try new paladin or classic?

[evilbob]

In the most meta-min/maxing question ever, if you had the opportunity to play a paladin with an 18 in strength (and your party had no other main tank), would you go the classic 1-handed longsword/bastard sword route and keep your shield, or just fighter-it-up, throw the shield away, and pull out a greatsword (or falchion, and play-for-crits)?

I mean on one hand, this is a serious AC boost (2-7 over time), plus any shield abilities, which would keep your guy alive and kicking longer - but on the other, we're talking 4-5 avg. damage more at level 1 on every hit - and it only goes up from there. Then again, you'll never have quite the pure, raw damage a fighter will - but you will have the HP. Smiting makes up for the paly's lack of sustained damage, but he can only pull that trick a few times a day. Is it better to wade through and never get hit, or take them out as you go? Can't decide... can't decide... brain aneurysm!

 

[DragonLancer]

My personal preference is go the longsword & shield approach. One, its a classic. And two, while the greatsword allows more damage I tend to find that the missing bonus from a shield usually means I get hit more often. odd but thats the way the dice hate me.

 

[Klaus]

Grab a greatsword (preferably styled like a Flamberge from Diablo II) and get an animated shield as soon as affordable.

Best of both worlds!

 

[The Shaman]

Sword-and-board, baby.

 

[Corsair]

Grab a greatsword (preferably styled like a Flamberge from Diablo II) and get an animated shield as soon as affordable.

Best of both worlds!

My diablo paladin was a 2-hander too, but my DnD paladins use shield and LANCE!


Halfing paladins on medium sized mounts forever!

 

[Nifft]

Sheild, especially if you're allowed to use Divine feats. You'll want that shield when you are charging at a foe weilding your Lance, too, if just for completeness.

-- N

 

[Endur]

Longsword and Shield

1) Its Classic
2) You can drop the shield and swing the sword with two hands
3) You can drop the shield and swing on a rope and swing your sword like Errol Flynn
4) You can fight from horseback with your sword while holding the reins in your other hand
5) More Holy Swords are Long Swords
6) When you need the shield, you have it

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

It depends upon your level and the other members of the party.

In a party with lots of support characters--bards, healing clerics, buffing wizards, etc, you need to pack the party's offensive punch. In that case, greatsword. In a party with few support characters or lots of offensively oriented characters--a blasting wizard, no cleric, a warmage, and a rogue, you need to be able to hold ground and soak up the hits (and there's no-one there to bail you out when you get low on hp): sword and board.

WRT the level, at low levels, you only have a few smites and they don't add a lot of damage yet. Power Attack is still a good deal for you. Greatsword. By higher level, your smites do more damage, you'll probably be adding divine might, and you may be doing spirited charges to boot. Power Attack (even two-handed) is not such a good deal and you do plenty of damage anyway. Sword and Board.

One last suggestion: if you don't go for an animated shield, get a buckler. 1-6 points of AC is very good when you need it, but if you want to maximize your damage with power attack, you can just suck up the -1 attack penalty. Buckler and longsword would probably be my choice in general.

 

[the Jester]

18 str, huh? That's rough...

Well, if you aren't small-sized, you might go falchion. That 18-20 threat is pretty cool, and if you power attack two-handed... ow! Once you're 9th level you can take Improved Crit, and then you're just crazy.