Newbie - Can this templar be done?

So I want to make a Templar, but none of the builds I've seen really appeal to me. I have an idea of what I want, but I'm having trouble coming up with a passive build that seems viable.

Things I want, ordered by priority (roughly):
1 - Uses melee attacks.

2 - Chainmail user.

3 - Preferably a 2-handed weapon user, but 1-hand/shield is acceptable.

4 - Fun at low levels.

5 - Bonus: A Zealot's Oath/Chaos Inoculation/Ghost Reaver type of build.

To expand on those points:

1. Melee based: I don't want to rely on spells. I want to be able to do damage with standard attacks, and things like sweep/ground slam/leap slam/cleave/molten strike/infernal strike/glacial hammer/etc. I'd go so far as to say I definitely want either Sweep, Cleave, or Ground Slam.

2. Chainmail user: I want to use the Templar's signature str/int gear primarily. Ideally I'd like all his gear to be armor/energy shield gear. High ES total would be a big plus.

3. Preferably 2-handed weapon user: Self explanatory. I'd rather use a two-hander than go sword and board, and dual wielding is right out.

4. Fun at low levels: I have no idea what the high level game is like, and frankly it doesn't matter because I'll probably never reach high levels, so something that's fun to play at low level is a priority.

5. ZO/CI and possibly GR would be really cool, though I have a feeling it's not possible/practical. If you can find or make a build that would do the first 2 points and use ZO/CI you win all the Internets.

I'm a relative newbie (I played some back in beta, but only up through the middle of act II I think), so I don't know anything about what unique gear there is and such, so I don't have any specific gearing to build around, just an idea of the skills I want to use.

So anyone know of a build that fits this set of criteria, or at least something that would serve as a starting point for building something like this?

Your last two points are somewhat conflicting. CI is typically taken later in the game (just prior to endgame maps) and can be quite frustrating/expensive to level with do to the gear dependency.

If you are interested in CI, it is advisable to level as a life based character and then refund your points when you have adequate gear.

In terms of skill choice it is really up to you. My personal favourites are infernal blow, and leapslam, but I recommend you to run a few characters up to mud flats (most of the gems you listed can be obtained from hillock or breaking the eggs) and get a feel for what you like the most.

I will put in that molten strike does a lot of damage as soon as you grab it at level one and can be used with any melee weapon, while ground slam is very safe and offers reliable clearspeed throughout the entire game.

2h is very strong to level with as you can craft or trade for high damage weapons fairly easily, so no issues there. Just make sure to pay attention to any weapon type restrictions that your skill of choice might have.

Good luck.

"

GammaPaladin wrote:

1 - Uses melee attacks.

2 - Chainmail user.

3 - Preferably a 2-handed weapon user, but 1-hand/shield is acceptable.

4 - Fun at low levels.

5 - Bonus: A Zealot's Oath/Chaos Inoculation/Ghost Reaver type of build.

1 - no issue.
2 - no issue.
3 - 2h collides with CI: CI users gain a large portion of their ES via shield slot.
4 - literally everything is fun and viable at least in normal difficulty.
5 - That stuff is meant for lategame.

I'd suggest you go for a nice 2h build, like this:
click me
I made it ~50 points which will be middle of cruel difficulty.
It can be turned into a lategame build if so desired.

I have included armor/ES, a fair bit of damage and enough life to beat cruel.

What's missing: "5". But this is not viable early on anyways.
Just enjoy your Energy Shield when you have it. ;)