To Paladin players, what Feats do you select for your Paladins?

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

Green Kight, if you want the Mounted Feats for character stuff, by all means take them. I agree with you, Mounted Combat is really cool. I would be sure to point out to your DM that you are taking these feats, let him come up with the rest.

Shark posted that character is the most import thing to keep in mind when selecting a feat and I agree completely with him. By the way, I really like the Education feat.

Alaxk

 

[Isida KepTukari]

reapersaurus - There's really no point in comparing a paladin's healing ability to a cleric's. Yes the cleric does get more, but that's the point! A paladin is a holy warrior emphasis on the warrior part. He gets the martial weapon proficiencies, as well as the passle of special abilities. Perhaps individually they are all not quite so powerful, but together they allow the paladin to deal with many different situations. A clever player and DM can easily make the paladin shine.

Anyway, as for feats... how about Improved Critical [chosen weapon] or Power Critical (MotW) whenever you get there. Weapon Focus is also good. Power Attack, Expertise, all fun stuff.

 

[Don21584]

Mounted Combat is a must if you intend on getting a Mount that has special abilities. No one has said Combat Casting? I usually go with that.

 

[Henry]

I must needs bring up another point to green knight - Why necessarily stick with all levels of Paladin? In the Forgotten Realms, Paladins of Helm, Torm, and Tyr may freely multiclass with Fighter levels, and your feat problems are solved. You are no less a paladin, and if you wish to be more "martial" in your aspect, this is almost a requirement. After 5th level, having several levels of fighter will give you access to several important feats that would prevent you from being a (pardon the pun) a one-pony trick. You can have your mounted feats as well as feats to shore up your combat ability in a cramped location.

Something to think about!

 

[Seule]

The feats I close for the Paladin I just wrote up (mid level Halfling) were:
Power Attack, needed for
Divine Might
Weapon Focus, needed for
Improved Critical (shortsword)

I plan to take Power Critical at 12th level, that way I can power up with Divine Might and Bless Weapon, and do a Smiting Power Critical with Power Attack. That way, if the attack hits, it's automatically a critical.

--Seule

 

[Ysgarran]

Not to long ago someone posted 'a level advancement path' for Paladins. I wish I could remember who to credit for this but I don't have it in front of me at the moment.

It included things like:
taking a level of Hospitaler (for the bonus domains) and at least a level of Templar for the weapon specialization and 'Mettle' ability.

Could someone post a link to that?

Ysgarran.

edit:
Found some of my notes, it was entitled:
"The Complete Paladin" and I think it was by CarpeDM.

 

[Nightfall]

Mithril Knight is a PrC in the S&S City Book: Mithril: City of the Golem, it's for the Scarred Lands setting. IMO it's a pretty cool PrC but IIRC a lot of people thought it was overpowered.

For my SL Paladin- Taerith Steel (Human) I chose Improved Initiative because his Dex is an 11(0) so I wanted to help out his initiative rolls; and Weapon Focus (Longsword) because I plan on taking the Mithril Knight PrC when I'm able.

Thanks Alric my friend. Yeah, it's a pr-class. Course if you have Secrets and Societies, there's supposed to be another Pr-class, which is based off the four order of Corean, (which has it's roots in that Corean's new sword was forged and reforged four times), Mithril (Super Knight ), Silver (Champion against evil outsiders and probably lycanthropes), Gold(Healing), Iron(Enjoys forging).

Another you want to check out is a web based enhancement to Tomb of Abysthor, Green. The Justicar of Muir is a pretty POTENT Pr-class, especially for a paladin.

 

[Schmoe]

When you have a limited number of feats, I think you should remember that you don't have to take an entire chain of feats to be effective. For example, you could have the following by 9th level (if human):

Mounted Combat
Ride-by-Attack
Power Attack
Divine Power
Leadership

... giving you a good range of abilities and combat tactics without limiting you too much. Sure, you won't be as specialized as a fighter in any one area, but then, the whole point of fighters is that they are able to master fighting.

Anyway, if I was to create a paladin, that's probably the route I would go.

 

[Green Knight]

I believe the phrase is one-trick pony.

ANd yeah, I was thinking about multi-classing with Fighter in Forgotten Realms. Paladins of Helm, Tyr, and Torm can do that. I dunno. I'd rather be a pure Paladin the whole way. But the extra Feats would be a lot of help. Hmm.

How about this, then? I've come up with 2 variant progressions. Oh yeah, and the party's already high-up in level, so my character's starting at 7th level. Also, one of the players told me that the campaign the party's moving around a lot, so Leadership wouldn't be all that much use at this point. No strongholds or anything like that. And I can live without the cohort for a while.

