Paladin question

[Dannyalcatraz]

Divine Sanction: what exactly is it and do hybrid paladins get it?

It seems tomb similar to but different from Divine Challenge, but it doesnt seem to be written up as a distinct power. Is it an alternative version or different way of using the Challenge or is it a new & distinct ability? If it is distinct, what are it's use parameters?

I ask because some of the paladin powers reference it.

 

[mudlock]

I believe the full write up is in Divine Power, but I literally packed that book to move about 2 hours ago. So, off the top of my head:

It has the same effects as your divine challenge, but it's not your divine challenge. It's a way to let a PHB Paladin apply the punishment effects of their defender mark to additional targets by using certain encounter and daily powers.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm literally looking at them side-by-side in the PHB & DP right now: DC is statted out as an at-will class feature with it's AoE and effects side by side. In contrast, DS is just some shadowboxed text: no mention on if it is AT Will, Encounter or Daily; no range or AoE; nothing on whether it's a minor action or standard action.

So...at this point, I'm guessing it's a rider effect. IOW, whereas you DC your foes and thus have all of its effects and then hit them with powers, with DS, you hit them a power and they become affected by DS.

 

[mudlock]

with DS, you hit them a power and they become affected by DS.

Yep, you've got it.

 

[FireLance]

So...at this point, I'm guessing it's a rider effect. IOW, whereas you DC your foes and thus have all of its effects and then hit them with powers, with DS, you hit them a power and they become affected by DS.

Yup, pretty much. Except that depending on the power, the divine sanction could require a hit, or could be applied as an effect. You can get divine sanction from powers (including an at-will power) or from feats, so hybrid paladins can get it by selecting those powers and feats.

 

[wlmartin]

Divine Sanction: what exactly is it and do hybrid paladins get it?

It seems tomb similar to but different from Divine Challenge, but it doesnt seem to be written up as a distinct power. Is it an alternative version or different way of using the Challenge or is it a new & distinct ability? If it is distinct, what are it's use parameters?

I ask because some of the paladin powers reference it.

Divine Sanction is basically Divine Challenge for more than one person.
Divine Challenge is something that is focused on one mob... where as Divine Sanction has no such focus.

Here is what Divine Power had to say about it

Book : Divine Power
Page : 82

DIVINE SANCTION
Many new Paladin powers and some of the new feats in this book subject a target to your divine sanction. Being subject to it means the target is marked by you for a duration specified in the description of the power or feat. Unless otherwise noted, the mark ends before the specified duration if someone else marks the target.[sblock]in other words, if someone else marks it, they take the mark away since one monster can not be marked twice unless specifically written in as part of a power/feat[/sblock]

Until the mark ends, the target takes radiant damage equal to 3 + your CHARISMA modifier the first time each round where it makes an attack that does not include you as a target. The damage increases to 6 + your CHARISMA modifier at 11th level and 9 + your CHARISMA modifier at 21st level.

Divine sanction is meant to complement divine challenge. You can use divine challenge to make one creature and use divine sanction to mark others. Divine sanction has fewer restrictions than divine challenge so that you can easily use the two in concert.

 

[Spatula]

The other important bit to note is that feats or class features that affect one will not affect the other.

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Another note is that unlike Divine Challenge (which has a conditional duration dependent on you being adjacent/attacking the victim), Sanction has a "fixed" duration - usually until the end of your next, but sometimes until the end of the encounter.

More generally, if it is applied by a power, its a Sanction. If you have to spend a seperate action just to apply it (with no attack wrapped in) its Challenge.

And you don't need the Challenge class feature to apply Sanction - its baked into powers much like reliable or rattling is.