Pillars of Faith (and Facestabs): The Paladin's Handbook
Thy heart ist pure, thy sword ist sharp, thy faith ist strong. So thou thinkest that thou art off to a good start down the arduous road of the defender of faith, but thou stillst haveth a long way to go before thou art ready to rescueth fair damsels, protecteth the innocent, and passeth judgment through steel and light on the most vile of creatures such as demons and the ever-infamous red dragons. Dost thou still believeth thou haveth what it taketh to measureth up to the standards of champions past? Then followeth along. But I do believeth that expecting thee to follow along in the language style of the champions of old ist a bit much to asketh at this point.
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... So now I speak in words that you raw recruits to the divine order can understand. Now let's go.
So why play a Paladin?
So you know about the inescapability of the Fighter, the mobility of the Swordmage and the sturdiness of the Warden. What do Paladins have to offer?
* Hit hard or heal lots. Your class is versatile, and you can easily build yourself to fit into any party and cover for any party weaknesses. Is your party's Striker a little light on the damage? You can build yourself to hit nearly as hard as a Striker. Are you led by a Tactical Warlord? You can build yourself to pick up the slack healing and ending status effects.
* You can punish multiple foes like no other. Between your Divine Challenge and powers and abilities that inflict Divine Sanction, your wrath in any given round is not limited to just one enemy. All enemies can suffer extra damage for violating your marks, which is not the case for any other Defender.
* You have free rein of your immediate actions. Other Defenders must use their immediate actions to punish those who violate a challenge. You don't. That's important for three big reasons: (1) You can still defend when dazed. (2) You are free to select and use immediate action powers and abilities as you please without sacrificing your ability to punish enemies. (3) In some cases, you can, indeed, use immediate action attacks to pile on extra retaliatory damage and status effects on top of what your divine marks were already doing.
Red: A trap, obsoleted by something else, or just plain crap. Purple: Situational at best. Substandard in most cases. Black: Not bad. You could do worse. Blue: Definitely consider it, at least. Sky Blue: A gift from the Astral Sea itself. Cherish it. Gold: Mandatory. Not just the best. Mandatory. A very rare rating.
This Handbook covers the following sources:
PHB - Player's Handbook PHB2 - Player's Handbook 2 PHB3 - Player's Handbook 3 DP - Divine Power FRPG - Forgotten Realms Player's Guide MM - Monster Manual MM2 - Monster Manual 2 AV - Adventurer's Vault AV2 - Adventurer's Vault 2 D XXX - Dragon Magazine, issue XXX DA XX - Dragon Annual, year XX MOTP - Manual of the Planes PHBH - Player's Handbook Heroes MP - Martial Power MP2 - Martial Power 2 AP - Arcane Power PP - Primal Power EPG - Eberron Player's Guide PHR:D - Player's Handbook Races: Dragonborn
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Hit Points: 15 + CON score at 1st level, 6 gained per level. It's the standard hit point figures for Defender classes, which you certainly can't complain about. Only the Warden has more base hit points than you.
Healing Surges: 10 + CON modifier is the highest baseline for any class in the game. Good thing, too, since only some of you will undergo the heaviest of endurance training.
Proficiencies: You're the only class that can wear plate mail from the start. You're also trained in all military melee weapons, which as far as basic training goes is as good as it gets. Your implement is a holy symbol, which is the only type of implement that doesn't take up a weapon or shield slot. As for ranged weapons, you can only use the simple ones, but no one gets everything.
Defense Bonuses: +1 to all three non-AC defenses (NADs ... shut up, Beavis). Very solid.
Features
Divine Challenge (PHB): Place a mark from up to 5 squares away as a minor action. The first time the enemy doesn't include you in an attack, it automatically and unavoidably eats radiant damage. The damage costs no action at all to deliver, and a good thing that, because it doesn't quite scale with the damage-per-round figures of a melee basic attack that Fighters and Wardens use with their mark punishments. This feature's greatest weakness is that it can be a real pain at times to maintain via its engagement clause (such as when you need to heal someone that round), and the penalty for failing to engage is quite harsh. Luckily, thanks to Divine Sanction, that weakness isn't quite as crippling to your defender performance as it was in the past.
Divine Sanction (DP): Not a feature per se, but it's a special type of mark that's attached to many of your powers and feats. It works like Divine Challenge in that it automatically and unavoidably deals radiant damage (3/6/9 + CHA modifier, like DC) when the enemy doesn't include you in an attack, but it doesn't have DC's engagement stipulations. DS marks last as long and affect as many enemies as the associated power or feat prescribes. There's also no limit to how many enemies suffer the damage if they violate DS, making mass-DS powers very good for defense against a crowd. DS complements DC, and it often covers for the situations in which DC fails.
Channel Divinity: This is your per-encounter feature power. You start with two possible ways to use Channel Divinity in any given encounter, and feats and paragon paths may give you more ways to use it. But no matter how many options you wind up with, you still only get one use of Channel Divinity per encounter. Use it wisely.
Divine Mettle (PHB): Grant a save to an ally with your CHA-modifier's worth of a bonus. Amazing for a high-CHA Paladin.
Divine Strength (PHB): Extra damage equal to your STR modifier on one attack. It's there, although only Paladins who don't focus on Charisma will make any appreciable use of it. This power does, however, become a lot more valuable for high-STR Paladins in Epic Tier.
Special Daily Feature Powers: This is the power that you can use a number of times per day based on your WIS modifier.
Ardent Vow (DP): This feature gives you the most reliable way to put Divine Sanction on an enemy for a whole encounter. Any attacks after the vow will mark, hit or miss. You also get a fairly large WIS-dependent damage bonus for the first attack after the vow, so you'll either want to maximize your hit chances or use a daily attack power with miss damage (the power specifies damage roll, but not whether the attack hits or misses in order to apply the extra damage).
Lay on Hands (PHB): Use your healing surge and heal an ally (or yourself) with it. The healing target heals their healing surge value's worth. A fair Constitution is needed to prevent this power from being a liability to you, but it is very solid backup for a leader if you're geared for it. This feature does get the best feat support of the three.
Virtue's Touch (DP): Removes one condition from you or an ally that can include: blinded, dazed, deafened, slowed, stunned, or weakened. This one is a nice boost against enemies who deal such effects in a manner that doesn't involve a save. It's amazing when it stops effects that can get worse after failed saves. It's more situational than the other powers here, but when you need to use it, you're glad you had it. It won't be used too often in the first 15 levels, but in late-Paragon it will start to pay off, especially if you pick up other means to heal to compensate for having no Lay on Hands.
Your Arm or Your Face? Your Method of Exaltation
You have the (not-so) honored distinction of being one of the double-attack-stat classes in the game (also known as a V-class), along with Clerics, Warlocks and Rangers. Some of the powers in the Paladin's divine arsenal test the very strength of his arm, while others rely on his force of personality.
Straladins are those Paladins who believe that their arm must still swing the sword, and lift and throw stones to optimize the manifestation of that belief. Strength is their main attack stat. Wisdom is their secondary stat, and some may pay attention to Constitution as a co-secondary. They tend toward Striker as a secondary role, so they pay more attention to the damage they do than other Paladins. A lot of them strive for weapon mastery in Epic Tier.
Chaladins are those Paladins who stand behind a mirror all day, because presence and image are everything. They hone that image, and can channel their astral powers with great force as a result. Charisma is their main attack stat, and they're far more likely to make use of an implement than their brawny brethren. Like Straladins, they favor Wisdom as a secondary stat, and they're even more likely to care about Constitution enough to make it a co-secondary (extra Fortitude defense and healing surges). They tend toward Leader as a secondary role, so they focus on healing, buffs and status effects.
Baladins (or Balanced Paladins) focus every bit of their attention on both their Strength and Charisma to have free reign of the entire arsenal of Paladin powers. They also have the most powerful Divine Challenge. However, lack of attention to Constitution and Wisdom mean lower hit points and healing surges, weaker riders and less uses of their special daily powers per day.
Molding Yourself the Right Way: Ability Scores
Strength: You Straladins and Baladins have no excuse for ignoring your muscle-building exercises. Chaladins may want to do some routine calisthenics, if only just to qualify for certain feats near the end of their careers. (Recommended start: 18-20 for Straladins and Baladins, 10-13 for Chaladins)
Constitution: Everyone in this crusade needs to be sound of body to some extent. Healing surges and hit points keep you functioning in your defender role, and that's all there is to it. Once you're advanced enough, it'll also help you make better use of your plate mail. Chaladins who still want a good Fortitude defense should invest training here, as well. Lay on Hands healers should be running wind sprints early and often. Everyone else can get away with the daily jog at minimum, although more is always encouraged. (Recommended start: 13-16)
Dexterity: Don't completely ignore it (that's what Intelligence is for), but no one expects you to undergo serious agility training. If you worship Corellon, however, you do get access to a pretty good paragon path that takes advantage of some agility training, so keep that in mind. Straladins looking to master a heavy blade also need a decent score here. (Recommended start: 10-13)
Intelligence: You're called "Paladunce" for a reason. Book smarts don't do you a lick of good in this crusade. Your designated dump stat ... unless you're a smart race, in which case you might want to dump Dexterity instead and just play with a positive modifier here. (Recommended start: 8 generally, 12 (10 + 2) for smart races)
Wisdom: Now common sense, on the other hand, goes a very long way. It determines how many times you can use your special daily powers in a day. It also affects how effective some of your powers' effects are. (Recommended start: 13-16)
Charisma: Image is everything to you Chaladins and Baladins. The mirror is your friend; sharpen that countenance and that oratory. It doesn't hurt Straladins to have at least a little appeal, if only to qualify for certain key feats in Epic Tier. (Recommended start: 18-20 for Chaladins and Baladins, 10-13 for Straladins)
Focus Your Efforts: Ability Score Arrays
16, 14, 14, 13, 10, 8: The "well-rounded" stat line, commonly used by Straladins and Chaladins alike. It offers solid secondary and tertiary stats, as well as an above-average fourth stat that can be used to meet any Paragon Tier and Epic Tier feat prerequisites or multiclass requirements. You can't go wrong with this array.
16, 16, 12, 12, 10, 8: Baladins head straight for this one. This one is also best for Straladins and Chaladins who plan to multiclass or hybrid with a class that uses their secondary stat (WIS or CON) as an attack stat, such as a Straladin/Avenger (STR/WIS), or a Chaladin/Cleric (CHA/WIS).
18, 13, 13, 10, 10, 8: Straladins and Chaladins who want to start with a 20 in their attack stat (after racial bonus) and thus the highest attack bonus possible go for this array. The 13's go into WIS and CON; bump one of them to 14 at Lv. 4, the other one to 14 at Lv. 8, then go from there. The drawback is that you will likely miss out on certain feats, particularly in Epic Tier.
18, 12, 12, 12, 10, 8: This array is used in one main situation: Straladins and Chaladins whose race has a bonus to would-be secondary and tertiary stats. In their cases, those stats would be WIS and CON, and the prime example of such a race would be the Dwarf. This array would allow the Dwarf to start with a maximized 18 for the attack stat, 14 in WIS, 14 in CON, and a 12 in a fourth stat of choice, very close to what a Human with the "well-rounded" stat line would start with. The fourth stat could be given a couple of points in level progressions to qualify for certain Paragon and Epic Tier feats if need be, and the rest would go into the secondary stat of choice.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Changeling/Doppelganger (EPG): You can win friends easily, so the path of the Chaladin is your calling. You can choose to be smart or quick; go with quick for the extra initiative unless you plan on multiclassing with Artificer (the only INT-based class worth doing that with). The Fickle Servant feat lets you choose feats from any domain, not just the ones that belong to your deity. An interesting, and potentially effective, choice.
Deva (PHB2): Smart and wise. Only one of those is useful, and while Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes is an excellent racial power, it's still only once per encounter. Not enough to make up for a lack of Strength or Charisma bonus.
Dragonborn (PHB): You're hands-down the best Baladin race, being strong and charismatic in equal measure. You're also more dangerous when bloodied. And to top it off, you get great feat support, including Draconic Challenge early on, which slaps Divine Sanction on every enemy caught in your breath, hit or miss. Certain feats also allow you to consider the option of making Constitution a full-blown secondary stat, and a good thing that, because you get a bonus to healing surge value based on your CON modifier.
Drow (FRPG): Personality and quickness. A solid Chaladin, especially if devoting yourself to Corellon. Darkvision and Trance are excellent adventuring benefits. Lolthtouched powers are also pretty nice.
Dwarf (PHB): You may not be as strong or charismatic as your counterparts, but you do a whole lot to make up for this. Being both wise and hardy is a great start, since those stats are both secondary-stat material. Being able to catch a second wind as a minor action is even better, as are limiting forced movement and prone effects. You also get excellent racial feats.
Eladrin (PHB): Well, someone had to be full of unmitigated suck at this Paladin thing. You get a bonus to two dump stats. Yay. And you get almost no feat support for taking up the crusade. You might want to educate yourself in Perception. You're gonna need it to, uh, not die. Exception: A broken-level-DPR build called the Divine Feycharger, which involves a hybrid Paladin|Swordmage with a Fighter multiclass, is an Eladrin. See here for the gory details on that one.
Elf (PHB): Quick and wise. Elven Accuracy is an excellent racial power, but alas, it's not enough compensation for lack of muscle or image.
Genasi (FRPG): Brains and brawn. The brawn is good. As are the racial powers, manifestations and feat support. Solid choice for a Straladin. The brains are there if you want to have an easy time multiclassing Artificer.
Gnome (PHB2): You're charismatic, so you'll do fine as a Chaladin. Fade Away is a solid racial power, and you do get some pretty good feat support throughout your career. Unfortunately, small size limits your weapon choices.
Goliath (PHB2): Strong and sturdy. And even sturdier still thanks to things like Stone's Endurance. You also get very nice feat support for the defender role. A top-tier Straladin race.
Half-Elf (PHB): Arguably the best Chaladin race. You've got the Charisma and the Constitution, and you can take Human and Elf feats. But the best part of all is Dilletante, which lets you swipe an at-will power from another class. In Paragon Tier, that power can become a true at-will with the Versatile Master feat (PHB2). By virtue of that one, you're not a half-bad Straladin, either, despite not being particularly strong. NOTE: If you're taking an implement power, you still need to be able to use that class's implement with that class's powers, so you'll have to take the multiclass feat for the class you stole from if you want to use the power to its fullest. Note that this applies even to Cleric and Avenger powers; you still have to multiclass there for your holy symbol to confer its benefits for those. There are ways to circumvent the implement/class roadblock to some extent, such as the Star of Corellon (AV), which you can use for any arcane power.
Cutting Words(Bard) (PHBH): Attack at range and pull 2 squares. Helps you better maintain Divine Challenge and force enemies to close distance with you. Implement-based, Psychic, and attacks Will.
Demoralizing Strike (Ardent) (PHB3): Debuff all defenses by -2 when you hit. It doesn't get the extra [W] of damage in Epic, but that's a small price to pay. A great setup power through and through.
Dragonfrost (Sorcerer) (PHB2): If you're looking for a ranged basic attack, this is the way to go. 10-square range, decent damage, and it can push the enemy a square if it hits.
Eldritch Strike (Warlock) (PHBH): Weapon-based, and it counts as a CHA-based melee basic attack. It also slides the enemy a square if it hits. It serves as a fine alternative to Virtuous Strike if you'd rather select two other Paladin at-wills. Or, if you do plan on multiclassing with an arcane class, you want to outfit a melee basic attack with fun stuff like the White Lotus feat line (D 374), Quickened Spellcasting (AP), Arcane Admixture (AP) and all the goods that feat opens up, etc. Take the Melee Training feat to tide you over in Heroic Tier, then retrain that feat for Versatile Master when you hit Lv. 11.
