Planning the Perfect Party | Lord Markus | Stygar | Akutagawa | Alliria | Tithian | Lady Elanna |
LORD MARKUS OF HELM, LAWFUL GOOD, AASIMAR PALADIN OF HELM 16 / FIGHTER 4
Why He's Included
A good tank is usually a mainstay for any serious adventuring party. This Paladin is my favorite build, and admittedly it is a matter of taste. The Barbarian x / Fighter 4 may for example be able to crank out more raw damage, but my Paladin will have plenty more defensive resources to draw upon to enhance his durability, including the use of a shield, higher saving throws, and Lay on Hands. He is also destined to use the now improved Holy Avenger. He will also be the party diplomat.
Roles
Primary Tank, Primary Mage Killer, Tertiary Healer, Tertiary Buffer, Primary Spokesperson
Stats
+4 to Charisma will help a Paladin's saving throws, Smite Evil (if and when he uses it), Lay on Hands, and Diplomacy. +1 to Strength will combine with the other +1 to Strength obtained from the Holy Avenger quest.
Skills
Concentration – My Paladin doesn't cast spells very often, but when he does, he often has to do it in close quarter combat.
Diplomacy – I let my Paladin do most of the talking, hence this skill.
Feats
Starting Feats: Weapon Focus: Longsword – My early use of Fighter levels has the point of enhancing his use of the Longsword, both to get him off the ground during the early levels, and also in the long run once he wields the Holy Avenger.
2nd level: Power Attack – and then ....
3rd level: Cleave – Now my Paladin is poised to score extra hits whenever he delivers a killing blow.
4th level: Blind-Fight. Useful if you get hit with blindness, but also against rogues that try to backstab you, or when you go after creatures that are under an invisibility effect (including Improved Invisibility) which is now much more common during Tactics.
6th level: Iron Will – I admit I'm a fan of feats that maximize my saving throws now, even with the Charisma bonus to saving throws for a Paladin. This is especially the case when I have my Paladin often step right up to spellcasters. Iron Will was my first choice because having my best warrior controlled by the other side can be a huge pain in the arse.
9th level: Improved Critical – A no-brainer for your warriors.
12th level: Fiendslayer – Adds a much welcome combat bonus to hit against certain kinds of dangerous yet frequent enemies.
15th level: Lightning Reflexes – Improving another relative weak point in my Paladin's saving throws.
18th level: Great Fortitude – Completing the maxing out of my Paladin's saving throws.
Inventory