Strengths Strong saves Good HPs A Taunt to make even casters tremble Healthy Rack of Divine Damage output Strong AC potential in one-on-one melee
Weaknesses No self-buffing or UMD
This is more or less a melee equivalent to the Archer Laureate. He gets and keeps a solid AB, but unlike other Weapon Masters, he doesn't back it up with high strength but instead backs it up with Divine Might. With 13+ uses of Divine Might per rest cycle, it is enough to take out the monster du jour, plus he can use Divine Shield for some instant AC, which combines well with Expertise against the baddies with high ABs. His high Taunt skill comes late, but if planning for a lower end-level environment, one can simply drop that 5th Paladin level near the end of your planned end-career level.
Some may question the level split, but after careful consideration, this was by far the most efficient way to go. 6 Fighter levels pre-epic match perfectly with the Paladin4 and the WM10, and the 7th Fighter in Epic was my clever way of obtaining EWS without sacrificing the WM28 levels. This lad would do best in a party situation, but should be able to hold his own in most modest magic environments. Charisma and Strength enhancing items are all about all he needs to get his job done. Hammer was chosen for its bludgeoning damage, high crit modifier, and its looks, but feel free to modify to your tastes.
Only a few other builds share these particular classes, but none really do what The Hammer Knight does, and often end up either Strength-based or a watered-down split. Those builds are: Holy Katanas (FTR 8 / WM 22 / Paladin 10) -- ArcticDwarf900 Highest POSSIBLE MELEE AB (FTR 8 / Paladin 4 / WM 28) -- Grimnir77 Heartseeker (FTR 10 / Paladin 2 / WM 28) -- Mithdradates Slashing Dervish (FTR 4 / Paladin 17 / WM 19) -- Mithdradates Witchblade (FTR 7 / Paladin 12 / WM 21) -- Nayonaq Medieval Enforcer (Paladin 5 / FTR 10 / WM 25) -- TyrTemplar
Fixed leveling guide - Kail Pendragon _________________ Got Hommlet? World of Greyhawk Action Server (with 1/2 price ales on Mondays!)
You need power attack before Divine Might . (and div. shield at lvl 6 as well) _________________ Spirit, It is the hero's strength, the mother's resilience, and the poor man's armor. It cannot be broken, and it cannot be taken away. This I must believe. ~ Drizzt Do'Urden
Edited By sbtedarknight on 04/04/08 21:25
Quote: Posted 04/04/08 21:22 (GMT) -- sbtedarknight You need power attack
Ahh, I'm getting old. Thanks for the catch. Consequently, it would have to look like this:
Toughness would then be dropped from the build. No great loss. _________________ Got Hommlet? World of Greyhawk Action Server (with 1/2 price ales on Mondays!)
Ariel, Ookla, RIDE!
You should mention your smite in there (in fact, I'd take extra smiting instead of ESF: Taunt and take it earlier), I know it's not very reliable, but with a high CHA and low STR, your smite is your best hit by far.
Your AB is actually very impressive, 14 STR and unbuffed +43, the Weapon Master really serves its purpose, I'd only worry about leveling on low levels, around levels 10-25 or so your AB will be lowish and you can't buff it. _________________ "My name is Thaxll'ssyllia, but you simians may refer to me merely as "Sir", if you prefer a less... syllable intensive workout."
Edwin Odesseiron - Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Edited By Thaxll'ssyllia on 04/05/08 03:11
Papa Grizz, Papa Grizz! Tell us again how you cleverly got EWS with a Fighter level! _________________ Cerca trova
I made and played a character with these classes once. But it was made to maximise AB, and not damage, so it was way different, I tink I'll make a post.
Cool build though, a "standard" AB warrior with excellent damage and that oh so nice AC boost. Picking the warhammer is a solid choice too, although longsword is usually the best choice for Paladins<15 in most environs, since you can often find Holy Avengers. Blunt is usually the least resisted type, but that matters little in this Divine-damage build. Just worth mentioning. _________________ We are sons of Odin, and the fire that we burn inside is the legacy of warrior-kings who reign above in the sky I will lead the charge, my sword into the wind Sons of Odin fights to die and live again
After all these years, a gem is created! This is truly an eye opener for me as a few years ago i tried like heck to get a charisma paladin with a decent AB! I always seemed to do the high pal lvl thingy that ends up boring and weak!
This shows why you are THE master! _________________
Yes, I made/played a couple of these, too (though I went str route, for the high/PG AB etc (and dev.crit DC too and since adj.) for PvP, as an alt to Pal/RDD (heh, then everyone who knows me knows I like paladin-everything, and w the renewed interest in paladins (heh, always music to my ears!), thinkin' I should post the adj. I made to it, too, but a very diff build obviously).
And I think you did a good job on the Hammer, too, GD: a nice enough AB thanks to WM, w the divine damage turns and AC boost, should do quite alright in pvm, I think so, too (where div dam. is nice, wonderful v everything really but esp undeads, w blunt being rather handy, too, I agree, though as Grim says, should you want a hard avenger, in low-magic environs they tend to come in the form of a longsword (however equipped, though, heck, it's a paladin, and looks good/highly charismatic in my books, too!
Divine Hammer ON! ~ Tyr _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing" -- Edmund Burke, Philosopher and Politician (1729-1797)
Edited By TyrTemplar on 04/06/08 06:34
Uh, I just tried to build this & NWN says that the character's (Human) starting Wisdom needs to be 11. Am I missing something?
Quote: Posted 05/17/08 18:41 (GMT) -- Angelfire1
Uh, I just tried to build this & NWN says that the character's (Human) starting Wisdom needs to be 11. Am I missing something?
Take fighter at level 1 and Paladin at lvl 2. _________________ We are sons of Odin, and the fire that we burn inside is the legacy of warrior-kings who reign above in the sky I will lead the charge, my sword into the wind Sons of Odin fights to die and live again
Do I see my name in this build (The Hammer Knight Empyreal)?
I would take all the same pre-epic feats, but in a different order, like this:
You do have to take FTR at level 1 as opposed to Pally if you want to leave WIS at 8, but you can't take Spring Attack at level 3, as it requires BAB +4 and Expertise as prereqs. _________________ It's rogue, dammit, ROGUE!!!
Edited By Cinnabar Din on 05/18/08 18:55
Quote: Posted 05/18/08 17:05 (GMT) -- Cinnabar Din
You do have to take FTR at level 1 as opposed to Pally if you want to leave WIS at 8, but you can't take Spring Attack at level 3, as it requires BAB +4 and Expertise as prereqs.
According to NWNWiki, you're right about the BAB +4 requirement, but wrong about the Expertise reqiurement for Spring Attack.
The fix: switch Spring Attack and Blind Fight. _________________ Great Research Tools: NWNWiki NWN Epic Character Build Search Engine The NWN Vault
Yeah, I was thinking about WWA I guess, _________________ It's rogue, dammit, ROGUE!!!
Wow. Very nice. Another thing of beauty, except, of course, the errors...
Just worth mentioning.