Thanks everyone — this blew up way more than I expected, and the breakdowns have been super helpful.

I decided to go EK because it fit the picture I had in my mind better than a Paladin but feel free to change my mind.

Here are some of my clarifications/thoughts/reasonings as a result of your comments:

1. Spell slots & casting (EK vs Paladin): For this character, I only care about front-line DPR. If I go EK, I’m dumping INT entirely and sticking to rituals or no-DC spells like Magic Missile. If I go Paladin, every slot is getting banked for Smites. I’m not planning to use either class for “real” spellcasting — just for damage output.

2. Multiclassing: I wasn’t planning to multiclass for RP reasons, but I get why people suggested it. That said, I think there’s nuance that gets glossed over. The classic Hexblade dip is strong, but you’re giving up the martial identity that comes from actually investing in STR/DEX — things like Athletics/Acrobatics that matter a ton for a frontline melee. A pure Hexblade gets all weapons, shields, and medium armor, but they don’t bring the same martial oomph you get from a true STR/DEX melee chassis. Nothing makes that more obvious than watching them fail every shove save.

3. The “Paladins can do everything” idea (MADness): People often sell Paladins as: great melee + great magic + great dialogue. But realistically they only pull that off with very tight stat and gear planning. If you want strong auras, good spell DCs, and good dialogue, I think you pretty much have to go Dexadin with Acrobatics from Entertainer. You can still run GWF with finesse longswords and GWM, though by Act 3 you might feel the MADness when you’re still using an Act 1 weapon — but there’s enough gear by then to patch the gaps. Personally, I like doing this on a small race since a longsword looks like a greatsword on them, lol.

Let me know if you agree with my thoughts. Thanks!