The Goals for this build are to achieve a solid amount of DPR (largely aided through the use of Radiant Vulnerability, a nice critical range, and Hero of Faith), as well as to take advantage of the Paladin's secondary role of Leader. To do this, we take such options as the Hospitaler PP, Solar Enemy, Hero of Faith, Bless Weapon, and Punisher of the Gods.
Eventual Goals: To produce snapshots at level 1, 11, 21, as well as 30 - with DPR calculations done for all of them, as well as an analysis of the build at said levels.
What I would ask of anyone who is interested? First of all to PEACH and give as many suggestions for improvements as one would like. After all - improvements are indeed improvements and I'd be a fool to turn down community feedback.
A closing note - this is my first attempt at posting a build to the Character Optimization forums - I would like to thank Litigation for his diligent efforts in both of his Paladin Handbooks which I heavily perused in order to produce this build.
Radiant Crusader, level 30 Changeling, Paladin, Hospitaler, Punisher of the Gods Build: Virtuous Paladin Background: Windrise Ports, (Windrise Ports Benefit)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES Str 12 Con 14 Dex 16 Int 10 Wis 24 Cha 26
STARTING ABILITY SCORES Str 10 Con 12 Dex 12 Int 8 Wis 16 Cha 16
FEATS Acolyte Power Bardic Dilettante Divine Mastery Hero of Faith Honored Foe Fickle Servant Focused Expertise (Fullblade) Mark of Warding Paladin's Truth Pervasive Light Pious Champion Power of Arcana Power of the Sun Solar Enemy Untiring Virtue White Lotus Riposte White Lotus Master Riposte Weapon Proficiency (Fullblade)
POWERS Lay on Hands: Lay on Hands Paladin at-will 1: Enfeebling Strike Paladin at-will 1: Virtuous Strike Paladin encounter 1: Valorous Smite Paladin daily 1: Majestic Halo Paladin utility 2: Bless Weapon Paladin encounter 3: Avenging Smite Paladin daily 5: Name of Might Paladin utility 6: Wrath of the Gods Paladin encounter 7: Price of Cowardice Paladin daily 9: Crown of Glory Paladin utility 10: Vengeful Vigilance Paladin encounter 13: Compel Obedience (replaces Avenging Smite) Paladin daily 15: True Nemesis (replaces Name of Might) Paladin utility 16: Divine Aegis Paladin encounter 17: Hand of the Gods (replaces Valorous Smite) Paladin daily 19: Corona of Blinding Radiance (replaces Crown of Glory) Paladin utility 22: Failure is No Option (retrained to Refocus Enmity at Acolyte Power) Paladin encounter 23: Demand Respect (replaces Compel Obedience) Paladin daily 25: Discipline the Unruly (replaces Corona of Blinding Radiance) Paladin encounter 27: Restricting Smite (replaces Price of Cowardice) Paladin daily 29: Name of Awe (replaces True Nemesis)
ITEMS Holy Avenger Fullblade +6 Siberys Shard of Radiance (epic tier) Brightleaf (heroic tier) (20) Iron Armbands of Power (epic tier) War Ring (paragon tier)
First of all, one of the premises for this build is that White Lotus Master Riposte, Power of Arcana, and Virtuous Strike work in a specific way. That is to say: When an enemy you hit with an arcane at-will attack power attacks you before the start of your next turn, you can repeat the at-will attack power’s attack against that enemy as an immediate reaction. I take this to mean that as long as the triggering hit is a Virtuous Strike as modified by the Power of Arcana, the Virtuous Strike is the at-will that is repeated, independent of it's modification once White Lotus Master Riposte is activated. Ergo, I would hit with a Power of Arcana modified Virtuous Strike, and then Riposte with a Power of the Sun Virtuous Strike.
Following from this premise - The reason for being a changeling and attempting to cherrypick said domains is (somewhat) validated or invalidated - I confess that I am unclear as to whether or not it can work in the way that I am hoping that it can.
