Newbie Pally advice.

[Jostan]

Hello,
I've tinkered around with a few classes and gotten them into their 20s, consolidated what I had and have a Poison Wind Censor. I'm currently toying around during with a Pally and wondering if I would be off trading it in for a Ghoulbane and a cheap shield or stick with the PWC? Thanks

[Danth]

Stick with the Poison Wind Censor. You'll need a Ghoulbane if you do your epic but by this era (Velious) it's not great anymore as a damage-dealing weapon.

Danth

[Jostan]

Thanks for the reply, just out of curiosity what would be the end game best weapon for a pally?

[Sage Truthbearer]

The PWC is a great weapon, but it only shines after level 20 when your damage cap gets lifted.

For levels 1-19, get a Sword of Skyfire for around 100p.

[Shodo]

If you plan on sticking with pally, sell the PWC at 20 and buy a baton of faith instead - slightly better ratio (0.75 to the PWC's ~0.72) and you can get one for 100 - 150p, then use the leftovers for other gear.

[Rythiel]

Also if you really want to use a one-hander, Sword of the Morning has a fantastic ratio for 400-500p. Maybe even cheaper.

[maskedmelon]

The PWC is a great weapon, but it only shines after level 20 when your damage cap gets lifted.

For levels 1-19, get a Sword of Skyfire for around 100p.

Solid advice here ^^ Due to dmg cap pre-20, all weapons are effectively limited to 10/ delay, so the PWC is like a 10/28. Sword of the Morning would be similarly affected (10/27) until L20.

As a paladin though weapons will not do much for you (unless you are soloing). You will miss a lot and do shit dps no matter what. This becomes more apparent at L40 when your skills freeze for the next 10 levels.

Longer delay weapons are beneficial though for casting between swings, so at 20+ it will be worth switching to a higher delay weapon whether it is 2h or 1h. Your primary aggro tool will be Flash of Light, which will allow you to maintain aggro with a rusty short sword. Learn to recognize maximum melee range and don't allow the fear-like component to intimidate you. Just make sure to cast it when someone is within melee range and you be good!

[Kutsumo]

1-9 20
10-19 28
20-29 60
30+ no cap

[Ivory]

Fighting undead with a ghoulbane makes you feel most like a paladin......I can't imagine playing a paladin without procs!

[phacemeltar]

keep the PWC - put it on a shaman and use to get high enough level to farm for a good paladin weapon. simple

[Pint]

Thanks for the reply, just out of curiosity what would be the end game best weapon for a pally?

Fiery defender or natures defender for a casual, palladius' axe of slaughter or petrified heartwood flamberge for actual top end. Lots of in between though in ntov and wtov.

[Boyblunder]

What's the name of the questable weapon that rivals the epic?

[Shodo]

What's the name of the questable weapon that rivals the epic?

Nature's Defender would be the paladin-only one that's very similar.

Ethereal-Bladed Naginata is also very similar (slightly better ratio than the epic but fewer stat/resist boosts).

[Salahdin]

Forget the ghoulbane its over rated.

Post level 2o-3o you will do more damage over all with a 2hander before the ghoulbane procs.

[Lhancelot]

I enjoyed using a wurmslayer and sarnak shield. The wurm hits hard unlike that pansy sword of the mourning and I like the shield for added hps and resists.

Wurmslayer also has 5mr, str., 5ac if I recall correctly.

Being a dwarf pally, it just looked better holding a huge wurmy.

As a pally you are never going to do awesome dps no matter what ratio your weapon is. It still feels better smacking a mob for over 100 with a 1h weapon compared to a little swipe of 30ish.

[Lorian]

Sword and board all the way rather than 2h. SoTM and a shield, Wurmy is just too expensive. And yes, you will never do DPS. The healing helmet can potentially be useful for soloing when you hit 46, but i rarely use mine.

[Heavenzoutcast]

Deeper water helm can be cast at 45.

While on this thread, what should a fresh Half-Elf or Dwarf Paladin allocate his 25 starting points in?

[RDawg816]

If you want to min-max, wisdom for more heals.
If you want to pull in group/solo content, cha is nice for lull.
If you want to horde treasure, strength for less encumbrance.

