Paladin's improvements wishlist. Let's show SE our people power!

[Theytak]

The way I see it, half of the problem pld has atm is that while the average damage (damage generating an absurd amount of hate) of the typical DD has been greatly increased, pld's ability to generate even more hate despite its relative lack of damage out put has not. No, Almace doesn't count. That's like saying "Oh, can I tank just fine with Aegis".

The other half is that pld's ability to negate damage has become rather lack luster relative to other tanking jobs.

Ninja's always been a rather fragile job, but their shadows and their evasion mitigate large amounts of damage, and unlike pld, they sacrifice little or no offensive ability to gain this, while also being one of the top DD jobs. Of course, ninja and pld balanced each other out, since any nm that had a lot of shadow-ignoring and/or shadow wiping moves would basically squash a ninja, where pld's ability to mitigate both physical AND magical damage would then shine.

However, in abyssea, the one thing that held back most other jobs from tanking, lack of proper damage mitigation, has become a relatively moot point, since healers have enough refresh to allow any curesponge DD to just go balls to the wall, lock down hate, and then just let the mages can keep them alive. Monks are exceptionally good at this, due to the incredible levels of counter achievable, their already massive HP being more than doubled, AND their status as one of the top 2 damage dealing jobs (tied with war).

Now, I'm both a mnk and a pld, and I love both jobs. I'm not asking for a mnk nerf, nor complaining about their strength, since I rather enjoy mnk's potential for survivability finally being used. What I am saying is that pld needs something... anything...

All of the DD jobs have gotten a huge boost post 75, but pld hasn't really gotten anything... yea, Phalanx is nice, divine emblem is handy, and sanguine blade is just delicious, but none of them are game changing a degree that allows pld to keep up.

So, on that note, here are my ideas:

Job Abilities:

Riposte: Duration: 3:00, Recast: 3:00
While active, the paladin will retaliate return any attack blocked with their shield, but will also - inflict some sort of penalty I can't think of atm but is obnoxious in the same manner weight is obnoxious -

this would basically work like a modified version of war's retaliation; any time you block an attack, you attack back.

Challenge: Duration: Instant, Recast: 5:00~10:00 min
Reduces/clears all enmity generated against the target, except for the pld's

5 min recast for a reduction, 10 min if it's a full hate clear. Ideally, this would also have a hate spike to accompany the sudden loss of enmity. Basically this is meant to wipe the hate list clean for everyone other than you, regardless of if they're in the party or not. If done right it could additionally act as a helpful anti-theft ability, though conversely it could also be done wrong and become an easy-theft ability.

Commander's Role: Duration :30~1:00, recast: 5:00
Reduces enmity increase against the target, except for that of the pld

Think Penance/Yurin's Inhibit TP effect, but for enmity, and ignoring the pld.

Job Traits:

- A trait that increases the potency of cures received, but also decreases the enmity generated by someone else curing you (not affecting enmity from curing yourself)

- A job trait that allows shield procs on magic damage

Also, I really liked that Spell Interruption Rate down JT I saw mentioned earlier, that would be awesome.

but I'm mostly just spitballing because I'm bored and can't log on.

[Sephiran]

I like that idea. They're kinda giving us that in the next version update. It would be nice though for PLD to actually get a few abilities/traits to reduce magic damage. I think it's pretty safe to call Celes in FFVI a paladin. They could, with much nerfing, give us Runic.

[Martel]

Runic would be so very amazing.. Although they'd most likely make it a long recast single use(takes one spell) kinda JA. As magic immunity with a duration would be so very broken. It'd be nice if it worked on stuff like Death, or other nasty enfeebles as well as nukes.

Possibly the most valuable thing about it though, would be the ability to protect the entire party from an AoE spell. Watch it eat an astral flow or something, and refill you mp in the process.

[Sephiran]

That would be epic. They could also make it an addendum job ability like Seigan. Example description:

"Runic: Enables Cover to absorb magic attacks directed at its target and restores MP equal to 25% of the damage absorbed. (Duration: 3:00; Recast: 5:00)"

[Sephiran]

All of the DD jobs have gotten a huge boost post 75, but pld hasn't really gotten anything... yea, Phalanx is nice, divine emblem is handy, and sanguine blade is just delicious, but none of them are game changing a degree that allows pld to keep up.

Personally, I think Square needs to start from the ground up on this one.

