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...