(3.5) Lockdown Ruby Knight Vindicator.

[LightinDark132]

Ok! What I'm trying to do is build a RKV that can keep the party safe, stay alive, and wreck some face in the process, with an emphasis on the first two.

A few details about the game i'll be playing in:
30 point buy (14,14,14,8,16,10 is what I'll be using unless convinced otherwise)
46k gold to start
2 flaws availible
Expedition to the Demonweb Pits - Premade Setting we'll be playing

Few additional details about my character.
Cleric 4/Crusader 1/ RKV 10/ Contemplative 5 (Starting at level 9 but all levels done in advance)
Feats:
(Human) Combat Reflexes, Spiked Chain Prof (Flaw), Stand Still (1), Extra Granted Maneuver (3), Stone Power (6), Extend Spell (9), Persist Spell(12)


The main things I currently need help with are:
Quick advice on my ability choice, weither its decent or crap.
Some feat advice, DM recently changed his mind to allow 2 feats, plus I feel like my feats could use some work, in general.
Plenty of help with magical items as I'm absolutely worthless on picking gear.
Perhaps some advanced tricks on playing lockdown, most of it seems pretty straight forward but any additional tricks or advice wouldn't hurt.
Spell selection, I'm not overly knowledgable in the clerical spell area so any advice on some useful spells to keep in my roster is always a great help.

Some minor notes:
While I want to be prepared for this setting, I don't want to beable to counter every single thing my DM throws at me, as I feel like that'd be meta-gaming a bit too much.
Secondly, While I do want a powerful character, I don't want anything game breaking.

[Gribel]

Persistent Spell is worthless without Divine Metamagic and Turn Undead to fuel it. You'll be able to persist level 1 spells by level 16 using your top level spells.

10 Cha is doing you no good. On the other hand, you cannot reach RKV's skill requirements by level 6 with only 8 Int, so change those up (or become a Cloistered Cleric instead (or both!)). As a RKV, you won't cast spells that require a saving throw, so boosting your Wis is only giving you a few more spell slots. I believe Str would be more useful. A 13 starting Wis is enough to cast level 9 spells with a +6 item.

Good feat choices are Knowledge Devotion (which you get by trading your Knowledge Domain from Cloistered Cleric), Animal Devotion, Law Devotion and Travel Devotion (note you can only have 3 out of those 4), Practiced Spellcaster, Quicken Spell and Divine Metamagic (Quicken) and Extra Turnings (along with specialized equipment) to fuel your RKV's class features and those feats. The rest of your feats that I did not mention are great. Perhaps trade Spiked Chain Proficiency, since you won't be tripping; a reach weapon along with armor spikes covers the same range. Another idea is to ask for Weapon Groups In Place Of Class Weapon Proficiencies, so you get it for "free".

[linklord231]

Unless you take a domain that gives Hide as a class skill, you can't take RKV at 6. My suggestion is to take Martial Study for a Shadow Hand maneuver

And I second the Cloistered Cleric idea. You lose out on some BAB, but can make up for it with Divine Power. Especially if you have DMM Persist.

[Gribel]

Unless you take a domain that gives Hide as a class skill, you can't take RKV at 6. My suggestion is to take Martial Study for a Shadow Hand maneuver

You must have misremembered, the Hide pre-requisite is only 4 ranks.

[Nanshork]

Edit: nevermind.

[linklord231]

Unless you take a domain that gives Hide as a class skill, you can't take RKV at 6. My suggestion is to take Martial Study for a Shadow Hand maneuver

You must have misremembered, the Hide pre-requisite is only 4 ranks.

With an 8 Int, he only gets 1 skill point from his Cleric levels, and 3 from Crusader.  Even if he takes Crusader at first level (for the x4 skill points), he doesn't have enough skill points to go around.  12 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 16; he needs 20. 

[Gribel]

Unless you take a domain that gives Hide as a class skill, you can't take RKV at 6. My suggestion is to take Martial Study for a Shadow Hand maneuver

You must have misremembered, the Hide pre-requisite is only 4 ranks.

With an 8 Int, he only gets 1 skill point from his Cleric levels, and 3 from Crusader.  Even if he takes Crusader at first level (for the x4 skill points), he doesn't have enough skill points to go around.  12 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 16; he needs 20.

Not really, since he's a human. He has a (Human) bonus feat, after all.

[Endarire]

What about going Cloistered Cleric6/Crusader1 to start?

[linklord231]

Not really, since he's a human. He has a (Human) bonus feat, after all.

Ah right, I missed that.

Still, either Cloistered Cleric or Martial Study would allow him to take Crusader at 5 instead of 1, and thus get 2nd level maneuvers. 

[LightinDark132]

Sorry for the slow reply, ended up working.

Alright, to start things off..I think I'm going to switch to Cloistered Cleric, replacing the cleric levels. That should help out alot with skill points and just be an overall better choice in general, minus the lower health. I'll also be dropping spiked chain for a Glaive (unless something better is suggested)

Do I still need to change my ability score around to work proper? Or is it fine as is with the change to C.Cleric?

Secondly, Feats. Got a second flaw and dropped Spiked chain. What feats are vital for lockdown, which can I ditch, and which others should fill my slots in with?
I'm pretty sure Combat reflexes and stand still are nessicary, extra granted manuever seems very important but also changable for a potentially better feat. I think I can ditch stone power without much loss. I assume I should throw DMM in there, for sure.

Besides all that I could still use advice on the spending of my gold. Night Sticks for sure, though DM said only 1, unfortunately.

[LightinDark132]

I redid my feats on my own based off suggestions from here and a friend so tell me what you think:
(Human) Combat Reflexes, Stand Still (Flaw), MM: Persist Spell (Flaw), Practiced Caster(1), DMM: Persist (3), Extra Granted Maneuver (6), Extra Turning (9)

I'm able to take persist spell much sooner as I get extend spell as a freebie from planning domain.

Edit: Also switching to Cloistered Cleric

[Endarire]

A reach weapon (like a guisarme or a glaive) will work well.  Wear armor spikes and gauntlets.  My Hood guide has some ideas for this sort of thing as well.

[skydragonknight]

Prestige Paladin dip and Battle Blessing?

[phaedrusxy]

Prestige Paladin dip and Battle Blessing?

Urgh... just don't try to convince your DM that you can now cast all of your cleric spells as a swift action. Mkay?

[skydragonknight]

Prestige Paladin dip and Battle Blessing?

Urgh... just don't try to convince your DM that you can now cast all of your cleric spells as a swift action. Mkay?

Spells on both lists should still qualify, at least.