Optimizing a Charging Paladin

[DarkDisciple]

Hey everyone. I am making a charge-based paladin for an upcoming game and am looking any advice.

The character will be taking the Shining Knight (better charging) and Empyreal Knight (eventual flying mount) archetypes. The plan is to swoop around the battlefield charging in and getting away without anything (melee) being able to hit me. Aside from readied attacks that is.

Not sure what level the campaign will start at.

Human Paladin:

Stats:
str - 20
dex - 11
con - 14
int - 10
wis - 8
cha - 16

Skills: ride, handle animal

Feat Progression:
Level 1: Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack
Level 3: Spirited Charge
Level 5: Power Attack
Level 7: Furious Focus
Level 9: Wheeling Charge
Level 11: Mounted Blade
Level 13: Death From Above
Level 15: Vital Strike
Level 17: Improved Vital Strike
Level 19: Greater Vital Strike

Heavy Horse:

Skills: fly

Feat Progression:
Level 1: Iron Will
Level 3: Great Fortitude
Level 5: Toughness
Level 7: Improved Iron Will
Level 9: Wingover
Level 11: Hover
Level 13: Improved Great Fortitude
Level 15: Valiant Steed
Level 17: Fleet
Level 19: Fleet

Any advice / change ideas you want to throw at me are much appreciated.

[williamoak]

One feet could be interesting:

Radiant charge:
Prerequisites: Lay on hands class feature.

Benefit: When you hit with a charge attack, you can expend all of your remaining uses of lay on hands to deal extra damage equal to 1d6 per use of lay on hands expended + your Charisma bonus. This damage comes from holy power and is not subject to damage reduction, energy immunities, or energy resistances.

Can be worth it.

[soupturtle]

Your animal companion doesn't get feats at the same rate you do. Check the animal companion rules.
Aside from that, I'd start with a bit less strength and a bit more dex, and with your point buy also a bit more int. Not getting at least a 12 in dex seems like a waste, and it would be nice to have some skill points to put in things other than ride and handle animal, but maybe that's just me.

[dreadfury]

You dont need that much con as a paladin. You wo t be in the frey if you play the charges right

[DarkDisciple]

Thanks for pointing that out for the animal companion feats soupturtle! I will drop the two fleet feats and shift the rest down a bit.

The Empyreal Knight archetype that gives the mount wings at lvl 12 removes lay on hands. Radiant charge does sound cool otherwise. Would definitely take if I was staying on the ground.

Even mithral heavy armor has a fairly low max-dex (+4). Assuming I'll have a +6 dex item someday, more than 12 seems high. Was planning to put a 12th point into dex at lvl 4, and the rest into str.

[rorek55]

IF advanced races are ok.

Look into assimar palaind (angelkin type)

+2 str +2 cha no negatives. low/night vision

SLA- alter self

also, see if the GM (long as its not PFS) would allow you to gain a Pegasus as a divine companion. I mean, casters can fly whenever, why can't a martial >.>. (have it "level" up with you, so it gains flying at say, level 7.

[soupturtle]

If you put a point into dex at level 4 it would have been much more efficient to start with one less strength. You're now spending 18 points on starting with 20 strength and 11 dex, then increasing to 20/12. You could also spend 15 points to start with 19/12, increasing to 20/12 at 4. Or start with 19/14 for the same 18 points and go to 20/14.

[DarkDisciple]

soupturtle wrote:

If you put a point into dex at level 4 it would have been much more efficient to start with one less strength. You're now spending 18 points on starting with 20 strength and 11 dex, then increasing to 20/12. You could also spend 15 points to start with 19/12, increasing to 20/12 at 4. Or start with 19/14 for the same 18 points and go to 20/14.

I think I will do just that and start at 19/12 with some points to spare.