Ideas for Paladin Modification

[DreamerGuyAliquis]

Hey, MNK already gets "good defense skills and does {ridiculous} damage", so I say PLD should 'go for it'.
Inclusion of some 'Stances' along with reworking Cover, Shield Bash, etc would help balance this.

Perhaps such a stance would lend some of these 'rework' ideas? A Stance that augments Cover, shield Bash, Cure potency based off of enimity, etc. to maximize tanking. And then an opposite stance to augment Sword things, Divine Magic/flash?

[Bilonn]

Hey, MNK already gets "good defense skills and does {ridiculous} damage", so I say PLD should 'go for it'.
Inclusion of some 'Stances' along with reworking Cover, Shield Bash, etc would help balance this.

Perhaps such a stance would lend some of these 'rework' ideas? A Stance that augments Cover, shield Bash, Cure potency based off of enimity, etc. to maximize tanking. And then an opposite stance to augment Sword things, Divine Magic/flash?

Right. Do it like the Samurai job's Hasso and Seigan.

Make Paladin have three 'stances', each with a 1 minute recast, 5 minute duration, and make any one overwrite all three (so only one can be active at any time)
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*Cover Stance: (Duration 5m, Recast 1m, Overwrites Cover Stance, Shield Stance, Crusade Stance)
Slow +10%, Attack -5%, Damage Reduction 10%, Healing Magic +15%, Spell Interuption +5% Covers any ally within a 60 degree cone behind the Paladin

*Shield Stance: (Duration 5m, Recast 1m, Overwrites Cover Stance, Shield Stance, Crusade Stance, Only Usable if Shield is Equipped)
Slow +15%, Shield Rate +80%, Damage Reduction when Shield Procs +40%, Able to Block Ranged Attacks +80%

*Crusade Stance: (Duration 5m, Recast 1m, Overwrites Cover Stance, Shield Stance, Crusade Stance)
Haste +5%, Shield Rate -20%, Defense -5%, Attack +15%
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This gives Paladin High healing capability while sacrificing attack speed while in "Cover", Higher defence and damage reduction, again sacrificing attack while in "Shield", and sacrificing defense to go on offense in "Crusade".

There will be much adjustment necessary to these, these are just fast 'toss out' numbers that would need tweaking to maintain balance. However, a stance system like this would put Paladins more in the role they were designed for (tanking), but with the ability to jump into a more offensvie role if required. Using stances may help prevent overbalance, making you choose the role and stick with it for a duration, just like a Samurai has to (Hasso for offense, Seigan for defense), but with the ability to adapt throughout the battle.

Getting low health? Drop into Shield... Got healed but the mages are under attack, jump to Cover, everyone's safe now? Go on the offensive a while... start to take damage, drop back down and shield again.

So many ideas to work with, but something needs to adjust to make the job useful in groups again. I love the job, but it's almost impossible to get invites now...

[Gallus]

I think the best way to adjust Paladin without going overboard would be to give them abilities that would vary based on whether they're equipping 2-handed weapons or the traditional sword/shield.

1-Handed: Paladin would now fill a desirable Tank/Support role. Permanent aura effect that grants 2-tick regain, regen, and refresh. Additionally, a new job ability that absorbs 30% enmity from all surrounding allies (45 second recast). Lastly, on successful shield blocks, the Paladin has a chance of leaving the monster "prone" for a short period of time, increasing critical hit rate and damage of allies (higher % chance the larger the shield).

2-Handed: Paladin would fill a DD/Healing role, getting a "Crusade" buff of sorts. The Paladin would gain a permanent enlight (approx +30% of physical damage dealt) that can crit. Also, a 25~35% increase in cure potency, and a job ability that distributes the damage dealt between the current target of the monster and the Paladin. The job will play quite different than it had in the past.

[Dale]

I think the best way to adjust Paladin without going overboard would be to give them abilities that would vary based on whether they're equipping 2-handed weapons or the traditional sword/shield.

1-Handed: Paladin would now fill a desirable Tank/Support role. Permanent aura effect that grants 2-tick regain, regen, and refresh. Additionally, a new job ability that absorbs 30% enmity from all surrounding allies (45 second recast). Lastly, on successful shield blocks, the Paladin has a chance of leaving the monster "prone" for a short period of time, increasing critical hit rate and damage of allies (higher % chance the larger the shield).

