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Feat recommendation for Paladin
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<blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 2379378" data-attributes="member: 3146"><p>I'd say you can narrow it down to two feats:</p><p>Close Quarters Fighting</p><p>Extra Smiting</p><p></p><p>Close Quarters Fighting is one of the best defensive feats in the game. With 25% of encounters featuring imp grab critters, It's a solid feat. The only problem for you is that, as a paladin with a 14 strength and a rapier, you'll typically only deal 6.5 damage on a successful AoO--11.5 if you've Divine Might up. Without Divine Might, that might not be enough to keep you from being grappled. The other problem is that a lot of creatures have Imp Grab on more than one attack. A shambling mound, for instance will hit you with one attack, attempt to grapple, get stopped by CQF, then hit you with the second tentacle and grapple you anyway. To make it work really well, you need Combat Reflexes and a decent dex--rage and a two-handed weapon helps too.</p><p></p><p>Extra Smiting is an amazing feat for paladins--especially if you're doing mounted combat. And it's what keeps you in the game when you're not mounted. The best bit is that every time you level, those extra smites get better.</p><p></p><p>Any other divine feats will cause you to run out of divine might uses more often and that's not something you want.</p><p></p><p>Similarly, in an 8-9 character party, there must be someone else good at mook clearing (fireballs, etc). And even if there isn't, it's not as if you'll be mowing through mooks with your rapier with or without Cleave. By the time you hit 8th level, Cleave is well past its heyday for characters who deal 11 points on a good hit. (Heck, at 1st level, the guys who get the most use out of Cleave deal more than that (a typical raging greatsword barbarian will deal 14-16 damage on a greatsword hit)).</p><p></p><p>Leap Attack has other problems. As you noted, you wouldn't be sure to make the jump checks--even if you put ranks in it. But, more importantly, as an 8th level character with a 14 strength and a +1 weapon, you're not going to be power attacking a lot, even if you go to a greatsword or greataxe. And, in a few levels, you won't want to power attack when you've got Divine Might running and you're smiting because it will reduce your average damage. (Power Attacking reduces average damage (except when you hit on less than a 2) whenever your average damage per hit exceeds 20 with a 1-handed weapon or 40 with a 2-handed weapon; in two levels, your divine might average damage per hit will exceed 20 points on a smite).</p><p></p><p>So, I say, play to your strengths. Pick CQF or Extra Smiting and pick the one you give a pass when you hit 9th level.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Elder-Basilisk, post: 2379378, member: 3146"] I'd say you can narrow it down to two feats: Close Quarters Fighting Extra Smiting Close Quarters Fighting is one of the best defensive feats in the game. With 25% of encounters featuring imp grab critters, It's a solid feat. The only problem for you is that, as a paladin with a 14 strength and a rapier, you'll typically only deal 6.5 damage on a successful AoO--11.5 if you've Divine Might up. Without Divine Might, that might not be enough to keep you from being grappled. The other problem is that a lot of creatures have Imp Grab on more than one attack. A shambling mound, for instance will hit you with one attack, attempt to grapple, get stopped by CQF, then hit you with the second tentacle and grapple you anyway. To make it work really well, you need Combat Reflexes and a decent dex--rage and a two-handed weapon helps too. Extra Smiting is an amazing feat for paladins--especially if you're doing mounted combat. And it's what keeps you in the game when you're not mounted. The best bit is that every time you level, those extra smites get better. Any other divine feats will cause you to run out of divine might uses more often and that's not something you want. Similarly, in an 8-9 character party, there must be someone else good at mook clearing (fireballs, etc). And even if there isn't, it's not as if you'll be mowing through mooks with your rapier with or without Cleave. By the time you hit 8th level, Cleave is well past its heyday for characters who deal 11 points on a good hit. (Heck, at 1st level, the guys who get the most use out of Cleave deal more than that (a typical raging greatsword barbarian will deal 14-16 damage on a greatsword hit)). Leap Attack has other problems. As you noted, you wouldn't be sure to make the jump checks--even if you put ranks in it. But, more importantly, as an 8th level character with a 14 strength and a +1 weapon, you're not going to be power attacking a lot, even if you go to a greatsword or greataxe. And, in a few levels, you won't want to power attack when you've got Divine Might running and you're smiting because it will reduce your average damage. (Power Attacking reduces average damage (except when you hit on less than a 2) whenever your average damage per hit exceeds 20 with a 1-handed weapon or 40 with a 2-handed weapon; in two levels, your divine might average damage per hit will exceed 20 points on a smite). So, I say, play to your strengths. Pick CQF or Extra Smiting and pick the one you give a pass when you hit 9th level. [/QUOTE]
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