I'm trying to play a 1h, sword and board paladin, without falling back on the tried and true, Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master. So, obviously, I can use Hunter's Mark to up my damage...but less effectively than if I had three attacks to benefit from it with PAM. I have Vow of Enmity, but really, it feels like it will be largely unneeded since I won't have to be overcoming a -5 to hit from GWM. So are there ways, outside of Duelling fighting style and Smiting, to up my 1h damage?
And yes, in many ways, I am trying to fit the round peg into the square hole, by making a 1h Vengeance paladin. lol
I can see what Jeremy Crawford was trying to do with changing GWM and PAM. I think he said something along the lines of he doesn't want one build or a feat to be required to make an optimized character. The symmetry of GWM and PAM are such, that if you're going to play a 2h melee character, at least one or both is optimal. 1h melee just doesn't have anything to up that damage, that I can see. Am I missing something?
I think lower damage is kind of the point. You get a higher AC in exchange, it’s the trade off you make.
Kind of off topic, but I played a dex-pally (ancients) through level 13, and it was super fun. Rapier and shield, studded leather, he was actually pretty tanky in terms of a good AC, and high dex meant high initiative, and could be pretty stealthy in a pinch. So if you’re looking for a non-traditional build, it’s an idea.
Agree with what you're saying, higher AC for lesser damage, but it's really, almost entirely the feats that make that difference! Take Great Weapon Master out of the mix and that damage comes down quite a bit. This is also why One DnD is looking to nerf Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master, since they end up almost mandatory for a 2h dpr build, which makes every 2h melee end up looking and playing mostly the same. I've played a vengeance paladin with PAM and GWM. I've played a fighter/barbarian with PAM and GWM. Outside of being able to smite on a crit or if you just want a little more oomph on a hit, they were very similar.
So, the answer mostly is...no, I'm not missing anything. There really isn't any way to up your damage as a 1h paladin, outside of MC with a caster class so you can smite more often. Which actually is a reasonable thing to do, once you've hit level 6. MCing may bring you more than regular paladin levels brings.
I guess there’s also rogue for some sneak attack dice. The classic options. But I’ll say, I single-classed that dexadin, and I never felt underpowered. Plus all the general goodies of being a pally.
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I'm trying to play a 1h, sword and board paladin, without falling back on the tried and true, Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master. So, obviously, I can use Hunter's Mark to up my damage...but less effectively than if I had three attacks to benefit from it with PAM. I have Vow of Enmity, but really, it feels like it will be largely unneeded since I won't have to be overcoming a -5 to hit from GWM. So are there ways, outside of Duelling fighting style and Smiting, to up my 1h damage?
And yes, in many ways, I am trying to fit the round peg into the square hole, by making a 1h Vengeance paladin. lol
I can see what Jeremy Crawford was trying to do with changing GWM and PAM. I think he said something along the lines of he doesn't want one build or a feat to be required to make an optimized character. The symmetry of GWM and PAM are such, that if you're going to play a 2h melee character, at least one or both is optimal. 1h melee just doesn't have anything to up that damage, that I can see. Am I missing something?
I think lower damage is kind of the point. You get a higher AC in exchange, it’s the trade off you make.
Kind of off topic, but I played a dex-pally (ancients) through level 13, and it was super fun. Rapier and shield, studded leather, he was actually pretty tanky in terms of a good AC, and high dex meant high initiative, and could be pretty stealthy in a pinch. So if you’re looking for a non-traditional build, it’s an idea.
Agree with what you're saying, higher AC for lesser damage, but it's really, almost entirely the feats that make that difference! Take Great Weapon Master out of the mix and that damage comes down quite a bit. This is also why One DnD is looking to nerf Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master, since they end up almost mandatory for a 2h dpr build, which makes every 2h melee end up looking and playing mostly the same. I've played a vengeance paladin with PAM and GWM. I've played a fighter/barbarian with PAM and GWM. Outside of being able to smite on a crit or if you just want a little more oomph on a hit, they were very similar.
So, the answer mostly is...no, I'm not missing anything. There really isn't any way to up your damage as a 1h paladin, outside of MC with a caster class so you can smite more often. Which actually is a reasonable thing to do, once you've hit level 6. MCing may bring you more than regular paladin levels brings.
I guess there’s also rogue for some sneak attack dice. The classic options.
But I’ll say, I single-classed that dexadin, and I never felt underpowered. Plus all the general goodies of being a pally.