Guide to Paladin Feats
<!--
if (!document.phpAds_used) document.phpAds_used = ',';
phpAds_random = new String (Math.random()); phpAds_random = phpAds_random.substring(2,11);
document.write ("<" + "script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript' src='");
document.write ("http://ads.tentonhammer.com/adjs.php?n=" + phpAds_random);
document.write ("&what=zone:81");
document.write ("&exclude=" + document.phpAds_used);
if (document.referrer)
document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer));
document.write ("'><" + "/script>");
//-->
By Nuitaran
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=142">Paladins,
like barbarians and rangers, are a melee class severely lacking in
slots for Feats.
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=55">Human
paladins will have the opportunity to select six Feats over a 12 level
career; other races only get five. Choosing Feats for a paladin can
take some careful thought and planning to avoid having numerous
re-rolls or spending oodles of platinum buying feat re-specs. While my
family slaved over a hot stove, I spent my Thanksgiving slaving over a
hot video card to get the best experience I could get out of the Risia
Server with paladin Feats. We have rated the Feats below based on our
experience as to which are going to be most helpful and useful. Feats
are rated on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best.
A rating of 1 or 2 means the Feat is pretty much useless to a paladin
and one that you probably want to avoid. A rating of 3 indicates
that the Feat can be used with some careful planning, or with certain
class combinations. We reserve a rating of 4 only for those Feats that
are almost necessary picks for certain types of builds, or class
combinations. A rating of 5 designates the best of the paladin Feats
and ones players should seriously consider for any
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?meid=5#Pal_Builds">DDO
Build for paladins.
To help you navigate the many Feats, just click on
the range of Feats below to move to that spot in the guide:
cellspacing="2">
Paladin
Feats
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=364">
style="font-weight: bold;">1-10
Acrobatic
Alertness
Athletic
Bullheaded
Cleave
Combast Casting
Combat Expertise
Discipline
Dodge
Empowered Healing
Paladin
Feats
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=365">
style="font-weight: bold;">11-20
Eschew Materials
Exotic Weapon Proficiency
Extend Spell
Extra Turning
Great Cleave
Great Fortitude
Greater Two Handed Fighting
Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Greater Weapon Focus
Improved Critical
Paladin
Feats
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=366">
style="font-weight: bold;">21-30
Improved Feint
Improved Mental Toughness
Improved Precise Shot
Improved Shield Bash
Improved Shield Mastery
Improved Sunder
Improved Trip
Improved Two Handed Fighting
Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Iron Will
Paladin
Feats
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=367">31-40
Lightning Reflexes
Luck of the Heroes
Many Shot
Mental Toughness
Mobile Spellcasting
Mobility
Negotiator
Nimble Fingers
Point Blank Shot
Power Attack
style="font-weight: bold;">
Paladin
Feats
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=368">
style="font-weight: bold;">41-50
Precise Shot
Precision
Quick Draw
Quicken Spell
Rapid Reload
Rapid Shot
Resilience
Resist Poison
Sap
Self Sufficient
Shot on the Run
Paladin
Feats
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=369">51-60
Shield Mastery
Skill Focus
Slicing Blow
Snake Blood
Spring Attack
Stealthy
Stunning Blow
Toughness
Tower Shield Proficiency
Two Handed Fighting
style="font-weight: bold;">Paladin Feats
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=370">61-67
Two Weapon Blocking
Two Weapon Block
Two Weapon Defense
Two Weapon Fighting
Weapon Finesse
Weapon Focus
Whirlwind Attack
cellspacing="2">
1.
Acrobatic
Official Text: "You have excellent body awareness and coordination. You
receive a +2 bonus on Jump checks and Tumble checks."
Comments: This can easily be made up for with skill points. With
limited Feat selection, there are better options out there.
Rating:
1
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">
style="font-weight: bold;">2. Alertness
Official Text: "You have finely tuned senses. You receive a +2 bonus on
Listen checks and Spot checks."
Comments: Leave the Listening and Spotting to the rangers and the
rogues.
Rating: 1
3.
Athletic
Official Text: "You have a knack for athletic endeavors. You receive a
+2 bonus on Balance checks and Swim checks."
Comments: Balance is becoming increasingly important in DDO thanks to
the overuse of Trip by enemies, but doesn't warrant a Feat slot. A good
Swim Skill is good for anybody, but items of Water Breathing are far
too common to make this boost to the Swim Skill worthwhile.
Rating:
1
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">
style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">
style="color: rgb(154, 185, 124);">
style="font-weight: bold;">4. Bullheaded
Official Text: "You are exceptionally headstrong and
difficult to sway. You receive a +1 on all Will saves and +2 bonus on
Intimidate checks."
Comments: With a Paladins already high saving throws and high Charisma,
this one is not at all necessary.
Rating: 1
style="font-weight: bold;">
style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">
style="color: rgb(154, 185, 124);">
style="font-weight: bold;">5. Cleave
Official Text: "Activate this ability to attack one or more enemies in
an arc in front of you."
Prerequisite: Power Attack
Comments: This should be left to the fighters.
Rating:
1
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">
style="font-weight: bold;">
style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">
style="color: rgb(154, 185, 124);">
style="font-weight: bold;">6. Combat Casting
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album03&id=185_G&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">
alt="sleeping_mobs"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album03/185_G.sized.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 200px; height: 150px;" align="right">
Official Text: “You gain a +4 bonus on Concentration checks when
damaged in combat.”
Prerequisite: Able to cast spells
Comments: A paladin's spells are not essential enough to warrant
spending a Feat ensuring they are not interrupted in combat. Most
paladins will find it rare to even cast spells during combat as they
should be on the front line taking as much aggro as they can.
Rating: 1
style="font-weight: bold;">
style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">
style="color: rgb(154, 185, 124);">
style="font-weight: bold;">7. Combat Expertise
Official Text: "While using Combat Expertise mode, you trade your
attack bonus for extra AC. Casting a spell ends this mode."
Prerequisite: Intelligence 13
Comments: If Improved Trip isn’t in your plan, this Feat shouldn’t be
either. A Paladin already has a high Armor Class, and with less of a
chance to increase your attack bonus than a fighter, sacrificing more
of it isn’t a great idea.
Rating:
3
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">
style="font-weight: bold;">
style="font-weight: bold;">8. Discipline
Official Text: "You are difficult to distract with spell
or blow. You receive a +1 on all Will saves and +2 bonus on
Concentration checks."
Comments: As with Bullheaded, a paladin's saves don’t need boosting
with Feats, and Concentration is not a useful Skill for them.
Rating: 1
style="font-weight: bold;">
style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(154, 185, 124);">
style="font-weight: bold;">9. Dodge
Official Text: "Grants you a +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class."
Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
Comments: There's never anything wrong with Dodge as getting hit less
means staying alive longer. It also leads to Spring Attack, a Feat that
I personally swear by. If this one fits into your plan it’s a must-have.
Rating:
4
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);">
style="font-weight: bold;">
style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">
style="color: rgb(154, 185, 124);">
style="font-weight: bold;">10. Empower Healing Spell
Official Text: “While this metamagic feat is active, healing spells are
more effective, but they consume additional spell points.”
Prerequisite: Able to cast healing spells
Comments: You won’t be casting enough healing spells to justify this,
nor will you have enough spell points to support it. There are much
better choices out there. Leave it to the clerics and maybe the bards.
Rating: 1
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=345">
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=365">Continue
to Feats 11-20