Eyebite(Warlock) (PHB): Psychic attack vs. Will (which means it's enhanceable by Psychic Lock), and a popular pick from the early days of 4e. It can still be a good, even great choice, but it's no longer automatic. To make this one live up to its full potential, you'll want to already provide an orgy of disincentive to the enemy to attack anyone else besides you (e.g. Hospitaler, Forceful Challenge, Weakening Challenge, several immediate action punishment powers ... preferably all in combination).
Intuitive Strike (Warlord) (MP2): Nice. Baladins and WIS-heavy Straladins alike (and even Chaladins if they multiclass Bard for Combat Virtuoso) can set up absolutely HUGE power plays for allies who have combat advantage whenever they please.
Jinx Shot (Bard) (AP): A CHA-based ranged weapon at-will. Perfect pick if you want a ranged attack but don't want to worship Corellon or otherwise fiddle with multiclassing for implement usage. The effect that can send an enemy to the floor is great, too, especially against flyers.
Sacred Flame (Cleric) (PHB): Ranged radiant attack against Reflex that can give an ally a solid amount of temp HPs or allow a save. Good choice for a CHA/WIS Paladin/Cleric.
Throw and Stab (Ranger) (MP2): Opens up a rather unorthodox setup for a Paladin, namely holding an off-hand throwing weapon. Straladins and Baladins are good to go with this power from the start; Chaladins can multiclass Bard and take Combat Virtuoso to use it. It sure is effective, though, considering the Paladin's options for the follow-up charge attack. Such as: (1) Ardent Strike to Divine Sanction the enemy, as an added bonus to doing the truckloads of damage you would expect from a multi-attack. Or (2) Virtuous Strike with the Arcana domain and, after an arcane multiclass, White Lotus Riposte and Master Riposte. Amazing possibilities.
Twin Strike (Ranger) (PHB): The original double-attacking, king-of-DPR power. It still works great, and it's more spammable than Throw and Stab, even if it's not quite as interesting.
Vicious Mockery (Bard) (PHB2): Like the Chaladin's own Enfeebling Strike, but with a 10-square range! Implement-based attack vs. Will that slaps a -2 attack roll debuff on the enemy if it hits. Use this against a marked enemy to make it hell for the knave to hit your allies (cumulative -4). For that matter they're not gonna have an easy time hitting you, either. It's a Psychic attack, too, which means it can be enhanced by feats like Psychic Lock. For many Chaladins, this has superseded Eyebite as the go-to Dilletante.
Halfling (PHB): Personable and agile. You'll make a good Chaladin. Your racial power can make an enemy miss when he thinks he got you, and you get access to some good racial feats. Small size does hold you back, though, limiting your choice of weapons.
Half-Orc (PHB2): Strong and quick, fast on a charge and hard-hitting. You'll make a solid Straladin. With your quickness you sacrifice the least to master a heavy blade.
Human (PHB): You can train in any one attribute, and it'd better be either Strength or Charisma. Bonus feat and skill are great, and the bonus at-will power is now a very, very nice boon for both Straladins and Chaladins. The +1 racial bonus to all NADs is huge, too. You also get great feat support.
Kalashtar (EPG): Charismatic and wise, you're in on the argument of best Chaladin race (along with Half-Elf and Human). You're easily the best at multiclassing with a WIS-based class. Telepathy has a lot of useful adventuring applications, Bastion of Mental Clarity is a solid racial power, and being able to make saves against daze and dominate at the start of your turn is very nice.
Shifter, Longtooth (PHB2): Strong and wise, which makes you prime Straladin material. Arguably the best. Longtooth Shifting is an excellent racial power, too, making you more dangerous and tougher to bring down when the fight heats up.
Shifter, Razorclaw (PHB2): Your Longtooth counterpart is simply better.
Tiefling (PHB): Feats like Imperious Majesty and Wrath of the Crimson Legion have really lifted your star as a Chaladin. You already had the personality, and the smarts are there if you want to multiclass Artificer. Bloodhunt also lets you finish bloodied foes that much faster.
Warforged (EPG): Strong and sturdy, just like the Goliath, which means you'll be a great Straladin. Living Construct is a host of adventuring benefits, Unsleeping Watcher is basically Trance, and Warforged Resilience means you're just not going to die very often. Warforged Resolve is a solid racial power, too. And on top of all this, you get some nice feat support.
Bladeling (MOTP): DEX and WIS bonuses, and a racial power you won't put to very good use.
Bugbear (MM): Geared toward Straladins who might want to master use of a heavy blade. Use of oversized weapons is a big plus.
Bullywug (MM2): Meh.
Duergar (MM2): The bonuses to two secondary stats are good for you. The racial power isn't, and unfortunately that's all you get in comparison to your morally superior kin.
Githyanki (MM): Aaaaah, no.
Githzerai (MM): Like an Elf but even weaker at the Paladin role.
Gnoll (D 367): Decent racial power, but CON and DEX aren't the best racial bonuses.
Goblin (MM): Goblin Tactics is awesome, and you've also got some personality. A good Chaladin. Only small size holds you back.
Hobgoblin (MM): Just like a Half-Elf, you can win friends and you're durable. But you don't have Dilletante. Still, you're good enough.
Kenku (MM2): An interesting choice for a Chaladin. Make sure you train Bluff in some way.
Kobold (MM): At-will minor-action shifting is awesome. Small size and the racial bonuses (CON, DEX) aren't.
Minotaur (D 369): Being strong and sturdy makes a good Straladin of any sort. Compared to its MM incarnation you lose the ability to use oversized weapons, but you do gain access to some solid racial feats.
Orc (MM): You're not bad, but you're clearly Half-Orc-lite at this point.
Revenant (D 376): An interesting choice. The racial bonuses aren't really appropriate (CON, DEX), and Dark Reaping's necrotic damage is fairly commonly resisted. But the racial feats, including the feats that work with your "past life" race, are pretty good.
Shadar-Kai (D 372): Quick and smart, exactly what you didn't need to be. Shadow Jaunt is a solid encounter power, but other than that you're even worse than the Eladrin.
Diplomacy: Odds are pretty good you're going to be the party face, especially if you're a Chaladin.
Endurance: Resist diseases and generally survive in a lot of adverse conditions. Yes, you want this.
Heal: Useful for treating diseases. Not everyone in your party has Endurance as a class skill. First Aid, while potentially a lifesaver should be a last resort, though, as it takes a standard action. If the task of rituals or alchemy should fall to you, this one becomes even more vital.
History: Don't know much about it. Unless you need it trained as a prerequisite for something, leave this knowledge skill to those who aren't so slow in the head.
Insight: Counters Bluff, which can prevent an ambush in some cases.
Intimidate: Its combat application is arguably broken. Even that aside, it's useful in many skill challenges.
Religion: You're trained in it automatically, so it doesn't matter what I think of it. Because academics in general probably aren't your thing, you're not gonna make great use of this skill. But at least you have easy access to Ritual Casting or Alchemist in the unfortunate case such tasks should fall to you. It also counts as a knowledge skill, in case that matters.
Athletics: Straladins will make great use of this one. Escape grabs, jump, climb, swim, it's all there.
Bluff: Chaladins could make good use of this one. Vital for Changelings. A multiclass feat for Bard will do nicely here.
Perception: Lots of sneaky enemies out there. Acting in a surprise round is a very, very, very good thing. Certain multiclass feats for Avenger, Barbarian, Bard and Ranger can get you training in this skill.
Streetwise: A good information-gathering skill. Chaladins will excel here.
Thy God Lives On ... Through This Arm: Weapon Groups
Axe: The two-handed variety come with the high crit property and do a lot of damage on hit. The one-handed variety can be given the high crit property eventually. Straladins have a good chance of mastering the use of this weapon in Epic Tier, even without single-minded devotion to training their Constitution. Weapons that can be used as implements often come in this type of weapon, reducing your item dependency.
Flail: The Paragon Tier feat Lashing Flail, obtained via a Martial multiclass, has actually made this a viable option for a few builds, particularly Champions of Order. The triple-headed flail and the spiked chain are the best of this bunch with a +3 proficiency bonus.
Hammer: Benefits greatly from Hammer Rhythm in Paragon Tier, and for Straladins with a strong focus on Constitution, weapon mastery isn't out of the question. It's also a common weapon for combination weapon/implement properties. Also, if you're multiclassing to Fighter, you can potentially daze enemies at will with this weapon in Epic Tier. Good times.
Heavy Blade: Notable for their accuracy (many of them have a +3 proficiency bonus). Weapon/implement combo properties are also common with this type. Chaladins will, with few exceptions, universally prefer these because of their accuracy. It's a great choice for WIS-secondary Straladins, too, but beware that if you plan on mastering the weapon, you'll have to make some sacrifices (mostly involving your Charisma) to get the 17 DEX necessary by Epic Tier.
Light Blade: Halflings and Gnomes will look at these. No one else will.
Mace: You can use hammers. Why the hell would you use a mace?
Pick: Not much support for this one.
Polearm: Two words: Polearm Gamble. The specific weapon of choice for you is most likely the halberd, which also counts as an axe. Half-Orc Straladins may prefer the glaive, a heavy blade, instead to take advantage of their Dexterity (note the glaive isn't any more accurate than the halberd, though). You can control a lot of real estate with polearms, especially once you hit Paragon Tier.
Spear: Other than throwing javelins, you don't do much with these.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Ardent Strike (DP): This one's your at-will Divine Sanction power. It only places that mark if it hits, but you can't ask for too much, now. It's a solid go-to for all Paladins to throw out there in those moments when you failed to engage a Divine Challenge target. You can also use this to mark a second enemy in addition to your DC target, but in practice that only works out occasionally. You can charge with this, too.
Challenging Strike (PHBH): For all intents and purposes, this one is obsoleted by Ardent Strike ... UNLESS you multiclassed Bard and took the Life Singer paragon path. If you're bloodied, you can attack Will instead of AC if it's lower (and that will be the case often), and at Lv. 16 Life Singer lets you reroll missed attacks against Will. And you do have access to a Lv. 2 utility that lets you survive being bloodied for longer. That's worth mentioning for Baladin at-will DPR potential, if nothing else (a Baladin's Holy Strike won't be that damaging).
Associated Domains: None
Forbidding Strike (PHBH): When someone next to you just needs protecting in a pinch, throw this out. When it hits, the ally gets tier-scaling damage resistance (2/5/10) until the end of your next turn. You won't use it all the time, but it's very handy when you do need it. No domain support, but this one really doesn't need it.
Associated Domains: None
Holy Strike (PHB): It's an at-will Radiant attack, and it does extra WIS-modifier damage against a marked enemy. Pretty much a Straladin's bread and butter here, especially if boosting Wisdom.
Valiant Strike (PHB): +1 bonus to hit for each enemy next to you. In a crowd, this one strikes true quite often, and unless you use a reach weapon, you're always going to get at least a +1 bonus to hit out of this. Solid domain support, too.
Bolstering Strike (PHB): It's not bad, but unless your domain matches this power, the WIS-mod worth of temporary hit points is just not as appealing as the other Chaladin powers. Especially once you hit Paragon Tier and get the Honored Foe feat. Fortunately, some of the domains associated with this one are pretty good. ... like Earth, which in Epic Tier can lead to this power becoming an at-will daze. Fun.
Associated Domains: Change, Creation, Earth, Life, War
Enfeebling Strike (PHB): Debuffs the attacks by -2 of an enemy marked by you. Which means they're going to have a tough time hitting you back and an even tougher time hitting your allies. Very nice. And this power gets some great domain support, too.
Virtuous Strike (DP): At-will Radiant keyword, gives you a +2 bonus to saves if it hits. Oh, and it's a melee basic attack, which means you don't have to take Melee Training. And on top of that, this power gets support from some of the best domains.
Associated Domains: Arcana, Justice, Knowledge, Love, Sea, Sun
Master of Your Domain: Deities and Domains
Domain power feats, the access of which is tied to your deity and the domains in his/her portfolio, may influence your choice of at-wills. So they get their own section separate from the other feats, which will be described later. All these domain power feats also come with a feat bonus to a skill (or skills in some cases). Just to keep all the domain-related stuff in one place, the divinity feats you can access via domains will be listed here, too.
You can only apply the benefits of one domain power feat per usage of an at-will. They're optional, just like all feats, but it is recommended you at least consider them, as many of them do provide fairly significant extra bonuses on your at-will powers.
As a general rule of thumb, there is one type of domain feat to keep on the backburner, if not avoid altogether: Those that grant +2/+3/+4 damage bonuses on a single at-will power and do nothing else. NEVER take those without first taking Superior Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Focus (or their racial equivalents, if appropriate). And unless you're just trying to squeeze out every ounce of DPR from an at-will, you'd probably want other feats entirely by that point, anyway.
Eberron Deities and Associated Domains (D 378)Show
The Silver Flame: Hope, Justice, Protection The Sovereign Host: Civilization, Fate, Knowledge Arawai: Life, Storm, Wilderness Aureon: Arcana, Justice, Knowledge Balinor: Earth, Strength, Wilderness Boldrei: Civilization, Justice, Protection Dol Arrah: Hope, Sun, War Dol Dorn: Skill, Strength, War Kol Korran: Civilization, Skill, Trickery Olladra: Change, Freedom, Luck Onatar: Civilization, Creation, Strength The Traveler: Change, Creation, Trickery The Blood of Vol: Death, Undeath The Path of Light: Freedom, Skill, Sun The Spirits of the Past: Protection, Vengeance, War The Undying Court: Fate, Knowledge, Undeath
The Dark Six: Destruction, Wilderness The Devourer: Destruction, Sea, Storm The Fury: Madness, Vengeance The Keeper: Death, Torment The Mockery: Trickery, War The Shadow: Arcana, Darkness Cults of the Dragon Below: Darkness, Madness
Power of Darkness (DP): Concealment against the next attack when you hit. This one's pretty good.
Power of Destruction (DP): One of those, works only against unbloodied enemies.
Power of Strife (DP): Tier-scaling damage bonus, but this one's a lot better than the others of that type. +1/2/3 bonus for each enemy within 3 squares of the target, which means in some cases you could really pile on the damage with this one. You should still pick up the general damage feats first, but unlike those domain feats, this one's actually worth a look.
Power of Torment (DP): A hit with Ardent Strike sets up combat advantage for your ally's next attack. Decent.
Power of Fate (DP): +1 to attack a bloodied enemy. Not bad, but don't look at it until after you got your Expertise feats.
Power of Freedom (DP): A +2 to saves for you or an ally if you hit. Not bad at all.
Power of Luck (DP): Crit on 19-20. You want this. If you qualify for a weapon mastery feat in Epic Tier, retrain this one out for it at that point.
Power of Strength (DP): One of those, but at least this one's non-conditional, so it's a cut above some of the others. The Holy Strike DPR-obsessed might try to fit it in.
Power of Vengeance (DP): This one's even worse than those. The "deterrent" damage from a hit is no better than the damage from those, and at least those deliver the damage up front. This one couldn't possibly fail more.
Power of Civilization (DP): +1 damage bonus per enemy next to you. This one is even worse than those +2/+3/+4 feats you have already been told to avoid.
Power of Hope (DP): Grant a +1 power bonus to attack to an ally when you hit. Solid. Allows a Straladin to show a little leadership.
Power of Protection (DP): A hit gives an ally +1 power bonus to all defenses. This one's nice. You'll be in position to grant this a lot.
Power of Skill (DP): Makes Valiant Strike a melee basic attack. A melee basic attack that will strike true often. You want this.
