Overview

With Paladin, we originally sought to create more distance from Cleric - leaning more into its melee and close quarters abilities. Paladin was already a complete class, but needed more flavor and excitement to complete its theme and make it more appealing to players. However, as the Cleric rework progressed and the miracles and blessings attached to their Holy Strike were well received, we walked back on this a bit. We’re still making more of their current kit distinct from their healer brethren, but brought the miraculous smites Cleric players have been enjoying over to their tank counterparts.

Paladins are losing Deflect, Weapon Shield, and Focused Concentration, as well as seeing Kick replaced with Shield Slam. These are changes going in for all the Knights.
Additionally, the Paladin Pet ability Ancient Guardian, has been removed due to being odd, off-theme, and generally too powerful.

Consecrations are a major new mechanic for Paladins to interact with, and offer a combination of offensive and defensive benefits. The Auras granted by Paladin have shifted around somewhat. Two new Oath abilities offer a way for the Paladin to defend a groupmate through sacrifice.

There’s some fun stuff to investigate, so let’s dig in.

Supplication and Fulfillment

Supplication has been removed from the Paladin ability list. The Strength and Mana Regeneration it provided have been moved into the Conviction buff, and the Fulfillment stacks are no longer consumed by Restorative Smite. The haste from fully stacking fulfillment has been pulled into the Fervor buff you may rarely receive from Crusader Strike.

Damage Abilities

Crusader Strike

• This is the Paladin’s basic attack, replacing Slam. Mechanically very similar to Holy Strike from the cleric line, but with a higher base damage and multiple tiers for more fine tuning across level ranges. This attack deals Weapon Ratio damage plus Holy Damage, with scaling bonus Threat. Like Holy Strike, it has a small chance to channel the wrath of your faith or filling you with Fervor, a small haste buff.

Restorative Smite

• Restorative Smite is a longer cooldown attack that shares a cooldown with its more damage-focused sibling, Vengeful Smite. Restorative Smite no longer requires a stack of Fulfillment to trigger its healing and can be used for consistent, if small, group healing. The damage has been reduced, but the ability maintains its bonus Threat. The healing is significantly amplified when standing upon consecrated ground - blessed by one of your two beneficial Consecration abilities.

Vengeful Smite

• This is the damage focused alternative to Restorative Smite. It deals Weapon Ratio Physical Damage plus Holy Damage, along with bonus Threat. Like Restorative Smite, when standing upon consecrated ground the Holy Damage you generate will be greatly increased.

Hammer of Light

• This is a new DD ability that can be used on targets dead and living, dealing Holy Damage and a bit of Threat. It is primarily a tool for pulling.

Shield Abilities

Shield Slam

• Shield Slam is a spell interrupt and school lockout that replaces the Kick ability in the old list.

Warding Slam

• An upgrade to Shield Slam, this ability gains damage based on the AC of the shield, and increases your Block % for a short duration after the ability is used. You do not need to interrupt a spell in order to benefit from the damage and block increase.

Shield Toss

• Shield Toss has been slightly changed from an AE to an actual bounce effect that chains between nearby targets, interrupting each target hit. This ability was always useful but fell a little flat on fun factor without any visuals, but now has VFX that shows the bouncing shield.

Auras

Paladins have two auras to choose from, each offering unique bonuses for their group.

Aura of Courage

• A defensive aura granting you and your group Armor Class as well as a small chance to fully resist Fear effects. While in this Aura, you’ll also receive a bonus to all your generated Threat.

Aura of Piety

• This aura grants a bonus to all healing received by members of your group.

Consecrations

Consecrations are ground based abilities that bless the ground upon which the Paladin stands - offering protections to those that stand within, or purifying the area from enemies. Consecrations remain where they were invoked for 30 seconds.

Hallowed Ground

• This simple blessing offers Corruption resistance to groupmates that stand within, while increasing the effectiveness of your Smite abilities.

Blessing of Sanctuary

• Formerly a targeted ability with a blocking buff to prevent reuse, Sanctuary will now protect those who stand within, reducing melee damage received.

Exorcism

• Sanctifies the ground under your feet, causing Undead within it to be snared and feared, and damaging any that defy you or return over time for the duration.

Oaths

A Paladin has vowed to protect their allies, which they express through two Oath abilities.

Oath of Vigilance

• A minor oath that absorbs 5% of the damage intended for a groupmate and redirects half of that damage to you. This is a long duration buff you can keep on an target.

Oath of Sacrifice

• A major oath that absorbs 75% of the damage intended for a groupmate and redirects half of that damage to you. This is a short duration buff on a longer cooldown.

Buffs

Conviction

• Conviction replaces the short term Supplication buff, granting you Strength, Wisdom, and Stamina as well as minor Mana Regeneration.

Poison and Disease

• Paladins have two tiers of self-only resistance buffs against Poison and Disease

Divine Spark

• Paladins retain the Divine Spark hit point buff, which stacks with the Cleric line. They have lost access to Holy Fortitude and the other cleric hp buffs.

Heals and Resurrection

Healing Touch

• This spell replaces the existing healing line for Paladins. It is a short range, fast casting heal with a moderate cooldown time. It’s not the most efficient healing spell around, and due to the cooldown time, you’ll likely want to use Restorative Smite with it when playing as a temporary or secondary healer.

Resurrection

• Paladins now receive a full line of Resurrection spells one tier behind Clerics, starting at level 16 and ending with Revival, the 75% experience resurrection at level 56.

Retained Spell Lines

• Lull - these have been updated to use the current Cleric lineup of Pacify spells, which affect a single target at a time.

• Ward the Dead - the full line of damage versus Undead.

• Stun

• Blind

• Root

• Cleanse Disease / Poison

• Divine Aegis

• Invis vs Undead

• Taunt

• Unleash the Light

• Mark of the Crusader

• Abolish Magic

• Lay on Hands

Removed Spell Lines

• Weapon Shield

• Focused Concentration

• Holy Fortitude

• Ancient Guardian

• Deflect

• Corruption Resistance (targeted)