So, have a character concept, but not sure of the mechanics. Blue dragonborn paladin, dual wielding flails with appropriate feat, multiclassed into sorcerer. Using Twinned spell and warcaster feat, would he be able to cast elemental weapon on both flails or would this not fly? Just getting into the game and I'm planning ahead, don't want to be foiled later by a technicality instead of the dice.
One of the more damaging options available is 2 Fighter (for Action Surge) 6 Paladin (for Divine Smite and extra attack) and Sorcerer for as many spell slots as you can get.
6 Paladin/12 Sorcerer gives you a level 15 caster, with 18 slots topping out at level 8.
2 Paladin/12 Sorcerer gives you a level 13 caster, with 17 slots topping out at level 7.
Fighter and Paladin both have extra attack at level 5. Paladin also gets Aura of Protection at level 6. Level 6 Fighter would give an extra ASI/Feat.
The Paladin could take the two-weapon fighting style as a Fighter, then the defense style as Paladin to get another attack they can use divine smite on while still being fairly sturdy.
I don't think there's any advantage to going level 6 Fighter.
One of the more damaging options available is 2 Fighter (for Action Surge) 6 Paladin (for Divine Smite and extra attack) and Sorcerer for as many spell slots as you can get.
6 Paladin/12 Sorcerer gives you a level 15 caster, with 18 slots topping out at level 8.
2 Paladin/12 Sorcerer gives you a level 13 caster, with 17 slots topping out at level 7.
Fighter and Paladin both have extra attack at level 5. Paladin also gets Aura of Protection at level 6. Level 6 Fighter would give an extra ASI/Feat.
The Paladin could take the two-weapon fighting style as a Fighter, then the defense style as Paladin to get another attack they can use divine smite on while still being fairly sturdy.
I don't think there's any advantage to going level 6 Fighter.
The advantage is actually pretty clear.
You suggest Fighter 2 for Action Surge
You suggest Paladin 6 for Divine Smite & Extra Attack
Divine Smite as your focus for a build is improved by four things - Advantage (hits & crits), Number of Attacks, Spell Slots & Crit Range. Obviously you are suggesting Dual Wield to improve attack quantity, as well as picking up Extra Attack for that purpose, then focusing on as many spell slots as possible.
However, with Fighter 2 you are literally one level away from doubling your crit change with Champion ("your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20")... So if you are doing a two level dip into fighter anyway - with a Smite build you pretty much have to go Fighter 3. Additionally, by adding sorcerer to the list there is a heavier emphasis on Charisma, so Str Con and Cha are all needed (so as many ASIs are possible, as early as possible are needed). A Fighter 6 Paladin 2 mix gets the same quantity of ASIs as normal progression
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D&D, Youth Work and the Priesthood sadly do not typically interact... I do what I can!
First if you're only doing a 2lvl dip in Paladin you dont need to have an 18 STR. 15 at the minimum to get heavy armor. You will still reliably hit things up to lvl 9 like this even with out magical weapon. I say this because I wanted to prove a point that Paladins are not as reliant on STR as other Martial fighters.
Put your primary stat as Chr instead. Being a sorceror primary you're gonna want higher spell DCs.
Additionally ASI isnt what you should be focusing on. A Fighter 3 or 4 and Paladin 6 or 7 will give you more abilities and a stronger over all character. If we were to say this is a Devotion Paladin then well that's in crease saves for you're entire party at lvl 6 and at lvl 7 immunity to charm for the party with in 10 ft.
Further Dual wielding is highly in efficient for a Paladin whose real area they shine is S&B. I mean hell when talking Paladin GWM is almost not even worth it. They dont have the same damage discrepancy that a fighter has between the two. Plus a Paladin can easily have an AC of 25 by lvl 6 depending on items found with S&B. Literally have solo fought the Guardian in Avernus and one of the Lords of Hell and his General with only my Party healing me in that last encounter. Both those fights I had a str of 15.
The big problem with this is now you're a front line fighter who's sacrificing HP and dual wielding which mechanically is the worse choice to do. You're gonna want you're AC to be high because you're not gonna have the same staying power and will go down quite often.
