Paladin: Possibilities

[Zyeriis]

Modifications #2

3) Enmity

-3D) Taunt (Inspired by Yukichibi)
While Sentinel increases enmity, it's more prominent aspect is that is also reduces damage significantly. Then there's rampart which while producing enmity (because all actions produce enmity) increases defense and magic defense. Both of these abilities last for short amounts of time. The idea this time is a third job ability to complement cover and other abilities. Taunt's duration would be as long as it's recast. However, it would share a timer with one of Paladin's other job abilities (Sentinel or Rampart, etc.).

How would it work, what does it do? That is relatively simple, while under the effect of taunt, if you are hit, an animation goes off, much like a spikes spell. The enemy would not take damage like it would from a spike spell, instead, enmity for other players currently on it's enmity list would drop slightly and the Paladin's enmity would increase slightly per hit. Note that this does not involve removing the "if you get hit, you lose enmity". The amount of enmity gained/lost while this ability is up would be a static number not a number based upon the amount of damage taken. Thus, more damage taken means more enmity lost like it does right now. Tack on a stoneskin like capacity for damage taken to this job ability with a slight difference. Rather than an a damage capacity that increases upon each hit, it would be a damage capacity limit on the single attack. Meaning, the ability could wear off immediately if hit with, let's say an attack that deals 700+ damage, whilst if you take 100 damage 7 times in a row, the effect wouldn't wear off.

It is a complicated concept, I know, if this needs clarification, please let me know.

-3E) Steadfast
This is similar to the Taunt idea but with different aspects to it. Like the Taunt idea, damage dealt to the Paladin would result in slight enmity scaling toward the paladin from other party members. Here are the differences. While active, steadfast would disable your ability to move (with a non-erasable bind). It would also disable your ability to get knocked back by enemy attacks (in a way of "taunting" the enemy's attempts).


4) Light-Based/Divine Magic

-4A) Banish/Holy
These two spells are probably the most useless "nuking" spells in the game. Why is that? Why can't they be on par with nuke spells of the other elements (Fire/Blizzard/Aero/Stone/Thunder/Water)? These massively underpowered spells need more tiers, and more power to begin with. Why not give them to Paladin since Paladin already has access to Banish 1 + 2 and Holy? Banish III goes to WHM, why not PLD? There is even Banish IV, however Banish IV is only usuable by Summoner at level 90 with light spirit(who the hell uses spirits for anything other than siphon?), which weird enough in itself, is completely bizarre that Summoner gets it yet WHM and PLD do not.

Naturally, this "solution" wouldn't change much. Unless of course, they added banish/holy to yellow procs in abyssea but that is besides the point. Paladin is lacking on it's light-based/divine attacks aspect. Enlight slightly corrected this flaw in Paladin's design but it is simply not enough. PLD (and WHM) need an overhaul on light-based spells that damage enemies.

-4B) Dia
Even more so than Banish and Holy, what Paladin really needs on a light elemental attack side basis is Dia. Dia was originally Divine Magic, which RDM has an E in while PLD has a B+ (only beaten by WHM with an A-). Why they changed Dia to enfeebling magic is beyond me, seeing as it's opposing force: Bio has always and still is considered dark magic. The matter is simple: Return Dia back to being a divine magic spell and give it to PLD.

Naturally, just like Banish/Holy, simply doing this would not actually fix PLD. It would be a mere stepping stone to re-purposing/returning to PLDs true concept: A Holy Knight. On top of Dia being added to PLD, they need to create newer divine magic spells to give to PLD, to further differentiate it from RDM (admittedly adding Dia to PLD is a step in the wrong direction on this but I digress and re-iterate that it's a stepping stone idea).


5) Shields

-5A) Retro shields back to 0 damage while blocking (Courtesy of Kjara)

SE could just bring shield blocking back to how it originally was. Back when shield block = 0 dmg taken. SE changed that because it was too much game breaking but I think now it would be wise to reinstate it to compete with all those evasion/counter tanks. The game as it is now just screams "if you get damaged gtfo" and this is why people will take eva tanks over blood tanks.