Power of the Storm (DP): Gives Valiant Strike the Thunder keyword, along with the +2/+3/+4 damage bonus. This one is actually really nice. The Thunder keyword gets great support from feats and other features (Echoes of Thunder, Oncoming Storm). A Stormsoul Genasi will love this one. And if you're in Eberron and have the Mark of Storm Dragonmark, even better.
Power of the Wilderness (DP): On a hit, you and adjacent allies ignore difficult terrain. Not bad.
Power of Change (DP): Hit or miss, set up an easier hit with an encounter or daily power (+1 attack bonus). Not that impressive.
Power of Creation (DP): +1 power bonus to AC for either you or an ally when you hit. Decent.
Power of Earth (DP): A hit slows the enemy until the start of your next turn. Now this one makes Bolstering Strike worth considering. At-will slow makes for some nice stickiness, just what you want. In Epic Tier, this one can get a lot better if you use a hammer and multiclass into Fighter.
Power of Life (DP): A hit also gives your ally some temporary hit points. This one's pretty good.
Power of War (DP): +1 to attack unbloodied enemies. Not bad, but pick up the Expertise feats first.
Power of Death (DP): One of those. And this one only works against bloodied enemies.
Power of Madness (DP): You increase the attack debuff to -3. Good one.
Power of the Moon (DP): Enfeebling Strike now also debuffs the enemy's AC by -2 if it hits. Beautiful.
Power of Poison (DP): Enfeebling Strike gets the Poison keyword along with the +2/+3/+4 to damage. Not a good choice because (a) poison is the most commonly resisted damage type in the game, (b) very few things are vulnerable to poison, and (c) the keyword gets lousy support.
Power of Trickery (DP): A hit lets you or an ally shift a square. Nice one. This can help set up flanks.
Power of Tyranny (DP): Hit or miss, you impose a -2 penalty to saves. Beautiful if you want to improve the mileage of save-ends status effects.
Power of Undeath (DP): Enfeebling Strike becomes Necrotic, along with the +2/3/4 damage. Necrotic is a commonly resisted damage type, so this sucks.
Power of Winter (DP): Gives Enfeebling Strike the Cold keyword, along with the +2/3/4 damage bonus. This one's great. You get access to Wintertouched + Lasting Frost, a.k.a. Frostcheese, and you don't even have to use a Frost Weapon.
Power of Arcana (AP): Makes your Virtuous Strike an Arcane power when you use it. If you plan on taking even just the multiclass entry feat for an Arcane class, you want this, plain and simple. This'll open up your Virtuous Strike for some of the fun things Arcane characters get, like the White Lotus feat line.
Power of Justice (DP): A hit grants a +1 power bonus to attack for all bloodied allies within 10 squares. Situational, but it comes up often enough to warrant a look.
Power of Knowledge (DP): A hit gives you a +1 power bonus to all defenses. Solid.
Power of Love (DP): Temporary hit points at the expense of all damage done? Not a good deal. At all. Ever. Shun this like the Spellplague.
Power of the Sea (DP): A hit either allows you to make a save or slaps a -2 penalty on the enemy's save. Solid choice, and very versatile. It can save you or help prolong an enemy's misery from a save-ends status power.
Power of the Sun (DP): Cause tier-scaling Radiant vulnerability (3/5/8) when you hit. This one's actually really good, and not just for the extra damage on follow-up Radiant attacks from you or anyone else until the end of your next turn. It also makes violating your Divine Challenge and Divine Sanction hurt more. And certain powers (such as Bless Weapon) can really punish Radiant vulnerability.
Anthem of Civilization (DP): Extra attack bonus for you or an ally if they're in a flank. Not bad.
Arcana Ward (DP): With all the more general resistances your class can get, this situational one is diminishing returns.
Creation Secret (DP): 55% chance of not expending an item's daily power when you use it. This one's nice.
Cycle of Change (DP): You already have access to a Lv. 2 utility that does exactly this if you wanted it.
Darkness Consumes (DP): You and adjacent allies get concealment for a round. Decent.
Death Knell (DP): This one can really come in handy. Like when you think your attack almost killed an enemy, then use this minor action afterwards to finish the job. And if you guessed wrong, you get to use another Divinity power in the encounter. A good deal.
Divine Excellence (DP): Not bad in skill challenges.
Earth Hold (DP): The only case where this might ever be useful is in a very narrow corridor. Avoid.
Fate Rolls On (DP): Can screw you over as often as it helps you. Not very good.
Grasp of the Wild (DP): Create a 3x3 area of difficult terrain for a round. Pretty situational. Good in a corridor but not much else.
Hope Remains (DP): For you or an ally, +2 power bonuses to saves, attacks and defenses after getting knocked out. Not bad.
Immediate Justice (DP): An immediate reaction to an enemy knocking out your ally. Stack this on top of any divine mark damage that may have happened. This is one you hope you never have to use, but it's not bad.
Imminent Luck (DP): If you plan on taking an Avenger multiclass feat, you would do well to consider this one. The fairly rare Elf Paladin might also look at this.
Loving Sacrifice (DP): You take some of the damage your ally took as an immediate interrupt. Sort of a per-encounter, single-instance, lower-grade Divine Bodyguard effect. Except using this one isn't likely to screw you over. Still somewhat situational, but it's not bad.
Master of Tyranny (DP): Bonus to attacks but only against bloodied enemies. A little too situational, especially in the face of the Expertise feats and other, more high-priority feats that give attack bonuses.
Moon Touched (DP): An interesting, but not particularly effective, healing power.
Original Poison (DP): You're not likely to have poison powers, nor are you likely to wield a poison weapon.
Path of Destruction (DP): Use this on daily powers and certain encounter powers, those with several and/or large dice for the damage. Straladins with two-handers are the most likely to make use of this.
Path of Freedom (DP): This one just won't see a whole lot of use.
Path of War (DP): Give your allies a +2 untyped bonus to attack at the cost of a -2 to their defenses for a round. If you're trying to kill an enemy or two fast, this is a good, all-purpose power to use on the party.
Path of Winter (DP): Good against enemies with cold attacks, but how many of those do you plan to fight?
Perfect Torment (DP): Follow up that AoE save-ends power you just cast with this minor-action burst 5 and make it more difficult for the enemies to end your effect.
Pulse of Life (DP): Another power you hope you never have to use, but it sure is handy when you need it.
Screaming Madness (DP): Straladins have a few Fear powers, so they may look at this.
Sea Surge (DP): Meh.
Small Vengeance (DP): Immediate reaction free damage against an enemy who bloodies you. Decent.
Solar Enemy (DP): Create or increase radiant vulnerability until the end of your next turn. Awesome for a nova round with Radiant powers or Bless Weapon. True story: This power's effects used to last forever.
Storm Sacrifice (DP): A fine complement to the Storm domain feat, or a Lightning Weapon. You can do some solid damage with this.
Strength of the Gods (DP): Basically, give the benefit of your Divine Strength to an ally, instead. Not bad.
Sudden Strife (DP): A huge attack debuff to two enemies near each other. Nice one.
Sure Knowledge (DP): Reroll a knowledge check, or let an ally do the same. Not bad in skill challenges.
Sure Protection (DP): This one's pretty good, especially if someone (you or an ally) is a Dwarf. +3 power bonus to all defenses after a second wind.
Trickster's Fortune (DP): Nice one. Penalize an enemy's save and if it fails, you or an ally gets a save.
Undeath's Ally (DP): Basically an enhanced Virtue, but cast on an ally. Use it on an ally whom you expect to take some damage, such as a melee Striker or Leader. It gives that ally the same proactive healing, up-front durability effect Virtue gives to yourself, which is just very, very good.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Guardian Light (DP): Give yourself a WIS-mod bonus to a NAD if it hits. Not too bad for a Straladin, but Chaladins should stay away as it's not any better than Enfeebling Strike for them.
Divine Pursuit (DP): Attacks Fortitude. Push the enemy WIS-mod squares and follow. It does a good job at either setting up flanks or isolating an enemy. Solid.
Heedless Fury (DP): No. That 3[W] damage just isn't enticing enough to take a -5 penalty to all defenses.
Piercing Smite (PHB): Not nearly as attractive as it used to be. Attacking Reflex is nice, but the marks are generic. Still, you could do worse.
Radiant Smite (PHB): Garbage then, garbage now. Just not enough of an upgrade over Holy Strike to be worth it.
Stolen Life (D 381): Tailored for Baladins, with the CHA-mod healing for you or an ally when you hit. Decent enough, but mind the Necrotic keyword.
Fearsome Smite (PHB): Obsoleted completely now, and it wasn't good to begin with.
Shielding Smite (PHB): If you're the off-defender in a two-defender party, you might care about this one. Otherwise, shift your gaze to a certain other power here and keep it there.
Valorous Smite (DP): The Chaladin's first mass-Sanction power. You'd better have a very good reason not to take this ... wait, there are none.
Blood of the Mighty (DP): At this level, 4[W] is very hard to ignore. With a fullblade, executioner's axe or mordenkrad you're looking at consistently killing many Lv. 1 and Lv. 2 non-Brutes in one hit. If you're traveling with an Orbizard with Sleep, you're looking at coup de grace killing certain elite monsters as high as Lv. 5. This power is Reliable, so you'll always get the full effect when you do hit with it. You take 5 damage whenever you use it, but that's not too bad. You'll probably want to retrain this out fairly soon after Lv. 6 or so, though.
Blazing Brand (DP): Attacks Fortitude and is also Reliable. Deals ongoing fire damage and makes the enemy give up combat advantage, save ends. Solid power, and a good replacement for Blood of the Mighty once that power begins losing its luster.
Driving Blades (D 383): When you hit, the save-ends effect deals untyped ongoing damage and lets you push and follow the target as long as that lasts. Solid when you hit, no doubt, but unfortunately the miss effect is quite feeble, so its Reliable competitor, Blazing Brand, probably still holds the edge.
Paladin's Judgment (PHB): Allows an ally to spend a healing surge, hit or miss, but deals no damage on a miss. Not bad, but you can do better.
Glorious Charge (DP): Good healing effect if you have the Wisdom, but the 2-square range of the healing makes this one less appealing, and more situational, than it would've been otherwise.
Majestic Halo (DP):Good damage on hit, halved on miss, and regardless of hit or miss you lay down Divine Sanctions like a Warden lays down his marks. Splendid.
Frost of Letherna (D 381): Use to immobilize marked enemies, but now it just slows your enemies, marked or not. Still decent for the stickiness, but not the winner it used to be.
On Pain of Death (PHB): Attacks Will and makes the target take damage whenever it attacks, until it saves. Complements the divine marks nicely.
Radiant Delirium (PHB): Attacks Reflex and dazes whether it hits or misses. That's great. If it hits, it imposes a -2 penalty to AC until the enemy saves. Even better. Still a great power.
Astral Speech (PHB): In low-combat campaigns this might actually see some use, since the role of party face often falls on you. But you're probably better off looking elsewhere.
Bless Weapon (DP): This daily Radiant-keyword weapon buff is very good anytime, excellent against undead or other radiant-vulnerable monsters, and downright godly if you can consistently create radiant vulnerability (such as the Sun domain or the Morninglord paragon path).
Call of Challenge (DP): A no-fail, minor action, mass-Sanction encounter power. Beautiful.
Divine Counter (DP): Half the damage and impose Sanction as a per-encounter immediate interrupt for an enemy attacking one of your NADs. Not bad, but other options are better.
Kord's Strength (D 383): Per-encounter boost to an Athletics or Endurance check in combat, followed by +2 power bonus to melee damage and Sanctioning enemies on your attacks for a round. Not wholly terrible, but you're not going to roll one of those skills every combat. Situational.
Martyr's Blessing (PHB): May have been worth it as an encounter power. As is, no.
Sacred Circle (PHB): Garbage like this is why people laughed at the Paladin before Divine Power came out. Let's forget about those days ... and this abortion of a power.
Touch of Grace (DP): Not a bad encounter power. With Virtuous Strike you're likely to save against the effect you incur better than the ally would've.
Virtue (DP): You can expect to burn through at least one healing surge every encounter. This encounter utility lets you be proactive about it, and your leader/healer will love you for that. If you have abilities that work when bloodied (for example, you're a Dragonborn or Shifter), you have a second application for this power: pop it when you're bloodied and buy a couple of "safe" bloodied rounds to take advantage of your abilities. Note this power is incredibly synergistic with the feat Virtuous Recovery; not only will you have all those temp HPs, but the enemy can't remove them easily.
Fortune Spurned Smite (D 380): Hit the enemy with this when you've got melee allies surrounding the foe. If the foe takes any damage after that point before he gets to take his turn, your party can take OAs as he escapes you and beat him down. Its only weakness is the Necrotic keyword, which is a liability against a few enemies.
Hold Fast (DP): Immobilizes on hit and can be used in any situation that a melee basic attack can be used. Opportunity attacks, Leader-grants, Battle Awareness, you name it. Very nice, indeed.
Arcing Smite (PHB): This one just doesn't cut it anymore.
Staggering Smite (PHB): Strictly worse than Divine Pursuit at Lv. 1, and also outclassed at this level.
Strength from Valor (DP): Solid whirlwind-type attack against Fortitude, and it can net you a good amount of temporary hit points.
Winter's Edge (D 381): Another whirlwind attack, this one with the Cold keyword that slows enemies on hit unless they were marked, in which case they're immobilized. Very good for the stickiness. It even salvages generic marks somewhat.
Avenging Smite (DP): Immediate reaction to an adjacent enemy hitting your ally, and it immobilizes if it hits. An excellent choice that you can use to pile on extra pain and discomfort on a foe, even when it's marked.
Invigorating Smite (PHB): Attacks Will, which with a weapon means it hits quite often, and heals you (if bloodied) and any bloodied allies a solid amount. It's more situational than some of the other powers here, but when you need it, you're glad you have it.
Righteous Smite (PHB): This is Invigorating Smite's more proactive counterpart. It attacks AC, instead, but it's probably the more widely used of the two because it works in any situation. Grants a solid amount of temporary HPs to you and all allies within 5 squares.
Trial of Strength (DP): Make a save with WIS-mod bonus, then make an attack. Not bad.
Call to Arms (DP): The implement attack vs. Will pulls the enemy to you, then you make a weapon attack with a +2 bonus against AC. This is one you pull out against your Divine Challenge target to keep him close. Not too bad.
Arc of Vengeance (DP): A solidly damaging close burst 1 whirlwind that, hit or miss, applies Divine Sanction until the end of your next turn. This also happens to be one of those powers that salvages generic marks, thanks to the save-ends effect that makes such marked enemies take WIS-mod damage when they hurt someone.
Martyr's Retribution (PHB): Lv. 5 is nearing the end of Blood of the Mighty's lifespan. And this power is strictly worse than its Lv. 1 counterpart. Spending a healing surge with no healing is a lot more costly than taking only 5 damage. Stay away.
Shadow's Apathy (D 381): Reliable attack that save-ends slows and weakens on hit. A good power that would be even better if it weren't Necrotic.
Unrelenting Punishment (DP): Hit or miss, causes 5 ongoing damage (save-ends) and heals you WIS-mod HPs every time the enemy takes the damage. The attack itself does no miss damage, though, which hurts it a bit.
Hallowed Circle (PHB): Attack vs. Reflex followed by a slightly upgraded Sacred Circle. At least the bonus is to all defenses this time, but an unmovable zone with an effect like this is still rather situational.
Name of Might (DP): Close blast attack vs. Fortitude that save-ends slows if it hits and still slows until the end of the enemies' next turns if it misses. Does decent AoE damage, and slow is a good sticky effect. This one's pretty solid.
Sign of Vulnerability (PHB): Ranged attack vs. Fortitude that imposes Radiant vulnerability if it hits. If you have the Sun domain you don't need this at all. Everyone else might want to give it a look though, especially if you have Bless Weapon.