Base Stats: Boost INT, DEX, and AGI. PLD is the only job that has the lowest if two base stats. MND and CHR are great where they are, STR is also doing pretty well. INT is necessary for several weaponskills (especially Sanguine Blade and Spirit Taker), and AGI is great for evasion, parrying, and shielding. PLD has DEX that's extremely low for any job that specializes in melee combat. It should be on par with RDM or even DRK.

Job Traits: Give PLD either Magic Attack Bonus or Magic Defense bonus natively. If there's an equality issue, give Magic Attack Bonus to DRK too. Accuracy Bonus would also be nice, as well as a shield activation rate bonus.

Job Abilities: Lengthen Cover's effect and eliminate the need to have the gallant coronet to redirect magic attacks. Native Provoke isn't likely to happen, and in that case, at least make it a bit easier to get Atonement or make a spell that has a similar effect. Also, Divine Emblem should be at most, a five minute recast. And being able to use Afflatus on PLD/WHM would also be very nice.

White Magic: Cure V is a must and Shell V would be nice. Also, a self-cast Afflatus Misery version of Esuna would be nice. Banish III and Holy II are absolutely necessary. Faith and Valor, if Square's feeling generous. And most certainly, Raise II and a lower recast time on Reprisal.

[Martel]

That would be epic. They could also make it an addendum job ability like Seigan. Example description:

"Runic: Enables Cover to absorb magic attacks directed at its target and restores MP equal to 25% of the damage absorbed. (Duration: 3:00; Recast: 5:00)"

Cover can pretty much already do that with valor surcoat and gallant coronet(excepting the extended duration/recast there). It just doesn't protect the cover'ee from AoE's. I *think* you still get the MP convert for the AoE'd dmg though(If anyone else knows differently let me know. It's not a situation that comes up often for me).

But in any case, if they ever do implement a runic type ability, I hope to god they keep it far, far away from cover. Part of what made runic awesome, was that you didn't have to pick a party member to protect it'd just intercept any spell aimed at the party at all. AoE, single target, whatever.

Attaching runic to cover, and it's severely limiting positioning mechanics, it's single player targeting, and it's short duration would pretty much nullify any usefulness I would have seen from it. Linking it to cover would mean I couldn't even use it to just defend myself... unless I happened to have someone right behind me at the right time, who was in my party, not just in the alliance.

Oh.. and said party member behind me would need to have hate as well for cover to proc. :/

[Anucris]

Yeah in many ways cover sucks unless u plan ahead of the fight and make the heavy DD fight behind u.
Cause let's face it they won't do it on their own

[AldielQuetz]

They could give cover a draw in effect, and force whoever you use it on, behind you.

[AldielQuetz]

What do you guys think about a job ability that's not unlike Boost, but the reverse. I mentioned it in another thread:

Exorcise: recast 15 sec, effect duration instant, enmity generation maybe 1/3 provoke just like boost. Reduces target's attack by 5% and increases damage resistance by 5% on the next successful hit you receive.

So you would take less damage on the next hit, you might not spam it, you might, who knows, depending on the fight, you could save it for 1 particular move the NM spams. But this idea goes along with the concept that SE has set forth for us, keeping us strictly defensive.

I see the animation be like us holding our hand forth and light glowing out of it maybe, or a short beam of light, or like the PLD emote, we could glow a bit. Boost-like!

Thanks for your time everyone, and thank you Camate, we look forward to your wise words!

[Sephiran]

Cover can pretty much already do that with valor surcoat and gallant coronet(excepting the extended duration/recast there). It just doesn't protect the cover'ee from AoE's. I *think* you still get the MP convert for the AoE'd dmg though(If anyone else knows differently let me know. It's not a situation that comes up often for me).

But in any case, if they ever do implement a runic type ability, I hope to god they keep it far, far away from cover. Part of what made runic awesome, was that you didn't have to pick a party member to protect it'd just intercept any spell aimed at the party at all. AoE, single target, whatever.

Attaching runic to cover, and it's severely limiting positioning mechanics, it's single player targeting, and it's short duration would pretty much nullify any usefulness I would have seen from it. Linking it to cover would mean I couldn't even use it to just defend myself... unless I happened to have someone right behind me at the right time, who was in my party, not just in the alliance.

Oh.. and said party member behind me would need to have hate as well for cover to proc. :/

Good point...maybe it can be attached to Rampart, or even replace Rampart's Magic Shield effect?