I'd probably do stamina 25 and wisdom 5, but that's just me... :D

[Salahdin]

Deeper water helm can be cast at 45.

While on this thread, what should a fresh Half-Elf or Dwarf Paladin allocate his 25 starting points in?

Hi,

Hybrids get 20 points to start with, and put it all in to wisdom. ( of course the 75 agi thing too )

you'll thank me later.

20 wisdom = 240 extra mana, aka an extra heal, aka the HoT aka 700-875hp heal. @60 if not over the cap

20 stm = 104 extra hp. @60 not over the cap

str+stm fairly easy to get up with velly gear, Paladins get a +10, then +20, then + 30 and finally a +40 str buff ( Yaulp ).

YOU DO THE MATH KIDS! FOR YEARS YOU HAVE BEEN LIED TO ABOUT PUTTING STAMINA INTO HYBRIDS AS BEEN THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD.

FOR HYBRIDS MANA = POWER! MORE MANA = MORE POWERFUL!

[Kender]

except max mana and mana regen are not linked you regen the same mana with 200 pool as you do with 2000 pool.

if you are full mana then sure more wis is good. but if you are tanking you are never full mana so it's all about mana regen

Only time max mana is good is if you are solo and it takes a full mana bar to kill something

[RDawg816]

Only time max mana is good is if you are solo and it takes a full mana bar to kill something
Or if you're raiding and using your mana for healing during fights....

[Salahdin]

except max mana and mana regen are not linked you regen the same mana with 200 pool as you do with 2000 pool.

if you are full mana then sure more wis is good. but if you are tanking you are never full mana so it's all about mana regen

Only time max mana is good is if you are solo and it takes a full mana bar to kill something

only a few ways to get mana regen and they are either thru high end raiding via items, or questing shawl, or buffs/songs etc.

But even if you have mana regen and have a 1k mana pool vrs someone with a 2k mana pool, in an enduring fight your extra mana regen wont be as good as a 2k mana pool because simply put the person with a 2k mana pool has the access to the exact same mana regen as the person with the 1k mana pool. (both can /tell chanter and go mana regen please, and both can go get FT items).

Having more mana on a hybrid is the single greatest improvement you can make on them. RAW MANA beats any other aspect on a Hybrid because your returns are far far far far greater than having an extra few hundred HP, or 100ac more.

A Paladin with 4k buffed hp and a 3k mana pool, is alot better than a paladin with 4.5k hp and 2k mana pool, especially in situations where the Paladin is been played in a combination of rolls: puller, intial CC and tank, then clutch heals.

[Lorian]

STR though, you want to wear plate and heavy weapons and not be constantly encumbered. Dwarfs have the best stats if you can stand the looks.

[Vallanor]

Don't stress about starting stats too much. Sure, there are valid arguments for min/maxing your STA or your WIS, but Velious makes it a lot easier to overcome any mistakes at character creation. My erudite paladin started with 15 STR and 5 STA (basically no one's idea of min/max) and with some good but not remotely BiS Velious items I consider my stats more than sufficient.

My magelo is linked in my signature. Almost everything in it is obtainable for someone in a smaller casual guild. If you're willing to join the ranks of the hardcore raiders, you'll basically max everything after a while regardless of starting stats.

[Salahdin]

Don't stress about starting stats too much. Sure, there are valid arguments for min/maxing your STA or your WIS, but Velious makes it a lot easier to overcome any mistakes at character creation. My erudite paladin started with 15 STR and 5 STA (basically no one's idea of min/max) and with some good but not remotely BiS Velious items I consider my stats more than sufficient.

My magelo is linked in my signature. Almost everything in it is obtainable for someone in a smaller casual guild. If you're willing to join the ranks of the hardcore raiders, you'll basically max everything after a while regardless of starting stats.

Correct, but we can use your Paladin as a case in example as to why you dump your points in to Wisdom.

You have 150 wisdom with decent group/small guild attainable gear and you have some pretty big +wisdom items ( i.e your ranged +18 wisdom ).

