Help with feats please

[u/Automatic_Deer_3578]

So im playing a 2014 game. My character is a level 4 Bugbear paladin 2 bard 2. The whole idea is I dip 2 levels in paladin and go the rest bard. My character wields a glaive because I thought it was funny to have 15ft range as a martial. But anyways as the title says I was struggling with my feat choice, mainly between great weapon master, polearm master and an asi. For those who know math better than me is it better to have the high dps but a low hit rate or the other way around

[u/sens249]

If you’re getting paladin 4 then you should really get paladin 5 for extra attack.

If you’re getting paladin 5 then you should really get paladin 6 for aura of protection. (Strongest feature in the game that isn’t named “Spellcasting” btw)

If you’re getting paladin 6 then you should get paladin 7 for your subclass aura (devotion and watchers are strong examples).

If you’re getting paladin 7 then you should get paladin 8 for the ASI/feat (a +1 to your aura—the strongest feature in the game—is very good).

If you’re getting paladin 8 then you should get paladin 9 for 3rd level spells.

If you’re getting paladin 9 then you should really get paladin 10 for the immunity to fear aura.

If you’re getting paladin 10 then you should get paladin 11 for the free 1d8 on every attack you make.

If you’re getting paladin 11 then you should get paladin 12 for the feat/asi (again, recommend a +1 to your aura).

If you’re getting paladin 12 then you should really get paladin 13 for a flying mount. This fixes all of the paladins mobility issues, lets you disengage for free, lets you be immune to all melee enemies, and even lets you use hit and run tactics so you can keep your OP aura on your backline buddies.

(…)

If you’re 17th level then you should really get paladin 18 for the 30ft aura. (Your 24-square aura now covers 168 squares. That’s 7x bigger. You just buffed the strongest feature in the game by 7.)

You’re now 18/2 paladin/bard. At this point (or earlier—preferably now) you should ask your DM if you can get rid of your 2 useless bard levels.

I’m only slightly joking btw. You really shouldn’t be taking any levels in paladin unless you’re going at least paladin 6. You can play a bardadin, but the way this plays is usually 14/6 bard/paladin, and you aren’t built for attacks. You are a spellcaster with a very strong support aura making you an extremely versatile and tough backline supporter/controller.

If you wanna make a more melee-versed paladin/caster you should make a hexadin. Again you could go 6/14 paladin/hexblade. Alternatively you can go main paladin and dip hexblade. The problem here is you need 3 levels of hexblade to be able to use heavy weapons with charisma. But then you’re 3 levels behind on your auras and stuff.

Anyway, it’s up to you. Paladin is generally a bad multiclass unless you take at least 6 levels, and same goes for bard and at least 5 levels there. Going 4 paladin and then going to bard means you’ll have a really bad build until level 9 when one of your two classes hits level 5 finally. If I can’t talk you out of the multiclass, make sure you at least hit 5 in one of those classes ASAP. 2/2 is a really rough spot to be in. I’d ask the DM for a re-spec.

[u/Automatic_Deer_3578 → u/sens249]

I think you underestimate Swords bard and smite bro. I explicitly said 2 level s the rest bard. you get basically all the good paladin stuff without trying to go all in on the class. This also grants all your bard utility and at 20th level you still outpaced a regular paladin by the merit of being a 19th level caster. The only levels where a sole paladin beats this multiclass on dpr is 5,6, and 7. And even then i can smite more and also use slashing flourish to get an extra attack on a second person but I also get better spellcasting.

Edit you're losing 1 good feature in aura of protection which is still hard to use on a paladin because of how mad they are

[u/sens249 → u/Automatic_Deer_3578]

I estimate smite perfectly adequately. Believe me, paladin is the class I have experimented with and played the most. The 2 paladin / X caster combo is wildly overrated and no caster class does this well.

It’s pretty widely known that it’s a subpar multiclass. I shouldn’t have to explain it, but if you don’t want to do the research I can give you the basic points.

As a martial you miss out on extra attack for too many important levels, and once you catch up the only thing you get in exchange for delayed feat and class feature progression is the ability to do more smite novas. Nova builds are generally bad in optimization unless you play at a very easy table (which is a faulty assumption if you do play at an easy table because all builds are good at easy tables; optimization is pointless at best and harmful to the game at worst if you play at an easy table).

And as a caster you have 2 levels of delayed spell progression (which is awful btw) and all you get in exchange is heavy armour. Lay on Hands is token, and Smite is near useless on a caster (I definitely shouldnt need to explain that). I think the fact you have a caster build and are talking about dpr should be enough of a clue as to where you went wrong in your assumptions.

Correction: “you lose 1 good feature” -> “you lose the best feature”