Single-Class Build Series: Reach DPS Dreadful Carnage Paladin

TL; DR: Not long ago someone asked for a single-class Paladin build for their main character. I was a bit worried they were asking for a tank build, but it turns out they wanted a DPS build instead (I'm not a fan of Pally's as tanks due to lack of Uncanny Dodge and their very limited number of feats). Since I didn't have a Paladin build yet, or a (melee DPS build, for that matter), I thought it would be a good idea for the next Single-Class Build Series installment.

*** WARNING: Mild item and plot spoilers are in this build ***

Part 1: Race Choice and Build Progression

A full list of my builds and guides can be found here.

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Introduction

This is a pretty straightforward, reach fauchard build that utilizes Dreadful Carnage on the base Paladin class. It's nothing fancy, but it scales well and works great as a main character due to high saves, high Chrasima/Persuasion, and a respectable amount of damage when properly buffed. If you're looking for a basic build for your first run-through of PKM and don't mind the Lawful Good alignment restriction, you can't go wrong with a reach paladin.

The Shatter Defenses + Dreadful Carnage combo is an exceptional way to get enemies around you flat-footed. In most cases, this significantly lowers their Armor Class, making them sitting ducks for your following attacks. Considering Paladins are CHA-based and your main character will almost always have ranks in Persuasion, we may as well make the most of it.


What I Love About This Build

Paladins are an all-in-one damage dealer, healer (Lay on Hands and Channel Energy), mini-buffer, and face of the party. They have extremely high saves, a high BAB, a decent amount of HP, and offer fear immunity to the party (Aura of Greater Courage). Their Divine Weapon Bond gives their attacks a good amount of damage and access to the keen feature.


Starting Out
Race: Although many races work with this build, this is one of the few times I prefer to go Human, as Paladins are very low on feats and skill points. Of course, Angelkin Aasimir is an ideal choice with their +2 to STR and +2 to CHA if you don't mind pushing up the feat progression by one.

Starting Stats: I prefer 17-14-14-12-7-16 (STR being 15 +2 for your racial bonus) or even 17-13-14-12-8-16. I like the higher DEX because Pally's "weak" saving throw is Reflex and it's one more attack with Combat Reflexes (You'll need at least 13 DEX if you want to take Combat Reflexes, btw). Skill ranks go to Athletics, Persuasion, and Use Magic Device. If you want, you can totally dump-stat INT, and just put your skill points into Persuasion and your choice of Athletics or UMD. I actually like to have ranks in some "camping" skill (Lore Nature, Knowledge World, Stealth, or Perception), which is why I'm down for a bit higher INT.

Ranking Up Stats: You'll want to rank up STR and CHA, of course. There's a bit of flexibility here, as well, since you have a high BAB character. Increasing your STR will up your attack and damage, along with the Athletics skill. Increasing your CHA will increase your saving throws, spell DCs and spell slots, Smite, Use Magic Device, and Persuasion. Putting +3 to STR and +2 CHA works fine for me (or +1 STR and +4 CHA).


Reach DPS Dreadful Carnage Human Paladin 20

1. WF: Fauchard, EWP: Fauchard
   
2. -
   
3. Power Attack
   
4. -
   
5. Dazzling Display
   
6. -
   
7. Blindfight or Cleave
   
8. -
   
9. Shatter Defenses
   
10. -
    
11. Dreadful Carnage
    
12. -
    
13. Blindfight or Cleave
    
14. -
    
15. FEAT of Choice
    
16. -
    
17. FEAT of Choice
    
18. -
    
19. FEAT of Choice
    
20. -

What are the Best Feats to Complete this Build?

There are actually quite a few choices depending on your playstyle and whether or not you use the TBM. You can't go wrong with any of these. If there was more room in this build I'd fit in Cornogun Smash before Dreadful Carnage. It's a nice little edge, but not really necessary for the build.

• Combat Reflexes (Recommended)
  
• Cornogun Smash
  
• Outflank (Recommended)
  
• Cleaving Finish (Recommended)
  
• Great Cleave
  
• Critical Focus
  
• Selective Channel (Recommended)

Part 2: Feat and Item Considerations

Why Use a Fauchard?

Well, our ideal DPS is Enlarged with a reach weapon. This allows us to stay safely out of melee, benefit from increased weapon size, threaten as much area as we can for AoO, flank (sometimes) two or more of our party's melee characters, and use a two-handed weapon for 1.5 x STR modifier to our weapon damage. That limits us to the glaive, bardiche, longspear, and fauchard.

Fauchards are the only reach weapon with a 18-20 threat range. Couple that with our Divine Weapon Bond (Keen) and the beloved Serpent Prince fauchard, and we're threatening crits on hits from 15-20 with a x3 crit multiplier instead of a x2 due to its Destructive property. Being a +3 weapon, it automatically overcomes DR of cold iron. You can actually get this weapon before your first venture into the First World if the RNG is on your side. If you don't receive it by the end of Chapter 3, you can always cheese-gift-it via Bag of Tricks under the Items section. Once you get this weapon, you basically use it through the end-game, increasing its potency with your Divine Bond feature.

