Paladin 'Holy Warrior' advice...

[Dykeras]

I am new to the game but love role play ( a veteran of BG/BG2 ) and loved playing a melee Paladin 'Holy Warrior' and wondered if anyone had any advice to build one?

 

1, I realise a Pally Melee will do less damage than either a Warrior or Barbarian

2, I also realise that to focus on Melee damage (non tank), I will have to sacrifice some of the healing abilities

 

All advice appreciated (with regards to Stat distribution/race/skill choices must-haves  

[KDubya]

My advice is to:

 

1.) Read over the different Paladin Orders, specifically their preferred and prohibited behaviors. These will have a huge effect on your defenses as you either conform or ignore them. Choose an order that you can roleplay. If you can not be cruel and aggressive do not take Bleak Walker, by the same token if you need to steal and lie to get "more stuff" do not choose to be a Kind Wayfarer.

 

2.) For greater immersion turn off the dialogue descriptions so it does not show you what are aggressive, honest and so forth. You'll need to read and make your own choices.

 

3.) Pick a race and culture that you like for roleplaying. Stats are not that critical that you need to min max to the extreme, This is true for PotD. Solo play has different requirements.

 

4.) I'd keep all stats a minimum of ten. That gives you 18 additional points to spread. You can pick three and make them 15, the last three points can be used to make one of the tens a thirteen or one of the fifteens an eighteen.. Might, Perception, Intellect and Resolve are all key abilities. What is more important is what role you want your Paladin to cover.

 

5.) Choose a weapon style that you like, dual wield for damage, weapon and shield for tanking or two hander for damage and DR penetration. All can be successful, best to go with what fits your image of your Paladin.

 

6.) Choose a weapon group that appeals to you. The game is well balanced in that most every weapon group is about as powerful as another. If in doubt look at Soldier, Ruffian, Knight or Adventurer.

 

 

Its a role playing game, better to pick a concept and build for that than try for some sort of munchkin min max.

 

Abilities to get:

1.) Lay on Hands - the best single target heal in the game. It scales with Might, Intellect and level. It even has a talent that will increase it by 50%.

2.) Sacred Immolation - level 13 but it is worth the wait. An AoE heal for your team and an AoE fire attack that burns your foes. Scales with Might and Intellect.

3.) Aura of your choice. All are good. I like to have two paladins on the team and run the DR boost and the accuracy boost at the same time.

4.) Flames of Devotion - great alpha strike ability. Works really well with slow firing heavy hitting ranged weapons like arquebus, since you will only fire once the big damage is what you want.

5.) The rest of the abilities are all good, the choice depends on what you want your Paladin to do

 

Talents to get:

1.) Weapon Focus - choose one you like. +6 accuracy is nice

2.) Paladin class talents are all pretty nice and can enhance what you've already taken as an ability

3.) weapon style - choose one. Also single weapon style works with weapon and shield style.

4.) Scion of Flame - works with Flames of Devotion as well as Sacred Immolation.

 

 

Paladins are a great class and can do most anything that you want them to, you just need to build for the purpose.

[DreamWayfarer]

All KDubya said, and I'd like to add that Kind Wayfarer paladins gave a talent that gives allies an AoE heal when they kill enemies, which should fit well into the "holy avenger" theme, even if paladins in Eora are not necessarily religious, and none of the available orders is bound to a certain god.

[SimpleEnigma]

I found a dual wield Shieldbearer paladin to be really fun. Shieldbearers get a modification to Flames of Devotion (first level damage ability) that gives nearby allies defensive bonuses whenever FoD is used. There's another talent that gives another defensive bonus if you get the killing blow on an enemy. I only played it on normal but I found it to do decent damage and the defensive buffs helped prevent my party members from dropping like potatoes. It works with 2H or 1H and small shield but dual wield makes it easier to get the last hit. Stat distribution I'd use:

 

16/9/10/12/18/13

[Boeroer]

Tehehe: a Shieldbearer dual wielding sabres. Sounds fun!

[SimpleEnigma]

Tehehe: a Shieldbearer dual wielding sabres. Sounds fun!

You know what they say, sometimes the best shield is a good sabre!

Edited January 24, 2016 by SimpleEnigma