Paladin build help 2024, first 1-20 pally

Looking for thoughts, opinions, and advice. 

3rd party campaign (Odyssey of the Dragonlords. No spoilers)

Point buy: 17 str. 14 con, 16 cha. Put my 10 in dex, 8 int, 8 wis. 

Aasimar. Noble background (Vanished one for the epic) 

Party is all casters. Warlock. Bard. Wizard. Druid. Cleric. 

Oath will be devotion. 

Lance looks very fun but ties me into at least two feats (mounted and PAM) so i need to accept a late level stat waste or skip either Heavy Armor Master or Great Weapon 

If i go GWM i can grab HAM, and mounted and +2 cha. 

 Fighting style- defense is an easy go to, but i kind of like that they made GWF better. On a great sword thats pretty awesome and on a lance that makes the polenstrike feel more reliable. 

I think there would be a question over if Lance can benefit from GWF while mounted, as it's two-handed property technically does not apply while mounted.

Personally, unless it's all open fields, I still do not generally advise going mounted combat focused, since there will be places and situations into which you can't take your mount.

Is there any specific advice you're after?

Mostly on that and the fighting style. 

It loses 2 handed but it is still heavy and that's the property that matters. ^_^

I think I am leaning GWM though, as it lets me do more to my stats. 

I am currently playing a paladin and have found the steed to be mostly useful as treating it as disposable.  I find in about 50% of the combats I am in it is not relevant as a mount due to the map or the risk.  There are many times where I use it to deliver my character to where I want them and then have them exit.  The mobility is really key in turn 1 but after that they are less needed.  Later then can function as a summoned creature and occasionally offer support or blocking.  Simply having the steed run to a position to dodge and block can be valuable in slowing down enemies and protecting your back line.  With a free daily casting it is fine to have it get killed.

So I wouldn't bother with Mounted Combatant.  I think other str based feats give you more, and I would rather increase my Charisma.

*nods* ok. ^.^

Mounted Combat: Likely not worth it? The nerf to Mounted Combatant may be the main reason: instead of allowing you to redirect any attack targeting your steed to you (2014), it now only allows you to redirect a hit made on your steed (2024), meaning you simply absorb the damage. The newer version means you'll either be taking more damage (due to your steed's lower AC), or it will die much faster. In 2014 version, I found it was mainly only AoE damage that would take down my steed. And you likely shouldn't need the Advantage bonus from Mounted Combatant as much due to your Channel Divinity boost to attacks.

ASI/Feats: I'd echo raising core stats or at least taking feats that boost those core stats help most on a Pally. Raising CHA especially: +1 to all six main saves plus death saves plus concentration saves is huge, for you AND any ally in range. And of course, all the face skills. But since your core Devotion feature also boosts your attack based on CHA, that is pretty amazing bang for your buck.

Could pick one STR feat to round out our STR at 4, and then raise CHA at 8 & 12 or take two CHA feats? GWM or PAM could work, but since it seems Pallies can now do a bit more with their Bonus Action, I may opt for GWM for action efficiency? After that I think CHA gets way more for you than STR.

In playing a Paladin it can be tempting to want to try to do everything with it since it almost seems like you can. But a Fighter for example has more feats and fewer needs. So the choice is between increasing the efficacy of features you've chosen vs. extra features to diversify what you do. Personally I'd go with the former, but YMMV of course.

Fighting Style: Defense gives a solid benefit regardless of your situation, so to me that's a baseline. GWF wouldn't work with a Lance one-handed since GWF requires you to be holding it with two hands, but you could of course pair it with a Greatsword. I think with smites and then Blessed Strikes at level 11, you have some damage boosts, so GWF or Dueling may not be that critical, versus +1 to Defense? Not getting hit counts for a lot, especially if you're concentrating on something. Interception and Protection seem cool if you want to be a protector and use your reaction that way, but that requires you to be next to an ally. I probably wouldn't consider the other styles.