PFS - Need Help Building a Mounted Paladin.

[Kyoko Hitomu]

Hello All,

After deciding against making an Oracle/Paladin multiclass char I've been thinking I moreso want a character that does more physical damage while still maintaining some good self healing power. I've came up with the following and would like to know how my build looks so far and if there's any good improvements I could make.

Shining Knight, Paladin:

Race: Gnome (+2con, +2cha, -2str)
Alt Racial Traits:
• Darkvision
• Warden of Nature
Character Alignment: Lawful Good
Deity: Ragathiel
Traits:
• Undecided
• Undecided

Str: 15-2=13
Dex: 12
Con: 14+2=16
Int: 11
Wis: 8
Cha: 15+2=17

1) Paladin 1: Bab +1, Fey Foundling (lvl 1)
2) Paladin 2: Bab +2,
3) Paladin 3: Bab +3, Mounted Combat (lvl 3)
4) Paladin 4: Bab +4, +1 Cha
5) Paladin 5: Bab +5, Ride-By Attack (lvl 5)
6) Paladin 6: Bab +6,
7) Paladin 7: Bab +7, Spirited Charge (lvl 7)
8) Paladin 8: Bab +8, +1 Str
9) Paladin 9: Bab +9, Power Attack (lvl 9)
10) Paladin 10: Bab +10,
11) Paladin 11: Bab +11, Greater Mercy (lvl 11)
12) Paladin 12: Bab +12, +1 Int

I'd be using a 2handed weapon, and also using a lance while charging on my boar mount. Let me know if there's anything I'm missing out or if there's any issues with my build. I have all books needed for everything listed above.

I've thought of possibly dipping 2 levels into fighter for 2 bonus feats or 1 dip in Lore Oracle for the Sidestep Secrets revelation but I'm not sure if doing that would be a wise move or make me weaker than just staying pure class.

[Axebeard]

I play a halfling mounted paladin. I did not take Fey Foundling at level 1 and have never needed it. Playing a mounted charger that only gets spirited charge at level 7 and power attack at level 9 is putting off your character for far too long.

I know you don't get to write off your armor check penalty to ride checks as oath of vengeance, but I'd recommend going oath of vengeance instead of shining knight. I'd also recommend taking a few levels of fighter, especially weaponmaster. 3 levels of fighter gets you 2 feats and weapon training (for boosting with gloves of dueling). When you're tripling your damage on an attack, static modifiers get HUGE. As such, being able to smite as many times as possible per day is absolutely paramount.

Here's what I'd recommend for stats:

Str 18-2 [17]
Dex 12 [2]
Con 12+2 [2]
Int 7 [-4]
Wis 8 [-2]
Cha 14+2 [5]

Also, your character is built around delivering one massive blow, or he will be. As such, Furious Focus is a better feat for your character than many others. Here's what I did:

1) Pal 1 - Power attack
2) Pal 2
3) Pal 3 - Mounted Combat
4) Pal 4
5) P4/F1 - Ride-by Attack, Wheeling Charge
6) P5/F1
7) P5/F2 - Spirited Charge, Furious Focus
8) P5/F3 - (Weapon Training), buy gloves of dueling

I played the above character to level 8 and got involved with a lower-level group. He never went down, and at that level never missed except on a 1 and was regularly swinging in for 100 damage a shot. There were times when he was standing in the party, and the entire party went down and he was fine. This was despite a lack of Fey Foundling. Wheeling Charge lets you charge through allies and around corners, Horseshoes of a Zephyr let you charge over difficult terrain and bodies of water or lava, potions of fly purchased with PA and fed to your mount overcome flying enemies and give you a lot of avoidance, and everything else working together means that you hit hard, and you hit every time. If you're worried about your mount failing saves and dying, consider taking feats like Boon Companion and Indomitable Mount (use your ride check instead of your mount's saves.) Masterwork items and magic items mean that you can pump your ride skill really high even despite armor check.

Oh, and buy a horse AND have a celestial mount. Ride your purchased mount until you have to climb the cliff that would have otherwise kept your boar out of the dungeon, then conjure your divine mount at the top. Crisis averted.

