Adopt A Harper: Smite the Infidel!

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

This is another build I started toying with shortly after the Harper Paths, and I finished it today. Go forth, minions of Light, and scour evil from the land!

Paladin 17/CoT8/Harper PARAGON5
Human, Charisma Gift, 20 starting CHA, Str 14, Dex 8, Wis 12, Int 12 (Gift, 14), Con 8
1-5 Paladin +1 CHA Weapon Focus (Scimitar), Alertness, Iron Will
6-10 Harper Paragon Expertise, Extra Smiting +1 CHA Divine Shield, Divine Might
10-19 Paladin Improved Expertise, Blindfight, Improved Critical (Scimitar), +2 CHA
20 CoT +1 CHA 25 CHA +18 BAB
21: CoT: Great Smiting 1 & 2
22: Paladin
23-24: CoT: Great Smiting 3 and 4 26 CHA
25-27: CoT Great Smiting 5 and 6
28-29: CoT Great Smiting 7 +1 CON (9)
30: Paladin Great Smiting 8

Great Smiting 8 = 225 damage on smite vs. evil. This damage crits, and on a keen scimitar threats occur from 12-20, for 450 bonus damage vs. evil per crit just from smiting.

+12 Str and +12 Cha gear = +14 CHA bonus and +8 Str bonus, with divine might, for another 44 damage on crit smite. +3 (greensteel) brings it up an extra 50, for 500 bonus damage on crit vs. evil, before other sources of damage bonus.

And the +14 CHA bonus to Attack Bonus from smiting vs. evil bypasses the +20 attack bonus stacking rule.

You also get +14 ac from divine shield capping out your dodge bonus at +20 with a haste + mage armor and +1 ac on your boots, on top of improved expertise, full plate, and tower shield.

You can subtract 50 total smite damage off of a critical smite in exchange for one more point of wisdom through an epic feat, which will bring you access to Paladin 4: Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, and Holy Sword.

Oh. And Lay on Hands will also heal you for 350 HP... >.>

Edit: Build takes into account corrections now, and properly prioritizes the new holy sword spell over 50 damage.

[Thera]

You should probably work in Iron Will and Alertness feats into the build. You can't be a harper without those...

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

Derp... Right.

Drop KD and IKD, push extra smiting and expertise out to later levels.

[Hypnagogic Phosphene]

Obviously you want KD instead of Expertise.

[gilescorey]

Obviously you want KD instead of Expertise.

I dunno. 5 AC is a lot - it's saved me quite a bit, it's a really really strong feat, while KD without IKD isn't as great

[Midnight In A Perfect World]

KD without IKD just means, on Arelith, that you cannot knockdown dragons and fire/frost giants. Those are the only 'large' NPC creatures on the server (with a few exceptions I'm forgetting probably). So in fact, KD is sufficient (and definitely necessary for any melee-build) while taking IKD can be considered superfluous.

[gilescorey]

KD without IKD just means, on Arelith, that you cannot knockdown dragons and fire/frost giants. Those are the only 'large' NPC creatures on the server (with a few exceptions I'm forgetting probably). So in fact, KD is sufficient (and definitely necessary for any melee-build) while taking IKD can be considered superfluous.

It also makes the discipline check 4 points harder for medium/small creatures, making it easier to knock them over.
I'd still take expertise over KD, though, especially as a non-barb meleer.

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

You're a Paladin. You shall go forth and Smite Evil. Knocking people down is for sissy pansies that aren't crusading for the light! It's unwholesome and cowardly!

Real men cleave someone in half with one burning stroke of holy vengeance!

[msterswrdsmn]

This is another build I started toying with shortly after the Harper Paths, and I finished it today. Go forth, minions of Light, and scour evil from the land!

