What is the best Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 supplement for a paladin fanatic?

Question

I want to get a new book to help enchance my d&d experience, but I cannot decide which would be best for me. I want something that would compliment my desire to be a good paladin, but the reviews I've read are not making the choice easier. Should I get Defenders of the Faith, Book of Exalted deeds, Complete Champion, Complete Divine, or can anyone suggest a better book tailored to my paladin needs?

Answer 1

Depends on what you want to do with the character. If you are trying to expand your abilities and advance your character, I would recommend the complete champion, as that focusing on raising the character of a paladin mostly, then other divine class. Complete divine is more for any generally divine character, even druids.

Book of Exalted deeds is more of a DM resource type, and won't offer as much for the player, but is still a good resource for expanding your general knowledge of the type of class. Unlike Divine and Champion, it doesn't focus as much on any specific class though.

Defenders of the Faith is pretty much summed up in the Complete books, as those were put out to provide a more comprehensive printing, rather than all the smaller, one-two class books that were out there.

Answer 2

I've been getting heavily into 4e lately, so my memories of the 3.5 books is getting a bit hazy but I'll give it a shot (my books are all in storage atm)

Agree with the previous answer that the complete books are your best bet (can't remember which one had more paladin stuff, champion or divine). Exalted Deeds has a good bit of flavor stuff, and a few feats for paladins but isn't really the best choice if I had to pick just one.

I'd steer clear of defenders of the faith, it was made for 3.0 and most of the good stuff from it got transfered and updated in the Complete books and other supplements.  

Answer 3

Complete Divine possibly for some of the feats that can make use of the paladin's turn attempts for other things (I'm a fan of Divine Vigor for a burst of speed and temp HPs myself), otherwise probably Complete Champion.

Answer 4

I'm going to have to agree with the others so far, Complete Champion might be your best bet.  Though it's not as paladin focused as they suggest, it seems more useful than Complete Divine, which I would rank second.

Book of Exalted Deeds is rather a problem child.  Some great stuff in theory, but too much of it is flat out broken and a lot of the stuff that does work isn't really paladin material.  Most games simply ban all BoED material and avoid having to pick and choose the stuff that might be OK.

Defenders of the Faith is a 3.0 book, not 3.5 and one of the worst edited of the 3.0 class supplements.  It should be available for very cheap.  Unfortunately, you get what you pay for, and in this case possibly less.

I'd go Complete Champion and pick up Complete Divine if you have some extra cash.  The divine feats in CD are better, some nice tasty goodness for paladins there, but overall CC is probably the better choice.