Eureka! I've been working extra hard trying to develop a character that fits a unique role:
1. Defendery so he can stand on the front line. 2. Source of tremendous healing (building toward a Hospitaler) 3. Able to dish out some arcane hurt through blasts and bursts and daggers.
Since I wanted a sufficient healer, I had to go standard Chaladin/Cleric build in the Heroic levels. However, I need to make sure to maintain Expertise in the light blade (sorry, no Bastard Sword) in order to be able to shift powers to Sorcerer at 11th.
At 11th level, I pick Hospitaler, which will pretty much cover my healing powers and I can retrain Initiate of the Faith to Sorcerer at 11th. From there on out, it's all Paladin/Sorcerer.
I landed on the Paladin with a focus in the Wis and CHA, ignoring STR. Here is the first 10 levels:
FEATS 1: Initiate of the Faith 2: Implement Expertise (holy symbol) 4: Weapon Expertise (Light Blade) 6: Healing Hands 8: Acolyte Power 10: Adept Power
POWERS 1, At-Will: Bolstering Strike 1, At-Will: Enfeebling Strike 1, Encounter: Acid Orb 1, Encounter: Fearsome Smite 1, Daily: On Pain of Death 2, Utility: Astral Speech (retrained to Cure Light Wounds at Acolyte Power) 3, Encounter: Invigorating Smite 5, Daily: Sign of Vulnerability (retrained to Consecrated Ground at Adept Power) 6, Utility: Wrath of the Gods 7, Encounter: Benign Transposition 9, Daily: Crown of Glory 10, Utility: Cleansing Spirit (retrained to Bastion of Health at Acolyte Power)
ITEMS Heavy Shield, Adventurer's Kit, Plate Armor of Cleansing +2, Cloak of Distortion +1, Cunning Short sword +2, Symbol of Divine Reach +2
I really like this build because I get full armor and divine challenge with some saucy arcane powers especially with the half-elf dillettante selection of Clost Blast Burning Hands. Some build highlights:
Full Plate Armor and Heavy Shield Implement Spells (except Acid Orb) +12 to AT against NADs level 9 (+5 Cha mod, +4 1/2 level, +1 implement expertise, +2 Holy Symbol). Short Sword is +15 to AT against AC (+5 Cha mod, +4 1/2 level, +3 proficiency bonus, +1 Weap Expertise, +2 weapon item bonus). CHA modifier to most damages. CHA mods to healing. Lots of healing from high WIS. 4 and growing lay on hands per day.
Depending on whether you want bigger one-creature damage or minion clearing powers, you can elect either Acid-Orb or Burning Spray. I went with Burning Spray for minion control. Acid-Orb has a range of 20, does solid 1d10 damage, is a basic ranged attack, and can be used in melee with Sorcerer Blade Channeling. If you want to start with a Dillettante power but don't like it at higher levels, it can be retrained.
The character play is focused on getting right in the face of bad guys, applying divine challenge, and then supporting the team with healing, bolstering temp hitpoints, and laying out some arcane damage with the occasional blast/burst/single enemy damage through the dagger.