2-Handed: Paladin would fill a DD/Healing role, getting a "Crusade" buff of sorts. The Paladin would gain a permanent enlight (approx +30% of physical damage dealt) that can crit. Also, a 25~35% increase in cure potency, and a job ability that distributes the damage dealt between the current target of the monster and the Paladin. The job will play quite different than it had in the past.

I like these ideas, pretty cool.

[Panthera]

Paladin desperately needs attention! With Atmas, there is little Paladin can do to keep up with the hate that just about any job is able to get from damage. Perhaps Paladin needs an + Enmity trait.

Also, "Cover" is one of the main things that has always defined Paladin. I don't see it it getting turned into a trait, as that is simply too radical, but perhaps substantially extending its duration via traits might work.

I can't agree about the "Counter" idea. Counter belongs to Monks, and I hate to see it spread across so many jobs, like War and Samurai, that being a Monk doesn't mean what it used to. It takes away from the uniqueness of the job. Some things can be shared across several jobs, others shouldn't.

[JagerForrester]

I can't agree about the "Counter" idea. Counter belongs to Monks, and I hate to see it spread across so many jobs, like War and Samurai, that being a Monk doesn't mean what it used to. It takes away from the uniqueness of the job. Some things can be shared across several jobs, others shouldn't.

I would say the same thing about Dual Wield, but look where it is now. The jobs that have it now has utilized that subjob combination for the added bonus of holding another weapon and the spell that reduces the chance of being hit.

[Dale]

Also, "Cover" is one of the main things that has always defined Paladin. I don't see it it getting turned into a trait, as that is simply too radical, but perhaps substantially extending its duration via traits might work.

.

You can already substantially extend its duration through merits. The main reason paladins don't use this ability more isn't really that it's bad, it's just too huge of a pain to position yourself in front of the desired party member. If they made it to where it automatically got in front of the person for you, I think more paladins would use it. But as it is now, it is such a pain. You have to be almost exactly in front of them for it to trigger + the party member has to have suffient room between you and the monster. It's just annoying to use.

[Cursed]

An alternative way towards game ballance:

1. Job Specific Atmas - equipable only when on said job. or the likes should SE wish to move the game outside of abyssea in the future. These Atmas should/could be earned by attaining lv.99 and finishing the last genkai, or through a tier 3 merit system. They should be epic for each job.

2. Job specific Abyssite - same as job specific Atmas. or something along the same lines should the game's new end game move outside abyssea.



Specific examples for PLD
1. Job Specific Atmas -

(A) Atma of the holy knight. Attained by attaining Lv.75 PLD, Artifact Armor and Relic Armor.
Cure potency +Major
Shield block rate + Superior
Refresh Major
Grants ability to cast spell "Reflect"
grants Immunity to doom/death.
Reflect - Reflects 50% of AOE Elemental Magic attacks for party and 75% of single target elemental magic spells for PLD.

(B) Atma of the Avenger Attained by attaining Lv.90 PLD, Empyrean Armor +2
Haste+Major
Enlight+ Superior
Damage taken - Major
grants access to Sword Weapon skill "Divine Reckoning"
Divine Reckoning - Deals critical light Magic damage, aftermath: Resets Party/Alliance Enmity and grants PLD with an Enmity Bonus.
Durations - 100% TP = 30 seconds, 200% TP = 45 seconds, 300% tp = 60 seconds

2. Job Specific Abyssite
(A) Celestial Abyssite of Valor - Grants an additional 15% and 30% of MP and HP and a 30% reduction time on all Job Abilities.
(B) Celestial Abyssite of Chivalry - Grants a cumulative Enmity Bonus - +15% over enmity cap.

[AnjinLeviathan]

Why not just change VIT from a 2 = 1 def equation to a 4 VIT = 1% damage reduction equation. (I'd say 2 for 1, but let's be honest, that'd probably break the game.) That would definitely aid monks with their naturally high VIT scores, but PLD weapons and armor afford much more VIT.

[Neisan_Quetz]

Would still just use Mnk over paladin still if they did that, just that Mnk has increased survivability now with CC up fulltime.