood drain damage, each undead creature or creature with the evil subtype that is currently adjacent to you also takes 1 point of damage.

Stigmata:

Stigmata (Su): A vindicator willingly gives his blood in service to his faith, and is marked by scarified wounds appropriate to his deity. He may stop or start the flow of blood by force of will as a standard action; at 6th level it becomes a move action, and at 10th level it becomes a swift action. Activating stigmata causes bleed damage equal to half the vindicator's class level, and this bleed damage is not halted by curative magic. While the stigmata are bleeding, the vindicator gains a sacred bonus (if he channels positive energy) or profane bonus (if he channels negative energy) equal to half his class level. Each time he activates his stigmata, the vindicator decides if the bonus applies to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, Armor Class, caster level checks, or saving throws; to change what the bonus applies to, the vindicator must deactivate and reactivate his stigmata.

While his stigmata are bleeding, the vindicator ignores blood drain and bleed damage from any other source and can use bleed or stabilize at will as a standard action.

In addition to this combination, you get:

The Pros
-Vindicator's Shield ability (which is not terrible, if you use a shield... Not sure about that, yet)

-Full BAB

-A +1 to all saves (not exactly great, but not a handicap either)

-Knowledge (planes) as a class skill (I can see this being very beneficial in this AP)

-Intimidate, Climb, and Swim as class skills (I've never understood why Paladins don't get Climb and Swim, anyway... Seriously, they're not exactly overpowered skills...)

-The situational immunity to bleed damage from other sources seems like it might be very useful in this AP. The Savage template from the Mythic Playtest included bleed attack, and that seems to me to be a likely oft-used template in WotR.

The Cons
-Two levels of Prestige Class (losing two levels of Paladin, and all that entails...)

-Losing 1 level of casting

-Skill Tax: Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks

-Feat Tax: Alignment Channel (as a Sacred Servant, in this AP, I might actually use this. But, with that and Angelic Blood, that's two feats gone. If I decide to use a shield for the Vindicator's Shield ability, that's a feat-heavy build. So, there's that...)

Just looking for any thoughts, opinions, or feedback...

[MrSin]

1 damage per round probably isn't going to be the difference between life or death in most games. The action you take to start the stigmata probably eats up more than what you would gain from the feat.

[Rakeesh Sah Tarna]

MrSin wrote:

1 damage per round probably isn't going to be the difference between life or death in most games. The action you take to start the stigmata probably eats up more than what you would gain from the feat.

No, of course not. But, it would be 1 damage per round to all adjacent creatures, that bypasses all DR and resistances. Also...

Angelic Blood wrote:

You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against effects with the evil descriptor

Stigmata wrote:

While the stigmata are bleeding, the vindicator gains a sacred bonus... equal to half his class level... to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, Armor Class, caster level checks, or saving throws.

... don't forget what the base abilities I'm considering do, as well.

If I play an Aasimar, I would strongly consider taking the Angelic Blood feat regardless. So, it's really just a consideration of whether dipping into the PrC is beneficial.