So I want to play a paladin who wields a sword and shield, but when things get dire and I really to wreck shop, I ditch them both for a Warhammer, but I'm having trouble making it work. Level 4-14 is the plan. Torag deity. So far I was thinking of using Furious Focus so when I switch my to hit is higher, but beyond that I'm not sure what to do.
Earth breaker works too. I basically want to call my sword Lightning and my hammer Thunder.
Also, if anyone knows what those words in Dwarven are, that would be very helpful as well :D
There's no set dictionary or tongue for languages in Pathfinder as far as I know. You could try ripping them off from Tolkien.
If you are going Dwarf, I'd consider the Tortured Crusader archetype to compensate for the lowered CHA.
Anyway, I'd just get Quick Draw as a feat at 3rd level or 5th, rest works well from beforehand.
Use Quick Draw to make good use of thrown weapons and bows too!
Ended up with human for reasons. Quick draw was something I figured I'd need. Was even thinking Quickdraw shield. I originally thought weapon focus, but for which weapon? Power attack is obvious if I go the Furious Focus route. I'm just not sure how to justify staying with the shield for normal walking around
And I know there isn't a pathfinder written out language, was hoping someone might be more familiar with Tolkien david than i
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Power Attack is yes all the time. Weapon Focus and Furious Focus are not good choices, the former not being a good choice for Paladins in general and the latter not being a good choice for this character.
Well what would you recommend?
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IMO, the key to switching weapons is to have the weapons serve different purposes. (The challenge of the original idea of sword and shield vs warhammer is that the weapons don't really have different tactical abilities).
For example, a reach weapon as primary plus one-handed weapon (with or without shield if you can manage the action economy) as backup is a good combo. Use the reach weapon to control area and get extra attacks in. Switch to the one-handed weapon when you want to shut someone down by getting in their face (perhaps with step-up, perhaps just with maneuvering), or someone gets in your face. Another example is bow plus one-handed or two handed weapon on a switch hitter character. Use the bow to start combats and when the enemy won't let you close. Use the melee weapon when things get into close combat.
Likewise, if you have multiple weapons, you can take a slightly different approach to weapon enhancements. In 3.5, for example, I ran a character who switched between two weapons: one was a wounding guisarme, and the other was a ghost touch, undead bane longsword. Ghost touch and undead bane are a great combo because most things that you want ghost touch for are undead. And the wounding guisarme comboed nicely with the undead bane weapon because the undead bane weapon targeted the primary group of foes who were immune to the con damaging effect of wounding. Unfortunately, Pathfinder wounding is not a very effective enhancement so the combo is no good for Pathfinder, but a paladin who has, for example, a holy evil outsider bane warhammer, and a keen, impact bardiche might be able to get some benefit out of having two different enhancements to play with.
So go with different enchantments for different situations. Interesting idea, to say the least, would probably work well. And my reasoning for wanting to switch would be the bonus to AC from the shield, plus I wanted a weapon master, as he worships Torag. Any feat recomendations to get me started?
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If you want to go with two different weapon setups primarily for the bonus to AC, then there is no need to actually switch weapons. You can do what you want by using one-handed weapon in two hands and getting a quickdraw shield or using a one-handed weapon with a buckler. That way you can do the damage setup (one-handed weapon in two hands) or the defensive setup (one-handed weapon and shield) without significant cost in actions and without the expense of maintaining two weapons.
Both approaches have their advantages. Buckler+weapon does not cost any feats or actions and still leaves you with a free hand for lay-on hands, but you do take a -1 to hit whenever you use the weapon in two hands (and forfeit the buckler's AC bonus). Buckler plus weapon also combines well with bow/sword switch hitting if you decide that you also want to have a different combat mode available.
Weapon+quickdraw shield costs you a feat (quickdraw--though it's got a lot of uses so it's not a waste) and depending upon DM interpretation may not leave your hand available for lay on hands when you are in defensive mode (which is probably when you want lay on hands healing), but you don't take the -1 to hit in offensive mode. This style is probably inferior for strict offense/defense mode switching but combines better with reach weapons or other multiple weapon options since you are taking Quickdraw anyway.
If you want a different combat mode available, you can carry a lucerne hammer or bardiche, use it for when you want the offensive focus or until the enemy closes, then quickdraw your one-handed weapon and shield for defensive focus without losing any attacks. Alternately, if you have a decent dex, you could choose to start combats carrying a bow and quickdraw to one-handed weapon plus quickdraw shield when the enemy closed.
Either way, you want Power Attack as a feat and that's really the only requirement unless you decide to go with a reach weapon as a secondary option (in which case you will want Combat Reflexes too) or ranged attacks as a secondary option (in which case you will want Point Blank Shot and Rapid Shot and probably Deadly Aim).