Just a little idea I had while playing on my Paladin after spending so much time on my Bard. Title says specifically PLD since its my only tank class, not enough experience on the other two tanks to know how their gauges factor in, but I believe the idea would work for them as well.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels as if the gauge on the Paladin is kinda just there because everyone else got the gauge. An interesting -and more useful- idea in my mind would have the gauge directly effect your Oath. Taking damage in Shield Oath would increase the gauge, taking damage in Sword Oath would reduce the gauge. Sounds useless right? What if the gauge directly correlated to a BUFF to both of those oaths? As in... while in Sword Oath with a full gauge your dps is increased? Or damage being further decreased in Shield Oath while the gauge is full.

This would encourage stance dancing, which in my opinion and likely others, the higher skill level of tanks in general. Mitigate when needed, murder when not. By causing the gauge rise/depletion to mirror the amount of damage intended, it brings Shield Oath closer to its optimal use: Your most important CD. This would encourage you to know the fight so that you were in the right stance at the right time to keep optimal dps output without endangering the party. Assuming however, you're more of the pure -I take damage and that's my job- type, you also get more use out of your gauge this way since being in Shield Oath would mean more damage mitigated through the buff, and it wouldn't deplete making it a potential strategy as well.

Not being stingy on the PLD side either, I feel like this usage of the gauge could be extended to DRK and WAR as well without breaking any balance. WAR especially would benefit from it seeing as swapping for their burst would now relate to even FURTHER damage output. Any thoughts?