Divine Bodyguard (PHB): While it does protect one ally well, it can also be quite a liability to you, particularly when the enemy has AoE attacks. If you're about to go under, you'll likely have to cut this power off before the encounter ends. Just not worth it, overall.
Fear Not (DP): Per-encounter, grant an adjacent ally a saving throw which gets a bonus if it's a fear effect. You can't really have too many powers that grant saving throws. You can only cast Divine Mettle once per encounter, after all. Plus unlike Divine Mettle, you can use this on yourself.
Fury of the Battle God (D 383): The only way this power is ever going to be worthwhile is if you miss most of your targets with an AoE encounter or daily power. Translation: Picking this is planning for failure and being a failure. Seriously, go back to the Lv. 2 arsenal and take Call of Challenge if you want mass Sanctioning. If you already had that one, well, pick something else.
One Heart, One Mind (PHB): Not bad, especially if you're looking for both in-combat and out-of-combat utility.
Pure Devotion (DP): A +4 power bonus to Fortitude and Will per encounter as an immediate interrupt if an enemy attacks you. Pretty good.
Shield of Discipline (DP): An excellent encounter power geared toward Straladins. Pop this at the start of a turn when you've been under an enemy's focused efforts and cut their DPR against you down for that round.
Shield the Virtuous (DP): Its objective is similar to Divine Bodyguard's, but it lasts the whole encounter regardless of what happens and can end a combat more quickly if the enemy is foolish enough to attack the protected ally. Not that they'll want to: this damage stacks with your divine marks, essentially doubling their punishment power when they attack that one particular ally. Overall, the better choice over Divine Bodyguard by quite a bit, but still more situational than some of the other powers here.
Valiant Rush (DP): Double your speed on a move action one round per encounter. Not bad, especially if you wanted to maintain Divine Challenge in a round you normally couldn't.
Winter's Fated Stance (D 381): This stance is certainly good against enemies that deal Cold and Necrotic damage. But unless you're fighting those enemies every day, this isn't the wisest choice.
Wrath of the Gods (PHB): Still the best Chaladin power here. This daily grants CHA-mod worth of untyped damage bonus to you and all allies in the burst for a whole encounter. It's only "weakness" is its area of effect is only close burst 1, but in most cases, that's not too much of an issue with good planning.
Resurgent Smite (DP): Trigger a healing surge in an ally. A Straladin would do well to use this in the round he used Divine Strength and further his chance of getting his 2x WIS-mod bonus to the healing. Solid power, overall.
Benign Transposition (PHB): Rescue an ally who's being mobbed and take his place, along with an attack. Not bad at all if you have the Wisdom for a decent range.
Blade of Light (DP): 3[W] Radiant encounter attack is not bad at this level, and you can charge with it. The defense bonuses are gravy.
Astral Thunder (DP): Decent size burst, attacks Fortitude, and debuffs all enemies' attack rolls by your WIS mod. That's almost as good as blinding them all. Excellent power, especially if following up something like Call of Challenge.
Beckon Foe (PHB): Yeah, this one's outclassed pretty badly.
Divine Reverence (PHB): Attack vs. Will dazes every enemy next to you. Solid.
Price of Cowardice (DP): Immediate interrupt, attacks Will, and it blinds the triggering marked enemy if it hits. Since it's an interrupt, it's very likely to make the triggering attack miss thanks to the blinding, which puts the enemy in a really bad place. Just another great power with which you can pile more punishment on a marked foe. Incidentally, this also salvages a generic mark, if such a one should happen somehow.
Reaper's Harvest (D 380): If you guess wrong and don't kill the enemy with this, you've got a weak version of an encounter power you may have been using since Lv. 1. No thanks.
Final Rebuke (DP): Attack Fortitude, push the enemy far and add some extra damage if you push the enemy into something solid. Not too bad. It's Reliable, too.
Holy Outrage (D 383): No miss damage, and the effect that happens regardless of hit or miss requires a combination of some serendipitous positioning and a source of plenty of extra attacks in a round to be worthwhile. Not particularly appealing, and the effect isn't really worth spending the minor action to sustain, either.
Knightly Intercession (DP): An immediate interrupt, and you know how synergistic that is with the divine marks. You take the hit for an ally under attack, pull him to you, and attack him. If it hits, the enemy is Sanctioned for the rest of the encounter. The only weakness is that the attack does nothing on a miss, but you can't complain too much about this one.
Shadow Blades of Shared Doom (D 381): You've got a pretty strong possibility to Divine Sanction an entire cluster of enemies if you hit with the initial attack, since the secondary attack triggered on hit is still weapon-based versus Will. Baladins will do the most damage on the secondary attack, but any Straladin will still find this useful. You Sanction the initial target for a round hit or miss. Good one; would be even better if it wasn't Necrotic.
Shout of Condemnation (DP): One of the rare STR-based implement powers. It's actually a fairly solid power. Attacks Will, save-ends Divine Sanction on hit, half damage and a one-round Sanction on a miss, Thunder keyword, and nice blast area. A good option mainly for those Straladins who wield weapons that can double as implements. Baladins, who care more about implement usage, are also likely to look at this one.
Shackles of Justice (DP): The save-ends condition, moderate radiant damage for damaging an ally, happens hit or miss, but unfortunately a miss does no damage. At this level, it doesn't really add up.
Crown of Glory (PHB): Close burst 1 attack vs. Will, followed, hit or miss, by you slowing enemies who start their turns next to you. This can be sustained with minor actions. A very good sticky power.
One Stands Alone (PHB): Close burst 1 vs. Will, save-ends weakens regardless of hit or miss. With proper coordination you can get in position to be able to use this one when you need it. Solid enough effect.
Radiant Pulse (PHB): This one is just plain bad. You have to hit to do anything of worth with this power, and even then, the other powers at this level are better. A simple push just isn't as good as slowing or weakening.
Ray of Reprisal (DP): An immediate interrupt. You know how good that can be, especially on a divinely marked foe. This Radiant attack vs. Fortitude deals half damage on a miss, and regardless of hit or miss, the damage the ally takes from the triggering attack is cut in half. Quite nice.
Benediction (DP): Per-encounter utility that rewards an ally who hits with either a use of a healing surge or potentially some extra damage. The former application is a solid backup healer ability, and the latter is great when the ally used an attack that involves several large dice to roll for the damage.
Cleansing Spirit (PHB): Again, you can't really have too many powers per encounter that grant a save. Divine Mettle is only once per encounter. This one comes with a +2 bonus, and unlike Divine Mettle you can use it on yourself. This one is also good if you took a particularly strong Divinity feat, in which case you'd rather use your Channel Divinity for that power instead of Divine Mettle.
Deathguide's Stance (D 381): This stance is similar to getting the Bard's Virtue of Valor once per day (except doling out actual healing, rather than temp HPs). Which makes it decent in 5-standard fights, but not so good against Elites and Solos. It's also useless against minions.
Font of Healing (DP): This daily power is basically two Lay on Hands for the price of one, for you and an ally. Not too bad. If you actually took Lay on Hands, though, you'd want to retrain this one out at Epic Tier, when your actual Lay on Hands becomes just as effective.
Guiding Verse (DP): A per-encounter saving throw for you, with a huge bonus if you have the Wisdom. If you're more of a Leader-type you might want to stick with Cleansing Spirit, but if you're more the Striker-type you'll probably prefer this one.
Noble Shield (PHB): This daily is extremely situational. It's only useful at all for AoE attacks from an enemy.
Righteous Indignation (DP): This one fails. If it affected more than one attack, or were an encounter power, it might have been worth it.
Turn the Tide (PHB): Unless your party somehow finds itself loaded with multiple save-ends status effects all at once, this one is not going to see much use. Worse, it's a standard action, so you give up attacking.
Vengeful Vigilance (D 375): Daily stance, and this one's pretty good. Lay down a Divine Challenge as a free action every time any enemy within 5 squares doesn't include you in an attack.
Winter's Arrival (D 381): A per-encounter teleport that makes Divine Challenge engagement a lot easier for Chaladins and Baladins. The difficult terrain you create makes it even more difficult for your enemies to escape. Excellent.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Castigating Strike (DP): With the update, this is now officially Valorous Smite, Mark II. And now a Straladin can join in on the mass-Sanction fun. Of course, a Chaladin who keeps Valorous Smite and trades in a Lv. 3 or Lv. 7 power for this instead gets to have even more of that fun.
Fervent Strike (DP): More accurate attack, to be sure, but pretty underwhelming.
Radiant Charge (PHB): You can fly up to your WIS mod in squares as part of this charge-only power. Decent damage on the Radiant attack, and useful for getting to flying enemies or enemies protected by their minions in the way.
Whirlwind Smite (PHB): If you need another AoE, take another Lv. 3 power (Strength from Valor, Winter's Edge), since those are better. This one is completely outclassed, now.
Zealous Smite (DP): Good damage potential on this one, and it also slaps Divine Sanction on hit.
Compel Obediance (DP): Attacks Will and can either set up easy flanks or isolate the enemy. A solid power.
Entangling Smite (PHB): Attacks Will and immobilizes. Good.
Renewing Smite (PHB): Not very impressive, especially comparing it to Lv. 3 healing attack powers. While this heals more single-ally damage than the likes of Invigorating Smite and especially Righteous Smite, those Lv. 3 powers are just more useful all around.
Eye for an Eye (DP): Overall, inferior to the Lv. 7 Price of Cowardice, doing less damage and being a reaction rather than an interrupt, which means it doesn't help make the triggering attack miss. In addition, because the blinding still lasts until the end of your next turn, rather than the enemy's next turn, you don't even get to make the enemy waste a turn. So the benefit of the blinding is very limited. You might look at this one if you're an off-defender, since unlike Price of Cowardice it does work on unmarked foes, but that's about it.
Letherna's Hounds (D 381): Solid sticky power that knocks prone anyone whose Fortitude it hits within two squares of you and pulls them toward you. Necrotic keeps it from true greatness.
Divine Vengeance (DP): With a good Wisdom, you can create some very nice lose-lose situations in melee. The enemy takes automatic, no-action damage for attacking you or an ally next to you. And if the enemy is divinely marked, the stance damage stacks with the mark's punishment, pushing the damage figures to dangerous levels.
Bloodied Retribution (PHB): Hit hard when bloodied and use a healing surge. Basic enough.
Flames of Devotion (DP): Hit or miss, your attacks deal 2d6 extra fire damage for as long as you sustain the effect with minor actions. A little too costly for the effect, especially compared to something like Bless Weapon. Lack of miss damage hurts, too.
Pyre of Judgment (DP): Reliable attack that causes ongoing 10 fire damage and damages surrounding enemies by a fair amount until a save. Decent.
Wayfinder's Charge (D 375): Get enemies in the way out of the way and make them pay for taking OAs, then hit the marked target for decent damage, halved on miss. Not bad.
Knight's Defiance (DP): Pull all enemies within 5 squares to you, save-end Sanction all of them, then attack one of them in melee. Solid crowd-control power.
Tower of Faith (DP): Attack deals half on a miss, and hit or miss you get some pretty good bonuses to saves. Fair.
Break the Wall (PHB): Debuff all of an enemy's defenses, -2 if you hit, -1 if you miss. Decent.
Darkness Unleashed (D 381): This Necrotic close burst 1 power is actually not bad for Dwarves and anyone else whose second winds are minor-action or better. In their employ it can amount to an AoE attack above and beyond their standard action. If your second wind is a standard action you're better off looking elsewhere.
True Nemesis (PHB): Whether you hit or miss with the initial attack, this power lets you make all the immediate reaction attacks against the target you could possibly want for the rest of the encounter. These happen if the enemy attacks you or your allies, and synergy with the no-action divine mark punishment makes this amount to solo control at its finest.
Angelic Intercession (PHB): This daily is a fancier Martyr's Blessing. And it still sucks.
Death Ward (PHB): The healing is a good enough deal: use one healing surge to heal your dying ally by two healing surges + CHA mod. Too bad it's a standard action.
Devotion (DP): Boost the whole party's Fortitude and Will by +4 power bonus, but only until the end of your next turn. At this point, you should expect more from a daily utility.
Divine Aegis (DP): Daily stance giving a +2 untyped bonus to all defenses for you and anyone up to 2 squares away. Straightforward, but very effective, since it stacks with every other defense bonus out there. And in Eberron, this gets even better with Mark of Warding.
Higher Cause (DP): This daily stance gives save bonuses and regeneration when bloodied. Fair, but I prefer Divine Aegis.
Liberation (DP): Per-encounter move action that lets you pull an ally away from a tough spot and trigger their healing surge. A good one for Chaladins.
Prayer for the Valiant (DP): This one is just in a bad place. It's only worth using at all if multiple allies are under save-ends effects. And in a few more levels, you might get Divine Mettle, as an encounter power, to do what this daily does and better.
Frozen Shackles (D 380): Has its uses, like if you want to keep an enemy standing still in a hazardous zone until your party is ready to deal with him. In that case, if the enemy forces want him back in action, they'll have to go over to him and attack him, wasting their turn and possibly suffer damage themselves.
Icy Clutches (D 381): Decent, and certainly fun, if nothing else, with its special Divine Sanction versus standing up from the prone condition this one inflicts.
Mark of Terror (DP): It stuns a marked enemy. Awesome. Its only possible weakness is the Fear keyword, but in a few levels even that might not matter.
Shattering Smite (DP): This one's just a little too situational. Not many enemies have resist all, nor are any members of your party likely to be completely shut down by resistances.
Terrifying Smite (PHB): It'll render a melee opponent worthless for a round, but this does nothing against ranged attackers. Stick with Mark of Terror, which works on a much wider range of enemies.
Enervating Smite (PHB): Attacks Will and weakens outright. Nice.
Fortifying Smite (PHB): WIS-power bonus to your AC if this hits. Decent if you've been the object of your enemies' scorn.
Wrathful Smite (DP): Close burst 1 vs. Reflex, so this thing will hit often. Debuffs the enemies' attack rolls and does more damage if they're marked. Solid power.
Hand of the Gods (PHB): Hit or miss, this gives allies in the burst a huge power bonus to attack rolls if your Wisdom is good. If it hits, it marks the enemies. They're generic marks, but you can't have everything. Great power, overall.
Sanctified Light (DP): Weaksauce, plain and simple.
Visage of Sorrow (D 380): Close burst 2 mass sanction for a turn and hit or miss a debuff to attacks against yourself. Not that impressive, and unless you have a more lasting mass-Sanction power to follow up with, it's counterintuitive.
Deathguide's Sanction (D 381): Geared toward Baladins, this one does solid damage, it's Reliable, it's Radiant, and when it hits, it save-ends Sanctions the target while also turning it into a fencing dummy of free healing (5 + CHA mod) every round for all your allies who hit it while the Sanction lasts. Awesome stuff.
Overwhelming Fervor (DP): Solid damage on hit, halved on miss. You want to hit with it so you can impose Divine Sanction on the target for the rest of the encounter.
Smite the Soul (DP): Save-end stuns on hit, with a dazing aftereffect. A little low on the damage for a daily of this level, but a worthy pick nonetheless, especially if you can put a penalty on the save.
Wheel of Fate (DP): A solidly-damaging close burst 1 attack with a free surge's worth of healing if you hit at least two enemies. Regardless of any hitting or missing, WIS-mod worth of regeneration when bloodied for the rest of the encounter. Solid power.
Corona of Blinding Radiance (PHB): Close burst 1 vs. Reflex, Radiant, and is just plain devastating even if it misses (which it won't too often). Save-end blinds on hit, and even on miss, half damage and blinds until the end of your next turn. Second to none for melee control.