Moving on from there - My main uncertainties at this point are feats. Specifically I'm questioning as to whether or not Pervasive Light is worth holding onto until level 30. Specifically, at level 30. At this point, the only two powers I will have that do not possess the Radiant keyword would be Name of Awe, and Restricting Smite. Presumable their lack of radiant keywords could be circumvented with the Brightleaf consumable (grants a free action to add 5/10/15 radiant damage to an attack). Doing this would allow us to free up Pervasive Light with a potentially more benefiting feat. Possibilities are Font of Radiance, Penetrating Radiance, Robust Defenses, Armor Specialization, Weapon Focus, etc. Also this would free up our weapon choice from Holy Avenger to a potentially more beneficial weapon selection (Which is not to say that the Holy Avenger is Lacking).
Just a quick note (I'll try to give you more feedback later): the Punisher of the Gods is generally regarded as completely broken and builds using it are usually regarded as not being serious. But most importantly, as this seems to be an exercise in practical optimization (it's supposed to be a fully playable build), I strongly recommend that you reconsider the choice of ED - just using a moderately crit-optimized build with PotG will simply break the game in half, and thus this build will be unusable (or nearly so) in actual play at level 21. I recommend the boring but good Demigod or Chosen ED.
Test your PC builds' combat prowess and pit them against other builds at the Core Coliseum - the online D&D arena.
Also have in mind that Power of the Sun and Power of Arcana both at the same time to make Virtuous Strike impose radiant vulnerability AND withe lotus (master) riposte. Also Power of the Sun does not stack on top of Solar Enemy (although the other way around the powers do stack). Speaking of Solar enemy - it is pretty obvious that the lack of duration is a misprint (It DOES not say "until the end of the encounter" so I don't know why everyone is assuming it.). Expect to be fixed to "until the end of your next turn" in the next errata.
Quite impressive, until you find monsters that attack your FORT or REF defense. At the appropriate level they would be able to hit you about 75%, if not more. Since especially attacks against FORT tend to have nasty side-effects, it might be that you won't be able to use your offensive potential in the way you would want to.
ITEMS Helm of Able Defense (paragon tier), Iron Armbands of Power (paragon tier), Antipathy Gloves (heroic tier), Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (paragon tier), Iron Ring of the Dwarf Lords (paragon tier), Tattoo of Vengeance (paragon tier), Adventurer's Kit, Boots of Quickness (paragon tier), Rhythm Blade Parrying dagger +6, Cloak of Displacement +6, Holy Avenger Scimitar +6, Dazzling Plate Godplate Armor +6, Diamond Cincture (paragon tier)
ITEMS Helm of Able Defense (paragon tier), Iron Armbands of Power (paragon tier), Antipathy Gloves (heroic tier), Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (paragon tier), Iron Ring of the Dwarf Lords (paragon tier), Tattoo of Vengeance (paragon tier), Adventurer's Kit, Boots of Quickness (paragon tier), Bradaman's Scimitar +6, Rhythm Blade Parrying dagger +6, Cloak of Displacement +6, Diamond Cincture (paragon tier), Agile Godplate Armor +6
ITEMS Helm of Able Defense (paragon tier), Iron Armbands of Power (paragon tier), Antipathy Gloves (heroic tier), Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (paragon tier), Iron Ring of the Dwarf Lords (paragon tier), Tattoo of Vengeance (paragon tier), Adventurer's Kit, Boots of Quickness (paragon tier), Rhythm Blade Parrying dagger +6, Cloak of Displacement +6, Holy Avenger Scimitar +6, Dazzling Plate Godplate Armor +6, Diamond Cincture (paragon tier)
ITEMS Helm of Able Defense (paragon tier), Iron Armbands of Power (paragon tier), Antipathy Gloves (heroic tier), Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (paragon tier), Iron Ring of the Dwarf Lords (paragon tier), Tattoo of Vengeance (paragon tier), Adventurer's Kit, Boots of Quickness (paragon tier), Rhythm Blade Parrying dagger +6, Cloak of Displacement +6, Holy Avenger Scimitar +6, Dazzling Plate Godplate Armor +6, Diamond Cincture (paragon tier)
