D&D 5E [GUIDE] My Word Is My Sword: The Paladin Guide

[Feldspar]

BTW an advantage of using a d10 pole-arm like a halberd and taking GW fighter at second level is it allows you to ask DM to use a d12 instead of a d10 with the re-roll feature. The average damage is identical and ... you don’t waste time on the re-roll.

The average damage is not identical. The average would be the same only if you allow continuous rerolling of 1's and 2's. If you wanted to allow that, while also minimizing time spent rolling dice, the better way to do it would be to change the d10 to a d8+2, not to a d12.

The formula for how much extra damage you get from the style as written is, for an n-sided dice: (n-2)/n. A d10 weapon will average 4/5, or .8, of a point of damage more.


Allowing continuous rerolling or its equivalent will increase the damage gained on average by 1 per die rolled. One could argue that this is a good thing as the style is weaker than others and could use some buffage. But do note that it exacerbates the already exiting problem of it being much better for greatswords and mauls than other weapons. As it stands the 2d6 gets half a point more damage from the style than a d12 does (2x2/3 vs 5/6). If you stop limiting rerolls that increases to being a full point better.

I dislike having some (otherwise equivalent) weapons doing d12 and others doing 2d6 on general principles. When you add in the way those differences interact with the questionable way they wrote Barbarian extra critical damage and great weapon fighting style I absolutely hate it.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Rated the Oath of Glory from Mythic Odysseys of Theros. While it's not actively bad, I'm not very impressed with it either, to be honest. It's definitely nerfed overall from the UA Oath of Heroism, which was clearly the prototype.

 

[Quartz]

I've just been rereading this thread and I have three observations:

Improved Divine Smite: this really needs to be gold as it applies to Bonus attacks and Reaction attacks too. That's up to 4 dice of extra damage per round, not 2.

The Shield Master feat: even if you're only allowed to shove your opponent after your attack, it's still good if you have a friend ready to lay the smack-down.

Magic Initiate: I'm disappointed you didn't call out the Bard for the Vicious Mockery cantrip - imposing Disadvantage on attack rolls is great - and Feather Fall.

 

[FrogReaver]

I'm not the guide writer but here are my thoughts.

I've just been rereading this thread and I have three observations:

Improved Divine Smite: this really needs to be gold as it applies to Bonus attacks and Reaction attacks too. That's up to 4 dice of extra damage per round, not 2.

I personally wouldn't bring up reactions in relation to it, but I would rate it very high.

he Shield Master feat: even if you're only allowed to shove your opponent after your attack, it's still good if you have a friend ready to lay the smack-down.

That's still assuming the initiative flow is something like enemy you friend. Even then you still have to land it. Even if you land it you may be hurting the ranged allies on your team more than you are helping the melee allies. Etc. It's just too situational and even when it does work its fairly weak. The old version where you could affect your own attacks was much better.

Magic Initiate: I'm disappointed you didn't call out the Bard for the Vicious Mockery cantrip - imposing Disadvantage on attack rolls is great - and Feather Fall.

Vicious Mockery takes an action, relies on charisma to hit. Paladins already have a very good attack action to take that relies on strength (or dex). That feat for that purpose should be rated very low.

 

[Quartz]

Vicious Mockery takes an action, relies on charisma to hit. Paladins already have a very good attack action to take that relies on strength (or dex). That feat for that purpose should be rated very low.

Paladins typically have high CHA.

There are often situations where the paladin cannot make a physical attack - being restrained, for example, or the target is on a ledge above for another. Or the paladin could be weaponless. Or... And it imposes Disadvantage. See that charging giant? Wouldn't you like it to have Disadvantage on its big attack?

Yes, it's situational, but there are a lot of situations in which it can be used.

 

[FrogReaver]

Paladins typically have high CHA.

There are often situations where the paladin cannot make a physical attack - being restrained, for example, or the target is on a ledge above for another. Or the paladin could be weaponless. Or... And it imposes Disadvantage. See that charging giant? Wouldn't you like it to have Disadvantage on its big attack?

Yes, it's situational, but there are a lot of situations in which it can be used.

not typically as high as str

 

[FrogReaver]

Paladins typically have high CHA.

There are often situations where the paladin cannot make a physical attack - being restrained, for example, or the target is on a ledge above for another. Or the paladin could be weaponless. Or... And it imposes Disadvantage. See that charging giant? Wouldn't you like it to have Disadvantage on its big attack?

Yes, it's situational, but there are a lot of situations in which it can be used.

the bigger issue is opportunity cost. You are talking aboIt an ability that isat best situationally useful and at worst a situation where it’s better to use than attack may never come up.

 

[Quartz]

the bigger issue is opportunity cost.

I don't follow you. You're giving a paladin an opportunity to do something when she cannot do so otherwise.

 

[FrogReaver]

I don't follow you. You're giving a paladin an opportunity to do something when she cannot do so otherwise.

Do you know what opportunity cost means?

 

[Quartz]

Do you know what opportunity cost means?

Clearly not the way you mean it. Look, a paladin isn't gonig to use Vicious Mockery when she can get in a full HtH attack complete with Smites, Feats, and whatnot. But guess what? She doesn't always have that opportunity. And that's where having something else to do - another attack mode - comes in.