My guide for a half-caster powerhouse that uses interactions with their maxed-out Charisma stat for some of the strongest melee weapon attacks in the game (as of Hotfix 36) without exploits! The version I used for a solo run is shown here, but your Draconic Bloodline element and paladin oath are super flexible. Enjoy 🙂
Pros:
- One of if not THE highest melee damage rolls in the entire game without using any glitches – a Booming Blade with a lvl 5 Shadow Blade can get as high as 77-164 damage on a normal hit and 94-294 damage on a crit (not even including smites!!)
- Saving throws for days with +7 Aura of Protection
- Great user of scrolls & quickened control spells to support the party as well
Cons:
- Low survivability for a paladin – BEWARE GITHYANKI RAIDERS
- Very slow to develop – not fully online till level 8 and no max Shadow Blade till level 12
- Not much AOE damage without scrolls
- Extremely resource-heavy (I highly recommend farming Potions of Angelic Reprieve from Lann Tarv in Act 2 to easily restore and/or duplicate spell slots/Sorcery Points)
Mandatory items:
- Elixirs of Hill/Cloud Giant Strength – since we’re neither investing DEX nor taking a Hexblade dip STR is our best bet for attack rolls
- Drakethroat Glaive – If you have a companion/hireling enchant your Shadow Blade with the Elemental Weapon of your Draconic Bloodline type, Booming Blade will proc Elemental Affinity as extra weapon damage
- Resonance Stone (aka the core of this build) – advantage on Athletics/Stealth checks, but more importantly all living things in the aura are vulnerable to Psychic damage!
Other gear I used:
- Gloves of Battlemage’s Power – trade Spellmight damage for Arcane Acuity shenanigans
- Amulet of Greater Health – lose Spell Save DC, but way higher HP and concentration saves
- Risky Ring – swap out Strange Conduit if you want to keep your attack roll advantage in clearly lit arenas
- Viconia’s Walking Fortress – lose crit immunity, but all spells have disadvantage on you
- Sentinel Shield – lose crit immunity, but +3 initiative
- For enemies with psychic immunity, if you don’t like exploits I also enjoy Nyrulna, Pelorsun Blade or Hammer of the Just; swap Spellmight for Bonespike Gloves to ignore resistance as needed
- Titanstring Bow – lose initiative, but Arcane Synergy + Titan Weapon means solid chip damage on targets you can’t reach
- The Dead Shot – lose initiative, but you can crit on a 19
