Why play a Paladin?

[Legacy_diagnull]

                I've been looking at the classes and builds recently and found myself wondering..."Why play a Paladin?"

Outside of RP reasons, it seems like everything a Paladin can do, either a fighter or a cleric can do better.

Don't get me wrong, Paladin is one of my favorite classes, but on closer inspection, they don't seem to excel at anything (unless I'm missing something.)

Barbarians kind of fall into the same range for me too. Other than rage, not much to write home about other than RP wise.

Can someone enlighten me?

-C
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               - immunity to fear (usefull when there is dispellful environment)
- full BAB
- divine shield/might (and no, clerics dont often have it as they need other stats than charisma)
- saves from charisma
- best offensive boosts (+8ab himself +6dmg (5magical), +dmg from holy avenger and deafning clang+onhit deaf)
- weapon boost against undead (no cleric doesnt have that)
+rp reasons
               
               

               

                     Modifié par ShaDoOoW, 05 juillet 2011 - 06:18 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Guest_Lowlander_*]

               What Shad said + NWN rewards hybrids. Why be a Fighter or a Paladin, when you can be a Fighter AND a Paladin.

I have added some Paladin to builds several times for the fear and disease immunity, which makes fighting lots of things a whole lot easier. I really hate may character cowering in a corner wetting himself, when he should be driving a sword between the dragons scales.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Lowlander, 05 juillet 2011 - 06:39 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_diagnull]

               > - weapon boost against undead (no cleric doesnt have that)

What is this one? I don't remember seeing this and I looked on the wikia and didn't see an explanation either.

Thanks!

-D
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WebShaman]

               Can you say...smite evil?

Cha Paladin with Smite.  Wooohooo!  No other like it in the 'hood!

http://home.comcast....uild186693.html

And so on...really, Pally's have their advantages!  Now, pure...bleh.  Mix and smite...ermmm...yeah.

I personally like the Black Harper build myself...5 pally/5 HS/10 BG+!  Needs an alignment change, however.  Nothing like falling, tho.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WebShaman]

               Grrrr...double post.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par WebShaman, 06 juillet 2011 - 03:38 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Kail Pendragon]

               

diagnull wrote...

 I've been looking at the classes and builds recently and found myself wondering..."Why play a Paladin?"

Outside of RP reasons, it seems like everything a Paladin can do, either a fighter or a cleric can do better.

Don't get me wrong, Paladin is one of my favorite classes, but on closer inspection, they don't seem to excel at anything (unless I'm missing something.)

Barbarians kind of fall into the same range for me too. Other than rage, not much to write home about other than RP wise.

Can someone enlighten me?

-C

You are missing multiclassing, among the rest.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Elhanan]

               Barbarians - faster movement, full BAB, and Uncanny Dodge make 4 lvls pre-Epic a bit nicer.

Paldins - ^ what they said, if you enjoy using CHA for a change of pace.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Guest_Lowlander_*]

               Barbs also have D12 hit dice and damage reduction and like the other fighter classes you lose nothing if you had fighter levels to get WS, so you get all the special abilities and the fighter ones too.

I am really not into spell casting. I just like hacking things to bits. I have played all the combat classes multiple times and they all have advantages, but I never played any straight single class characters. In fact I don't think I have even played any dual class characters. For combat classes it almost always to your advantage to triple class.

So there really is no one or the other choice here. Mix and match to best advantage.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_diagnull]

               Hmm. Looks like I need to rethink my strategies.

I'm too used to 2nd edition in some way, and want to treat everything as a single class or a 2nd edition dual class.

Gotta break that habit. '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Last Darkness]

               Because someone has to be a tool
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               A sorc without a few pally levels is like champagne without the bubbles.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_UrkOfGreyhawk]

               I love pallies. They're my favorite class. I like having to  role-play the alignment restrictions.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MuinainenKoski]

               Yeah paladins have their uses, though I do have to agree I somewhat share your opinion on why play them.

As a single class there is no real use, since you lose so much in the form of feats etc. compared to fighters just to gain a few spells.

In pre-epic levels though, multiclassing paladin is highly viable.

All their abilities are strong when you don't have too much to smash on. And you can grab a few levels of fighter for extra feats etc. When your weapons and gear isn't all >+6, those spells like holy avenger shine with usefulness.

High charisma classes also benefit from having a few levels of paladin. Cleric with high charisma can take 2 paladin for charisma bonus to saves (and maybe 2 more or 2 of fighter for full bab @20). Sorcerers with really high charisma benefit from the saves bonus even more and laying of hands provides a tiny heal once a day. I'd also classify paladin as a good option for sorc based spellswords, at least those two levels.

But yeah paladin is mostly a multiclassing toon in my opinion and in FR setting, most paladins orders allow/encourage multiclassing (such as mystra as wizards, ilmater as monks, yondala as monks etc.). Not saying that the lore multiclassing options are as viable in NWN OCs as they sound though '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Velkyn Velve]

               Single class paladins are good, but Bioware really made this character concept shine with the addition of COT. If done right, the player can get the best form both classes without lossing anything.

Paladin: Divine abilities like smiting, lay on hands, turn undead, remove disease, inumity to disease and fear, saves, divine might, divine shield, some goood low level spells)
COT: Even more saves and extra feats.

In low magic enviorments paladins can even enchant their weapons, that is a good advantage.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Velkyn Velve, 11 juillet 2011 - 06:13 .