Battle Blesser (3.5e Optimized Character Build)
Introduction
Using Battle Blessing, Prestige Paladin, Cleric and Sword of the Arcane Order, you can auto-quicken any paladin spell - which suddenly includes all sorcerer wizard spells. Makes actually casting and fighting at the same time feasible.
References
Champions of Valor, Complete Champion, PHB, Unearthed Arcana
Game Rule Components
This assumes that being able to "use your paladin and ranger spell slots to prepare wizard spells" makes wizard's spells technically paladin spells, though this still works without wizard spells, it just increases buffing and decreases blasting. It also assumes that you can consider paladin spells prepared using cleric spell slots for Battle Blessing.
You must be Lawful Good.
Items
No items are necessary for this build, though many certainly help. A Belt of Magnificence will help avert the obscenely massive MAD you get from this build, as will other stat boosting items. A lance and riding boots with boost damage significantly. Good defensive items such as save boosters and defending spikes will help you focus on blowing through enemies. Lion's Charge is a great spell, but it takes up valuable paladin spell slots, so a wand of Lion's Charge might help. Wands of Wraithstrike and Find the Gap are similarly useful. Once you gain Sneak Attack damage, a Ring of Blinking is nearly a must.
Progression
Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): You'll want good enough Intelligence and Wisdom to cast the highest spell level you can reach but not necessarily higher, and Charisma helps fuel many abilities. Strength, Constitution and Dexterity are all moderately important for melee combat, though you can potentially reach a point of such good defenses that you hardly need constitution or dexterity.
Race (Templates): Human is your best choice for their extra feat.
Starting Racial Traits:
- Humanoid (Human)
- Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Human base land speed is 30 feet.
- 1 extra feat at 1st level.
- 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
- Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.
- Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.
| ECL | Class/HD/LA | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Feats | Class Features |
Special | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | ||||||
| 1st | Cleric 1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Persistent Spell, Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell) | Domains | Taking the Planning domain gives you free Extend Spell so you can Persist immediately. |
| 2nd | Cleric 2 | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | - | - | - |
| 3rd | Cleric 3 | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Mounted Combat | - | - |
| 4th | Cleric 4 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | - | - | Up to here, you are a normal cleric, mostly |
| 5th | Cleric 4, Paladin 1 | +4 | +6 | +1 | +4 | - | Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/day | Now you can start being gish. The dip gets you early entry into Prestige Paladin, but you can play a full cleric until 6th level for smoother difficulty. |
| 6th | Cleric 4, Paladin 1, Prestige Paladin 1 | +5 | +8 | +1 | +4 | Battle Blessing | Smite Evil 1/day | Start being a boss now. |
| 7th | Cleric 4, Paladin 1, Prestige Paladin 2 | +6 | +9 | +1 | +4 | - | Divine Grace, Lay on Hands, Special Mount | - |
| 8th | Cleric 4, Paladin 1, Prestige Paladin 3 | +7 | +9 | +2 | +5 | - | Aura of Courage, Divine Health | 4th level spells! |
| 9th | Cleric 4, Paladin 1, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 1 | +8 | +9 | +4 | +5 | Power Attack | Turning | The extra turning attempts are helpful. |
| 10th | Cleric 4, Paladin 2, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 1 | +9 | +10 | +4 | +5 | - | Lay on Hands | - |
| 11th | Cleric 4, Paladin 3, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 1 | +10 | +10 | +5 | +6 | - | - | - |
| 12th | Cleric 4, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 1 | +11 | +11 | +5 | +6 | Sword of the Arcane Order | Turn Undead | Doubled turning attempts and Sword of the Arcane Order! You are now most likely casting as many spells as a full caster (though they are lower level) and dealing as much damage in melee as a full fighter. |
| 13th | Cleric 5, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 1 | +11 | +11 | +5 | +6 | - | - | Back to gaining spells |
| 14th | Cleric 5, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 2 | +12 | +11 | +6 | +6 | - | Sneak Attack (+2d6) | - |
| 15th | Cleric 5, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 2, Expert 1 | +12 | +11 | +8 | +6 | Improved Bull Rush | Sneak Attack (+5d6) | - |
| 16th | Cleric 5, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 2, Expert 2 | +13 | +11 | +9 | +6 | - | Sneak Attack (+8d6) | - |
| 17th | Cleric 6, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 2, Expert 2 | +14 | +12 | +10 | +7 | - | - | - |
| 18th | Cleric 7, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 2, Expert 2 | +15 | +12 | +10 | +7 | Shock Trooper | - | - |
| 19th | Cleric 8, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 2, Expert 2 | +16 | +13 | +10 | +8 | - | - | - |
| 20th | Cleric 9, Paladin 4, Prestige Paladin 3, Warrior 2, Expert 2 | +16 | +13 | +11 | +8 | - | - | End at 11th level auto-quickened casting, not shabby. |
Other Components
<- anything not covered by the previous sections ->
Highlights
Battle Blessing lets you autoquicken spells, making you essentially a full low level caster and a melee fighter at the same time (though you can boost your casting with divine metamagic).
Munchkin-Size Me
<- Take it to the next level ->
Side Notes
<- overview of additional info about this build ->
Limitations
In addition to the above note regarding such spells being treated as "paladin spells," one also has to contend with the mutual exclusivity clause regarding paladin and prestige paladin. Should your DM deign to follow the rules as written, the build will need to be tweaked by removing the 'regular' paladin level. Please see the third paragraph on the relevant SRD page for more information.
DM Counters
<- If needed, tricks for the DM (provided they allow this build) to keep the abuse to a minimum. ->
Miscellaneous
<- Any other side notes that don't fit in the above sections. ->
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Optimized Character Builds