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. ->

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