I'm trying to fix up my first ever character from a campaign that died pretty quickly to have for a different campaign.
Concept:
Character is a half-elf who was born in Elven society and got pretty fed up at being treated as a child when he already an adult (difference of lifespans thing). He runs away and joins the circus as a tumbler and acrobat. One day, a paladin (Llira, goddess of joy or similar deity) sees him performing, and the joy he puts into his performance and offers to make him her student.
Set in stone:
- Oath of Redemption fits really well for how I'd imagined his personality. With following the goddess of joy, I imagined him not wanting to take the joy of others away by beating them up or killing them, unless the enemy's actions were taking the joy from innocent people.
- Entertainer background, possibly with a slight reskin to change the instrument for a set of tools.
- Dex build to lean into acrobat background
Open for input:
- Half-elf race or High half-elf variant. Not sure if I take High half-elf's option to take a wizard cantrip and pick up Booming Blade/ Green Flame Blade, or stick to the skill gains.
- spell/weapons/armor suggestions. I only played the character for a couple sessions at level 1, so I don't have any tactics worked out
-fighting style suggestions. Debating between Defense, Interception, Protection, and Blessed Warrior
First, cool choice on entertainer with paladin. I love when people make a nontraditional background choice.
For fighting style, I'd go defense. Personally, I enjoy playing my dexadin, and I took defense, and that extra AC point really helps. I love being the tank in studded leather.
Booming/green flame aren't great for pallys. Once you hit level 5 and you get your second attack, you'll be better off attacking twice than you are using the cantrip. Either take something that gives you a ranged attack, or stick with a utility cantrip. Or just stick with the standard half elf and take those skill proficiencies. They'll help a lot since paladin skills don't really have anything to do with dex.
Armor, studded leather and a shield. Weapons, rapier is going to be the default, as its the finesse d8 option. But any finesse weapon will do. Usually I stay away from two weapon fighting, but you can consider it as a dex paladin, going two short swords, since that will give you an extra chance to trigger a smite. But if you're more of the party tank, which paladins usually are, then rapier and shield is the way to go.
Spells you prepare like a cleric, which means you can swap out which spells you have prepared at the end of a long rest, so I'd say experiment with a few and see what you like. I usually have cure wounds prepped, as a just in case for healing. I also usually have a smite spell prepared, but you won't use it much. You're better off just smiting for the extra 2d8 than you are adding a a bit of fire damage, for example. Unless you run into something with fire vulnerability, which is why I keep it prepped, but don't use it. Though I have used branding smite when I ran into something that turned invisible. Otherwise, aid is handy, and shield of faith. Find steed, when you're of the right level and you're in a place where you can actually be mounted.
You didn't ask, but for ASI as you level, personally I'd just pump that dex to 20. I look at other feats, and thing they'd be fun, but the dex bump is too good to resist (AC, to hit, dex saves, skills, initiative, there's just so much that keys off dex). This is another point against two weapon fighting since it puts off taking the dual wielder feat.
And just to complicate things a little for you, Oath of Ancients tenets are also all about preserving the light, and protecting joy and love and beauty.
I'm trying to fix up my first ever character from a campaign that died pretty quickly to have for a different campaign.
Concept:
Character is a half-elf who was born in Elven society and got pretty fed up at being treated as a child when he already an adult (difference of lifespans thing). He runs away and joins the circus as a tumbler and acrobat. One day, a paladin (Llira, goddess of joy or similar deity) sees him performing, and the joy he puts into his performance and offers to make him her student.
Set in stone:
- Oath of Redemption fits really well for how I'd imagined his personality. With following the goddess of joy, I imagined him not wanting to take the joy of others away by beating them up or killing them, unless the enemy's actions were taking the joy from innocent people.
- Entertainer background, possibly with a slight reskin to change the instrument for a set of tools.
- Dex build to lean into acrobat background
Open for input:
- Half-elf race or High half-elf variant. Not sure if I take High half-elf's option to take a wizard cantrip and pick up Booming Blade/ Green Flame Blade, or stick to the skill gains.
- spell/weapons/armor suggestions. I only played the character for a couple sessions at level 1, so I don't have any tactics worked out
-fighting style suggestions. Debating between Defense, Interception, Protection, and Blessed Warrior
First, cool choice on entertainer with paladin. I love when people make a nontraditional background choice.
For fighting style, I'd go defense. Personally, I enjoy playing my dexadin, and I took defense, and that extra AC point really helps. I love being the tank in studded leather.
Booming/green flame aren't great for pallys. Once you hit level 5 and you get your second attack, you'll be better off attacking twice than you are using the cantrip. Either take something that gives you a ranged attack, or stick with a utility cantrip. Or just stick with the standard half elf and take those skill proficiencies. They'll help a lot since paladin skills don't really have anything to do with dex.
Armor, studded leather and a shield. Weapons, rapier is going to be the default, as its the finesse d8 option. But any finesse weapon will do. Usually I stay away from two weapon fighting, but you can consider it as a dex paladin, going two short swords, since that will give you an extra chance to trigger a smite. But if you're more of the party tank, which paladins usually are, then rapier and shield is the way to go.
Spells you prepare like a cleric, which means you can swap out which spells you have prepared at the end of a long rest, so I'd say experiment with a few and see what you like. I usually have cure wounds prepped, as a just in case for healing. I also usually have a smite spell prepared, but you won't use it much. You're better off just smiting for the extra 2d8 than you are adding a a bit of fire damage, for example. Unless you run into something with fire vulnerability, which is why I keep it prepped, but don't use it. Though I have used branding smite when I ran into something that turned invisible. Otherwise, aid is handy, and shield of faith. Find steed, when you're of the right level and you're in a place where you can actually be mounted.
You didn't ask, but for ASI as you level, personally I'd just pump that dex to 20. I look at other feats, and thing they'd be fun, but the dex bump is too good to resist (AC, to hit, dex saves, skills, initiative, there's just so much that keys off dex). This is another point against two weapon fighting since it puts off taking the dual wielder feat.
And just to complicate things a little for you, Oath of Ancients tenets are also all about preserving the light, and protecting joy and love and beauty.
Xalthu will say it best. Myself and him have debated dexadins in length and hes knowledgeable on how to build them properly.
Thank you. Respect.
No problem man!