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[GUIDE] My Word Is My Sword: The Paladin Guide
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<blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 7590165" data-attributes="member: 20564"><p>I wasn't presenting anything as "the best", I was just presenting an alternate path. One of the nice things about 5e is that there are many paths to victory - you can have characters with different strengths and tricks and they all work.</p><p></p><p>The reach plus the ability to reduce a foe's speed to zero while frightened with your Aura of Conquest is one nice combo. It's most likely trigger is the Wrathful Smite spell, which is a bonus action to cast so don't you won't get as much use out of polearm mastery (often no bonus action to make attacks, and foe not moving to trigger OAs), so you could delay that and take ASIs sooner.</p><p></p><p>But that only protects you from melee, non-reach foes that you have frightened and are exactly 10' from you. It's a tactical game. You might enjoy that. Also it only starts at 7th and I don't knwo the level range you are expecting to play.</p><p></p><p>On the other hand, with the DM warning you this will be tougher, great AC plus your 6th level +CHR to saves Aura makes a very robust character. For that weapon + shield is a great combonation. I would suggest Dueling fighting style - dead opponents is great defense and it pairs well with the bonus action attack from using a spear with PAM.</p><p></p><p>And there's no reason you can't also be flexible. Even if you have a spear and shield, carry a normal polearm for the times when you have only one opponent and can pull off the Conquest lock-down, even though it won't benefit from Duelist style. (Or even a whip - it still gets +2 Duelist so it's not as bad as it looks.)</p><p></p><p>As for GWM - I also disagree that it's "mandatory" with Polearm Mastery. The on-crit bonus attack is a slight upgrade in damage, but mostly wasted. And the -5/+10 working or not is dependant more on party buffs. (Oath of Vengeance paladins can make it work themselves for one target per short rest.) Frankly, without party support (bless, greater invisibility, etc.) for your build +1 STR (so hit and damage on three attacks) will probably be in the same neighborhood of damage as -5/+10, making the ASI better than the GWM in this particular case. (On the other hand, if you do have consistent party buffing, it's a great feat.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Blue, post: 7590165, member: 20564"] I wasn't presenting anything as "the best", I was just presenting an alternate path. One of the nice things about 5e is that there are many paths to victory - you can have characters with different strengths and tricks and they all work. The reach plus the ability to reduce a foe's speed to zero while frightened with your Aura of Conquest is one nice combo. It's most likely trigger is the Wrathful Smite spell, which is a bonus action to cast so don't you won't get as much use out of polearm mastery (often no bonus action to make attacks, and foe not moving to trigger OAs), so you could delay that and take ASIs sooner. But that only protects you from melee, non-reach foes that you have frightened and are exactly 10' from you. It's a tactical game. You might enjoy that. Also it only starts at 7th and I don't knwo the level range you are expecting to play. On the other hand, with the DM warning you this will be tougher, great AC plus your 6th level +CHR to saves Aura makes a very robust character. For that weapon + shield is a great combonation. I would suggest Dueling fighting style - dead opponents is great defense and it pairs well with the bonus action attack from using a spear with PAM. And there's no reason you can't also be flexible. Even if you have a spear and shield, carry a normal polearm for the times when you have only one opponent and can pull off the Conquest lock-down, even though it won't benefit from Duelist style. (Or even a whip - it still gets +2 Duelist so it's not as bad as it looks.) As for GWM - I also disagree that it's "mandatory" with Polearm Mastery. The on-crit bonus attack is a slight upgrade in damage, but mostly wasted. And the -5/+10 working or not is dependant more on party buffs. (Oath of Vengeance paladins can make it work themselves for one target per short rest.) Frankly, without party support (bless, greater invisibility, etc.) for your build +1 STR (so hit and damage on three attacks) will probably be in the same neighborhood of damage as -5/+10, making the ASI better than the GWM in this particular case. (On the other hand, if you do have consistent party buffing, it's a great feat.) [/QUOTE]
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