Starting a game where the enemies are mostly evil outsiders, ghosts, and undead. So I was going to play a Paladin. I liked how Ghost Hunter looked but its a little over specialized. Anyone know of any Archetypes / Archetype combos that would give me an edge?
You want a lot of smites if most of your enemies will be affected, possibly more than you want lay on hands then. Oath of vengeance will let you trade in 2 LoH for one smite on the fly.
Yeah look at the Oathbound Paladin oaths.
Oath of Vengeance is the basic SMITE EVERYTHING archetype. Lots of damage output.
There are others that let you dimension-lock outsiders so they can't teleport away, things like that.
There's an argument to be made for the Faithful Wanderer archetype.
Since most of the enemies will be of those subtypes, having a permanent bonus against them provides you more durability.
Add in the fact that you get more skill ranks per level and that the archetype makes you harder to find in an evil-aligned plane, then it starts taking shape on its own.
Faithful Wanderer is not a bad archetype, but its benefits do come at the cost of eliminating the protective benefits your auras would have to the party, and, since "Stalk Evil" is a replacement ability, don't expect Favored Enemy or Smite Evil wondrous items to work with it.
I've always been of the opinion that the core paladin is stronger than any of the archetypes, and that anything else you need should be picked up via limited multiclassing and gear.
--Where the paladin is "most effective" is in managing attrition; swift-action Lay on Hands enables him to mitigate more raw damage than any other martial class in the game.
Smite is just gravy. It's the other abilities of the class that make paladin rock.
I've always been of the opinion that the core paladin is stronger than any of the archetypes, and that anything else you need should be picked up via limited multiclassing and gear.
--Where the paladin is "most effective" is in managing attrition; swift-action Lay on Hands enables him to mitigate more raw damage than any other martial class in the game.
Smite is just gravy. It's the other abilities of the class that make paladin rock.
I kind of agree, but it depends what you want to get out of your Paladin:
Oath of Vengeance - Lose Channel Positive Energy (a terrible ability) and get almost unlimited Smites? Yes Please. Your Group smite at level 11 isn't as good but you can use it way more often.
Hospitaler - Turn that Channel Positive Energy into real Channel Energy. With the addition of MEDITATION CRYSTALS you can turn those channels into more Lay on Hands. Comes at the cost of Reduced Smites per day, but makes you the most invincible character at the table!
Oath of the People's Council - Want that level 11 group smite but can't wait till level 11? Not quite as powerful, but between Bardic Performance and your Auras you become everybody's favourite buffing machine, and you don't even have to use actions to do it. All those buffs mean the enemy really has to focus on you to take the group down, which in this case is exactly what you want (my personal favourite archetype for an Oradin).
Channel Energy gets a bum rap because charisma is seldom a cleric's primary score. But it is often a paladin's primary score (and usually stratospheric in those instances), and a paladin has plenty of good reason to pick up Extra Channel (since that results in four extra LoH). In short, they're much better at it than clerics, with far higher DCs and many, many uses per day. E.g., a human strength-based "reach-cleric built on the advice of the guide has one channel per day, whereas a halfling paladin must wait a few levels, but is then getting half a dozen at DC+7 or so higher than the cleric due to Cha 20 versus Cha 7.
In any sort of packed-room encounter where you're stuck in the back early on (because your initiative sucks as a paladin), it is amazing attrition-management software in conjunction with Selective Channel.
If you're going to be smiting a lot, make sure your Cha is high. Maybe even equal to or even higher than your Str if that's how you want to play. Also, if your campaign is going to go higher than lvl 11, make sure whatever archetypes you choose don't trade out Aura of Justice. It's the best buff in the game-- Smite Evil on the entire party.
For traits, I recommend "Called."
It lets you re-roll a natural 1 on attack rolls, once per day.
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Scion of War gets you Charisma to Initiative.
Worship RA (the LN Sun God), and use Variant Channeling for dazing channels via the Rulership area of concern. If you get access to the Fire Domain, your channels will light them on fire, as well as Daze them. Suddenly channeling is worth investing in.
Dip Nature Oracle for the Nature's Whispers Mystery, take the Legalistic Curse.
Carry a +2 Glorious reach weapon (RA favors spears, but the Bardiche or Fauchard are better) and wear spiked armor.
There is a 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming archetype called Divine Calling that gives up Divine Bond for access to a 1/day Summon Monster SLA (maxes with Summon Monster IV @ lvl 13). Aasimar have an alternative racial feature that makes anything you summon stick around for 3 extra rounds. It's not much, but it's a way to add some limited summoning to the Paladin.
There is an Aasimar alternative racial feature that allows you to summon a Lantern Archon 1/day as an SLA, as well (but I wouldn't give up the Daylight SLA, because of the Heavenly Radiance racial feat).
(but I wouldn't give up the Daylight SLA, because of the Heavenly Radiance racial feat).
Ah yes, Wandering Star Mote as a spell-like ability is wonderful. Even if that is the only Heavenly Radiance you take, it is nice to daze enemies twice a day.