I've been playing in a game for a few months now with a paladin for the most part I enjoy as far as role playing goes.

However when it comes to actual combat my paladin is the most useless thing on the field. I got screwed by RNJesus so I have terrible stats even as a paladin. My character is heavily item dependent to even be halfway viable. 

I have less HP than The Bard who's a college of lore by the way, who's a better melee fighter than I am, not to mention the wizard who's a Bladesong both of them out class me in melee and of course as a paladin with dueling as my fighting style I have next to no range options. I could pick up a bow but I have a dexterity of 8.

I'm supposed to be the front liner but I am effectively useless in combat. My stats spread is 13 strength 8 dexterity 12 Constitution 15 intelligence 10 wisdom and 18 charisma. (My first made my character I made the dumb decision to have higher intelligence and I can't go back on that)

Thanks to level 4 of my strength is 15 now. We are currently level six. I've been thinking about how to make my character stronger by multi-classing into warlock and going hexblade but it feels so far away and I nearly die in every encounter. I'm essentially a healer with plate armor. 

I don't want to seem like I'm annoying my DM by asking for special treatment on finding a way to make my character better.

Narratively it wouldn't make sense for my character just to run off into the sunset ditching the party either. 

I just don't know what to do. I could always try to pull a puffin forest and actively try to get my character killed off but my characters already died once and he pulled my character back with some plot armor that my character apparently had but I wasn't aware of.

I just have better character builds in mind that I would rather play. I know people say playing a character with low stats is fun for role-playing purposes. which it's great for role-playing, but when you want to actually be useful to your party in combat that's the only frontliner I feel useless as a pile of rusty hammers.

Long story short how would you approach this? Would you talk to the DM or just try to find a way to make it work?

Simple. Speak with the DM. Let them know you're not having fun with the character. Work with them to change characters, or class. Move around stats etc. 

If you DM says no to changing things/isn't willing to work with you? Cool, find a new group. 

Quote from IvorySprocket >>

 

I don't want to seem like I'm annoying my DM by asking for special treatment on finding a way to make my character better.

 

Here's your issue. Say to your DM exactly what you said here. If you were at my table I would at least let you swap your base stats around, or at most roll a whole new character.

Definitely, talk to your DM.  A decent DM will take the time to talk to you about your character;  and help you find a way to have fun!  

Multi-classing, should definitely be an option, and given your 'not-optimal' stats for a Palaidin; you could multi class in to several different classes; That could come up with some fun combo's.   I would look at Warlock or bard or sorcerer, (to utilize that 18 cha) or even wizard with your 15 int .

Your DM may have other idea's too, so reach out and good luck!

Had the same problem in one of my current campaigns, the player just wasn't happy with their character. As everyone already said talk to your DM, I sat down with the player and together we worked out a reason for the old character to leave and a new one to join the party. If he'd been dead set on playing the same character I would have let him reroll the stats, walk back a previous level so he could multiclass or whatever other thing he felt would have made him happier. At the end of the day it's a game and games should be enjoyable, if you aren't happy not only is it making you miserable but sooner or later that'll spread to everyone else

Why won’t your DM let you switch things around? Especially for a first character. Your DM should have steered you away from that stat line, at least putting the 15 in str. That’s just bad DM’ing. 
As others said, talk to your DM. First see if they’ll let you adjust your stats. If not that, maybe change into a charisma caster like a warlock (I’d say bard, but it seems there’s already one in the party).

Really lean on how it’s your first character, and you didn’t know what you were doing, and why did they not stop you from arranging your stats like this. 

8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 18 are decent stats - good enough to make a decent character but not so good as to deny you development. 

I would consider these options:

1: Dip into hexblade warlock on your next level up. You'll be able to use your Charisma modifier for attacks with your chosen weapon (provided it's not 2-handed) and you'll feel that jump of +2 to +4 quite nicely. It's also a good bit of roleplay to say "I was too weak, but then I found The Sword...".

2: Talk to your DM; explain that you really like the character but their stats are in the wrong place, explain that you really want to keep playing them and would like the chance to reallocate so that you can swap Intelligence with Strength.

3: Make a new character that you like more. Rebuild your old one for drop-in games and oneshots. whilst the game has rules, there are no D&D police who will kick in the door if you're playing a different game with a character with different stats to last time you used them!

If your DM gave you anti-death plot armor, then they likely want you to stick around and are clearly willing to bend the rules a bit to keep your character alive. I think that is a good indication that you can speak to them about how you are not satisfied with your character in its current form. I have made adjustments for PCs plenty of times. Class changes, stat adjustments, you name it. The goal is to have fun and as long as fun doesn't come at someone's expense, I try to accommodate my players. It seems like your DM may be flexible based on the OP.