FEATS 1: Initiate of the Faith (retrained to Arcane Prodigy at Level 11) 2: Implement Expertise (holy symbol) 4: Weapon Expertise (Light Blade) 6: Healing Hands 8: Acolyte Power (retrained to Implement Expertise (Light Blade) at Level 12) 10: Adept Power 11: Versatile Master 12: Sorcerous Blade Channeling 14: Weapon Focus (Light Blade)Novice Power 16: Novice Power 18: Paragon Defenses (flexible feat that can be used to shore up other offensive or defensive powers) 20: War Wizardry
POWERS 1, At-Will: Bolstering Strike 1, At-Will: Enfeebling Strike 1, At-Will: Acid Orb 1, Encounter: Fearsome Smite 1, Daily: On Pain of Death 2, Utility: Astral Speech 3, Encounter: Invigorating Smite 5, Daily: Sign of Vulnerability (retrained to Consecrated Ground at 10th) 6, Utility: Wrath of the Gods 7, Encounter: Benign Transposition (retrained to Rimestorm at 14th) 9, Daily: Crown of Glory (retrained to Dazzling Ray (Adept Power) at 11th) 10, Utility: Cleansing Spirit 13, Encounter: Entangling Smite (replaces Invigorating Smite) 15, Daily: True Nemesis (replaces On Pain of Death) 16, Utility: Death Ward 17, Encounter: Fortifying Smite (retrained to Thunder Summons at Novice Power) (replaces Entangling Smite) 19, Daily: Corona of Blinding Radiance (replaces True Nemesis)
ITEMS Heavy Shield, Adventurer's Kit, Elemental Twist Dagger Dagger +4 (lvl20), Cloak of Distortion +4 (lvl18), Symbol of Divine Reach +4(lvl19), Plate Armor of Cleansing +4 (purchased) ______________________________________
+25 to Hit with Weapon +22 to Hit with Implement Sick Healing powers with Hospitaler Divine Challenge/Acid Orb combo is fun
FEATS 1: Initiate of the Faith (retrained to Arcane Prodigy at Level 11) 2: Implement Expertise (holy symbol) 4: Weapon Expertise (Light Blade) 6: Healing Hands 8: Novice Power 10: Adept Power 11: Versatile Master 12: Sorcerous Blade Channeling 14: Implement Expertise (Light Blade) 16: Weapon Focus (Light Blade) 18: Paragon Defenses (retrained to Robust Defenses at Level 21) 20: War Wizardry 21: Epic Resurgence 22: Font of Radiance 24: Sorcerous Flux 26: Quick Draw 28: Durable 30: Timely Respite
POWERS 1, At-Will: Bolstering Strike 1, At-Will: Enfeebling Strike 1, At-Will: Acid Orb 1, Encounter: Fearsome Smite 1, Daily: On Pain of Death 2, Utility: Astral Speech 3, Encounter: Invigorating Smite 5, Daily: Sign of Vulnerability 6, Utility: Wrath of the Gods 7, Encounter: Benign Transposition 9, Daily: Crown of Glory 10, Utility: Cleansing Spirit 13, Encounter: Renewing Smite (replaces Fearsome Smite) 15, Daily: True Nemesis (replaces On Pain of Death) 16, Utility: Angelic Intercession 17, Encounter: Hand of the Gods (replaces Invigorating Smite) 19, Daily: Corona of Blinding Radiance (replaces Sign of Vulnerability) 22, Utility: Death Ward 23, Encounter: Here Waits Thy Doom (replaces Renewing Smite) 25, Daily: To the Nine Hells with You (replaces Crown of Glory) 27, Encounter: Deific Vengeance (retrained to Thunder Pulse at Novice Power) (replaces Benign Transposition) 29, Daily: Even Hand of Justice (replaces To the Nine Hells with You)
ITEMS Heavy Shield, Adventurer's Kit, Elemental Twist Dagger Dagger +6, Symbol of Divine Reach +6, Tarrasque Plate Armor of Cleansing +6, Cloak of Distortion +5
1) Have you considered using a star of Corellon? That way you don't have to stick with a light blade. You'd lose sorcerous blade channeling, but I'm not sure that's such a huge loss. You also save yourself a feat in IE(LB).
2) For the chaladin/hospitaler build, I really like to take eyebite as the dilettante and grab psychic lock, as it completely hoses your mark.
1) Have you considered using a star of Corellon? That way you don't have to stick with a light blade. You'd lose sorcerous blade channeling, but I'm not sure that's such a huge loss. You also save yourself a feat in IE(LB).
2) For the chaladin/hospitaler build, I really like to take eyebite as the dilettante and grab psychic lock, as it completely hoses your mark.
Cheers!
Thanks. You and I are having a decent discussion about this on the Defender boards under "Best Dillettant Power for a Chaladin?". Here is the summed response to your points:
I like eyebite and agree that there certainly are advantages to going that route. I still think Acid Orb has benefits; namely the fact that Acid Orb is a Range 20 power capable of hitting hard to reach enemies and the damage output is comparable to a Bastard sword. That is not the strongest option for a melee build or a penalty inflicting build but an optimized power for versatility between melee and range.
RE Sorcerous Blade Channeling: I may not get the Sorcerer class feature damage bonus, but I can take advantage of the singular feat light blade Weapon focus damage for any attacks made through the dagger, sorcerer or other.
Maybe I'm overlooking something, but how are your starting stats so low (or did you purposely not include the Racial bonuses to Constitution and Charisma). The point-buy system allows for a 16 16 12 12 10 8 option easily, so shouldn't your starting stats be 10 14 12 8 16 18 ?
