Thread: How would they fix PLD 4.0?

Originally Posted by Reynhart

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Just want to run a couple other ideas past you, then, that I think might have similar effects to what I think you might be going for...

1. What about just making more attacks interceptable/split-able, and then giving Paladin a passive that allows his intercepted damage to deduct from the total split damage, essentially double-dipping on the idea of Covering for others? Or, if that would be too powerful, at least add his magic and physical defense to the calculations for all others struck by the same split AoE?

Now, this would also mean that DRK and Warrior have more defensive weight to throw around from the OT position too, not to mention DRK pulling more out of Blood Price without having to swap per 40 seconds and Warrior finally having a competitor for triple Fel Cleave in CD usage, but that benefit would ultimately favor PLD versatility and therefore throughput.

[Ideally, for me, this would simply come in the form of progressive AoEs, wherein a certain amount of damage progresses outward and is reduced with each mitigation calculation done against it, from the first person hit (total damage done to next then reduced by the amount mitigated) to the next, to the next, as the AoE spreads or cleaves outward. In this way a party could, say, stack from highest to lowest eHP or Defense against a (somehow undodgeable) Colossus's cleave in order to have every member survive.

Within that system, Cover could simply be a Paladin passive that gives the Paladin a second, enlarged theoretical hitbox. If any singly-striking attack would hit an ally through that hitbox, it instead hits you. Any AoE that would go through that hitbox to strike an ally grants the full benefit of your physical and magic defense to them as well. And with that, Paladin becomes the superior interceptor tank.]

I'd also slightly change Divine Veil so that the barrier actually scale with the healing received to trigger it. Like 30% of the HP recovered. It would still be a burden to receive a spell to activate, but it would reward good communication between the PLD and the healers to save a powerful spell for that, opening new strategic use for Convalescence...as an OT.

That will probably be far weaker than is presently the case, given how far tank HP has come along. Keep in mind also, that a single, pitiful HoT tick could trigger it. Do you want to have to click off Aspected Helios and pop Convalescence just to blow DV effectively?

2. That brings me to a possible revision to Divine Veil that you might like, within the same vein of versatility as above, but this time for potential party support. I apologize if I already posted this in a reply to you elsewhere.

Inspire - For the next 12 seconds, all damage, (active) mitigation, and healing you do generates additional primary output stat, Defense and Magic Defense, and maximum HP and MP, respectively, split among all party members within 25 yalms based on range and the percentage change in total resultant stat created. (Bonus HP most affects allies with less HP. Casters receive Intelligence, Ranged and Ninjas receive Dexterity, tanks and melee receive Strength, and healers receive Mind.) Effectiveness increases with total number of party members.

Okay, so the complexity of that would probably make it undesirable to implement, but the idea should be sound. You can use it to enhance the party's ability to absorb raid damage in any of three ways, and can enhance burst. These effects automatically level themselves as to provide virtually no waste, while giving the Paladin additional control through positioning.

Edit: yep, already posted that just a few pages back. Sorry about that.