Paladins = pesudo leaders?

[Akarashi]

So, is it just me or has anyone found that the healing capabilities of paladins to rival leader classes? To heal 3 lay hands/round and increasing along with high defenses and high hp makes just makes me...cry.

 

[chitzk0i]

They can only lay on hands one per round. It's down there in the Special: entry. That can be easy to miss.

 

[Kzach]

That, and it's only per day, not per encounter.

Regardless, most classes have primary and secondary roles, this is not unusual.

 

[Akarashi]

Ahhh, silly me thanks for everything then.

 

[Stalker0]

The standard paladin is a defender primary/with secondary leader abilities.

Though with the ardent vow ability, you can make a paladin that's a substriker now.

 

[Destil]

Paladins excel at handing out saves with bonuses, they're among the best at it. I've been playing a currently level 14 Kalashatar Wis/Cha Paladin and I've saved so many people with my free saves and bonuses it's not even funny.

Healing, however, is a different story entirely. Lay on hands isn't really always healing. When you're dealing with several opponents the paladin can have a hard time stopping them all, so sacrificing one of your surges to heal someone is really more like retroactive defending, which actually lets the ability slot entirely into the defender roll. I've mainly used it for emergency heals and when people are getting low on surges (the DM is pretty ruthless and effective full rests can be in short supply).

The striker paladin build looks a very potent, however. I made a half orc Str/Wis/Dex paladin as a backup if my other guy dies, out of curiosity. He gets a 4W dailies right from level 1 (and a good one at that, especially at higher levels) which is pretty good with a fullblade. Took pit-fighter as my paragon path, so at 14th if he wants he can do something obscene like add 2xStr and 2xWis to damage a few times a day. However he's lacking on the 'ignore me and do absolutely nothing' aspect of my current PC, mostly because of the Hospilitar path, which really pushes you both towards healing and being someone monsters can't ignore.

 

[Akarashi]

Oh, thanks so much for the insightful knowledge about paladins. More importantly, I was really questioning how useful save bonuses and concealment/invasion prevention and such are.

 

[Destil]

Oh, thanks so much for the insightful knowledge about paladins. More importantly, I was really questioning how useful save bonuses and concealment/invasion prevention and such are.

Depends on how much of a dick your DM is. Mine is constantly throwing stuff like 'Ongoing 10 Necrotic (save ends). First failed save: Ongoing 30 Necrotic. Second failed save: Death.' and 'Dazed and Immobilized (save ends). First failed saved: Stunned (save ends).' at us.

 

[Sanzuo]

Depends on how much of a dick your DM is. Mine is constantly throwing stuff like 'Ongoing 10 Necrotic (save ends). First failed save: Ongoing 30 Necrotic. Second failed save: Death.' and 'Dazed and Immobilized (save ends). First failed saved: Stunned (save ends).' at us.

Dreadnought Warden

 

[eamon]

There's also two feats that allow the paladin to add his charisma modifier to damage healed, twice, with lay on hands, giving the Cha-Wis paladin some of the best peak-healing in an encounter in the game. However, because it's per day it's still basically a fall-back option, and at later levels leaders catch up and surpass this amount too. And, not to be forgotten, it's melee only (big drawback there).

Still, the paladin's a great defender; leader is a good subrole for a front-liner like that.