Playable in PvM 1-40 Not intended for PvP Mid-magic environments preferred.

Human, Lawful Good (Changes alignment to Neutral Good once, between levels 18 and 24)

Str 14
Dex 8
Con 14
Wis 14
Int 14
Cha 14

1 Pal (1): Weapon Focus (Longsword), Luck of Heroes*
2 Pal (2):
3 Pal (3): Knockdown
4 Pal (4): +1 str
5 Pal (5):
6 Pal (6): Blind-Fight
7 Pal (7):
8 COT (1): +1 str
9 COT (2): Extend Spell, Improved Knockdown+
10 Pal (8):
11 Pal (9):
12 Pal (10): +1 str, Power Attack*
13 Pal (11):
14 Pal (12):
15 Pal (13): Divine Shield*
16 Pal (14): +1 str
17 Pal (15):
18 Pal (16): Toughness
19 COT (3):
20 COT (4): +1 str, Improved Critical (Longsword)+*
21 COT (5): Epic Weapon Focus (Longsword)
22 COT (6): Epic Prowess+
23 COT (7):
24 COT (8): +1 str, Gr Str 1, Armor Skin+
25 Bar (1):
26 Bar (2):
27 Bar (3): Gr Str 2
28 Bar (4): +1 str
29 Bar (5):
30 Bar (6): Gr Str 3
31 Bar (7):
32 Bar (8): +1 str
33 Bar (9): Lingering Song
34 Bar (10):
35 Bar (11):
36 Bar (12): +1 cha, Curse Song
37 Bar (13):
38 Bar (14):
39 Bar (15): Gr Cha 1
40 Bar (16): +1 str

* - Optional Feat
+ - COT bonus feat

Skills: 247 points. Concentration 43, Discipline 43, Perform 27 (+3 cha = 30 skill check), Tumble 40, UMD 43. Leftovers went to Taunt 43, Spellcraft 8 (+2 = 10 skill check) in my build.

Ending Vitals:
26 Str
16 Cha

AB +42 with mundane longsword, +8 damage from str bonus

AC 30 in mundane plate and tower shield
Fort 34, Ref 26, Will 26
456 max Hp

Can selfbuff AB up to +62 depending on paladin memorization and bull's strength roll; can selfbuff AC up to 52 depending on cat's grace roll and possible use of +cha spells for divine shield.

Return of the FAQ!

Q: This is your first build in a long time... what promted it? And hey, why did you stop posting builds anyway?
A: This is indeed my first build for this forum in a long time. I just lost interest in NWN for while, until some of the recent module offerings revived it. But, I haven't been able to find a lot of new build concepts to pursue here - I've done a lot of builds, and the guild itself has tons of builds. Lots of stuff has a definite aspect of "been there, done that" to it now.

However, this build is quite unique in the guild - there are only four builds that use this class combination, and only one of those - the Knight who says 'Nee!' - has close to the same level split. But it's a charisma build, and this is a strength one.

So this is arguably a unique build in the guild at the moment, and as it's not a bad one I think it's worth sharing.

Q: So what did inspire this level split and strength focus?
A: It's simple - 16 levels of paladin for access to the Holy Sword spell, and 16 levels of bard for the level 16 bardsong and access to level 6 bard spells. The remaining 8 levels are filled with COT for bonus feats, extra saves, and synergy with paladin powers. I went 16 pal/4 COT to 20 for a maximum BAB, and put 6 COT levels in between paladin 16 and bard 1 so that there's a good amount of time to effect the alignment change during.

Paladin and bard synergize nicely - both use charisma, paladin brings fighting capability to the bard while the bard brings skills and much better buffing capabilities to the paladin.

Q: Why not take Bard 1 at level 22 for a tumble dump?
A: You can, if you can change alignment in 3 levels instead of 6. I designed that around making the alignment change easier to get done with in time.

Q: Why take COT for levels 8 and 9 then? Why not paladin 1-16, then COT 17-24?
A: Basically, to strike a balance between getting the COT's bonus feat and save bonus early, and because I think 6 levels is enough for the align change in an environment where it's going to be possible to accomplish.

Q: What do you like about this build?
A: Primarily I like that it's a melee with a good skillset and plenty of tactical options, who has quite good buffing capability but isn't reliant on his buffs to be good in combat the way that other builds might be. Even if you're out of spells, you can still fight pretty hard.

Q: Why use up valuable epic character feats on Curse Song and Lingering Song?
A: I think Curse Song and Lingering Song are much more valuable than any other feats I could replace them with in this build. You're free to disagree, but you're underestimating the power of the bard song/curse song if you think that they aren't worth it.

Q: Why did you take Divine Shield, but not Divine Might?
A: Because Divine Shield gives you a potential +9 to AC if you have maxed your charisma, which will have a much bigger impact on your combat performance than the potential +9 to damage that Divine Might would give. You could work Divine Might into the build, but I think that for a limited uses per day feat, that takes away from turning attempts or divine shield uses, divine might's not worth it.

Q: With the optional feats, would you recommend anything in their place?
A: You might find significant value in Still Spell, Expertise, or saving throw feats, depending on your personal tastes and environment.

Q: Do you have a story to go with this one, since it's the first when you came back?
A: Yes, as a matter of fact I do - see the next post.
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Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience. Sir Frederick ignored the many stares which followed him as he walked through the Great Hall. It was the first time he had returned to Court since resigning his post as Knight-Commander three years earlier. Too many of those stares, he felt, belonged to people who abused their wealth and status, and the many protections the law afforded to nobles, for the sake of self-aggrandizment to the detriment of others. The final straw had been when he uncovered a group of nobles who offered poor peasants a bag of gold to risk their lives being hunted for sport... but he was told he could not arrest them for it due to their sovereignty over their private lands.

