Ideas for Paladin Modification

[Gropitou]

Paladins also need a reliable interrupt. Shield bash on a 5 min cool down isn't too useful. It should be changed to like 10 or 15 sec to be more in line with head butt...

Like this idea a lot. Both are similar effect but with a huge difference in recast times, fix it.

[Neisan_Quetz]

Except Headbutt is a gimp Stun effect most Nms resist while Shield bash is Paladin's counterpart to Weapon Bash and works 95-99% of the time or so?

[Bulrogg]

I thought the idea of cover as a trait in the original post was an interesting idea. I also agree that shield bash (weapon bash as well) should be adjusted. Would it be possible to have ...Bash JA work like charges kinda the way a SCH has charges?

[Raka]

Actually, I do like the idea of Cover being changed into a Job Trait, as it's too much of a hassle to use for only 30sec~ when the person you use it on doesn't always sit still so you can actually cover them...

This change would make people more alert and stop running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

The downside to this though is if it is a 100% proc, it could be game breaking for certain events. Black mages and Samurai, etc. could idle behind the Paladin without worry of beig harmed by any Non-Area Effecting attacks, etc..

At the very least I think reducing the Cover recast to 1~1.5min would be a bit more fair along with adjusting the angle of degree to where the target you wish to Cover has to be at to be Covered. If this were a smaller recastable ability it will also make it more commonly used enough to encourage players to actually stop running from the defending Paladin's protection.

Another thing Paladin is going to require soon is Cure V as Cure IV can no longer keep up with the larger spikes of damage dealt to players now. Atleast by level 99 it should be considered once the content has been properly tested enough to make a successful debate on if it's still needed or not, however... As it stands now, Paladin to some extent requires the Cure V assistance incase they need to toss out a couple heals on their allies should the situation be grim with a follow-up Cure IV on theirself for that extra hate generation and still restore enough HP to last over until they can get another Cure or so in there.

Cure V is completely debatable though, but shouldn't in any way be game breaking atleast.

As for Shield Bash recast reduction being lowered to 10~15 seconds, I am not sure that will be concidered. Not that low atleast as the proc is 99% with the exception of select NM that either have high resistance to Stun or are immune to it; Also the duration is rather long on average. It would be more reasonable to have it at 2min30sec recast at most, 1min00sec minimal.

Paladin does need some work now though as they have lost the ability to tank most of the NM in the game, but I expect this to be temporarily until the level 99 content is released. I love the ideas still that everyone has submitted here still, let's keep up the brainstorming guys!

[Jar]

Actually, I do like the idea of Cover being changed into a Job Trait, as it's too much of a hassle to use for only 30sec~ when the person you use it on doesn't always sit still so you can actually cover them...

This change would make people more alert and stop running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Why not leave the JA and make a job trait that would proc like 50%ish(might even be to much)? that way the blm and such would still be at risk if they pulled to much hate

[Teraniku]

Yeah 750 damage for Atonement is good, but limiting. Raising the enmity cap might hinder us too. I can see the Paladins farther away from reaching the cap with the abilities and hate we currently create versus trigger happy DDs and what they can do.

Since mobs can do it, why can't the PLD have a "Hate Reset Move" Which resets enmity to zero for everyone in the Party but the PLD. put it on a oh let's say 10 minute timer and I think that could work.

[Cream_Soda]

Since mobs can do it, why can't the PLD have a "Hate Reset Move" Which resets enmity to zero for everyone in the Party but the PLD. put it on a oh let's say 10 minute timer and I think that could work.

What would be the point in that? PLD's concern isn't enmity, its DD jobs being able to tank and deal a lot more damage at the same time.

Fill two "old school" party slots with one character.

[DreamerGuyAliquis]

I've been reading posts on this forum all day about PLD and possible adjustments and fixes... but it seems like most of these ideas don't really fix the underlying problem...

