I’m toying with a character concept for a potential new campaign. I’d like to play a frontline character with a little complexity and flexibility, so I’ve been looking at tank/support combinations. I was originally considering going for a half-orc Way of Mercy Monk, but the truth is I don’t really want to play Monk. I find it too streamlined, it forces me into a hand-fighting style, and I’d like to have a little utility spellcasting. So Paladin goes to the top of the list, and obviously Oath of the Ancients sounds perfect both mechanically and thematically - as I’m going for a spiritually driven forest tribe member.
I also very much like Okinawa weapon fighting styles and the history of why these weapons and styles were developed. In particular, either a dual weapon fighting approach with tonfa or tambo, or a polearm master with a rokushakubo feel pretty appealing to me
But this creates a pretty big series of issues for the build. First, if I go dual-wielding I can’t use a shield. Then if I go PAM to keep 3 attacks, I can use a shield (love the idea of using a timbe, a turtle shell shield) but I use a feat for an already MAD character and my quarterstaff only does 1d6. Finally, such a character wouldn’t be wearing a metal heavy-armor, but I can’t hope to increase DEX on top of the 3 abilities I need to focus on. And I’m not even mentioning Crusher, which sounds like a cool thematic feat for a bludgeoning Okinawan style combattant, that provides occasional buffs thanks to positioning and advantage on crit, but also deprives me of a full ASI or from going for Sentinel, which could arguably be even better.
Thus it feels like my only out is to ask my DM for some homebrew. Smallest ask would be “can I re-skin a heavy armour so that it’s not metal”. Possibly the biggest would be to ask for quarterstaff to be finesse, considering that allows me to go for a very good AC and gives me fantastic Initiative with no disadvantage in Stealth.
These are the parameters of the build I’ve been considering. But if YOU were to build this character, is there anything you’d do differently, considering I’m not looking to be the biggest damage dealer possible? Any thematic idea I didn’t think of you think would be cool?
You could try a dex based paladin with a finesse weapon, like re-skin a rapier into some kind of weapon you’re looking for. So of you’re going for a lightly armored, nimble build, that can work. Pallys don’t get the two weapon fighting style, something to keep in mind.
If you stay str based, don’t worry about the quarterstaff only doing a d6. Average damage is only one point lower than a d8 weapon. And your real damage is going to come from smites, anyway. So that 1point lower base damage will barely matter.
And that’s also a point in favor of PAM. The base damage there will be a d4 for the bonus action attack, but again, you’ll trigger your smite, which is where the damage is. Though that extra attack every round might force you to run out of spell slots quicker.
Also, when you say 3attacks, you mean at level 5, right?
As far as the DM letting you re-flavor what the armor is made out of. Maybe they will. Is there a Druid in the party? I ask because they often want to find non-metal armor (like a scale mail or breastplate) to wear as well. For you it’s just flavor, but for them it can be a bigger deal in allowing them access to better armor, so if the DM lets you just do it, they might want to as well. Really, the only thing is to talk to your DM and see what they say. Maybe they could make it a side quest to find the proper materials.
I did mean 3 attacks at level 5, yes. And what you’re describing is indeed the reason I’m looking at PAM, cause I do want 3 attacks per turn considering 1. There’s no obvious BA option for paladins that doesn’t expend limited ressources. 2. I am angling for more crit opportunities for nova damage with smite. 3. If I ever take Crusher (which sounds unlikely, unless I roll ASIs in a manner that justifies a half-feat) I want as many opportunities to crit and snowball as possible.
The other option I’d love is if I can reskin shortswords as tanbos or tonfas, but they are pretty much textbook clubs (no finesse, STR-based). The reason being that, even if I loose 2 points of AC by not wearing a shield, I do get 3 attacks per turn without expanding a feat, and can therefore prioritise something like sentinel. All of that without the two weapon fighting style, which only adds a slight potential damage bonus per turn, which I don’t think is as good as +1 AC
Hi everyone!
