Paladin feats

Khalen · Post by **Khalen** » Sun Sep 29, 2002 1:17 pm

I'm making a paladin, and I've got all my feats figured out except for three slots. I have five potential feats for these three slots. I'm curious as to how people would rank these feats for importance to fill the remaining slots.

greater cleave
Improved critical
blind fight
lightning reflexes
subvocal fighting

Schwoebli · Post by **Schwoebli** » Sun Sep 29, 2002 2:50 pm

I would take them in the following order:

1. improved critical
2. greater cleave
3. blind fight or if your dex and cha is low take lightning reflexes

you mean subvocal casting not fighting?

btw I would focus on large swords...

Khalen · Post by **Khalen** » Sun Sep 29, 2002 9:05 pm

Yeah, I meant subvocal casting. Is this feat generally considered to not be worth the effort for paladins? If they only gave paladins one more feat in the game I would be content. Now I actually have to choose, which means I have to form an opinion, which requires me to think, and right there I'm just asking for trouble. Also, I have only 13 dex, but I have 16 char, so I get the +3 to my saves. Is this sufficient for reflex saving throws later, or will it cost me?

The Drow shall conquer y... oh look at the kitty.

Khalen · Post by **Khalen** » Sun Sep 29, 2002 9:43 pm

Almost forgot, the feats I've already decided to get are as follows:

Greatsword - Nothing says lovin like someone with a 6' blade

Imp. Initiative - Gotta be quick, cause I'm tricky

Dodge - To avoid getting hit in those sensitive places

Dirty Fighting - What can I say, I like it dirty

Dash - always slip-sliding away

Power Attack - The closest paladins come to a homicidal rage where they wail at their enemy's protruding heads with wreckless abandon until they satisfy that little gleam in their eye

Cleave - Because everyone loves a double header. (Sorry, I had to... I'll go sit in the corner and shut up now)

Used to be planning on getting on getting Heroic Ins. but I've changed my mind because I'd rather have a feat that helps me all the time instead of just when I'm getting spanked like a child. So basically I'm like this now:

4 open feats

Choices are:

greater cleave
Improved critical
blind fight
lightning reflexes
subvocal fighting

Which one would most people cut (runner up too)?

Schwoebli · Post by **Schwoebli** » Mon Sep 30, 2002 10:27 am

you won't cast many spells. -> no need for subvocal casting

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Mon Sep 30, 2002 10:46 am

What Schwoebli said; paladin spells are generally not combat oriented, and even if they were, if you're your paladin is one of your party's primary spellcasters, you are horribly misusing him.

One underrated feat I recommend for every party's pack mule(s) is Strong Back which improves a character's carrying capacity by 50%. It's not very glamourous, but very, very useful.

baileyatbrats · Post by **baileyatbrats** » Mon Sep 30, 2002 11:31 am

I agree with the strong back idea. Though that's also one that some of your less beefy characters might want to take. (In those fights where the only people left are the physically weak spell casters it will help them to have a little more carying capacity as they drag your paladin's body parts back to his temple.)

Sub vocal casting would be useless for a Paladin.
The rest is a matter of choice. By the way... "Dirty fighting"? Is that in keeping with that character's code of conduct? (The game doesn't care, but you might.)

Improved critical and great cleave are good because they will help clean up the annoying badly hurt characters who can still land a critical on your characters. Blind fight will help you hit, which is what Paladins are for.

Rheomyr · Post by **Rheomyr** » Thu Oct 03, 2002 6:26 pm

If you have a couple of reasonably strong chars in the party the strong back feat can wait. I completely agree that a paladin should not be given the dirty fighting thing. It is beneath him.

Another concern is intellegence. With Int=10 you can only get one feat and one skill point at a time. I should have allocated more intellegence (or perhaps wisdom) not only to my wizard and rouge but to fighters as well. At least 12. My dwarf fighter is so thick with his Int and Wis 10!!!

Khalen · Post by **Khalen** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 3:49 am

So the feel I'm getting is: subvocal casting = baaad, oh very bad, but strong back = good (lika the bull). Also definitely get greater cleave. Got it. Good stuff that. Thanks.

Now about the dirty fighting. I know Paladins are supposed to be virtuous and the prime example of chivalry and all that, but I have a slightly different outlook on mine, he's a Drow. They're not exactly the poster boys for Paladin-hood. The way I see it, he was raised in a close-knit home filled with cookies, spiders, slavery, deceit, rage, murder, and lots of bloody, bloody mutilations leaving piles of decorative body parts in unswept corners. Did I mentions spiders? Not liking spiders, the man left his happy home in search of something better. After spending time amongst the assorted rivin (who were always ready to lend him a helping hand with a torch to light his way or pitchfork to help fight off bandits), he decided to try give something back and started training to become a Paladin. Now he's done well and is adapting to the unusual way of thinking, but old habits die hard and so he has a tendancy to throw the occaisional finger to the eye, knee to the groin, etc. He's working on it, sort of. After all, his heart's in the right place, in his chest, and he intends to keep it that way.

baileyatbrats · Post by **baileyatbrats** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 9:50 am

Good points about the drow.
Though his actual religion should drive the code, one can see where he might have dirty fighting in his background. do you have "blind fight" drow will need that.

lompo · Post by **lompo** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 1:52 am

Originally posted by Rheomyr

Another concern is intellegence. With Int=10 you can only get one feat and one skill point at a time. I should have allocated more intellegence (or perhaps wisdom) not only to my wizard and rouge but to fighters as well. At least 12. My dwarf fighter is so thick with his Int and Wis 10!!! [/b]

Intelligence shouldn't affect the number of feats you get (only the skill points) and wisdom don't affect neithor of the two or I'm mistaking?

Rheomyr · Post by **Rheomyr** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 6:16 pm

Yes, Int modifier determines the amount of skill points per level. I don't know, but clerics with high Wis and Int=10 seem to gain more skill points as well. Anybody else noticed that or it is my imagination? Plus, of course, humans get extra spell points. You right about feats; basically I meant that with low Int you woud get ONLY ONE skill point (and a feat or feats from time to time).

1-800-DOCTORB · Post by **1-800-DOCTORB** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 11:51 pm

Just to clear up any confusion people may have: intelligence does not, I repeat, "does not" affect feats in any way. The only thing that effects feats is race and class. Humans get 1 bonus feat at 1st level. Fighters get 1 bonus feat at 1st level, 2nd level, and every even level after that (i.e. 4th, 6th, 8th, ect., ect.) Wizards get 1 bonus feat at 1st level, 5th level, and every 5 levels afterward (i.e. 10th, 15th, 20th, ect., ect.) And wisdom does not affect skills in any way.