Your paladin will have an incredible array of abilities to avoid damage. You can drop down and use your mount for cover, you can make ride checks to negate hits on your mount, you'll move REALLY FAST with ride-by attack and thus will be far away from the enemies who would otherwise hit you, and you'll be far away from the party when the fireballs land, so you'll avoid AoE. Your saves will be huge, your armor class will be high, and you will be far away from your enemies. Point is, you're not going to miss Fey Foundling. And with Oath of Vengeance, you're going to be funneling your LoH into smite anyways.

His build is Pal 5/Ftr 3 so far, and he's got gloves and a +2 Lance.

Math on the damage was Strength 20 with belt, +2 lance, weapon training 1 with gloves of dueling for native +12 damage when wielding 2-handed. Then, smite evil adds another 5 (10 for undead, evil outsider, evil dragon), and power attack adds another 9. That's 1d6+26 or 31, which was tripled with spirited charge for 3d6+78 or 3d6+93.

[Kyoko Hitomu]

I like the idea but not sure on how it would pan out for myself.

1) I'm not sure a boar can use horseshoes per PFS rules.
2) The suggested Con stat doesn't make use of my racial bonus.
3) Int is tanked so I'm looking at +1 skill point a level and that would have to go to Ride, then I'm faced with the issue of having nothing in Handle Animal as my Mount is an Animal Companion and will need Handle Animal checks from time to time since I'm playing by PFS rules, or I assume I'll be making some HA checks from time to time.

I don't think I'll need a second mount but I could be wrong. Paladins have the ability to summon their mount to them once at lvl 5 and and +1 more times per day every 4 levels after. If I'm in a situation like that I can just dismount, move ahead till my party encounters the enemy then I spend 1full round to call mount, mount up and charge the fight.

Strength I think is pumped a bit too high as I'm really eating the penalty with my stat buy there. I could focus on upping Str at 4th or 8th lvl for 14str and getting a +4str belt to compensate so I'm not taking the Con, Int, and Cha penalties compared to my stats I listed.

I do agree that a few levels in fighter would help with my limited Feat selection though.

I'm a bit curious though as Fey Foundling at 10th level would heal 5d6+10 hitpoints to myself as a swift action. That seems to be pretty useful as half of the time a 5d6 roll can have some pretty bad results.

The Shining Knight's ability to give the mount a +4 to all saves seem pretty powerful though and I'm also not having to worry about the big ACP from platemail while riding. It doesn't seem to give up much that's useful for these benefits.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

If your Cross classing fighter I would defiantly get the Silver smite bracelets. Will make sure your smite stays with your HD or better if you only dip 4 or less levels in fighter.

Your going to be Skill Starved for sure.

Currently I'm playing A Halfling Beastmaster Ranger Mounted Charger. Loving every minute of it. People always comment that I should have went paladin or Cavalier instead because mechanically they are better for charging. But I'm having a blast on my Giant Gecko. Climbing up walls and charging on the roof. I have 5 skills per level which helps a lot in PFS. The Favored enemy and Terrain also come into play a lot which adds for more skills. I'm only level 3 but I am certainly the ass kicker in the group. I'm dying to get to level 5 (I have level 4-5 experience waiting). Lead Blades is going to be fantastic giving me Medium sized weapon damage.

Leads me to my next thought of UMD on a paladin via trait. Lead blades will be a nice spell on a 2pp wand. Ups the size of all your melee weapons you have for the duration. Also Longstrider might be another good spell with share spell on your Bonded mount. +10 movement is nice for both of you. Some scenarios will force you off your mount. and moving at 15 feet of movement really blows.

Lastly

Quote:

His build is Pal 5/Ftr 3 so far, and he's got gloves and a +2 Lance

He should not receive benefit from the Gloves for the weapon training.

Quote:

If the wearer has the weapon training class feature and is using an appropriate weapon, her weapon training bonus increases by +2.

3 levels of fighter doesn't give access to the weapon training.

Tho Sash of the war champion would work and give him Armor training +2 and bravery +2