[TybudX]

1. Make PLD single wield DD on par with real DDs, including access to a high damage WS that isn't CDC.

2. Give PLD native pdt- and mdt- traits so that they can do what they were designed to do without gimping up their damage.

3. ???

4. Profit.

You need the first one for PLD to be a realistic 'tank' under the current FFXI paradigm. You need the second to make PLD a desired 'tank' under the current FFXI paradigm. Maybe give them access to a couple more Stuns with the shield and such. Adjusting Shield Mastery to be more meaningful (at least make it affected by sTP) couldn't hurt, either.

edit -
The new Grounds of Valor/Monster distribution is gonna help you a ton paladins (and bard, cor and rangers for that matter). Abyssea has given evasion tanks a false sense of their utility. Against normal mobs-without Atma, Cruor buffs and a Brew for fall back-they are going to get a quick reminder of Mortality. Expect to see a ton of whining posts from those players about how SE needs to "fix" the new content so they can tank. The reason is that most Aby-type players haven't fought the new level 90ish regular mobs in ToAU, Campaign and CoP areas to see that traditional party roles are needed, as well as hate control and all those party mechanics that veteran players actually miss. You know, when skill as a player actually played a part in this game...

What is this I don't even...
Look. I've tanked everything a PLD can stand in front of and swing at on WAR, long before Abyssea was a twinkle in anybody's eye. I've tanked everything PLD can't stand in front of and can't swing at on RDM. What you nostalgic 'veterans' need to understand is that 'traditional party roles' were never needed, and the only skill required was understanding how to use food, stack buffs, stack debuffs, and kill faster. Abyssea is just a gross exaggeration of what the game was before; now everybody knows it works.

[Arcon]

-4A) Banish/Holy

They have very situational uses, but I don't know if they should be there in the first place. PLD is not a nuker and personally I wouldn't want them to be.

5) Shields

-5A) Retro shields back to 0 damage while blocking (Courtesy of Kjara)

Permanent Invincible? A little overpowered in my eyes. Even Ochain is quite overpowered in my eyes.

1. Make PLD single wield DD on par with real DDs, including access to a high damage WS that isn't CDC.

Can't really agree here. PLD was never a DD, and imo it shouldn't be. What needs revamping is said current FFXI paradigm. Make survival an issue, and give PLD better survival options, along with a change to the current enmity system. Higher HP would be another thing, better curing options. Reprisal was a very nice addition, something like that, something that boosts PLD's native strengths is just what the job needs.

[Kjara]

Permanent Invincible? A little overpowered in my eyes.

It's not permanent Invincible. If you look at it, that's just how MNK's counter works. The only difference is that Shield Block is skill based, and it doesn't damage the enemy back. So I think it's a humble request.

[Greatguardian]

It's not permanent Invincible. If you look at it, that's just how MNK's counter works. The only difference is that Shield Block is skill based, and it doesn't damage the enemy back. So I think it's a humble request.

It is if you have an Ochain, which definitely does have to be kept in mind since it's really not a "rare" or "difficult to acquire" shield. Also, Shields block TP moves and grant TP where Counters do not, and Counter hard caps at 75% where Ochain blocks at 90%+. Buffing shield in general is a poor choice when Ochain is already god-mode overpowered. Anything they give Shield as a whole has the potential to make Ochain PLD literally invincible.

[Martel]

It is if you have an Ochain, which definitely does have to be kept in mind since it's really not a "rare" or "difficult to acquire" shield. Also, Shields block TP moves and grant TP where Counters do not, and Counter hard caps at 75% where Ochain blocks at 90%+. Buffing shield in general is a poor choice when Ochain is already god-mode overpowered. Anything they give Shield as a whole has the potential to make Ochain PLD literally invincible.