Righteous Resolve (DP): Not very good. The Honored Foe feat in Paragon Tier renders this one mostly unnecessary in respect to you, and if you're the one getting temp HPs when your ally gets damaged, that's not really going to help persuade the enemy to go after you instead.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Angelic Rescue (PHB): This one isn't going to see too much use.
Cleansing Burst (PHB): Turn the Tide, Mark II. At least this daily is a minor action, but there's still the question of just how often will the entire party be saddled with multiple save-ends effects and penalties.
Failure Is No Option (DP): Chaladins get to play Divine Warlord with this daily. You can set up all sorts of nice situations for your allies with the teleports. The surge-free healing is also pretty solid, especially for an added bonus.
Fateful Cleansing (D 381): This daily is essentially a double-strength Lay on Hands (one surge for two surges' worth healing) with saves against all such effects. Decent.
Gift of Life (PHB): With Leaders everywhere getting resurrection spells at this level now, this daily isn't as crucial as it was. It's still a good backup spell, if nothing else.
Holy Wings (DP): You get to fly once per encounter. You also get some extra AC against OAs. Good for helping you get where you need to on the battlefield. Although if you're in the market for Airstriders in a few levels, you'll want to retrain out of this.
Inspiring Hymn (DP): This encounter power is rather situational. Even when they do happen, only few enemies, even at this tier, have truly devastating crits.
Return to the Living (DP): Not a bad daily to keep around. It can definitely save you, although it's unlikely you'll have to, or want to, spend all four healing surges.
United in Faith (PHB): Minor-action mass-triggering of healing surges for this daily. A Leader-type heal about 12 levels too late.
Champion's Call (DP): Pulls enemies to you, attacks Will, and immobilizes them if they were marked. A fair option for Straladins who wield a weapon that can also be used as an implement.
Censuring Radiance (DP): The effect weakens an enemy if it doesn't include you in an attack. Which would be fine if you weren't doing this already (via the feat Weakening Challenge). It's also inferior to Enervating Smite at Lv. 17, which just weakens outright.
Resurgent Wrath (DP): Decent attack with either healing surge trigger or saving throw for you and an adjacent ally. And by this point, this attack should clear the 30-point barrier fairly consistently for the extra Wisdom-related bonuses.
Sublime Transposition (PHB): Benign Transposition's big brother. Decent rescue-and-attack power for when one ally is getting mobbed.
Demand Respect (DP): A genuine upgrade to Price of Cowardice this time around (although you may very well still want to keep that one, too). An immediate interrupt just like its predecessor, this one has twice the range and also knocks prone in addition to the blinding. Unlike Price of Cowardice, this one works even on non-marked enemies, so off-defenders will love it, too.
Freezing Censure (D 381): Attacks Will, Cold, ranged 5 and restrains the enemy on hit. Fair.
Here Waits Thy Doom (PHB): Like Beckon Foe except a lot more damaging and Radiant. This one actually isn't bad.
World in Winter (D 380): It's important to note that the difficult terrain and light obscurity effects are NOT party friendly. That is a HUGE blow to what would've been a fantastic sticky control power.
Exalted Retribution (PHB): Half-damage on miss, and hit or miss, imposes a save-ends condition that lets you perform OAs when the enemy makes an attack. If he attacks your ally, he eats your OA and your divine mark punishment. Not bad. Even better if you can somehow impose a penalty on the save. Champions of Order, on the other hand, don't need this.
Mark of Weakness (DP): Save-end weakens and Sanctions on hit, half damage and weaken for one turn on miss. Fair.
Spurn the Unworthy (DP): The attack itself isn't that good for this level, and all you get are an extra weapon die's worth of damage on your melee basic attack. Not impressive.
Discipline the Unruly (DP): Very, very nice. Now this is how you control your surroundings. Enemies within 5 squares of you, marked or not, that attack any ally automatically suffer a solid amount of radiant damage and are blinded for a round. You can sustain this with minor actions, and you will most definitely want to do that. If said enemies are divinely marked, even better, and you can still stack some immediate action powers on top of all this if you have them. A fantastic power for both primary and off-defenders.
Harsh Verdict (DP): Attacks Will, which is about all this one has going for it. No real reason to take this over Discipline the Unruly.
To the Nine Hells with You (PHB): To the Nine Hells with this power, you mean. Generic marks and moderate fire damage at this point just do not measure up.
Ardent Judgment (DP): Bonus to attack and crit if the enemy is marked, and creates vulnerability 10 to all damage if you used Ardent Vow. Fair on an Ardent Vow build, inadequate otherwise.
Blinding Smite (PHB): Attacks Will and blinds, like its name says. Would get more attention if not for a couple other powers at this level.
Overwhelming Smite (DP): Sanctions enemies next to you on hit. At this point ... meh.
Stunning Smite (PHB): Still the king. Attacks Will, and can potentially stun all enemies next to you. This one is as good as melee control gets.
Terrible Charge (DP): This one is about as good as charge powers get, so if you're particularly charge-focused this stunner is for you. Otherwise, Stunning Smite is better.
Astral Thunderbolt (DP): A two-part Thunder attack. The first part is with your weapon against Fortitude, and a hit slows the enemy and debuffs its attacks by -2. On hit, you also get a secondary attack with your implement vs. Fortitude that does further damage and also slaps a -2 attack debuff. Both attacks can be against the same target, so you can do some real single-target damage with this one, as well as stack the debuffs on the enemy.
Restricting Smite (PHB): Attacks Will. Buy a round for your allies to act as they please with the most dangerous foe unable to do anything to them. Incidentally, also puts down a generic mark. Still a great power.
Brand of Judgment (PHB): Attack vs. Will. Not all that impressive, actually. The enemy taking half damage from his own attack isn't likely enough to dissuade him from making an attack, or appreciably add to the party's DPR.
Deific Vengeance (PHB): An immediate reaction power. Even if it's only to an attack against yourself, having it still effectively forces a lose-lose against enemies. It attacks Fortitude with a +2 bonus, does very nice damage from quite some range, and weakens the target.
Wrathful Flame (DP): Good burst area on this attack vs. Reflex, which helps. Best done after a mass-Sanction.
Charge of the Dead (D 381): This Necrotic attack can be used on a charge, and on hit, you follow up with the implement-based burst that targets the enemy you charged as well as those closeby. Solid damage potential, being a multi-attack power, and by this point Necrotic isn't an issue if you have Paladin's Truth. Fair enough.
Day of Reckoning (DP): This one is just plain terrible.
Devastating Surge (DP): Basically a ranged Lay on Hands with an opportunity to deal some damage to an enemy as collateral. Still not impressive.
Powerful Faith (PHB): Solid single-target damage and if it hits, triggers a secondary attack that can blind all enemies within 10 squares for a round. Not terrible, considering some of the other powers here.
Prostration (DP): Good damage for a close burst 1, attacks Reflex so it'll hit often, has Lightning and Thunder keywords, and hit or miss, it knocks prone. This one's decent, again, considering most of the alternatives.
Sanctioned Slaughter (DP): Epic fail. Nothing else to say.
Sorrowsworn Smite (D 381): Save-ends blinding and inability to heal on hit. Again, Necrotic isn't an issue if you have Paladin's Truth. The feeble miss consequences for a power of this level keep this one from being great.
Even Hand of Justice (PHB): Attacks Will, does solid damage hit or miss, and if it hits, the enemy takes the full damage and effects from his own attacks. Basically, the harder they hit, the harder they fall, and their own immunities and resistances do not apply. Use this against enemies with particularly dangerous attacks. Saves against this are done at a -2 penalty. Nice capstone, overall.
Name of Awe (DP): Solid damage in a nice burst, and on hit causes save-ends immobilize and weaken (slows on miss). And Sanctions for a round hit or miss. Good crowd-control power.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Note on the general, racial, and divine power source feats: Not all of those will be listed. Only the consequential ones (many of those will be rated blue or sky blue). Traps among those will be noted.
Accursed Challenge (D 384): Must worship Avandra. If you have enough allies who inflict save-ends effects (or even have your own powers with save-ends effects), the -2 save penalties adds some extra bite to your marks. Curiously enough, this even works with generic marks, not just Challenge or Sanction. Starts peaking in early Paragon, when characters get their full suite of daily attack powers.
Bitter Challenge (D 380): Good against skirmishers and lurkers who try to escape out of your allies' melee range, but timing issues keep it from being as universally sticky as was likely intended.
Bloody Balance (D 381): Very situational damage boost. Not recommended.
Channel Might (DP): A lot of things give power bonuses to attack. You can do without this one.
Cleansing Challenge (D 371): Since undead are mostly vulnerable to radiant damage, the damage actually winds up being a few more points than is written, and it is automatic. Still, only worth a look at all in an undead-heavy setting.
Devoted Paladin (DP): CHA-mod healing bonus for allies to Lay on Hands, and an extra healing surge per day to boot. Nice.
Divine Purity (D 371): Necrotic damage is fairly common in general, so this one's not too bad or too situational.
Healing Hands (PHB): This ally-only bonus for Lay on Hands, also CHA-mod worth, stacks with Devoted Paladin, which is the only reason this feat isn't completely worthless. But you'll probably still want something else.
Mettle Proven (D 378): Grant use of a healing surge for your ally when your Divine Mettle successfully helps him save. Good one.
Mighty Challenge (DP): Makes a Straladin's Divine Challenge viable, and a Baladin's pretty damn dangerous. Essential in both cases.
Protector's Commitment (DP): CHA 15 required. Take the Expertise feats first, but this is worth a look after those. You or an enemy next to a bloodied ally is a fairly common situation that will give you the +1 untyped bonus to attacks.
Radiant Touch (D 371): It grants a minor action attack, and that alone keeps it from being utterly worthless. Only worth it at all in an undead-heavy setting, though, and only for Chaladins with Lay on Hands.
Virtuous Recovery (DP): If Wisdom is your secondary stat, this is even better than Toughness (not that it would hurt to take both feats). WIS-mod damage resistance until the start of your next turn whenever you spend a healing surge. That can be second wind, Lay on Hands usage, using the Lv. 2 utility Virtue, etc., etc., etc.
Holy Speech (DP): A good "party face" feat for a low-combat campaign, assuming you're fluent in Supernal.
Light of Order (D 381): Gives you a free at-will spell, Shining Light of Order, that shines bright light, which negates concealment in dark places. Useful if you do a lot of dungeon-crawling or night fighting. The feat also grants you the option to replace a utility power with Punitive Radiance, although with the great utilities your class gets you probably won't want to exercise that option.
Versatile Channeler (DP): Pick up another Divine class' Divinity power and add it to your list. If you actually plan to multiclass into another Divine class, however, you may want to consider using Divine Channeler for that, which also adds another class' Divinity power, so keep that in mind. If Divine Channeler doesn't suit your multiclassing plans but you still see a Divinity power you like, then take this one.
Fickle Servant (DP): Lets you pick any Domain Feat you want. Tons of potential.
Dragonborn
Bolstering Breath (PHR:D): Your breath becomes party-friendly. Something to consider.
Draconic Challenge (DP): You slap Sanctions on all enemies in your breath, hit or miss. Consider this one mandatory.
Enlarged Dragon Breath (PHB): The larger your breath area, the more enemies you can Sanction with it. That's a good thing.
Hurl Breath (PHR:D): Combined with Draconic Challenge, allows you to Sanction a group of enemies in a burst 2 up to 10 squares away. Worth a look.
Io's Challenge (PHR:D): Single-handedly makes Constitution worth full-blown secondary stat consideration for Dragonborn Paladins. Extra CON-mod DC damage when you're bloodied. Just remember to back it up with Virtue.
Powerful Breath (PHR:D): Chaladins get to hit things with their breath now. Woo. Obviously, Straladins and Baladins don't need this. Io's Challenge Chaladins might also be able to skip out.
Radiant Breath (D 378): Those with Sun domain or Morninglord access will want to consider taking this. Adds the Radiant keyword and damage in addition to your element of choice.
Drow
Brilliant Darkfire (DP): CHA-mod radiant vulnerability after hitting with Darkfire. Nice.
Dwarf
Dwarven Weapon Training (PHB): You get proficiency in all axes and hammers, including the superior versions, and on top of that, the equivalent of Paragon Tier Weapon Focus with those weapons. A great deal.
Shield the Fallen (FRPG): +2 to saves and all defenses just for being next to a bloodied ally. Nice.
Genasi
Elemental Challenge (DP): Interesting feat. Nice to be able to tailor your Divine Challenge to different creatures' vulnerabilities, but it's not crucial.
Extra Manifestation (FRPG): Some extra versatility never hurt.
Gnome
Hidden Channeling (DP): Concealment for Channel Divinity use. Not bad.
Goliath
Goliath Greatweapon Prowess (PHB2): This one's a good deal for Heroic and Paragon Tier. You essentially get the damage benefits of Weapon Focus and Superior Weapon Proficiency together in this feat. It does fall behind that combination a little bit in Epic Tier, however.
Kord's Resilience (DP): Give all allies next to you your Stone's Endurance damage resistance. Perfect.
Markings of the Victor (PHB2): Make sure you start off every fight the right way: with an attack that will hit.
Strength of Stone (DP): Give your ally a little extra protection after using Virtue's Touch or Lay on Hands. Nice.
Half-Elf
Group Defense (DP): Sure, make your marks even more effective. Defense bonuses are untyped.
Religious Dabbler (DP): Can't see getting much use out of this one. Especially once you hit Paragon Tier, when your Dilletante is all you'll want to use.
Halfling
Lost in the Crowd (PHB): Plenty of things are bigger than you. A +2 untyped bonus to AC in this case is nice.
Halfling's Strength (D 384): And just what would a Halfling be doing being a Straladin or Baladin? If you do go that route for some reason, this does gain some value in Epic Tier if you also take Tireless Wrath. Must worship Avandra.
Half-Orc
Divine Assault (DP): In the right party, such as with a Leader that can hand out extra attacks or a Striker packing multi-attack focus-fire powers, this can set up something really devastating.
Furious Devotion (DP): +2 untyped bonus for damage after using Channel Divinity. Not high priority. Only consider it at all after more general damage feats like Superior Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Focus.
Savage Assault (PHB2): Your Furious Assault debuffs all defenses by -1. Good.
Thirst for Battle (PHB2): Extra initiative and an extra healing surge. Very good.
Human
Action Surge (PHB): Take Versatile Expertise first, but definitely consider this one after. +3 untyped bonus to all attacks for the action from an action point is just too good to ignore.
Divine Perseverance (DP): +2 untyped bonus to the next attack after making a save. Not bad, but again, only take after the Expertise feats. It's not as high priority as Action Surge, either.
Human Perseverance (PHB): +1 feat bonus to saves. Not bad.
Stubborn Survivor (FRPG): +2 untyped bonus to saves when you don't have any action points left. Stacks with Perseverance.
Kalashtar
Clarity of Spirit (DP): Bastion of Mental Clarity triggers a healing surge in your or an ally. Nice.
Group Mindlink (EPG): Telepathic communication can come in handy a lot.
Revenant
Restless Dead (D 380): Not really necessary. Must worship the Raven Queen.
Revenant's Challenge (D 380): Enforce necrotic vulnerability with your Divine Challenge. Might as well. Must worship the Raven Queen.
Shifter
Blessed Shifter (DP): Take the more general damage feats first, but with a good secondary Wisdom score, this one can set up some nice burst damage when using your Shifting power.
Tiefling
Hellish Defiance (D 381): Not compatible with Wrath of the Crimson Legion, but if you're sticking with Infernal Wrath as your racial power, use that power at the right time and you can force a nice lose-lose that round when your melee allies surround the target of your Wrath.