Level 12 critical hit in S. of Forgotten Heroes. Key buffs here are Good Hope and Enlarge Person. Holy and Keen Divine Bond is active.

There are a couple of other decent fauchards in-game, along with a great bardiche (Rod of Razors) and Glaive (Incorruptible Petal), but those aren't found until much later. I still believe Serpent Prince comes out on top for damage (properly buffed with Divine Bond) due to its threat range and x3 crit multiplier.

If you roll with Jubilost or Octavia, you'll get access to Legendary Proportions
later in the game. That'll give you a +6 to STR, widen your attack area from increased size, and up your weapon size damage, as well. It's just crazy.



Why Bother With Cleave?

So, Cleave becomes very, very useful with the Turn-Based Mod. Plus, it's a requirement for Cleaving Finish. If you only use RTwP, you probably have no idea the difference between a standard action (one attack in a round) and a full-round action (multiple attacks in a round). The bane of low-initiative melee toons with a high BAB is wandering in later to combat for one measly swipe at an enemy (a standard action), only for combat to be over the next round. Cleave allows you to commonly make a second attack with a standard action. If I don't have a way for a melee toon to get a pounce attack, I normally go PA, Cleave, and maybe Great Cleave if there's space in the build.

If you don't use the TBM, you can build this toon without it if you don't want Cleaving Finish. Because we'll crit so often with Serpent Prince, however, we'll commonly fell enemies to trigger the bonus attack. Quite worth it.


Which Mercies Should I Take?

I prefer this order, going for Mercies that are common and/or permanently debuff your party members. Pick whatever you like for your last two.

• Fatigue: The most common condition between travel and Amiri's Rage.
  
• Disease: Your best choice for Level 6, IMO. Use later to counter Blinding Sickness from Ghosts.
  
• Confusion: Top choice, as Fey often use the Confusion spell against you.
  
• Blindness: I prefer this Mercy over paralyze. Blindness is often permanent and paralyze is easily ignored with Freedom of Movement.

Early Items of Note

• Assassin's Chain Shirt: Available early into Chapter 2 from the Dire Nalmarches. Although it will not give you top AC, the Assassin's Chain Shirt has a +4 enchantment and will give you +4 to confirm critical hits. Plus, it won't reduce your speed like medium or heavy armor will.
  
• Blessed Path: Best early-game heavy armor for a Paladin with bonuses to CHA, WIS, and an extra smite.
  
• Serpent Prince: Top fauchard in-game, available later in Chapter 2 through early Chapter 4 depending on your kingdom advancement. Crafting item from Shaynih'a in the South Narlmarches,
  
• Flaming Glaive +2: Although not a fauchard, this the beast reach weapon available after you get your capital (found in the Kamelands)

Final Thoughts

With most of my builds, I like to leave them a bit open for players to customize it how they wish. What other items would be great for this build? Are there any Paladin spells you run regularly that should always be used? What other weapons would you use on this build for top damage?

[13lack Talon]

Love this build! Thank you for the information. It's much appreicated
The polearms are really damn useful! Fauchard & the Glaive's reach FTW

I agree with comment below me. Paladins end up having the best saves in the game just off the Charisma bonus alone. Currently my Paladin is 10 and has +16R +13R +18F saves.

Paladins are a swiss army knife for just about any situation you find yourself in. Bless weapon to surpass DR or Divine Weapon Bond with its variable bonuses; Evil (vs. Holy) and Chaotic (vs. Axiomatic) foes will fall before you or you can just default to Keen stretching that already large Crit-gap.

[Into the Breach, Meatbags]

Gonna have to disagree with some points on this. Especially the whole "low Reflex" Paladins have always been Save tanks cause of Divine Grace and in Pathfinder they are made EVEN more powerful since their Spell casting is shifted from WIS to CHA based. So literally no reason to do anything short of MAX Cha. Plus the change to Smite Evil to being Permanent vs. Foe with the CHA Deflect AC bonus as well.

Paladins are meant to shine against Evil and you might as well focus on that. Plus all their weapon buff spells to give DR pierce, auto Crit, status on crit vs evil. Play to that, if you just wanted damage, just make a plain fighter or specialized class on that.

[ホウリシット]

Special things to note is that Paladins make up their shitty saves with Charisma bonus to saving throws, so having a dex higher than 13 is really unnecessary. Additionally there's enough + to stats items in the game that make up for it, you're gonna be wearing heavy armor anyways, so barring mithril armor it's not all that important.

With that, you could if you wanted tweak the build to use bastard swords instead and use ovrinbaane if you want something really silly. Paladins with high charisma have enough saving throws to entirely negate ovrinbaanes negative.

[Airam El Canario]

for weapon focus fauchard, you have to choose first
exotic weapon proficiency / Fauchard.

[Gellan]

When i try to weapon focus on fauchard says its unavailable. also what deity should i choose?

[Remove skull merchant]

Why is Kalikke casting a cleric spell ? Did you change her class ?