Ochain can reach 100% block rate. 90%'ish is what you typically see on the current high lvl NMs(Raja, Rani, that kinda stuff.) I haven't got to any higher lvl shield skill tests yet, but I'd assume you could push that value up with more skill.

I wouldn't call Ochain God-mode Overpowered. It still has the usual weaknesses. Anything with powerful, frequent magic damage is still gonna kick your ass. Any status not induced by a physical WS still causes problems. Terror, in particular, is bad. Can't cure it, can't block, get owned.

In SE parlance, "Working as intended." Amazing VS. purely physical threats, but not any different against magical ones. And magical DMG is usually the more dangerous one.

[Zyeriis]

How is that permanent invincible?

Your shield skill procs on every attack? Your shield helps against magic-damage tp moves?

As for banish/holy, I didn't intend for it to be a switch to nuker class. Holy isn't really situational, it is pretty much complete garbage mp wise and damage wise. Banish I can kind of understand having uses due to its ability to weaken mobs but still, how many white mages do you see using banish 3 in normal circumstances? That possibility point was entirely based in the notion that Paladin is supposed to be the job that fights with light, while dark knight fights with darkness. Dark Knight lives up to it's concept far better than Paladin does in this respect and the upgrade light-based offensive moves for Paladin was conceived from this.

As for PLD not being a DD, I completely agree. I did not level Paladin to be a DD, I leveled it to be able to protect people from damage by taking it on myself. That is why I have Samurai and Dragoon to DD with.

[Akujima]

As for PLD not being a DD, I completely agree. I did not level Paladin to be a DD, I leveled it to be able to protect people from damage by taking it on myself. That is why I have Samurai and Dragoon to DD with.

I totally agree with this 1000%

We need to keep the characteristics of jobs intact. Less of this whining about "Why can't my BRD melee!?" that only blurs the line between jobs, making them all bland and tasteless.

[Darka]

Yes shield helps against TP moves unless they're magical (in which case Invincible wouldn't work either).

PLD isn't going to be fixed by adding extra enmity tools or gear, enmity caps, for all jobs, at the same level. It's difficult to adjust this mechanic without breaking the game entirely.

If PLD recieves a higher enmity cap, PLD could achieve and sustain this cap, and no other mage or DD would be able to surpass this. Meaning the PLD will always have hate, and DDs can go balls to the wall with damage and never worrying about pulling hate. Mages would only have to focus on the PLD and whatever AoE damage is done. Problem? I think so.

Lowering enmity from damage? Same as above, but in reverse. DDs would generate so little enmity the above situation would happen again. That and mages would rip hate of DDs like crazy.

Raise cure enmity? Mages out tank everything, and we're back to RDM tanking.

Remove DDs defensive abilities? Yeah that'd kill lowman, something nobody would want, and effectively revamp the game as we know it.

A logical solution is to include NMs that deal ridiculous damage, and make PLD the only job able to tank it. But then we're back to 2005, and nobody would like this.

It's not so simple as adding enmity abilities or whatever, PLD needs more damage to compete, but then it's just another DD.

[Zyeriis]

Raising enmity cap for PLD ever so slightly would still work as enmity lost from damage and other things would still cause hate shifting, then there's also hate reset moves and enemies with random/different enmity schemes. Naturally, not all enemies can do such things but thats why we have other jobs?

Raising the enmity cap slightly for PLD would not mean they would be able to sustain it at all times. A Majority of the time, yes, but isn't that what PLD is supposed to do? Giving PLD more physical damage accomplishes nothing but make it into a just another DD that can cure itself, which is stupid and not a Paladin. You did say something along the lines of this but used the word "need" thus making me think thats the "solution" you support. Also, no one said it was simple, that's why there is a growing list of "possibilities". Many of these would fit well together to create another dynamic such as the steadfast and cover ideas.

I will have more to add soon.