In the end theres a reason why when multiclassing Paladin all powerful builds recommend at the minimum 6 lvls of Paladin and not 3 like most other multiclasses.
So, have a character concept, but not sure of the mechanics. Blue dragonborn paladin, dual wielding flails with appropriate feat, multiclassed into sorcerer. Using Twinned spell and warcaster feat, would he be able to cast elemental weapon on both flails or would this not fly? Just getting into the game and I'm planning ahead, don't want to be foiled later by a technicality instead of the dice.
Twinned spell works on a spell that targets one creature. A flail is not a creature, it’s an object, so I’d rule no, it does not work on both of them.
Darn, but thanks for the clarification!
You can Twinned Spell cast Booming Blade however, which is similar but less powerful and a cantrip.
One of the more damaging options available is 2 Fighter (for Action Surge) 6 Paladin (for Divine Smite and extra attack) and Sorcerer for as many spell slots as you can get.
Wouldn’t that be better as Paladin 2, Battlemaster 6 Sorcerer X in order to get better crits and extra attack?
6 Paladin/12 Sorcerer gives you a level 15 caster, with 18 slots topping out at level 8.
2 Paladin/12 Sorcerer gives you a level 13 caster, with 17 slots topping out at level 7.
Fighter and Paladin both have extra attack at level 5. Paladin also gets Aura of Protection at level 6. Level 6 Fighter would give an extra ASI/Feat.
The Paladin could take the two-weapon fighting style as a Fighter, then the defense style as Paladin to get another attack they can use divine smite on while still being fairly sturdy.
I don't think there's any advantage to going level 6 Fighter.
Okay, I'm just going to quote your message that I was responding to in order to make the point.
The advantage is actually pretty clear.
Divine Smite as your focus for a build is improved by four things - Advantage (hits & crits), Number of Attacks, Spell Slots & Crit Range. Obviously you are suggesting Dual Wield to improve attack quantity, as well as picking up Extra Attack for that purpose, then focusing on as many spell slots as possible.
However, with Fighter 2 you are literally one level away from doubling your crit change with Champion ("your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20")... So if you are doing a two level dip into fighter anyway - with a Smite build you pretty much have to go Fighter 3. Additionally, by adding sorcerer to the list there is a heavier emphasis on Charisma, so Str Con and Cha are all needed (so as many ASIs are possible, as early as possible are needed). A Fighter 6 Paladin 2 mix gets the same quantity of ASIs as normal progression
That's a good point.
Half-Orc Champion Fighter 6/Paladin 2/ Divine Soul Sorcerer.
Starting attributes. 17/8/16/8/8/15. First ASI 18 Str and 16 Cha.
Start as Fighter, two-weapon fighting style.
First if you're only doing a 2lvl dip in Paladin you dont need to have an 18 STR. 15 at the minimum to get heavy armor. You will still reliably hit things up to lvl 9 like this even with out magical weapon. I say this because I wanted to prove a point that Paladins are not as reliant on STR as other Martial fighters.
Put your primary stat as Chr instead. Being a sorceror primary you're gonna want higher spell DCs.
Additionally ASI isnt what you should be focusing on. A Fighter 3 or 4 and Paladin 6 or 7 will give you more abilities and a stronger over all character. If we were to say this is a Devotion Paladin then well that's in crease saves for you're entire party at lvl 6 and at lvl 7 immunity to charm for the party with in 10 ft.
Further Dual wielding is highly in efficient for a Paladin whose real area they shine is S&B. I mean hell when talking Paladin GWM is almost not even worth it. They dont have the same damage discrepancy that a fighter has between the two. Plus a Paladin can easily have an AC of 25 by lvl 6 depending on items found with S&B. Literally have solo fought the Guardian in Avernus and one of the Lords of Hell and his General with only my Party healing me in that last encounter. Both those fights I had a str of 15.
The big problem with this is now you're a front line fighter who's sacrificing HP and dual wielding which mechanically is the worse choice to do. You're gonna want you're AC to be high because you're not gonna have the same staying power and will go down quite often.
In the end theres a reason why when multiclassing Paladin all powerful builds recommend at the minimum 6 lvls of Paladin and not 3 like most other multiclasses.
That's what I was going to do in the first place.