Creating a powerful character in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous requires a deep understanding of class mechanics and party roles. The Paladin stands out as an exceptional frontline combatant, especially given the game's focus on fighting demonic forces. This guide will help you optimize your attributes, select the best abilities, and construct an unstoppable warrior of holy light.
Optimal Attribute Distribution and Race Selection
A successful Paladin build relies heavily on Strength for physical attack power and Charisma for divine abilities. Investing heavily in Strength ensures your heavy weapon attacks land consistently and deal massive damage to high-armor demons. Charisma is equally vital because it directly increases your saving throws through the Divine Grace feature and improves your Smite Evil modifiers.
For race selection, choosing a Human or an Angelkin Aasimar provides the perfect foundation for this mechanical setup. Humans offer a bonus feat at first level, which greatly accelerates your combat progression. Meanwhile, the Angelkin Aasimar provides direct racial bonuses to both Strength and Charisma, making it an incredibly efficient choice for min-maxing your core statistics.
Choosing the Best Paladin Archetype
While the base Paladin class is incredibly strong, selecting the right archetype can further refine your role in the party. The Martyr archetype offers bardic performances to buff allies, while the Divine Scion focuses on sneak attacks and studied targets. However, for a pure combat-focused campaign, the traditional base Paladin or the Virtuoso of the Sword options remain elite tier choices.
The base class delivers the highly coveted Aura of Justice at level eleven, which allows your entire party to benefit from your Smite Evil bonuses. This ability alone makes the standard progression incredibly valuable for tough boss encounters throughout the game. If you prefer a more defensive playstyle, the Divine Guardian archetype offers unique protection skills to keep your squishier companions safe.
Essential Feats and Combat Skills
Your feat selection should focus on maximizing damage output through two-handed weapon combat styles. Power Attack is a mandatory early pickup that trades accuracy for a massive boost in raw damage. Following up with Outflank ensures your melee characters trigger devastating attacks of opportunity whenever a companion scores a critical hit.
As you progress into higher levels, investing in the Weapon Focus and Dazzling Display line can open up powerful crowd control avenues. Combining Shatter Defenses with a companion who inflicts the shaken condition allows you to bypass an enemy's dexterity bonuses entirely. For skills, prioritize Knowledge: Religion and Persuasion to maximize your effectiveness in both story dialogues and mechanical checks.
Selecting Mythic Paths and Abilities
The mythic progression system in Wrath of the Righteous allows you to elevate your holy warrior to godlike status. The Angel Mythic Path is the absolute best thematic and mechanical choice for a Paladin, offering immense synergy with divine spellcasting. This path grants powerful defensive wards and devastating holy spells that pierce through demonic spell resistance automatically.
When choosing mythic abilities, Last Stand is an essential pickup that prevents your character from dying for two rounds once per day. Mythic Smite increases your combat potency even further by ensuring your holy strikes bypass all forms of damage reduction. You should also consider Abundant Casting to increase the number of daily spells available to your character.