If you had started human, or pal, or dwarf and dumped points into wisdom with your your current gear you'd be almost 200 wisdom and probably 2.5k+ mana... or in real world/norrath terms: two extra heals.

If you want maximum efficiency out of your Paladin you want to dump points into wisdom, unless you plan to raid NToV for 2 years of your life in a top raid guild.

My Highelf Paladin @ level 45 has 400 less mana then your decently geared paladin has at 57; and I have about 5k gear on him coz I aint rich and he has no +mana items either, and once I get my epic complete ( 1 more item, that darn shield ) my mana pool will probably be getting closer to 2k before I even hit level 50 and start to attain the level of gear that you have.

Throw in items like Circlet of the Falinkan (if you ever manage to get the chipped part ) and other nice +mana/wisdom items and a casually playing mid tier/low end high elf/human/dwarf paladin who dumped points in to wisdom could attain a 3k+mana pool on their Paladins.

btw gratz on your Rocksmasher, that is by far the weapon I would identify with the Paladin lore. If you can get your hands ona Sledge of Smashing too you're set :)

[Vallanor]

Yeah, you're definitely not wrong. Min-maxing your wisdom will make a difference if you want maximum efficiency at end game. No doubt about it. I just like to point out that the difference between a min-maxed toon and a creation fail like myself isn't character breaking. You'll be fine pretty much whatever you do.

Obviously, the most important stat is fashion, so going high elf/human/dwarf would be a much larger character creation mistake than failing to boost your wisdom. :)

I definitely love my Rocksmasher. It's really fun hitting for huge damage, even if the overall dps won't blow your mind relative to a good ratio 1h from ToV. I feel like Thor every time I use it!

[Salahdin]

Yeah, you're definitely not wrong. Min-maxing your wisdom will make a difference if you want maximum efficiency at end game. No doubt about it. I just like to point out that the difference between a min-maxed toon and a creation fail like myself isn't character breaking. You'll be fine pretty much whatever you do.

Obviously, the most important stat is fashion, so going high elf/human/dwarf would be a much larger character creation mistake than failing to boost your wisdom. :)

I definitely love my Rocksmasher. It's really fun hitting for huge damage, even if the overall dps won't blow your mind relative to a good ratio 1h from ToV. I feel like Thor every time I use it!

Well at the end of the day it's really about playing what you enjoy.

I mean min/max'ers are the death of fun in EverQuest ( a roleplaying fantasy game meant for fun ).

Now if only they allowed Halfling Paladins during velious era; I'd reroll straight away.

I'll be doing a 1-52 Paladin guide soon, with all my solo camps etc. Lotta guides out there follow the "usual" camp spots so eventually I'd hope a bunch of Paladins throw in their 2cents about it too. There really is a lack of a good Paladin guide on the Wiki. I find Paladin's to be the afkish solo 1-52 class; it's great fun.



I definitely love my Rocksmasher. It's really fun hitting for huge damage, even if the overall dps won't blow your mind relative to a good ratio 1h from ToV. I feel like Thor every time I use it!

I have both weapons on my Paladin on Red, the HP bump alone is amazing. The Sledge of Smashing + Primal + 41% haste + Eyepatch and jesus you rip through kunark content class/kunark content like it's a hot knife to butter.

[fugazi]

I am always a bit taken back when people say paladins dont do damage. 50+ compared to rogues and monks? Sure, but pre-50 any paladin with some STR, haste and a solid 2hander will contribute.

Im curious to see your guide, Salah. I saw you soloing hags in Unrest while I was fearkiting in the basement :) been thinking of typing a 1 to 50 pala guide myself.

[Nixtar]

I am always a bit taken back when people say paladins dont do damage. 50+ compared to rogues and monks? Sure, but pre-50 any paladin with some STR, haste and a solid 2hander will contribute.

Minmax mindset. Thankfully you do not encounter this in-game as much as you do on the forums(probably because there might be actual consequences to being a total asshole in game).

[Kaziel]

Did a 1-50 something paladin solo guide a couple months back in the tank section. There's nothing very unusual about the zones in it but might be useful if you want to dig it up.