Imperious Majesty (D 381): Charisma for initiative. Speaks for itself.
Mark of the Infernal (DP): Sanction an enemy you hit with your Infernal Wrath-charged attack. Good if you'd rather keep Infernal Wrath instead of taking Wrath of the Crimson Legion.
Wrath of the Crimson Legion (D 381): Get the benefits of Melee Training (and you can consider something else in favor of Virtuous Strike, if you want). And in addition to that, replace your Infernal Wrath with the per-encounter Paladin's Wrath, which is automatic mass-Sanction of all enemies in a close burst 5 for a round. If you prefer crowd-control over the single-target damage from Infernal Wrath, it does not get any finer than this.
Warforged
Warforged Example (DP): Lets everyone save against some ongoing damage within 5 squares for using your Resolve power. This one's rather situational, so it's not high priority.
Warforged Faith (DP): Grant an adjacent ally CON-mod temp HPs as well as let him save against ongoing damage. This one's better.
Warforged Tactics (EPG): Good to consider after the Expertise feats. An extra +1 to attack an enemy next to an ally in melee.
Alchemist (AV): If such a task should fall to you, it's there. You're already trained in Religion.
Durable (PHB): Lay on Hands Paladins should take Devoted Paladin, instead. Paladins with one of the other special daily powers might give this a look, but not before Toughness.
Echoes of Thunder (PHB2): Extra tier-scaling damage when you hit with Thunder powers. Prospective Stormtroopers might want to take a look. But only after Weapon Focus.
Melee Training(PHB2): Only Chaladinsneed to mind this one. One way or another, a viable melee basic attack is absolutely vital to your performance as a Defender, and this feat is one of several ways to get one. If you didn't take Virtuous Strike, you take this. If you're a Half-Elf who took Eldritch Strike as a Dilletante, retrain this feat for Versatile Master in Paragon Tier. Tieflings can take Wrath of the Crimson Legion, instead.
Mounted Combat (PHB): Very dependent on campaign whether this is useful or not. It's here because, well, some Paladins just love their horses.
Oncoming Storm (PHB2): If your prospects include a Lightning Weapon and things such as Storm Sacrifice, Mark of Storm (in Eberron) and Avatar of Storm, this one will do very nicely.
Ritual Caster (PHB): It's here if such a task should fall to you. You're already trained in Religion.
Superior Implement Training (PHB3): If you're taking a preponderance of implement encounter powers, consider taking this for an accurate symbol. It's not quite as necessary for you as for some other classes, though, since your class doesn't have any at-will implement attacks.
Toughness (PHB): Tier-scaling increase of your maximum hit points value. Very valuable. That has the lovely side benefit of increasing your healing surge and bloodied values, as well. Definitely take this if you're not going to have the Wisdom to use Virtuous Recovery to its fullest.
Versatile Expertise (PHB3): Grumble, grumble, feat tax. Still, you are literally hurting your character if you don't take this. At least with the advent of this latest feat in the Expertise line, you get the full benefits of the old Weapon and Implement Expertise together. That's very important, since you happen to be one of those classes that uses both weapons and implements. If you're using a weapon/implement combo (or weaplement), you're covered there, too; just choose the same thing for your weapon and implement types. NOTE: For your purposes, this feat completely obsoletes Focused Expertise, Implement Expertise and Weapon Expertise.
Weapon Focus (PHB): Dwarves and Goliaths don't need to look at this for quite some time. Everyone else should. But not before Weapon Expertise.
Weapon Proficiency (one superior weapon) (PHB): Yes, superior weapons are worth it. A bastard sword does an extra 1 point of damage on average per die over a longsword. Same for a fullblade over a greatsword. Dwarves and Goliaths, again, don't need to look at this one; they have their own racial feats that provide the equivalent of this and Weapon Focus.
Wintertouched (PHB): Don't take until Paragon Tier. Once you get there and take Lasting Frost, this one is great with the Winter domain or a Frost weapon.
Armor of Bahamut (PHB): Only a few monsters have crits you really need to worry about, and they don't happen often enough to make this worth it, anyway.
Avandra's Rescue (PHB): Switch places with an adjacent ally as a move action. Generally not too useful.
Corellon's Grace (PHB): As an immediate interrupt, you can take a move action of any sort when someone uses an action point. This can be an ally or an enemy. This one can be pretty useful.
Harmony of Erathis (PHB): Not bad. The range is huge, so someone is likely to get the +2 power bonus to an attack.
In Death, Life (D 381): Must worship the Raven Queen. Essentially gives you a Lay on Hands-type effect to use as a close burst 3 free action when you bloody or kill an enemy. Can be handy.
Ioun's Poise (PHB): Huge bonus to Will defense for you or an ally. Decent.
Kord's Favor (PHB): Trigger a healing surge when the target (you or an ally) crits. Too situational.
Melora's Tide (PHB): Tier-scaling regeneration for you or an ally when bloodied that lasts until the end of the encounter or until no longer bloodied. This one's nice. It's useful out-of-combat as well when someone needs healing from the brink of death, reducing the number of healing surges they need to use.
Moradin's Resolve (PHB): Good one. You'll fight plenty of things bigger than you, so that +2 untyped bonus to attacks will see a lot of action. But only take it after the Expertise feats.
Pelor's Radiance (PHB): It is better than any of the anti-undead Divinity powers you could pick up from other classes with Versatile Channeler. Not that it's too much of a compliment. A WIS-heavy Paladin in an undead-heavy campaign might pick this up, but that's about it.
Raven Queen's Blessing (PHB): Trigger a healing surge in you or an ally for killing something. Has a greater range than In Death, Life from the same deity, but if used on an ally requires him to use his own healing surge. It's also ranged as opposed to burst, which means you can draw OAs from using it. Overall, not as good as In Death, Life.
Sehanine's Reversal (PHB): This power just isn't going to get triggered often.
Angharradh's Favor (FRPG): Not a bad one to use when multiple party members are under save-ends effects. It costs no action to use, which really helps.
Berronar's Salve (FRPG): Trigger a healing surge in an ally when he drops. Simple, and handy.
Blessing of Silvanus (FRPG): A piddly healing bonus. Just not worth it.
Chauntea's Blessing (FRPG): Let an ally reroll a failed saving throw with a +4 bonus. This one is great, especially since it costs no action to use. This one can even trigger if you're stunned, something even Divine Mettle can't boast.
Eyes of Selune (FRPG): This one's for you, a reroll of a failed saving throw that's not an action. Good.
Fleetness of Mielikki (FRPG): Extra speed and ignoring of difficult terrain for a round or two. Not bad. If you're somehow trained in Acrobatics by Epic Tier, retrain this for Unfettered Stride.
Glittergold's Gambit (FRPG): Grant your ally a reroll of an attack or skill check. Powerful in both combat and in skill challenges.
Gond's Craft (FRPG): You're not going to make too many direct attacks with item powers.
Ilmater's Martyrdom (FRPG): Again, only a few enemies you'll fight have crits you need to worry about, and they don't come up often enough to justify spending a feat on powers like this.
Kelemvor's Judgment (FRPG): Anti-undead blast attack. The attack can use your highest mental stat, but Wisdom always determines the damage. Only useful in an undead-heavy campaign, but at least it's good for that.
Oghma's Recall (FRPG): Knowledge checks usually aren't your job.
Power of Amaunator (FRPG): Extra damage boost to a Radiant attack. Decent.
Righteous Rage of Tempus (FRPG): This one used to be even more devastating. Even in its current form, it's great. Extra normally crit-only damage on a normal hit, and maximize a crit.
Sheela Peryroyl's Gift (FRPG): You already have a much better version of this. It's called Divine Mettle.
Sune's Touch (FRPG): Not quite Glittergold's Gambit for the same situations. But not bad, either.
Torm's Justice (FRPG): Power bonus to attack rolls only against bloodied enemies. There are several other attack-enhancement feats you should be considering before this one.
Tymora's Coin (FRPG): Triggers on a natural 1 or a natural 20 for an attack roll or a saving throw. Assuming a 10-round encounter, this one is bound to trigger sometime if you believe in the law of averages. And the effect is quite nice, allowing you to roll an attack or a save twice and keep the better result. Good for making up for a 1 or capitalizing further on a crit.
Waukeen's Silver Tongue (FRPG): Reroll a conversation skill check with a +5 power bonus. Good for those types of skill challenges.
Ancenstral Guidance (EPG): Decent in skill challenges.
Arawai's Abundance (EPG): Basic healing spell with a +2 power bonuses to defenses after. It's there if you need to take on more of the healing burden.
Aureon's Instruction (EPG): Knowledge check reroll. Meh, that's usually not your job.
Balinor's Prey (EPG): A Hunter's Quarry-esque, tier-scaling damage bonus to the next hit the enemy takes. This hit can come from anyone before the end of your next turn, not just you. Not bad.
Beacon of Dol Arrah (EPG): Not really worth it. Only useful at all on a radiant power involving a lot of large damage dice, like a daily.
Boldrei's Shelter (EPG): An all-purpose +2 power bonus to all defenses for you and allies next to you for a round. Good.
Kol Korran's Boon (EPG): This one's excellent. Let none of the healing from a power go to waste. If someone is only slightly wounded, use this with Lay on Hands, for example, and give your ally a healthy amount of temp HPs.
Light Within (EPG): Sort of a ranged Lay on Hands effect. In practice it'll only affect one ally most of the time. Still pretty solid. You should consider it more strongly if you didn't take Lay on Hands.
Might of Dol Dorn (EPG): Tier-scaling amount of temp HPs when you hit with an attack. Pretty good.
Onatar's Gift (EPG): An encounter you won't use this is an encounter you didn't miss. This can set up some good burst damage from someone when that happens.
Shield of the Silver Flame (EPG): Limited saving throw trigger. Not really worth it.
Sovereign Justice (EPG): Give an ally some temp HPs, tier-scaling, if you get hit. Solid defender application.
Traveler's Gift (EPG): Uh, no. Close burst 3, allies shift one square is not worth giving up a standard action to attack.
Undying's Command (EPG): It's definitely great against undead, being domination and all. But like all anti-undead powers, it's useless otherwise.
Aberrant Mark of Contagion (EPG): -2 penalty to an enemy's saves against ongoing damage for hitting it with a daily. The most useful of the Aberrant marks.
Aberrant Mark of Madness (EPG): Make an enemy's Will even easier to hit if you strike it with a daily. Rather situational.
Aberrant Mark of Terror (EPG): An enemy takes a -1 penalty to hit you if you hit it with a daily. Also too situational for most tastes.
Mark of Detection (EPG): Roll twice, keep higher result for Perception, and use divination rituals. Decent, since Perception is a very good skill.
Mark of Finding (EPG): Dog a disadvantage enemy's footsteps. Decent.
Mark of Handling (EPG): If you're in position to use mounts in Eberron, this is hands-down better than Mounted Combat. Your mount gets feat bonuses to speed and AC, and you also get a couple of rituals.
Mark of Healing (EPG): Good if you're trained in Heal, which opens you up to restoration rituals you'll actually be good at. Also allows an ally to make a save when you use a healing power on him/her.
Mark of Hospitality (EPG): Typically not for you. More of a Leader class thing, so only consider it if you multiclassed in that direction and took healing powers that involve dice rolls.
Mark of Making (EPG): Enchant Magic Item at +2 level. Nice for getting what you want there.
Mark of Passage (EPG): Extra squares of movement on your shifts and teleports. You may want this.
Mark of Scribing (EPG): A good party-face feat. Better than Linguist, and there's no Intelligence requirement for it. Also comes with the full Ritual Caster benefit.
Mark of Sentinel (EPG): Just doesn't offer enough in comparison to Mark of Warding. Leave this one to Fighters.
Mark of Shadow (EPG): You're going to be hidden or invisible how often, now?
Mark of Storm (EPG): Slide an enemy a square every time you hit with a Thunder or Lightning power. A Lightning Weapon or the Storm domain is going to make this one sing, plus your class itself has some encounter and daily powers with those keywords.
Mark of Warding (EPG): Gods, you just can't get much better than this. Extra +1 on powers that grant defense bonuses, and your marks penalize by -3 now. Unless you have a specific build in mind using one of the other Dragonmarks, consider this one mandatory for all Paladins in Eberron.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Chosen Defender (D 381): The penalty you put down on enemies' OAs just for being next to them comes in quite handy for giving your allies a better chance of moving around (or away from) those foes unscathed. You become a better point-man for flanks.
Contagious Challenge (DP): Hit your Divine Challenge target and spread a Divine Sanction to another enemy next to it. Decent.
Forceful Challenge (D 378): It's been clarified that you slide the enemy who triggers your Sanction or Challenge punishment one square after the triggering attack is resolved, which makes it merely excellent, as opposed to controversial. The slide can still serve to disengage an enemy from melee against a vulnerable ally, making your ally's escape easy. And, of course, there's always the possibility of sliding the enemy into a waiting flank or hazardous square.
Honored Foe (DP): WIS-mod temp HPs every time Sanctioned and Challenged enemies damage you, which essentially amounts to damage resistance against them. If you have any appreciable WIS modifier (+3 or greater), you want this, plain and simple. A stacked arsenal of mass-Sanction powers really helps this one.
Persistent Challenge (DP): Handy for when you just can't maintain Divine Challenge normally on one turn in an encounter. That happens fairly often. Chaladins are most likely to pick this.
Resurgent Attack (DP): Mainly for Straladins, a +2 power bonus to the next attack after spending a healing surge in any way. Decent.
Touch of Salvation (DP): Almost like a free Divine Mettle attached to use of Virtue's Touch or Lay on Hands. Pretty situational, though.
Untiring Virtue (DP):This one is typically good for an extra two uses of your special daily power per day. This feat allows a Chaladin who wants higher Fortitude defense and extra healing surges to pay attention to Constitution as well as Wisdom when leveling up. For that matter, this feat is good for any Paladin.
Clinging Radiance (DP): Can come in handy either against enemies with concealment or total concealment, or even in just a night fight, or a fog fight. You should always have a trusty Holy Strike or Virtuous Strike ready if nothing else.
Eye of Judgment (D 381): Roll twice on Insight. Good for combat-light, skill-heavy campaigns.
Justice Hammer (D 381): Daze for a round on crits with divine powers. Normally, you could take or leave this one, but Paladins who create radiant vulnerability and abuse it with Bless Weapon might like this one more.
Pervasive Light (DP): Morninglords and Sun-domain Paladins should pick this up. It's brutal in their employ.
Warding Shield (D 381): +2 shield bonus to Reflex for adjacent allies if you're using a shield. Decent enough.
Ascendant Lineage (PHB2): One of the better feats a Deva can pick up. Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes is not expended if the reroll fails.
Drow
Master of Fire and Darkness (FRPG): Now your two Lolthtouched powers are separate encounter powers. Nice.
Merciless Killer (FRPG): +5 damage to a bloodied enemy when you have combat advantage, killing him faster. Either of your Lolthtouched powers can set that up nicely.
Dwarf
Dwarven Durability (PHB): Two extra healing surges and you get to steal the Dragonborn's healing surge value benefit. You definitely want this.
Genasi
Shocking Flame (FRPG): Extra fire or lightning damage on all melee attacks with the right manifestation. Solid.
Stormrider (FRPG): Strictly better than Fleet-Footed with the right manifestations.
Gnome
Fade Ally (PHB2): Gives your Fade Away power a legitimate defender/leader application by letting an ally turn invisible instead of you.
Surprising Disappearance (PHB2): Combat advantage for the party when you use your Fade Away power. Nice.
Goliath
Unyielding Stone (PHB2): A high amount of temp HPs when you use Stone's Endurance, in addition to the damage resistance. Now you're even tougher to bring down.