You can mess with enmity formulas all day, and give PLD 100% Cover Job Trait, Give them 5 provokes natively, what have you.
That won't fix it. It still won't make people think "hmmm I need a PLD in this party to tank in Abyssea." for most things.
People would still just have the MNK go all out and Tank all day while doing ridiculous damage, and just have the WHM cure bomb them.
Why?
Because the Mob dies faster doing that. Sometimes having the best offense IS the best defense.
Why should all the DDs hold back so the PLD can keep hate, if there is no consequence to them taking hate? (and in MNKs case, extreme benefit.)

Its a balancing headache really.
The only "solutions" I can think of are:

1) Make the new Mobs so ridiculously powerful that nothing can tank it except a PLD.
(oops, but then, the game becomes rigid again. You NEED X job for X, all other jobs inferior, etc)

2) Start swinging Nerf bats.
(thats just lose/lose for everyone)

3) Buff PLDs Damage Dealing Capabilities While It Is Tanking.

Now before you all start screaming and crying that that isn't balanced, that PLD is only supposed to be 100% defense or some such, think about this idea.

For a PLD to be relevant again, it needs to evolve and adapt to how things are working now.
We need to look at why MNK excels so much now at tanking now, and apply it to PLD with some unique finesse (just slaping on "PLDcounterstanceAbility!" is kinda uninspired)

It is the duty of Paladins to defend others and doing so, makes you want to fight harder; what if a PLD got certain Damage Dealing bonuses/Abilities for Defending other players?

This concept could be centered around Cover.

Make Cover on a lower recast and make it a "stance" of sorts.

Each attack the PLD intercepts while under cover increases the PLDs "Righteousness", a special buff that increases numerically (similar to finishing moves).
Each point in Righteousness increases the PLDs Attack and Haste/FastCast. (+enimity?)

Righteousness doesn't last a long time, it decreases over time when you aren't defending someone with Cover.

Additionally, Righteousness points could be used to activate other abilities.
Such as refreshing Shield Bash, or Cover again.

Or they can be used to buff a Cure spell, Holy/Banish for increased Damage/enimity?

[DamonWolfe]

I can see from most of these posts that any real change we can all agree on for sure is something fixing/updating Cover.

Reducing cast time doesn't solve the hate control issue, as hate can spin around between DDs and it makes it difficult to keep attention on one, even more so with a limited time to use it's ability.

In the sense of Cover, I still believe making it a trait is what would work best. It is on at all times, as long as other party members are behind the paladin, they get the effect. but wait, wouldnt everyone just stand by the paladin and no one else takes damage? adjust it so that you make the paladin have to do something by moving around to who needs it. instead of it just being behind the paladin, make it where you have to be directly behind the paladin, in sense. If two people are behind the paladin, if Person A is behind Paladin, and Person B is behind Person A, Person B does not gain Cover effect, since the paladin is not Directly in front of them. This way the paladin has to move to each person.

This would be the smallest fix as even the biggest damage (A brewing DD doing 15k+ dmg in a WS) can be protected by the paladin.

Now of course in Abyssea, which is the main endgame zone at the moment, most jobs dont need to cover since they can do great damage and have a better chance of surviving with High HP, High Damage and Whms Cure Bombing. So what would make paladin stand out again without reducing others in any way and keep the game balanced?

Damage Reduction Traits. +Defense is not bad but at higher levels that bit of extra defense doesn't do much to help paladin's side, but with up to 25% damage reduction. pld would be more useful to tank.

Say a monk is fighting and takes 600 damage from a hit, now paladin just with the traits take 450 damage. in 5 hits mnk took 3000 Dmg and pld took 2250 dmg, meaning it took one less hit than normal

[Evilaion]

Once the game moves out of aby pld will be again be a great tank, considering if the mobs can devastate other jobs via tp spam or spell spam. What pld does need though is a hp/mp/mdt boost. And along with that perhaps an ability to take Dmg almost like manawall but in the plds case 1/3 the damage is taken from mp instead of hp. Make it a sort of stance or something. Or a merit ability.