Small thing but this is exactly why I prefer the point buy and taking maximum hit points at first level followed by average going forward.  The various rolls throughout a PC’s career are random and should be but it is highly unfair to start players off with characters so wildly different in ability and competence.

After talking with him for a bit he does seem to be understanding we're going to go with the multi-classing idea and changing one of my stats to make me less squishy.

Also the anti-death plot armor thing was a one-time deal.

We had a corrupted diamond if we use that thing it would rip a hole to the shadow fell (it happened once to a King by accident cuz we didn't know)

But my paladin's God uncorrupted the diamond so I was able to be revivified. When my paladin went down and we only have that I was thinking of myself, (here it comes I'm done)

Quote from IvorySprocket >>

After talking with him for a bit he does seem to be understanding we're going to go with the multi-classing idea and changing one of my stats to make me less squishy.

Also the anti-death plot armor thing was a one-time deal.

We had a corrupted diamond if we use that thing it would rip a hole to the shadow fell (it happened once to a King by accident cuz we didn't know)

But my paladin's God uncorrupted the diamond so I was able to be revivified. When my paladin went down and we only have that I was thinking of myself, (here it comes I'm done)

I am really happy to hear that your DM was willing to work with you. Best of luck on your less-squishy adventuring. :)

I feel your DM failed you by not letting you substitute in a new character that better suited the function you wanted to fill.  Or, at the least, allowed you to reroll your Attributes but with a line where if the total number of Attribute points was less than 75 you could reroll.

It's pretty easy, tell your DM you want to roll up a new character.  If the DM had issues with stat changing, that's a way around it.  The DM shouldn't be giving you grief because its your first character unless he told you directly that putting 15 points in INT rather than STR is going to hurt your character and you deliberately did it anyways.  

Next, read up on the character you want to play so you know where to put the stats.  A fun level 6'er would be a variant human champion with pole arm mastery + sentinel so you'd have a wider range of crits and ability to actually be a front liner and prevent them from closing on the party.  If you decided to cheese it and go back to doing another paladin, then go vengeance so after you use your reaction, you can move 15' at level 7 as a reaction attack.  You can effectively tank a single mob that way, assuming the DM hasn't adjusted sentinel.  I know I set some limits on sentinel.

Never scoff at a Hexadin, with just 1 level in Hexblade, and the rest in Paladin (Oath of Vengeance).

I would also say speak to the DM.  In times passed I would explain that the character hasn't worked out quite the way I had hoped and could they help me?

I have also offered the character as a sacrificial goat to any major bad guy that wants to show how nasty he is, but the DM was too scared to 1 shot any PC in the party.  Afterall, nothing says "Im evil " like ripping the head off a (in this case Paladin), pooping down its neck, playing catch with the still full helmet and then re-animating the remaining parts to do a funny dance.....or attack the other characters.

And then, during those discussions, I have asked if the DM is willing to help with the idea that I have for a new <insert PC here>

Its a game of mutual understanding, with probably some friendship involved - so talk about it.

1. Talk with your DM

2. Get a new character ready

3. Find a natural transition to your new character. For example, say that when you get to the next town, your paladin settles down. Then, have your new character sidle into the party. Maybe have your character fill a hole in the party (if not a combat role, look for a spot open in the Five Man Band.

Quote from Bluepanther512 >>

1. Talk with your DM

2. Get a new character ready

3. Find a natural transition to your new character. For example, say that when you get to the next town, your paladin settles down. Then, have your new character sidle into the party. Maybe have your character fill a hole in the party (if not a combat role, look for a spot open in the Five Man Band.

 100% this.

This or just retire the character and make a new one simular to the old one

i'm having a huge issue with even being able to do stuff with my character. he's a battle master fighter with higher stats than most of the group, but he's never able to fight AT ALL, the past three sessions he's either had to sit back and watch the party fight actually gods (which I had a previous character die to a demigod) or have to help open a barricaded door, then when there are fights the rest of the party has a ton of companions who have to move and their moves are really long, we also have a control freak who spends 30 minutes with one turn (using action surges and druid transformations) only to kill one tiny spider. then my turn was skipped twice because I got blinded and my dm forgot to give me my turn. I've spent almost a month on this character trying to make him perfect and giving my hand a cramp to write everything down just for him to be a lazy f**k. its been super unfun and unfair. sorry that this has been me just complaining about a character.

Honestly, it sounds like your problem is more with the campaign than with the character if the GM is throwing encounters your character is never able to contribute to and all the other players are running additional companions on top of their characters.