Half-Elf
Versatile Master (PHB2): Turns your Dilletante power into a true at-will. You want this. Period.
Halfling
Underfoot (PHB): If you're trained in Acrobatics somehow, this one is worth a look for the beneficial movement option. You'll fight plenty of Large things.
Half-Orc
Strength from Pain (PHB2): +5 extra damage until the end of your next turn is nothing to sneeze at. Especially if you have a close burst attack or, somehow, a focus-fire multi-attack ready.
Unrelenting Assault (PHB2): Apply Furious Assault when you miss as well. Good for up-front damage dealing.
Shifter
Beasthide Shifting (PHB2): Resist all 2 when you use your Shifting power. Nice.
Tiefling
Fiery Rebuke (PHB): Extra fire damage on Infernal Wrath. Not bad if you didn't take Wrath of the Crimson Legion.
Agile Opportunist (PHB2): This one depends on party composition. If your Leader is someone who has a lot of features or powers that can slide you, such as a Bard or a Tactical Warlord, you DEFINITELY want this; they'll thank you for it. Especially since, unlike other defender classes, you don't even use your immediate action for your default mark punishment. And rolling more attacks is always fun.
Armor Specialization (PHB): Your feat bonus to AC. Most likely, you'll be picking this one for plate (CON 15 needed).
Combat Anticipation (PHB): Obsoleted by Paragon Defenses.
Deadly Axe (PHB): Halberd or axe-and-shield Straladins should consider this one.
Eyes in the Back of Your Head (PHB3): No giving up combat advantage for flanking. Good one for your role.
Fleet-Footed (PHB): Extra speed is never a bad thing.
Hammer Rhythm (PHB): This is the main reason a Straladin would want to use a hammer in the first place. The miss damage does wonders for your DPR figures.
Heavy Blade Opportunity (PHB): A long time ago, this was essential for Chaladins. No more. Some Straladins, particularly Champions of Order, who have the Dexterity necessary might still want to take it.
Lasting Frost (PHB): If you have either the Winter domain or a Frost weapon, this is for you. Take Wintertouched immediately after and you'll be able to set up combat advantage any time you hit, as well as doing the extra damage from Cold vulnerability.
Paragon Defenses (PHB2): A +1 feat bonus to all your NADs. In Epic Tier, this will get retrained, but for now it covers the most bases.
Polearm Gamble (PHB): This is the feat that allows you to control real estate like nobody's business with a halberd or glaive.
Psychic Lock (PHB): If you're using a Githyanki Silver weapon, you definitely want the attack debuff this inflicts (especially nasty when stacking with Enfeebling Strike). It's also for Half-Elves who took a Psychic at-will power with Dilletante, such as Vicious Mockery or Eyebite (which also come with their own debuffs).
Reserve Maneuver (PHB2): Don't like your paragon path's encounter power? Trade it out for something else after you rest. This feat may not be for everyone, but it's handy for those who want it.
Shield Mastery (PHB3): Strongly worth considering if you're using a shield. That means the vast majority of Chaladins, and that goes double if you were focusing on Wisdom as your secondary.
Solid Sound (PHB): +2 untyped bonus to a NAD for a round when you hit with the Thunder or Force keyword. This one is good for those with the Storm domain or those using a Force Weapon. Some of your class' encounter and daily powers also benefit.
Uncanny Dodge (PHB): If you're taking Polearm Gamble, you'll want this one, too. For that matter, it's not a bad choice for anyone.
Vexing Flanker (PHB2): All your allies get combat advantage against an enemy you're flanking. Pretty useful.
All-Seeing Eye of the Guardian (D 381): Negate combat advantage for allies next to you if they're flanked. Fair enough.
Crusading Wrath (DP): Straladins want this one, no questions asked; just make sure you have a WIS 15. The next attack after Divine Strength, hit or miss, slaps a Divine Sanction on the enemy for the whole encounter which also gets a boost to its punishment from your WIS-modifier. In other words, your Divine Strength becomes a way to mark and forget. NOTE: This is ESPECIALLY brutal in a Champion of Order's hands.
Just Sacrifice (D 381): Focus fire is typically the optimal strategy, and enemies know it, too, so one ally getting reduced to zero surges can happen quite a bit. This one helps that ally go for just a little crucial extra time. A Paladin with Lay on Hands probably won't need it, but those who took one of its alternatives might want to give it a look.
Paladin's Truth (DP): Ignore resistances and immunities on marked targets. That Fear or Charm power you like a lot? Works every time now. Fire resistance? No problem. Resist all? Resist this. Splendid stuff.
Pious Champion (DP): If you have either Lay on Hands or Virtue's Touch, you want this if you can fit it at all. That goes double for Lay on Hands, which you can now use to heal two targets for the price of only one of your healing surges.
Protecting Boon (DP): Divine Mettle now lets everyone in its close burst 10 area make the save. Baladins will automatically qualify and might as well take it; Chaladins who want it should make sure they get a STR of 15 by Epic Tier. This feat may not make or break your performance, but it sure does come in handy at times.
Tireless Wrath (DP): Baladins might as well snatch this up; Straladins might want to make sure they have a CHA 15 by Epic Tier to get this. With this feat, at the very least you're now going to get two attacks that benefit from Divine Strength's damage bonus. This one is better on multiple-target powers. It's better still on powers that attack the same target more than once, potentially resulting in a devastating nova. It's also great if your Leader is someone who likes to hand out extra attacks (Tactical Warlord, Bard). It may not be for every build out there, but its potential is unquestioned.
Virtuous Company (DP): CHA-mod temp HPs are a fair enough bonus on Divine Mettle. WIS 15 needed to qualify. You probably shouldn't take this unless you're also taking Protecting Boon.
Weakening Challenge (D 378): A Challenged or Sanctioned enemy who tries to attack your ally finds it even more futile to do so with the weakening effect. Delightfully nasty ... and necessary. Only a Hospitaler should even THINK about going without this, and even then, only as a last resort.
Divine Health (DP): You should be trained in Endurance, which mostly renders this one unnecessary.
Divine Mastery (DP): Regain a divine encounter power when you spend an action point. A necessity, and you want to get it as early in Epic Tier as possible.
Echoes of Letherna (D 380): Must worship the Raven Queen. Actually not a bad deal, since the Necrotic keyword and damage are added to the Radiant powers, rather than replacing the Radiant qualities. Dual damage types and keywords on a power work wonders to cover up one that may be commonly resisted.
Glorious Channeler (DP): This one's good if you have a particularly strong Divinity feat, and then still want to be able to use Divine Strength or Divine Mettle.
Icon of Purity (DP): A lot of enemies deal necrotic damage, so this one's good.
Punishing Radiance (DP): Radiant vulnerability 10 (or the increasing of it by 10) until the end of your next turn on a radiant divine power's crit. Fantastic, especially if you had built yourself to take full advantage of radiant vulnerability. Also note the synergy with Font of Radiance.
Torm's Radiance (D 381): Trap, for a couple of reasons. No.1: Very few enemies resist Radiant in the first place. No. 2: Paladin's Truth lets you do this, and a whole lot more, for all your attacks.
Draconic Restoration (PHR:D): Get another use of your breath when you use second wind. If you can get your second wind to a minor-action or less, somehow, this one's value goes up exponentially. Restoring your breath weapon means more Sanctioning.
Draconic Triumph (PHR:D): Another way to regain use of your breath, this time by killing enemies. Not reliable enough to be an absolute must-take, but it is a solid option.
Genasi
Double Manifestation (FRPG): Manifest two elements at once. Yes, this is awesome.
Gnome
Vanishing Act (PHB2): The Gnome gets to rub it in the Eladrin's face how much the latter sucks at the whole Paladin thing.
Goliath
Ancient Stone (PHB2): Extends your Stone's Endurance another round with a slight drop-off in power, essentially. That's still really good.
Half-Orc
Ferocious Critical (PHB2): A huge bonus to attack and damage until the end of your next turn when you score a crit. Awesome.
Kalashtar
Quori Desperation (EPG): Buy yourself a round to heal and/or act when you would've been knocked out. Nice.
Axe/Bludgeon/Heavy Blade Mastery (PHB): Only Straladins need apply here. Take it if you can; most Straladins can get it without crippling sacrifices.
Blind-Fight (PHB): Thwart invisibility and concealment (but not total concealment) on adjacent creatures. Not bad.
Epic Fortitude/Reflexes/Will (PHB2): +4 to the NAD in question. Stacks with Robust Defenses. You would do well to go for at least one of these. Can make your highest defense extremely hard to hit, and a medium defense from a secondary stat in the high teens-low 20s solid.
Epic Resurgence (PHB): Not as high priority as Divine Mastery, but still worth a look after, especially if you expanded your crit range.
Font of Radiance (PHB): On a radiant crit, inflict a save-ends condition that involves bright light and a healthy amount of free radiant damage per round on the enemy and its adjacent lackeys. Very nice. Note the synergy with Punishing Radiance.
Irresistible Flame (PHB): Paladin's Truth has rendered this one unnecessary for you.
Robust Defenses (PHB2): The +2 feat bonus to all NADs. It's a big deal. Retrain Paragon Defenses for this one, if applicable.
Triumphant Attack (PHB): Attack roll and defense debuff for a full encounter whenever you crit in melee. A nice one that got a good boost with recent errata.
Unfettered Stride (PHB): Ignore difficult terrain. Good if you've somehow trained yourself in Acrobatics.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
Astral Weapon (PHB): Astral Judgment is pretty good, a -2 defense debuff for violating your mark. The rest, on the other hand, isn't particularly impressive.
Champion of Corellon (DP): A solid path for Corellon-worshiping Chaladins with more agility training than usual. Superior Defense takes advantage of a good DEX score for extra AC in heavy armor, and Light-Footed Warrior lets you ignore the speed penalty. All the powers are pretty good, too, in particular the daily Corellon's Wrath, which attacks Reflex, save-ends blinds on hit, and makes your OAs deadlier.
Champion of Order (PHB): In Defense of Order lets you stack an OA on top of the Divine Challenge punishment for some serious retaliatory pain. And the encounter power, Certain Justice, is just plain brutal. It's deadly accurate and dazes and weakens as long as you keep a target marked. Ouch. A fantastic path for Straladins.
Demonslayer (DP): It's way too specialized, for one, and Champion of Order, among other paths, does a better job with its "specialization." Avoid it.
Dragonslayer (DP): Despite its name, this Chaladin-focused path is actually not specialized at all. Which is only a good thing. Dragonslayer's Challenge is a good damage boost, particularly against a Divine Challenge target, that scales into Epic Tier. Challenging Smite makes your divine marks deadlier for a round, Deflect the Blast is a decent AoE mitigation utility per encounter, and Ground the Foe always comes in handy even if the target wasn't a flier. Solid path all around.
Faithful Shield (DP): Not a bad Chaladin path overall, but nothing really impressive, either. The 16th-level feature Defensive Presence is the best out of this path, but it's only going to see a lot of use if you have some Dwarves in the party.
Fortune Blessed (D 384): Requires you to worship Avandra. An interesting, and pretty solid path, with its luck tokens mechanic that can boost bad rolls or even let you reroll d20s and keep your better result. The encounter power is an immediate reaction counter when an enemy attacks you and gives you a luck token for free if you don't have any. The per-encounter utlity is HUGE damage reduction, even before you add any luck token effects, and the daily is also a solid debilitator.
Gray Guard (DP): Gray Guard Vigilance is very handy if you're going to fight a lot at night or in dark places, and also trains you in the all-important Perception skill. Debilitating Smite is a solid daze and slow encounter power. An encounter you didn't use the utility Relentless Justice is an encounter where all your encounter powers hit their mark. And the daily, Devastating Smite, is Reliable and utterly brutal. Your healing surge's worth of extra damage on the attack is huge, especially if you're a Dragonborn or a Dwarf. Overall, a very good path for damage-focused Straladins.
Hammer of Moradin (DP): Hammer-wielding Straladins who worship Moradin might look at this one. Hammer Bond is a permanent +1 to attack with hammers, which is great. The powers are flavorful and decent, but not eyecatching.
Holy Conqueror (DP): For Straladins with Ardent Vow. The features aren't that special (but hardly bad), but the powers are quite good. Charge of the Conqueror is an immediate interrupt charge attack that slaps Divine Sanction on the triggering enemy hit or miss. Sacrificial Intervention is a per-encounter martyr-type power that Sanctions the triggering enemy for the rest of the encounter as long as you're next to it. The daily, Take the Keep, is a mass-Sanction power that comes with a solid whirlwind attack.
Hospitaler (PHB): Even with its recent errata, Hospitaler's Blessing makes a Shielding Swordmage question his own manhood. It heals an amount comparable to the damage Aegis of Shielding prevents, hit or miss, and does it on every attack that doesn't include you as a target. Yikes. Hospitaler's Care stacks with Devoted Paladin's bonus for Lay on Hands. The path of choice for Chaladins, overall, and arguably overpowered.
Justiciar (PHB): Fair party protection features, and the encounter power Just Radiance is a very nice punisher of a crowd of marked enemies. Not a bad path, but slightly underwhelming compared to some of its counterparts.
Knight of Celestia (MOTP): Nothing about this one is remotely impressive. Shun it.
Knight of the Chalice (DP): Another specialized paragon path, this one for Chaladins. It isn't quite as egregious as Demonslayer; Aura Suppression is useful against quite a few enemies, and Ensnaring Smite's restraining is always handy. But the rest of it is only really effective (or effective at all) against devils.
Questing Knight (DP): Knight's Resurgence is free-action second wind, which is simply great. The powers are pretty good, too. The encounter power, Strength of Ten, is a mass-Sanction that also pushes enemies away and gives you a free shift to set up a nice isolation situation against one of your targets. Virtuous Wrath is Reliable, attacks Will, and when it hits pushes far and save-end weakens. A very solid Chaladin path.
Scion of Sacrifice (DP): If you're a Chaladin who, for whatever reason, took Ardent Vow, this path will make it worth your while. Unflinching Presence gives you an extra use Ardent Vow per day. The encounter power Scion's Sanction slaps the Divine Sanction on everyone in the close burst 1 hit or miss and can deal huge AoE damage if you give up a little life. Scion's Healing is a way to make up for you not taking Lay on Hands. The daily, Punishing Flame, lets you deal a little fire damage automatically to enemies nearby for damaging one of your allies; that can stack with divine marks for some nice effect.
Slayer of the Dead (DP): Another overly-specialized path. Just about all of it is only good at all against undead.
Son of Mercy (D 370): Lawbreaker's Doom is a nasty feature, giving you WIS-mod damage bonus to attacks against its object of affection, slowing with every attack that hits, and lasting until the enemy is dead. At which point you get to use it again. The encounter power Dispensed Justice is almost as vicious, allowing you to punish your Lawbreaker's Doom target with an immediate interrupt on top of your divine mark. The utility and daily are also pretty devastating, and Strength of Conviction is a solid amount of temp HPs' reward for killing the lawbreaker. Just a brutal paragon path for Straladins.
Doomguide (FRPG): Geared toward Baladins who worship Kelemvor. It's features and powers are very effective against undead, but even when undead aren't involved, they're at least decent, and the daily power in particular, Kelemvor's Sword, is quite good. You wish more of the "specialized" paths were like this one. Not a bad choice in any case.
Eartheart Defender (FRPG): For Dwarf Straladins, and it's pretty solid. Heart of Earth is an attack bonus after using that minor-action second wind. Gain Heart is a good power to pull out when bloodied, healing you significantly. And the daily, Earthsurge, is an excellent sticky power, a good-sized zone that moves with you and slows enemies in it.