1st Paladin 1 Power Attack / Education
2nd Paladin 2
3rd Paladin 3 Divine Might
4th Paladin 4
5th Paladin 5
6th Paladin 6 Improved Shield Bash
7th Paladin 7
8th Paladin 8
9th Paladin 9 Divine Shield
10th Fighter 1 Mounted Combat
11th Fighter 2 Ride-By Attack
12th Paladin 10 Spirited Charge
13th Paladin 11
14th Paladin 12
15th Paladin 13 Shield Expert
16th Paladin 14
17th Paladin 15
18th Paladin 16 Leadership
19th Paladin 17
20th Paladin 18

First off, I took the Fighter levels at 10th because I wanted to get my bonded mount as soon as possible. Specifically, I'm shooting for a Dire Lion which you can only get at 8th level at the earliest. Soon after that I get all the mounted feats. Plus, with the way I get them, I pretty much get a Feat a level for 4 levels.

Leadership is at 18th level because I figure by then, assuming the campaign goes that far, the characters will have settled and I can set to work building a fort somewhere in the wilderness.

I took all the shield feats because I want to be a good shield basher, and with Improved Shield Bash I get the effects of a Bull Rush, too, pushing my opponent back 5 feet. Divine Shield will give me an attack and AC bonus with my shield equal to my Cha modifier (Cha 18 gives +4 attack and AC bonus). And Shield Expert will allow me to attack with it and still get the AC bonus.

My concern, though, is that my shield (if I get the Bashing enchantment on it) will be so good that I won't have any use for my sword. That'd be wierd. Though it's kind of cool that I could make a Captain America like character if I felt so inclined.

1st Paladin 1 Power Attack / Education
2nd Paladin 2
3rd Paladin 3 Divine Might
4th Paladin 4
5th Paladin 5
6th Paladin 6 Dodge
7th Paladin 7
8th Paladin 8
9th Paladin 9 Mobility
10th Fighter 1 Mounted Combat
11th Fighter 2 Ride-By Attack
12th Paladin 10 Spirited Charge
13th Paladin 11
14th Paladin 12
15th Paladin 13 Spring Attack
16th Paladin 14
17th Paladin 15
18th Paladin 16 Leadership
19th Paladin 17
20th Paladin 18

Instead of the Shield feats I took Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack. These feats are damn good for 1-on-1 fighting for many reason.

A) Dodge gives me a +1 AC bonus against a specific enemy, which'll most likely be the big baddie I'm going after.

B) Mobility will give me a +4 AC bonus against attacks of opportunity, which'll allow me to get up close to the big baddie while wading through his goons.

C) Spring Attack will give me a decided advantage once I get into melee with the big baddie. Like my fight between Conan and Drizzt, if I either win initiative or refocus to get the initiative, I'll be able to unleash my full number of attacks on the bad guy. Then I'll be able to move back and force him to come to me, which'll deny him his full number of attacks. I'll get all my attacks while he gets only one. That's a HUGE advantage!

But geeze, do I like the AC bonus from Divine Shield! I CAN'T DECIDE! Hmm. Maybe I should do this!

1st Paladin 1 Power Attack/Education
2nd Paladin 2
3rd Paladin 3 Divine Might
4th Paladin 4
5th Paladin 5
6th Paladin 6 Improved Shield Bash
7th Paladin 7
8th Paladin 8
9th Paladin 9 Divine Shield
10th Fighter 1 Shield Expert
11th Fighter 2 Dodge
12th Paladin 10 Mobility
13th Paladin 11
14th Paladin 12
15th Paladin 13 Spring Attack
16th Paladin 14
17th Paladin 15
18th Paladin 16 Leadership
19th Paladin 17
20th Paladin 18

Three Feats have got to go. So what do you all think I should get rid of?

Mounted Feats (Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge)
Shield Feats (Improved Shield Bash, Divine Shield, Shield Expert)
Spring Attack Feats (Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack)

Guess it's a good thing, though. The Paladin, after all, isn't a one-trick pony. Not all Paladins are knights in shining armor. You know, one day I'm gonna sit down and I'm gonna write up a bunch of NPC Paladins, of wildly different character concepts. Probably put it up on a WebTV webpage. We'll see.

 

[Hejdun]

I'll be able to unleash my full number of attacks on the bad guy. Then I'll be able to move back and force him to come to me

Only if you have means to haste yourself, in which case you aren't even using Spring Attack.