Using Power of the Sun at Paragon

[Shin Okada]

A friend of mine is trying to build a 12th-level Paladin who utilize Solar Enemy and Power of the Sun (if he hits an enemy with Virtuous Strike, that enemy gains vulnerable 5 radiant until the end of his next turn)

The former is easy. He can just use it whenever he has a spare minor action that turn. But the latter is rather difficult to use at level 12th, as a PC has 4 encounters and 3 dailies. Usually, just continue hitting enemies with his at-will is the worst choice.

Fortunately, Virtuous Strike can be used as a melee basic attack. So if he can make extra melee basic attack constantly, it is a good addition.

One solution is to rely on fellow warlord (actually, Bard/Warlord with Virtue of Valor). But usually, if he can grant a basic attack for free, strikers are the better candidates. Our party will have an Avenger and a Sorcerer.

Another way I can think of is to make him into a Fighter/Paladin hybrid. Hybrid version of Combat Challenge allows him to mark enemies only when attacking with Fighter or Fighter paragon path powers. But he can also mark opponents via Divine Challenge and Divine Sanction. And any mark will give him the right to make an extra basic attack when an adjacent opponent shifts or make an attack which does not include him.

But this will largely change the basic concept of his Paladin PC. He loses lay on hands or it's equivalent. And he must spend a feat slot for Hybrid Talent to gain Channel Divinity.

Are there any other good way to let him make extra melee basic attack constantly?

 

[spayne]

Polearm Gamble

 

[Shin Okada]

Polearm Gamble seems to be nice one. Though he will meant to be a Kobold Paladin, he can use Talenta Sharrash, I guess.

Please throw me more if anyone has some other good idea.

 

[FireLance]

Some possibilities:

1. Take the Champion of Order paragon path. When you are adjacent to the target of your divine challenge, it provokes an opportunity attack from you if it makes an attack that does not include you.

2. Get strikebacks (10th level Hands slot item, AV). Once per encounter, you may make a melee basic attack against an adjacent enemy who hits you as an immediate reaction.

3. Instead of becoming a hybrid fighter, multiclass as a fighter using Battle Awareness (MP). Once per encounter, whenever an enemy that is adjacent to you shifts or makes an attack that does not include you as a target, you can make a melee basic attack against that enemy as an immediate interrupt.

4. If you have party members who can push, pull or slide you, take the Agile Opportunist feat (PH2). When you are pushed, pulled, or slid into a square adjacent to an enemy, you may make a melee basic attack against that enemy as an immediate reaction.

 

[Shin Okada]

Champion of Order paragon path seems to be a good option. (The player sticks to make a paladin but not picky of his choice of race, so Str/Cha paladin could be possible).

Other immediate action attacks will be good as pure paladin rarely use immediate actions.

I want to give XP to FireLance but I need to spread out more XPs before that.

Please continue to point me more if you guys have some other tips.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

3. Instead of becoming a hybrid fighter, multiclass as a fighter using Battle Awareness (MP). Once per encounter, whenever an enemy that is adjacent to you shifts or makes an attack that does not include you as a target, you can make a melee basic attack against that enemy as an immediate interrupt.

I found this quite useful on my cleric-pit fighter. It doesn't mark the target or anything, so it doesn't interfere with the warden's marking, but it adds in extra damage, and occasionally has come in INCREDIBLY handy.

4. If you have party members who can push, pull or slide you, take the Agile Opportunist feat (PH2). When you are pushed, pulled, or slid into a square adjacent to an enemy, you may make a melee basic attack against that enemy as an immediate reaction.

This is also quite fun, especially if you have a bard who can move you when missed.

Brad