Paladin 17/CoT8/Harper PARAGON5
Human, Charisma Gift, 20 starting CHA, Str 13, Dex 8, Wis 13, Int 12 (Gift, 14), Con 8 (Gift, 10)
1-5 Paladin +1 CHA Expertise, Extra Smiting, Weapon Focus (Scimitar)
6-10 Harper Paragon Improved Expertise, Blind Fight +1 CHA Divine Shield, Divine Might
10-19 Paladin Improved Critical (Scimitar), Knockdown, Improved Knockdown +2 CHA
20 CoT +1 CHA 25 CHA +18 BAB
21: CoT: Great Smiting 1 & 2
22: Paladin
23-24: CoT: Great Smiting 3 and 4 26 CHA
25-27: CoT Great Smiting 5 and 6
28-29: CoT Great Smiting 7 +1 STR (14)
30: Paladin Great Smiting 8, OR Great Wisdom (Wisdom 14 unlocks Holy Sword)

Great Smiting 8 = 225 damage on smite vs. evil. This damage crits, and on a keen scimitar threats occur from 12-20, for 450 bonus damage vs. evil per crit just from smiting.

+12 Str and +12 Cha gear = +14 CHA bonus and +8 Str bonus, with divine might, for another 44 damage on crit smite. +3 (greensteel) brings it up an extra 50, for 500 bonus damage on crit vs. evil, before other sources of damage bonus.

And the +14 CHA bonus to Attack Bonus from smiting vs. evil bypasses the +20 attack bonus stacking rule.

You also get +14 ac from divine shield capping out your dodge bonus at +20 with a haste + mage armor and +1 ac on your boots, on top of improved expertise, full plate, and tower shield.

You can subtract 50 total smite damage off of a critical smite in exchange for one more point of wisdom through an epic feat, which will bring you access to Paladin 4: Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, and Holy Sword.

Scurvy touches on this pretty thourougly, but avoid holy sword.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=7279

There are a handful of 4th level paladin spells worth using; holy sword isn't one of them. The other spells, death ward and freedom of movement are pretty common, and you can use them with or without UMD, as paladins can use divine wands. Or some of them; I don't remember which wands/scrolls paladins/clerics can use and vice versa, but they both learn those spells so i'm 99% sure its doable without umd.

You're better off with great smiting 8.

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

Updated- reflects input, and also the new and improved Holy Sword.

[Lorkas]

Paladins can use all cleric wands, but not any cleric scrolls unless it's a spell that's also in the paladin spellbook.

[Opustus]

Phooey! Rapier is clearly the superior weapon.

[Peppermint]

No epic paladin levels, no epic combat feats, 8 CON, all harper levels pre-epic (i.e. less BAB), no UMD on a build archetype that could easily have it.

Peppermint gives this build a Masochism/10.

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

No epic paladin levels, no epic combat feats, 8 CON, all harper levels pre-epic (i.e. less BAB), no UMD on a build archetype that could easily have it.

Peppermint gives this build a Masochism/10.

Being a paladin is a masochist's game anyway (take a look at some of their codes)- may as well make the masochism hurt evil.

[Cortex]

with that build evil guys will just hurt you instead

[Bashagain]

You're a Paladin. You shall go forth and Smite Evil. Knocking people down is for sissy pansies that aren't crusading for the light! It's unwholesome and cowardly!

Real men cleave someone in half with one burning stroke of holy vengeance!

You have made a grown man cry tears of justice! It’s time to SMITE!

I absolutely agree with expertise over knockdown.

BTW start your CoT at level 20. Take all your Paladin levels before you hit epic. Try taking 15 Paladin levels instead of 17.

Also, you should be able to max your tumble to 30 by reserving your last and 5th Harper level for 27th character level. Great Smite is a general feat. You should be able to take it even if you’re taking Harper Scout.

I believe the Paladins get +1 to wisdom every 7 levels with the new update, right? You can start with 12 wisdom and get full Paladin ability including Holy Sword with 14 wisdom if that’s the case. This means Great Smite 9 if you go 10 CoT! Yay!

[Bashagain]

with that build evil guys will just hurt you instead

Don’t worry about that. Just smack them before they buff. With your +15 AB bonus on your triple great smite flurry, you’ll be picking up the pieces of your average evil joe after the very quick encounter. True, it’s time to retreat and have your beefy buddies tank for you afterwards, but there’s nothing like the smell of triple shot Smite latte in the morning.