I’m toying with a character concept for a potential new campaign. I’d like to play a frontline character with a little complexity and flexibility, so I’ve been looking at tank/support combinations.
I was originally considering going for a half-orc Way of Mercy Monk, but the truth is I don’t really want to play Monk. I find it too streamlined, it forces me into a hand-fighting style, and I’d like to have a little utility spellcasting.
So Paladin goes to the top of the list, and obviously Oath of the Ancients sounds perfect both mechanically and thematically - as I’m going for a spiritually driven forest tribe member.
I also very much like Okinawa weapon fighting styles and the history of why these weapons and styles were developed. In particular, either a dual weapon fighting approach with tonfa or tambo, or a polearm master with a rokushakubo feel pretty appealing to me
But this creates a pretty big series of issues for the build. First, if I go dual-wielding I can’t use a shield. Then if I go PAM to keep 3 attacks, I can use a shield (love the idea of using a timbe, a turtle shell shield) but I use a feat for an already MAD character and my quarterstaff only does 1d6. Finally, such a character wouldn’t be wearing a metal heavy-armor, but I can’t hope to increase DEX on top of the 3 abilities I need to focus on. And I’m not even mentioning Crusher, which sounds like a cool thematic feat for a bludgeoning Okinawan style combattant, that provides occasional buffs thanks to positioning and advantage on crit, but also deprives me of a full ASI or from going for Sentinel, which could arguably be even better.
Thus it feels like my only out is to ask my DM for some homebrew. Smallest ask would be “can I re-skin a heavy armour so that it’s not metal”. Possibly the biggest would be to ask for quarterstaff to be finesse, considering that allows me to go for a very good AC and gives me fantastic Initiative with no disadvantage in Stealth.
These are the parameters of the build I’ve been considering. But if YOU were to build this character, is there anything you’d do differently, considering I’m not looking to be the biggest damage dealer possible? Any thematic idea I didn’t think of you think would be cool?
You could try a dex based paladin with a finesse weapon, like re-skin a rapier into some kind of weapon you’re looking for. So of you’re going for a lightly armored, nimble build, that can work.
Pallys don’t get the two weapon fighting style, something to keep in mind.
If you stay str based, don’t worry about the quarterstaff only doing a d6. Average damage is only one point lower than a d8 weapon. And your real damage is going to come from smites, anyway. So that 1point lower base damage will barely matter.
And that’s also a point in favor of PAM. The base damage there will be a d4 for the bonus action attack, but again, you’ll trigger your smite, which is where the damage is. Though that extra attack every round might force you to run out of spell slots quicker.
Also, when you say 3attacks, you mean at level 5, right?
As far as the DM letting you re-flavor what the armor is made out of. Maybe they will. Is there a Druid in the party? I ask because they often want to find non-metal armor (like a scale mail or breastplate) to wear as well. For you it’s just flavor, but for them it can be a bigger deal in allowing them access to better armor, so if the DM lets you just do it, they might want to as well. Really, the only thing is to talk to your DM and see what they say. Maybe they could make it a side quest to find the proper materials.
I did mean 3 attacks at level 5, yes.
And what you’re describing is indeed the reason I’m looking at PAM, cause I do want 3 attacks per turn considering 1. There’s no obvious BA option for paladins that doesn’t expend limited ressources. 2. I am angling for more crit opportunities for nova damage with smite. 3. If I ever take Crusher (which sounds unlikely, unless I roll ASIs in a manner that justifies a half-feat) I want as many opportunities to crit and snowball as possible.
The other option I’d love is if I can reskin shortswords as tanbos or tonfas, but they are pretty much textbook clubs (no finesse, STR-based). The reason being that, even if I loose 2 points of AC by not wearing a shield, I do get 3 attacks per turn without expanding a feat, and can therefore prioritise something like sentinel. All of that without the two weapon fighting style, which only adds a slight potential damage bonus per turn, which I don’t think is as good as +1 AC