Paladin equipment

Equipping a Paladin can be a challenge. The typical Paladin will want to wear +Stat items for Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma, and sometimes Wisdom. All this in addition to the usual array of Poison Immunity, Striding, and Heavy Fortification. One benefit for the Paladin is that most primarily Paladin builds have sufficient saves so that a Resistance Item is not as needed; potentially freeing a valuable item slot.

Weapons
A Paladin is proficient in Simple & Martial weaponry, as well as shields. This being the case, you could choose any damage type to be your primary weapon set. Most paladins use weapons with extraordinary critical range/multiplier for synergy with smiting (often khopesh, falchion, scimitar).

If your starting race has a particular weapon proficiency, this would be a preferred choice to make. Picking one damage type & fighting style and sticking with it will increase the attack and damage done by your smite attack. Though that doesn't mean you can't carry others for particular enemies (an example being Bludgeoning for Undead or Oozes).

Don't forget that as a Paladin, you have access to Axiomatic & Holy weapons, and will suffer negative levels wielding Anarchic & Evil Weapons.

Also, Paladins have access to Faith based enhancements which allow bonuses to-hit for particular weapons. Unique weapon choices for these proficiencies are listed below:


 * Follower of the Lord of Blades (Greatsword - Warforged)
 * Atonement
 * Terror
 * Whirlwind
 * Blade of Fury and the upgraded versions


 * Follower of the Silver Flame (Longbow)
 * Bow of the Elements (Air)
 * Bow of the Elements (Ice)
 * Thornlord
 * Tortured Livewood Bow
 * Unwavering Ardency


 * Follower of the Sovereign Host (Longsword)
 * Dragon Sword of Acid
 * Enduring Conviction


 * Follower of the Undying Court (Scimitar - Elf or Half-Elf)
 * Mirage
 * Kron'zek's Cruelty
 * Royal Scimitar


 * Follower of the Vulkoor (Shortsword - Drow)
 * Sting
 * Zephyr
 * Blade of Fury shortsword versions

Armor
Paladins are proficient with all armor types, so your armor choice is endless. It is highly recommended that a paladin wear Full Plate armor in order to gain the maximum bonus of armor AC as well as PRR bonuses (Although other heavy armor such as Half Plate can be used for the full PRR bonus). However, paladins who possess the evasion ability, such as a paladin with a splash of 2 rogue or monk levels, may want to consider wearing light armor, as evasion does not work with medium or heavy armor. As with all classes who use armor, you will want to switch to upgraded versions of armor, regardless of armor type, around levels 4, 10, 16 and 22, as those are the absolute minimum levels of the upgraded tiers of armor, which improve on the bonuses already given on armor.

Shields
Paladins are proficient with shields. Also a Paladin may choose the Tower Shield proficiency and take the Defender of Siberys prestige class to make their shields much more powerful and increase their AC.


 * Unique Shields for Paladins:
 * Shield of the Scorpion
 * Shield of Reflecting
 * Adherence
 * Arrondi
 * Death's Door
 * Fanion
 * Sorrel
 * Aegis of Flame
 * Blood's Bellows
 * Levik's Defender
 * Lorikk's Champion
 * Madstone Shield
 * Light and Darkness
 * Madstone Shield
 * Light and Darkness

Healing Equipment
Paladins have a limited spell pool and usually don't use spells for healing while in the middle of combat. However, items that increase your positive Spell Power can make your simple cure spells a viable way to regain HP while not in combat, and can be better than drinking potions. Alternatively, they can use wands (Cure Light-Serious Wounds). Lay on Hands is an excellent way to heal damage during combat, as it is very quick, and it's ability to heal depends on your charisma as well as paladin level, which adds up at higher levels. It is recommended that a paladin maxes out the enhancements that increase the maximum number of lay on hands per rest as well as use various items that improves their charisma score.

Paladins with high UMD scores can carry some wands & scrolls for Healing, and anything else you might be able to cast. They are capable of using raise dead, resurrection and true resurrection scrolls without the need of UMD (Just paladin levels), as well as various repair wands and scrolls.

Spellcasting Equipment
As a Paladin your spell list is quite limited (possessing no offensive spells) and your spell points are equally few.

An item of Power or Wizardry to boost the number of available spell points would be viable, as would any items that can reduce the spell points of metamagics.

Most of the spells you possess will be to augment yourself (Bonuses to attack, DMG, AC, DR), protect or cure your allies, or for healing. Keeping a Devotion or other Focus specific item around to augment these would greatly improve the effectiveness of your cure spells. A Healing Lore item would also be viable in giving a slight chance to make your healing spells heal for a surprising amount.

It is possible to use upgraded greensteel quarterstaves as ways of buffing your character, as the quarterstaves will use your paladin level if it is higher than the staff's caster level for various purposes. Staves that can cast haste, displacement and stoneskin are all viable additions to self-buffing if your paladin level can exceed the quarterstaves casting level, which is 16.

Example Equipment
This is an example equipment list for a Paladin. It should give an idea for what stats and abilities are going into each equipment slot, and lower level equivalents of most items should be available.
 * Armor: +5 Full Plate / +5 Mithral Full Plate / +5 Mithral Breastplate (Evasion) / Full Plate of the Ringleader / Gleaming Adamantine Plate
 * Shield: +5 Mithral Heavy Shield / +5 Adamantine Heavy Shield / Sorrel / Fanion / Bulwark of the Storm's Fist
 * Goggles: Spectacular Optics / Sandstorm Glasses / Mentau's Goggles
 * Helm: +WIS / Minos Legens / Tradusor
 * Necklace: +WIS / +CON / Nightforge Gorget / +Protection / Golden Cartouche (UMD Build)
 * Trinket: Mummified Bat / Bloodstone / Pearl / Magi / Kardin's Eye / Pouch of Jerky / Head of Good Fortune
 * Cloak: +CHA / Greater Resistance Item / +Protection / Wretched Twilight
 * Belt: +CON / +STR / Heavy Fortification / Greater False Life / Electric Haze / Belt of Brute Strength
 * Gloves: +DEX / +STR / Rabbit Gloves / Seven Fingered Gloves (UMD Build)
 * Boots: Feather Fall / +DEX / +Striding / Boots of the Innocent
 * Bracers: Chaosgarde / Ethereal Bracers / +STR
 * Rings: Stat / Ring of the Silver Concord / Ring of the Ancestors / Greater False Life / Feather Falling / Chattering Ring / Seal of the Earth