Surprising Rule Synergy

[Owen K.C. Stephens]

I happen to be playing a paladin in a game that just reached 13th level, and I'm finding some decisions I made early on are having surprising consequences now. So far, these have all been good, but we are, as a group, startled at how effective some decisions are.

For example:

Practiced Spellcaster: Because my paladin is supposed to be a priest who suffered tragedy and turned to more martial skills after a little divine inspiration, I wanted to run him as spell-heavy for a paladin. As soon as I could, I took Practiced Spellcaster, to represent his more advanced spellcasting training. And then I largely forgot about it.

Until I cast divine favor.

Since it gives a +1 per 3 caster levels, I was getting +1 more to hit and damage due to my higher caster level (which boosted to my character level until I hit 9th, and even now my caster level is 10 rather than 6). This has had benefits for heal mount, dispel magic, greater magic weapon, and any durational spells. A few pearls of power and my paladin is backing up the cleric just fine.

Spirited Charge/Smite Evil/Power Attack: Obviously this is going to be a powerful combination, but I had no idea how powerful until a few weeks ago. Of course, some people might inerpret some of this differently, but:

With a lance, I have a +18 attack and deal 1d8+6. If I smite evil, that hops up to +21 attack and 1d8+19. If I'm charging, +23 to attack and 1d8+19. If I'm mounted and my target is Medium and not mounted, +25 attack, 1d8+19.

If I trust my +18 was good enough, I can power attack for 7 points. Since a lance is a two-handed weapon, that's +14 damage. That brings me to 1d8+33. However, with spirited charge I deal TRIPLE DAMAGE with a lance, making it 3d8+99. Should I happen to crit (much more likely with bless weapon than otherwise) it's 5d8+165 (If a bulls strength or something similar is up it gets even worse). The beholder didn't stand a chance.

Similarly, a player in one of our games recently created a dwarf barbarian. Her speed is brought up to 30, because of fast movement. In mithral full plate, it's still 30 because dwarves keep their full speed in medium armor – same speed as a human barbarian in the same armor.

So, what surprising synergies have other people found in actual game-play?

 

[Olorion]

Don't know if it's surprising, but take 16th lvl Ftr / Bbn/ Frenzied Berserker with Leap Attack, Power Attack, Bull's Strength and you'll be able to destroy a castle with a single charge

 

[Machiavelli]

The Hexblade and the Shadowdancer. The latter gives Evasion, which you all should recognize, and the former gives Mettel (same rules as Evasion, but applied to Fort and Will).

Throw in a few levels of Barbarian, to get levels of strong Fort saves to match the Shadowdancer's Ref and the Hexblade's Will. What you end up with is a somewhat magically-gifted barbarian who is almost immune to any damage that offers a save of any kind, ESPECIALLY magical damage, who cannot be flanked, who has some damage reduction, a crappy but occasionaly useful curse, the ability to blend into the forest's deep shadows and leap out in a supernaturally viscious rage, consistently strong hit dice, and a perfect BAB.

This appears to be the ultimate in durability, and is at the very least a seriously scary son-of-a-gun to bump into in a back alley. I particularly like the synergy of Evasion and Mettel, and the Shadowdancer and Barbarian Uncanny Dodge levels, and the tactical synergy of Hide in Plain Sight in the shadows with Barbarian Rage, and finally the role-playing synergy of a Hexblade (non-good by default) and the propensity of a Shadowdancer to slink around in the darkness.

 

[Legildur]

For the mounted paladin schtick, if you already have Power Attack, why not pick up Divine Might to add Cha bonus to damage for one round. And Cleave for that second pesky foe within reach of the lance.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

The Spirited Charge is absolutely awesome...if you get a chance to use it, which varies a lot by campaign. For most Paladins, Divine Might takes priority -- gives a reliable boost to regular melee, ranged attacks, and is doubled by a charge attack. As you already have Power Attack, Divine Might is a good choice for your next feat as this damage will be tripled on the charge.

If you can figure out a way to get a True Strike then Power Attacking is something amazing to behold...

Practiced Spellcaster is a great choice for some character concepts. But unless you have Pearls of Power on the cheap it is not usually worth it because Paladins cast so few spells per day.

 

[Thanee]

A Spellthief and a Warlock.

Bye
Thanee

P.S. Sounds like the Paladin in our last campaign, he also had Practiced Spellcaster and Spirited Charge.

 

[Owen K.C. Stephens]

Practiced Spellcaster is a great choice for some character concepts. But unless you have Pearls of Power on the cheap it is not usually worth it because Paladins cast so few spells per day.

Well, by 13th level 1,000 gp for a 1st level pearl -is- cheap. And honestly, with a good enough Wisdom, even just 2 spells of levels 1-3 means I can get off 6 spells a combat if we only take one per day. I rarely manage more that anyway, because I'm busy killing things.

But the fact that I can cast greater magic weapon and have it give me +2 to hit and damage (which is +1 more than the base of my primary weapon, and +2 more than my secondary) for 10 hours, as opposed to +1 for 6 hours, is a good payoff for a feat. By comparison, if I'd taken Weapon Focus I'd get +1 to one weapon. Not that many fights take place outside the 10 hour window, and I can put this on any weapon I need.

Without practiced spellcaster, dispel magic would be nigh useless for me.

Divine favor gives me +3 instead of +2, and being a luck bonus it stacks with everything I have.

And next level, holy sword is going to run 11 rounds, which covers nearly all combats.

On paper, I'd agree with you. In play, the +4 caster levels have proved valuable many times over.

 

[mvincent]

Spirited Charge/Smite Evil/Power Attack: Obviously this is going to be a powerful combination

Use a minor ring of spell-storing loaded with true-strike.

My Paladin of Wee Jas had to take a level of sorcerer to manage this trick, but my wife's gnomish paladin will be opting for the ring of spell-storing. If we are someday able to afford a major ring of spell-storing, she'll be able to cast contingency for the true-strike.

 

[Question]

Steph : Well its not often the PCs get to use mounts in the first place

 

[Bront]

Steph : Well its not often the PCs get to use mounts in the first place

My halfling fighter has only had to dismount once. In a game I run, the mounted trained character has never had to dismount yet.

Yeah, the riding stuff stacks pretty well. The only issue with it is that it can be hard to charge each round, you have to look for ways to use it, and you only get 1 attack per round.