How forgiving is RotRL to trip builds?

[Anger Nogar]

Hello guys. A few friends invited me to join there group for the start of the RotRL#4 adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants.
Since we will be only 3 players, the DM has given us +1 extra level and 22 point buy to play with. I have heard some rumors about RotRL not being very martial friendly so I was wandering how viable my character will be for the rest of the adventure path. Our remaining party members are an unchained rogue and a magus, so with the rogue having the dispelling attack and the magus having dispel magic I am somewhat safe from enemies using fly to make themselves immune to trip, but there are many ways to fly that are not dispellable (or many monsters that can't be tripped) so I was wondering how worried should I be in this regard and are there any major weaknesses that my character have overall. My CMB should be high enough that I can reliably trip large strong monsters like giants and such, though I am not really sure.

Human Lore Warden 5/Oath of Vengeance Paladin 6
Init +4; Perception +12
Aura courage (10 ft.)

DEFENSE
AC 23, touch 15, flat-footed 19 (+5 armor, +3 shield, +4 Dex, +1 insight)
hp 82 (11d10+22)
Fort +16, Ref +13, Will +14;
Immune disease, fear

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
+1 cold iron nodachi +22/+17/+12 (1d10/18–20)
Special Attacks smite evil 2/day (+3 attack and AC, +6 damage), weapon training (polearms +3)

Paladin Spells Prepared (CL 3rd; concentration +6)

1st—hero's defiance, protection from evil

STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 16
Base Atk +11; CMB +26 (+34 Trip); CMD 36 (43 vs. Disarm/Sunder)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Furious Focus, Cornugon Smash, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Greater Trip, Fury's Fall, Shield Brace, Advanced Weapon Training: Warrior's Spirit, Skill Focus: Intimidate, Skill Focus: Perception.
Traits: Ancestral Weapon, Carefully Hidden; Alternative Racial Traits: Focused Study
Skills Intimidate +23, Diplomacy +17, Perception +18, Knowledge (The Planes) +9, Knowledge (Religion).
Languages Common, Giant
SQ aura, code of conduct, divine bond (weapon +1, 1/day), lay on hands (3d6, 5/day), mercies (fatigued, staggered), warrior's spirit (weapon +3, 4/day), maneuver mastery +2.
Combat Gear: +1 cold iron nodachi, +1 chain shirt, +1 mithral heavy shield, Gloves of Dueling, Belt of Physical Might +4, Cloak of Resistance +3, Headband of Alluring Charisma +2, Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone, Wayfinder, 3 potions of fly.

[Rerednaw]

A great deal depend on how a GM runs the game and your party. Is everyone optimized? Does the GM increase the difficulty of the game to match the PC's optimization?

If you are talking in general, then right around the time a martial gets really good at trip is right around when it usually becomes highly situational and you usually have better options...including just smiting the heck of the foe.

[the Diviner]

Regarding CMB. Against CR 11 and below enemies you will in generel be successful. But when faced with level+1 and higher enemies your chances dips to about 50% without additional bonuses (haste/ inspire courage/ Smite). I would say that your CMB is adequate but that is about it. And that you should attempt to get a way to become large sized for the huge enemies you are going to be fighting later on. And even then some of them are gargantuan or have 4+ legs.

My advice would be to get a permanent Enlarge Person cast upon you. Or get a way to get it reliable and quick in combat.

Also if you fail your trip and they can full attack you, you are in big trouble with that AC.

[Letric]

If you have an Brown Fur Arcanist in your party that can cast Long Arm and use Enlarge Person you might have enough Reach to make some trips from a safe spot.

The last boss we fought in Rise had a +17 to hit and we were level 7, and our tank had 22 AC, didn't matter much honestly.

Your AC is way too low, so you're gonna be taking lots of damage. Also anything that doesn't have legs or has more than 3 is going to be a problem.

[Elder Basilisk]

I agree with what others said WRT AC and would add this: A nodachi and a heavy steel shield is usually a little tough to use at the same time. RAW, it doesn't work.

To start with, I'd strongly consider switching to mithral agile breastplate from the chain shirt. That will net you two more AC and you can either stick with the shield and downgrade your weapon to a longsword or ditch the shield.

Or you could rearrange your stats and go with 18 Con, 12 Dex and fullplate which would end up giving you the same AC as the mithral breastplate at less cost and about 33 more hp at a mobility cost that may or may not matter.