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Message: <blockquote data-quote="juggerulez" data-source="post: 6763444" data-attributes="member: 98250">Hi all, I have to retrofit the following paladin and need a different perspective on what to do next, since I find myself undecided. I hope you can help me sort things out <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />Level 5, variant human, It's the only "tank" we have, so it was built to take punishment, it has two extra talents than expected (DM ruling) but it can't pick extra talents instead of ASIs.STR 18 (+2 by ASI)DEX 8CON 16 (+1 human +1 feat)INT 8WIS 10 (+1 +1 by DM reward)CHA 16 (+1 human)Magic Initiate (druid) with shillelagh, guidance and goodberry Heavy Armor Master Polearm Master Plate +1, Sentinel shield, LuckstoneIt was built to attack with a Lance+Shield while mounted (flavour rather than optimization) and with Quarterstaff+Shield during the standard engagements. Lance stands at 25dpr, shillelagh at 29.5 and basic quarterstaff at 27.5Since we had no cleric, my goodberry abuse was overlooked upon even after we started using PH errata and SA 1.03. Now we have a cleric (which is a war cleric and not a proper healer but it's still enough for the DM to shut down my racket) and I was asked to forfeit the 70 goodberries I could push to my party and stick to the "legit" 10 OR to swap the feat entirely. I feel that MI has become a subpar choice now, but I need a different perspective to see things through.So, what I'm left with are these choices:1) I could stick to Magic Initiate and pick another level 1 druid spell, in order to keep the utility of guidance and shillelagh (which is only 1 extra damage per average, since I'm about to obtain a magic qstaff) so it is really only about guidance and +1 damage and, of course, the extra spell, which is not that major asset giving the choices a druid has.2) I could replace the feat entirely, which rises more questions than it solves, because I've several feats in my mind, two of those that I must put my hands on, but I'm not sure which one to start from.a) Sentinel - I didn't pick it already simply because, given how the DM plays, it never felt a necessity.b) Shield Master - This helps with the DEX ST (since I'm not yet at level 6, where I'll get that awesome aura) and with pushing away a closed in quarters attacker in order to hit it with my Lance afterwards, but this somehow could overlap with polearm master's backhand (where applicable). Still a strong feat to mitigate DEX STs Other feats worth mentioning are:c) Durable - we used healing surges since we didn't have a proper healer. Now we have a war cleric but I'm not sure she will heal effectively since she's not life domain. I'm not too much into this feat but could sinergize awesomely with a Periapt of Wound Closure if the DM allows this effect to double after the feat's effect, which could mean 12-20 hp per HD @17 CONd) Mounted Combatant - we are 3 first liners (paladin, bladelock, monk) so we often have one that can't AD by flanking mediums, so I could AD while mounted, leaving them to flank with each other. It also adds some survivability to my horse, which is nothing major since it's a summon, but still. Ofc this is useless in dungeons where you can't mount (which are all of them apparently, even if there are huge and colossal creatures inside, thanks to DM -.-).e) Alert - +5 initiative seems pretty nice even if I've already AD on initiative rolls thanks to my shield; not being surprised can be easily achieved by wearing (not necessarily equipping) a weapon of warning (e.g. a dagger) and denying AD to hidden foes can be sweet too. Rumors say that our DM is going to bestow another feat as quest reward, perhaps at 6th level, perhaps further down the levels, can't say. Still, it's something to be expected, thus it's just a matter of prioritizing which one to pick first <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I'm quite sure a Dexadin might be a better tank (if only for the Defensive Duelist feat) but I was going for a TinMan kind of tank (if only dorfs could put their hands on a free feat... hmmm). Still, this is what I've to work with <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />I'm more inclined to go with Shield Master rather than Sentinel, this mostly because I'm very weak in the Dex ST department (I'm at +0 only because of the luckstone) but I'm missing a reliable source of reactions (Sentinel is not that reliable with our DM since he attacks other party members very seldom). On the other side, Shield Master will overlap with Polearm Master's backhand, which can be used to prone and push foes as well, given the optional rules listed around p.271 of DMG...Last but not least, I can replace Sentinel Shield and Luckstone for other uncommon magic items (e.g. weapon of warding instead of sentinel shield and +1 shield instead of luckstone, or periapt of wound closure instead of luckstone ) because they were chosen at the character creation.Thanks for the collaboration!</blockquote>

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