Heartwarder (FRPG): For Chaladins who worship Sune. Sune's Touch is fantastic healing; it works when you spend a healing surge. In any way. Including Lay on Hands on the ally. Which means it stacks with Lay on Hands for the ally. Great stuff. Also great stuff are the powers. Siren Voice is domination every encounter, which is awesome. Sune's Shield is essentially a Divine Bodyguard that doesn't suck; it can't screw you over since you can choose on a hit-by-hit basis whether to take the damage for the ally, and it lasts for the whole encounter no matter what happens. And the daily, Sune's Kiss, is perfect on an elite or solo; it can force ridiculous lose-lose situations, especially if you Sanctioned or Challenged it and have immediate actions to pile on.
Morninglord (FRPG): Must worship Amaunator. The Lv. 16 feature Burning Radiance is the heart of this path and makes it capable of incredible damage. If you had the Sun domain feat, you can retrain that out now. The radiant vulnerability 10 is greater than the Sun domain is capable of and is caused by any Radiant power, including attacks from a Radiant Weapon. Or from a weapon buffed by the Lv. 2 utility Bless Weapon, which also gets a lovely boost via this feature. Radiant vulnerability also makes your Sanction and Challenge a lot more threatening. Everything else in this path is just extras by comparison (not bad ones, either, mind you). The attack powers use your highest mental stat, making them usable by Chaladins and WIS-heavy Straladins alike.
Purple Dragon Knight (FRPG): Geared toward Straladins and Baladins. Vanilla features, but the powers are pretty decent, in particular the daily.
Silverstar (FRPG): Moonfire, the daily, is a decent healing attack if it hits, and it uses your best mental stat. The rest of the path, on the other hand, is pretty underwhelming, and the encounter power is a waste.
Steelsky Liberator (FRPG): For Dragonborn, Genasi, Half-Orc and Human Straladins, and it's geared toward fighting dragons. It's not very good otherwise, though.
Exorcist of the Silver Flame (EPG): A fairly specialized path which only those with high enough WIS to serve as an attack stat should take. The features are indeed specialized, but the powers are actually pretty good all-purpose; the encounter and daily both blind.
Jorasco Jadehand (EPG): For those with Mark of Healing and high WIS. Sort of a mixed bag. Improved Recovery is very good, and the encounter power Preventative Medicine is a fantastic immediate interrupt. The rest of it is better geared toward Clerics than to you, though.
Kundarak Ghorad'din (EPG): Uh, what? Mark of Warding is such an awesome Dragonmark, but the associated path had to be completely incompatible.
Lyrandar Wind-Rider (EPG): For those with Mark of Storm. Baladins with the Storm domain and Chaladins with a Lightning Weapon can take advantage of what this path has to offer, which is quite a bit, actually. Storm Adept is a +1 to attack rolls with Thunder and Lightning powers, which is great. Feather's Touch can come in handy, and the CHA-based (or CON, but that's not likely for you) powers are decent control effects. Not too bad.
Chameleon (EPG): Mimic the powers your allies have, and use Charisma for the attack and damage on all of them. For Chaladins, this can get very interesting ...
Deva
Ancestral Incarnate (PHB2): A great action point feature that lets you recover a spent encounter power, but the rest isn't very exciting. You must have a high WIS to take full advantage of this path.
Dragonborn
Platinum Templar (PHR:D): Polar Breath is pretty nice, and Misty Breath is a good daily. The rest you could take or leave.
Scion of Arkhosia (PHB2): If you like the idea of growing wings and flying everywhere this one's for you. The attack powers, variations of your breath, aren't anything special, though.
Dwarf
Firstborn of Moradin (PHB2): Only Straladins need apply. Decent, not great, features. The encounter power Receive the Charge is quite good, but the other powers are only average.
Eladrin
Shiere Knight (PHB2): This path doesn't exactly help the Eladrin's case for paladinhood.
Elf
Twilight Guardian (PHB2): Pretty solid path all around, features and powers. Both attack powers do some restraining, which is pretty good. You can choose which mental stat to use for those powers, too.
Gnome
Fey Beguiler (PHB2): Taking a Wizard or Rogue utility for free is pretty good, and Bedazzling Orb is a fine encounter power. The rest isn't anything special for you. A mixed bag.
Goliath
Stoneblessed (PHB2): Unusual Reach is awesome, and the utility Summit Advantage even lets you take proper advantage of it for a round every encounter. The rest is pretty solid, too.
Halfling
Halfling Scoundrel (PHB2): Halfling's Taunt is an awesome daily. The rest of it is just fair.
Half-Orc
Bloodfury Savage (PHB2): Savage Resilience is nice, and the powers are geared toward doing more and more damage. Not too bad, but not all that special.
Human
Adroit Explorer (PHB2): An extra Lv. 7 encounter power, including a duplicate of one you already have, a great action point ability, start the day with two action points, and an immediate reaction daily using your encounter power of choice. Awesome.
Kalashtar
Lightwalker (EPG): Walk the Bright Path is a decent feature, and the utility is a solid healing spell, but the rest is rather underwhelming.
Shifter
Moonstalker (PHB2): Pretty underwhelming, overall. The extra damage to prone enemies is nice, but pretty situational.
Tiefling
Turathi Highborn (PHB2): Turathi Frenzy can result in some really crazy damage. Bolts of Bedevilment plays along very well with your divine marks, and Thrall of Turath, the daily, is save-ends domination. Tiefling Chaladins will definitely want to look at this one.
Warforged
Warforged Juggernaut (EPG): You might like this if you're particularly charge-oriented. The daily stance is very good, sort of a Fighter's Unyielding Avalanche with resistance to forced movement.
Avatar of Death (DP): You have how many necrotic powers now? Other than the utility, there just isn't much here.
Avatar of Freedom (DP): Requires a rather unattractive Divinity feat to qualify. At least the capstone, with all its wonderful immunities, is great. The rest of it isn't anything special.
Avatar of Hope (DP): Requires Hope Remains, which isn't a bad Divinity feat. Two important Chaladin stats, Charisma and Wisdom, increase by 2, and the rest of the features are pretty decent. You could do worse.
Avatar of Justice (DP): Pretty mediocre all around. Requires Immediate Justice.
Avatar of Life (DP): Requires Pulse of Life. You get a +2 bonus to almost every Paladin's secondary and tertiary stats, and the capstone, which greatly enhances your and nearby allies' second winds, is quite nice. Font of Life is a solid party heal spell. Can't go wrong with this one.
Avatar of Storm (DP): Geared mostly toward Straladins with the Storm domain or a Lightning Weapon. Requires Storm Sacrifice, which is a solid Divinity feat, and it increases STR and CON by 2 each. Stormhand is pretty nice, giving you the benefits of both Lightning and Thunder with all such attacks, and the capstone gives you flight. Solid and flavorful.
Avatar of War (DP): Requires the solid Divinity feat Path of War, and Invoker of War makes that feat's power even better. You get a +2 to STR and CHA both, making this one good for any Paladin. Everyone loves Master of the Battlefield, and Polearm Gamblers love it even more (you can retrain out of Uncanny Dodge now). And the utility, Rouse Conflict, leads to a full beatdown courtesy of all your friends, costing only your minor action to trigger. Solid destiny.
Bahamut's Vessel (D 378): Starts off with +2 to STR, WIS or CHA (your choice) and a lot of free healing whenever you use an action point. At Lv. 24 your divine healing powers double as attack and defense buffs for your allies; make sure you have one or two per-encounter divine heals to take full advantage of this. Mostly quite solid, but the capstone is rather mediocre. Turning into a dragon sounds cool, but your attacks are likely much weaker than if you were still using your weapon. Still, it's a near-death recovery, and at least you can get out of it by using your breath weapon.
Darklord (D 372): Nice after-death ability, and the capstone is good fun. Solid choice.
Deadly Trickster (PHB): A Chaladin who got Bluff training somehow might go for this. Solid features, albeit somewhat limited in use. Epic Trick is an awesome utility, though.
Demigod/Chosen (PHB/FRPG/DP): Divine Miracle, that infamous capstone, finally got toned down so that now it only recovers one encounter power in a fight. That's still pretty good, though, especially combined with all the other ways to recover encounter powers. And the +2 to two stats of your choice, a solid near-death recovery mechanic and access to some great utilities still make this one great. Just no longer overpowering. The default Demigod's Divine Regeneration is an insane regeneration spell. The Chosen variants, tied to specific deities, differ from the Demigod via the utility power.
Freedom is Life (Avandra) (DP): +10 to saves for the party for a turn. Rather situational.
Sheltering Wings (Bahamut) (DP): Basically a Cure Serious Wounds for you and an ally. Not bad.
High Arcana (Corellon) (DP): Everyone in the party, including you, can choose +2 power bonus with implement attacks or +4 bonus to NADs at the start of every turn for the whole encounter. Very solid. Note for Forgotten Realms: This is Corellon's second attempt at his Chosen power, and this version is hands-down the better one.
Anthem of Progress (Erathis) (DP): 16-20 crits on at-will attacks for the whole party. Nice. Even better if you have some crit fishermen aboard.
Unerring Foreknowledge (Ioun) (DP): Grant allies extra standard actions, using your minor action, every round until you've cycled through all your allies. Very, very nice.
Test of Strength (Kord) (DP): A Straladin with Tireless Wrath-enhanced Divine Strength activated can do some special things with this one.
Wild Surge (Melora) (DP): 18-20 crits on daily attacks. Very underwhelming, especially compared to what Erathis offers.
Forge of Creation (Moradin) (FRPG/DP): You and any allies who hit in the next round restore second winds, a healing surge and a daily item power. Solid. Note for Forgotten Realms: The FRPG and DP versions of this power are identical.
Renewing Dawn (Amaunator): Fairly hefty free radiant damage against a nearby foe when you or an ally use a healing surge in any way. Turns things you wouldn't even dream of (Lay on Hands, Virtue, etc.) into damage dealers. Sustain this effect with minor actions. If you worship Amaunator, odds are you're a Morninglord, and this utility can really help take advantage of the vulnerability that paragon path creates.
Horn of Life (Chauntea): Healing surge trigger, followed by 20 regeneration on the ally who needs it most any given round. The regeneration switches targets based on need at the start of your turns. A fantastic party heal.
True Death (Kelemvor): Anti-undead power, so it's situational. Good for that type of fight, at least.
Supreme Knowledge (Oghma): You're likely not good enough at knowledge skills to use this effectively.
Waxing Fortune (Selune): The chance of the situation that would make the bonus to attacks actually worth a damn happening is slim to none.
Divine Regeneration (Silvanus): Well, this looks familiar. No complaints, though, obviously.
Sune's Censure (Sune): Spread vulnerabilities from one enemy to another. This one can even make normally temporary vulnerabilities last the whole encounter. Or, if all else fails, force vulnerability 5 all. This one's nice.
Tempus's Glare (Tempus): This one can really mess with a Challenged or Sanctioned enemy.
Battle Judgment (Torm): Unless you killed a foe with a high-damage single-hit daily, this one's not going to heal much more, if not less, than a healing surge. Just awful.
Eternal Seeker (PHB): This one has come a long way, and it has infinite room to grow. It's about as good as you can get without crossing the line into abuse.
Exalted Angel (DP): Flavorful destiny, and good overall if you like a lot of flying. However, the Lv. 24 death-triggered feature is not worth it; save-ends blinding may be good by itself normally, but NOT when it removes you from the fight.
Harbinger of Doom (PHB2): Shield of Ill Fortune is about the only remotely attractive thing in this destiny.
Keybearer (D 372): Traveler's Tricks is nice, as is the capstone that gives you phasing. Reality Distortion, on the other hand, kills this one. It would be pretty awesome if it weren't for the fact that it affects your allies as well as your enemies.
Legendary Sovereign (MP2): Comparable to Demigod/Chosen. You get a +2 to Charisma to start off. Sword of Kings, the capstone, is open to abuse sooner in a fight than Divine Miracle if you use it on the right type of power (you may have to multiclass); choose either a close burst attack or a focus-fire multiattack to greatly reduce your chance of missing at all so you can keep using it. Great Captain is devastating when a crit happens, and the utility, Sword of the Sovereign, rounds it off by providing insane bonuses to attack rolls for allies' at-will and basic attacks (equal to your CHA-mod). This is Not My Fate is also a better recovery ability than Divine Recovery.
Lorekeeper (PHB2): A Paladin whose secondary is Wisdom might qualify. You're already trained in Religion, and History is a class skill. It's a mixed bag; the first two features aren't really your cup of tea unless you're somehow handling rituals, but the capstone is awesome (two daily utility powers as encounter powers).
Planeshaper (D 372): Using an encounter power twice is great, as is removing an enemy from the fight for a turn on a crit. Shape Reality, the capstone, adds a whole lot of Controller to your arsenal. Can't go wrong with this one.
Prince of Hell (D 372): This positively-evil inclined destiny is pretty interesting for that type of Chaladin. You get a +2 to Charisma and can teleport and summon some minions. Not the best you can do, though.
Punisher of the Gods (D 372/DA 09): Once hideously broken, now it's infamous for being the destiny that keeps getting changed every single update. Take at your own -- and your sanity's -- risk.
Raven Knight (D 380): Bonused to speed and going insubstantial and phasing on a charge are pretty good. The ability bonuses aren't the best, though. The utility, Dark Scythe is good; if you have Paladin's Truth, the Necrotic damage won't be an issue and you'll have the potential to heal a lot while you do some killing. You could do worse.
Revered One (PHB2): A stunningly mediocre destiny ... except for Manifest the Divine, the Lv. 24 feature. That one makes a solid Eternal Seeker capstone, so if you want it, you should just take Eternal Seeker instead (and let the Glorious Channeler feat tide you over until Lv. 30, when you retrain it for another Divinity feat).
Saint (DP): Yes, you want to be in that number. +2 to all NADs, hefty necrotic resistance, immune to domination, let your healing spells grant saves and your Divine Mettle and other such powers trigger healing surges, capstone increases your healing efficiency greatly, and Sanctified Revival is about as good as a resurrection spell can get. Full of win without being abusive.
Avatar of Io (PHR:D): Bonuses to both STR and CHA, a fully versatile breath weapon, and the ability to fly with hover. Pretty decent, although the capstone isn't the best.
Harper of Legend (D 367): An extra encounter power (including from a multiclass if applicable) and extra action points. Not bad at all. Spectral Harpist is interesting and a decent death-triggered capstone. Tymora Smiles is pretty weak, though.
Mythic Sovereign (D 367): Obsoleted by Legendary Sovereign.
Champion of Prophecy (EPG): +2 to a physical and a mental stat of your choice, great capstone that lets you recover dailies per milestone instead of action points, and Prophetic Certainty is a solid per-encounter utility.
Dispossessed Champion (EPG): Solid utility power (resist 10 to nearby allies), but the rest is pretty mediocre.
Mourning Savior (EPG): Very setting specific here, but the benefits in that respect are huge. Memory of Cyre is a great save-ends debuff whenever you use an action point. And speaking of action points, the capstone Cyran Vengeance opens up some nice abuse with those. Awesome.
Sublime Flame (EPG): You can't say no to an extra daily per day for worshiping the Silver Flame. The rest is pretty solid, too.
Dazing Rebuke Syndrome: When an immediate reaction power has a status effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. This makes the power useless -- or at best extremely situational -- because the end of your next turn will come up before the enemy starts his next turn, fully functional. Name derived from the Lv. 7 Swordmage encounter power, which remains the most immediately recognizable example of this ailment. Other powers that suffer from this ailment include Eye for an Eye (Paladin 13), Collapsing Riposte (Rogue 23) and Resourceful Triumph (Warlord 27). Treatment involves changing the effects to last until the end of the enemy's next turn. Current application of treatment inactive.