And so Frederick had left his post and the Court, his trust in law and society as a whole shaken so badly that he could no longer walk the path of the Paladin in his heart.

The knight did not think he would be welcomed here again, but the King had nontheless sent for him when word of his role in bringing down a bloody and heretical cult had reached the capitol. After leaving the Court and his position behind, it had not taken him long to find wrongs in need of righting, and so he had done valorous deeds as he travelled until coming across a series of bizarre ritual murders which had a city locked in the grip of fear. Pursuing long-forgotten legends to dig up clues, during his hunt for the killers Frederick found in himself a passion for the ancient lore and a talent for retelling the ancient tales he had learned. Following that adventure he formally joined the Bardic College, a network of libraries and loremasters scattered randomly through the kingdom.

From then on, armed as he was with both the knowledge and sorcery of the ancients as well as the skill and power of a holy knight, Frederick became an even greater champion for the common man, and a more feared scourge against evil.

The audience with the King was brief. Frederick was thanked for defeating the vile cult, and no mention was made of his former post or the harsh criticism he had levelled against the Court when he'd left. If he had been expecting a material reward, none was forthcoming, but as a veteran of the Court the knight understood that his summons was the reward - he was being told, without anything being said, that his actions had atoned for his leaving in the eyes of the King.

Others, however, were less forgiving. Many of the Court's nobles, some quite prominent, had been shamed when he left - and weren't above seeking vengence... especially vengence that would be carried out when the skilled swordsman was unarmed and unarmored, as was required at Court. Frederick was an experienced adventurer, however, and not only could he sense danger well before it appeared, but his studies of ancient lore had imparted him with a number of abilities that few would expect a knight-champion to have. As he left the palace, he ducked into a side alley and recited an arcane incantation which rendered him invisible and lost any would-be assassins.

Invisibly making his way to the small tower that served as the capitol's Bardic College, Frederick dropped his cloaking spell once he was inside, and made his way to the room where he had stored his armaments during his visit to the palace. Rearmed, he made his way to the main library where the Lorekeeper, the bard in charge of caring for the place, would be found. Constructed during a time when the capitol was still little more than a village, the tower had been the demesne of a benign but eccentric wizard for nearly two centuries before he bequeathed the building and most of its library to the burgeoning Bardic College at his death, though his actual spellbooks and artifacts were left to his apprentice. The Lorekeeper, once a powerful adventurer in her own right, had been happy to receive Frederick and give him the run of the tower during his stay in return for evenings of swapping tales of their respective exploits over dinner.

Although Frederick would dearly have liked to remain longer to peruse the formidable library here, as well as continue his conversations with the Lorekeeper, he did not wish to bring any danger to the place for fear that treasured knowledge stored only in the place's many books would be damaged or destroyed in a fight. He could return later, without the knowledge of his enemies at Court, to study all he wished... but for now he would have to be seen leaving the city so that their assassins and hired thugs would follow.

With another look around at the library, he thanked the Lorekeeper and left, heading out of the city and towards a likely confrontation with agents of the corrupt nobility he had turned his back on.
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Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.
Quote: Posted 10/13/06 01:09 (GMT) -- Xylophone
Q: This is your first build in a long time... what promted it? And hey, why did you stop posting builds anyway?
A: This is indeed my first build for this forum in a long time. I just lost interest in NWN for while, until some of the recent module offerings revived it. But, I haven't been able to find a lot of new build concepts to pursue here - I've done a lot of builds, and the guild itself has tons of builds. Lots of stuff has a definite aspect of "been there, done that" to it now.

Let me be the first to say, wb (if you play online). Otherwise, WELCOME BACK!!! We MISSED YOU!!!

FOr what its worth, alot of us have felt the same. BTW, nicely done with the build.
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Quote: Posted 07/24/06 22:47:54 (GMT) -- FinneousPJ

You should listen to avado

Edited By avado on 10/13/06 02:49

Good to see you have something left up your sleave. And its good to have you back.

I like the spin on this character. And the generous leveling to change alignment is a nice and needed touch. Well done.

-cs

PS: I like your FAQs. Always puts my thoughts into perspective.
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"Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things." - Miyamoto Musashi

Great synergies, and so very versatile (& cool story to boot)! It's good to see this: I like your pally-version -- well done, Xylo -- and good to see you, too (welcome back). Def. something to sing about.

Edited By TyrTemplar on 10/14/06 08:04

Yeah, I like it. It's a shame, however, that the Bard levels come so late.
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"With Europe liberated, the people of the world turned their attention to that old devil, the United States of America [...] We taught that monster of old the true meaning of freedom."
Star Wreck I'd have loved to have a different levelling order (regular bardic skill dumps) if only I didn't have to change alignments in the build. Unfortunately I can't call a build that flip-flops alignment every 5 levels playable... at least not and keep a straight face.

One thing I didn't mention and should, is that at base you have 0 6th level bard spells/day (but 2 spells known), so you don't actually get any 6th-level bard casts without +cha gear. It doesn't really make a material difference in my experience: your arcane failure would prevent you from casting 6th level bard spells anyway, but it's worth noting if you are going to take Still Spell and want to Still level 5 spells.

+Cha gear will be attractive anyway, but that's one more reason to use it.

Also, looking back, I'd probably take Lingering Song earlier - say, bard level 3. Curse Song can, IMO, be put off till you have a good number of songs/day, but lingering song's value is extended when you have few songs/day.
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Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.