Quite a big update for Paladins this time! The idea is to give them more ways to look after the people fighting beside them. Take some of the damage meant for a friend, clear a dangerous condition, or bring an aura that helps everyone nearby. There's more to do with your shield too.
Cleansing Light, level 30: clear harmful combat conditions from an ally.
Guardian's Oath, level 50: take 35% of an ally's damage for 8 seconds. The HP you lose from protecting them restores MP.
Beacon of Resolve, level 70: give nearby friendly players 15 Fortitude and +1 to each type of Courage for 8 seconds.
These aren't just skills for your own characters. You can help other players fighting alongside you too.
Auras unlock at level 60. Carry one at a time and change it to suit the fight. They strengthen nearby friendly players, with stronger bonuses every 10 levels through level 110.
Bulwark adds armor and HP.
Sanctuary adds resistance and MP.
Zeal helps your party attack faster and hit harder.
Warding adds elemental and condition resistances, and reduces skill MP costs.
Aether Shield unlocks at level 60 and replaces Mana Shield while active. It doesn't reduce damage. Instead, losing HP to magical hits restores MP: 50% of the HP lost at level 60, rising to 100% at level 110.
Put your equipped shield to work! Shield Slam unlocks at level 60. Its base physical damage is 3 times Attack + 12 times Armor, counting up to 1,000 Armor, before damage modifiers and the enemy's defenses. It needs an equipped shield, has a base cost of 2,000 MP and a base cooldown of 0.6 seconds, and cannot critically strike or trigger item effects. Keeping your Paladin supplied matters.
Five new pieces of Paladin equipment, with different ways to work toward them:
Vowkeeper Gloves come from turning in materials to the Material Collector.
Oathplate is crafted.
Concord Mace can be earned with Monster Tokens.
Resolute Sallet can be crafted or bought with PvP Tokens.
Dawnward Aegis can drop from Skeletor.
Wearing 2 pieces gives you a set bonus of 200 HP and 100 MP. With all 5, those bonuses reach 700 HP and 350 MP, along with extra armor, resistance, Fortitude, and Courage. Try them out and let us know how Paladins feel in your party.