Simple but Effective Feats for a 1st-level Paladin

[FireLance]

It looks like I'm going to be running a solo adventure for someone who isn't entirely new to D&D, but has only played for a short while a few years ago. The character is likely to be a single-classed human paladin, and we will be using Eberron-style action points, house-ruled to be 5 + 1/2 Character Level + Charisma modifier per level.

In order to avoid loading the player with too many options, I thought I'd narrow down the feat choices to about a dozen or so that are both useful and simple to use. So far, I've shortlisted the following 16 feats:

1. Able Learner* (Races of Destiny) Cross-class skills cost 1 skill point per rank.
2. Action Boost (Eberron Campaign Setting) Roll d8s instead of d6s when using an action point to modify a d20 roll.
3. Combat Expertise* Trade penalty to melee attack rolls for bonus to AC.
4. Dodge* Gain +1 Dodge bonus to AC against one opponent.
5. Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword or dwarven waraxe)* Use better weapon.
6. Improved Initiative Gain +4 bonus on initiative checks.
7. Improved Smiting (Complete Divine) Smite evil attack is good-aligned and deals +1d6 extra damage.
8. Mounted Combat* Chance to negate attacks that hit mount.
9. Point Blank Shot Gain +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 feet.
10. Power Attack* Trade penalty to melee attack rolls for bonus to melee damage rolls.
11. Ranged Smite Evil (Book of Exalted Deeds) Smite evil with a ranged weapon.
12. Reckless Offense (Expanded Psionics Handbook) Trade -4 penalty to AC for +2 bonus on melee attack rolls.
13. Shield Specialization (Players Handbook II) Increase shield bonus with selected type of shield by 1.
14. Weapon Finesse* Use Dexterity modifier instead of Strength modifier on attack rolls with light and finessable weapons.
15. Weapon Focus Gain +1 bonus on attack rolls with selected type of weapon.
16. Zen Archery* (Complete Warrior) Use Wisdom modifier instead of Dexterity modifier on ranged attack rolls.

* Assuming the character meets the prerequisites.​

Are there any other feats from WotC sources that I should consider adding to the shortlist? Any that I should remove?

 

[Thanee]

Power Attack + Cleave - that's about all the choice needed.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Legildur]

Thanee's got it sorted

You can't beat those two feats for a paladin - applicable in both standard melee and mounted combat.

Or maybe the poor man's weapon specialisation - Power Attack and Weapon Focus.

 

[Hawken]

Get rid of Able Learner. Since you're already using house rules, just add another that cross class skills only cost 1 skill point (although they still are limited in ranks by level +3/2). Paladins don't get enough skill points IMO and allowing them to spend on a 1:1 basis without having to blow a feat (better used for combat or pally abilities) to fix the problem is a good move.

Mounted Combat is an iffy one. Is he going to be using a mount alot? Will it be involved in combat or will it just be used to get him from point A to point B a little faster? If he's not going to be using one much, Mounted Combat can wait until he can summon his own mount.

Reckless Offensive is not good at 1st level. The bonus to hit is nice, but he's going to be a Pal, so he gets a +1 right there, and at least a +2 to +4 on top of that from Str, and maybe another +1 from Weapon Focus, so he's looking at possibly a +6 to attack at 1st level meaning he's going to hit most anything thrown at him. Adding a +2 on top of that won't make much more of a difference but the -4 to AC is going to make sure he gets hit a lot more often. He's not going to be able to afford great armor right off and his Dex may or may not be great, so an AC penalty is going to make him go down faster even with 11-14hp.

Zen Archery should go. Never even heard of a Pal taking this feat, muchless at 1st level. His Dex may be lower than his Wis, but he can get better weapons later on to deal with that without having to lose a feat in the process. Only way I could see this one being a good option is if he is going to be a Robin Hood type of paladin.

Cleave may be a good option. If he is human, he will get two feats to choose.

Since it is a solo game, Diehard would be a good choice as well (dropping the Endurance requirement), and maybe worth giving for free. Auto-stabilizing simply allows you to continue the game after he goes unconscious, having him wake up where you want, under conditions you want, and without having him start writing a new character.

If he is going to use shields, Improved Shield Bash would be a good choice as well.

Negotiator would be good for boosting his social skills.

Skill Focus is a decent choice too, give him something to work with outside of combat.

Toughness is always a good choice at 1st level (and could be house ruled later on for more HP at additional levels).

 

[Plot-Device]

Powerful Charge + Power attack

If your using a 2 handed melee weapon power attack is a must.
Powerful Charge is both cool and effective +1d6 damage on a charge attack, and nothing is cooler than a pally charging into battle. Also later you can take greater/improved powerful charge to improve the extra damage to +2d6. (i don't have my books with me but im pretty sure those numbers are correct)

 

[Stalker0]

Forget power attack...this is a 1st level paladin we're talking about, he only has +1 BAB to work with. I'd much rather add to my attack rolls, you will do a lot more damage overall with weapon focus at 1st level than you will with power attack.

 

[Shadeus]

Forget power attack...this is a 1st level paladin we're talking about, he only has +1 BAB to work with. I'd much rather add to my attack rolls, you will do a lot more damage overall with weapon focus at 1st level than you will with power attack.

You cannot forget power attack! You need it to get the mandatory 6th-level paladin feat: divine might!

 

[Quartz]

Consider TWF + Improved Shield Bash. The character has the option of a second attack at the cost of -2 AB. You should also consider the type of adventure you're going to be running.

More generally, you should forget about feats which are usable only once or so a day, like those which improve his smiting.

Have you considered non-combat feats, like Skill Focus: Diplomacy?

 

[Thanee]

Forget power attack...this is a 1st level paladin we're talking about, he only has +1 BAB to work with. I'd much rather add to my attack rolls, you will do a lot more damage overall with weapon focus at 1st level than you will with power attack.

That's right, but Power Attack gives you Cleave right away (human bonus), and Cleave is really good at low levels, where opponents go down in a single blow usually. Getting swarmed by a bunch of kobolds or goblins could be a pain without Cleave.

And Divine Might is definitely a good feat later on, and leaves Weapon Focus or something else for 3rd.

Of course, being all alone, focussing on defense might also be a reasonable choice...

Bye
Thanee

 

[Stalker0]

You cannot forget power attack! You need it to get the mandatory 6th-level paladin feat: divine might!

Bah, the only mandatory feat for my paladins is extra smiting