[AnselHoenheim]

I don't know, but that build remind me of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj2HvGPv0XM

[gilescorey]

Great Smite 9: For when you want a marginal increase in how well you can 1-hit-kill people in exchange for the ability to do literally anything else.

[One Two Three Five]

Honest question how are you gonna level this thing

[yellowcateyes]

Playing a smitadin can be fun and is always challenging, but there are some issues with the build in the OP that might make the experience rougher than it needs to be.

• Stat Allocation: The build spends a -lot- of points to get to 18 CHA, and then spends one of its level-up bonuses evening out STR. This is a pretty inefficient setup that results in 8 CON and an extremely squishy melee combatant.
• 5 Harper Levels Pre-Epic: Harper is a 3/4 BAB class. Doing all 5 levels pre-epic means you lose -2 from your AB, on a build that is focusing stat level-ups on a non physical attribute. That's not good for hitting baddies. Just moving one of the Harper levels to epic would mean +1 to your BAB and a tumble dump, increasing survivability by a lot. Also, Harper bonus feats in epic can be used for Great CHA.
• Going full Great Smite with epic feats means you're not stopping up to pick up such feats as Epic Weapon Focus or Armor Skin. This is a pretty big reduction to your performance against anything that's not evil. (Which is, sad to say, 80% of villainous PCs you'll encounter). Lack of ESF Discipline also means you'll probably get knocked down. Given the 8 CON, that's likely a death sentence on round one, possibly before you can even get the Smites off.
• The absence of UMD is mentioned, and something that will be sorely missed on a build that needs as many buffs as it can get to fight neutral-aligned baddies. Or to find stealthy baddies with Truesight. Or to purge concealment as to not waste smites. Etc., etc. Granted, this concept involves Harper Scout. If the Harper part is essential to the character concept, the loss of UMD is unavoidable. But if it's just used to enhance a smite build, then a Rogue third class would be a better choice.

If I was making a new Smitadin (which I probably won't do again, after playing one for a couple years), I'd probably do something like this. Feel free to critique.

[Norfildor]

There are only a few things more satisfying than seeing an edgy paladin player critically failing in determining who is the villain and then sending salty tells to his buddies from the fugue plane

[gilescorey]

There are only a few things more satisfying than seeing an edgy paladin player critically failing in determining who is the villain and then sending salty tells to his buddies from the fugue plane

I imagine one of those things is almost instantly deleting anyone with an evil alignment.

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

10+11 (addy plate) + 6 (addy shield) +14 AC (divine shield) +3 nat (barkskin) +4 deflection (shield) + 1 dodge (boots) +1 dodge (mage armor), + 4 dodge (haste pot) + 10 (IE) = 64 AC +2 tumble for 66.

HP-wise it's certainly sub-par, but AC-wise it's hardly squishy. Non-archers and non-smite-gooders are going to have one hell of a time hitting you.

With some con buffs the build still hits 400+ HP.

I should be clear that this build is strictly for smiting evil crap. That's why it has so many combined paladin and CoT levels.

The decision to take all five Harper levels pre-epic is a quality of life exchange for leveling-

Honest question how are you gonna level this thing

By level 9 you can slap +1 CHA on all your gear and you'll wind up with a +10 charisma mod, which will give you +10 all saves, +10 extra dodge AC whenever Expertise isn't cutting it, and then at level 10 with Divine Might +10 damage on all your attacks.

Your jacked out CHA mod will ensure you have enough applications of both of these feats for anytime you seriously need it.

You could certanly rearrange the harper scout levels a bit to get an extra 4 tumble ac bringing the build up to 70, but your damage output is going to drop pretty hard and turn you into a low HP-tank against anything that isn't evil. (Which is fine, depending on how you want your levelling life to be.)

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

Starting stats altered slightly- forgot about the +1 hard wisdom every 7 paladin levels.


@YCE; that's a very nice build!