[GUIDE] Diablo II Characters: Paladin

The Paladin​

​

The Knights of Westmarch who felled the armies of mighty Leoric are pure at heart and closely follow the teachings of Zakarum, the Religion of the Light. A battle-ready warrior for whom faith is a shield, the Paladin fights for what he believes to be right. His steadfastness gives him powers to bestow blessings to his friends and wreak cruel justice on foes. There are those who call the Paladin an overwrought zealot, but others recognize in him the strength and goodness of the Light.


Starting Attributes
Strength: 25
Dexterity: 20
Vitality: 25
Energy: 15

Hit Points: 55
Stamina: 89
Mana: 15

Each Character Level
Life +2
Stamina +1
Mana +1.5

Attribute Point Effect
1 Vitality point gives 3 Life
1 Vitality point gives 1 Stamina
1 Energy point gives 1.5 Mana





Strategies

The Paladin is perhaps the most useful addition to any party, as he can extend his Auras to his allies. Skilled in melee combat, he is a skilled fighter as well as proficient in magic abilities. In his skill tree, Prayer is of considerable use as it regenerates health for him and his allies. Might adds to the effect of the Paladin or party member attack. Thorns damages anyone who attacks a person bearing the Aura. Smite allows the Paladin to call upon the power of his righteousness to aid him and his friends. As he progresses in power, he should continue to develop along the skill tree to aid him in the deeper depths of the world.
Due to his wide range of abilities, developing the Paladin's characteristics is a difficult matter. He does not require as much energy as the Sorceress since many of his skills are passive and use less Mana. He should develop strength for donning equipment and inflicting more damage. At the start of gameplay, his vitality is less of a concern, but as he faces higher-level monsters he must develop this as well. He also must increase his dexterity as this adds both to his defensive rating and his ability to successfully strike opponents.
The Paladin is largely reliant on finding quality items. In general, it is wise to find a quality one-handed item, which allows him to carry a shield in the other hand. A good shield is important both for blocking and a higher armor rating. Additionally, a socketed shield can be equipped with gems that add to its resistance. This can be of considerable use in some of the more difficult dungeons.



Offensive & Defensive Auras

Once active, Auras will in most cases benefit anyone in the Paladin's party including other players, hirelings, and converted monsters. Auras are in most cases "free" and do not require Mana. Exceptions include the Defensive Aura Prayer, which requires Mana and the Defensive Aura Redemption, which requires enemy Corpses to activate. Some Auras require monsters to be within the general area of the Paladin for Auras to activate.
One of the biggest advantages of the Paladin is his ability to share his Auras among Party Members. The Paladin should always consider using an Aura to help his party. Auras have a radius. As more skill points are distributed, the Auras will affect a larger area. This benefits party members because they may not always be within immediate proximity. A larger radius is also useful for Auras that affect monsters because it allows players to keep their distance during combat. This is helpful especially when going up against monsters with a melee attack.
Although it is possible to quickly switch between Auras, the Paladin can only use one Aura at at time. If multiple Auras are cast, then the Aura in effect is always the last one that was activated. Sometimes when switching between Auras, there may be a brief transition period before the updated Aura reaches other party members.
Multiple Auras, Multiple Paladins in a Party
When there is more than one Paladin in a party, more than one different Aura can be active at the same time. For example, one Paladin can use Blessed Aim to increase the party's Attack Rating, while another Paladin casts Might to increase the party's damage.
Multiple Paladins cannot "stack" Auras by all activating the same Aura at the same time. If two Paladins in a party both activate Might, they will not receive any extra damage or double the damage done by themselves and other party members. Because multiple Auras cannot be stacked, it is best for Paladins in a group to communicate and decide who will use which Aura and which Auras will be best for the group.
Timing the Use of Auras
Knowing how to manage Auras is critical to becoming a good Aura Paladin. When considering multiple Auras, it is important to remember that many are useful in certain situations and not so useful in other situations. Skilled Paladins learn when to use each Aura and when to switch between them.
Hot Key Auras
With multiple Auras, it is important to assign each commonly used Aura a Hot Key. Players may want to reconfigure the default location of a Hot Key a button which is better positioned on the keyboard. Once Auras are assigned Hot Keys, players can quickly switch between them in battle.
Auras and Combat Skills
Auras can only be placed on the right action button. Placing Paladin combat skills on the left action button allows players to use combat skills and Auras simultaneously. If you do not have enough Mana or are unable to use a combat skill, you can still Hot Key "normal" attack and then use Hot Keys to switch between your normal attack, and combat attack on the left action button and Auras on the right action button.





Defensive Auras


Prayer
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

With this aura the Paladin basks himself and all he deems faithful in a warm, healing light. His prayers for salvation carry him through the direst situations, allowing him to heal even the deepest wounds in time.
Effect: Heals all party members.
Prayer is helpful to heal other party members including Hirelings. If you want to focus in Prayer, it's a good idea to devote more points to Energy to get more mana.
Often Prayer is best used after battle, but when focused, can provide healing during battle.
Before focusing in Prayer, keep in mind Redemption is available at Level 30. Redemption has the potential to heal much faster and only needs monster corpses to support rather than mana. One draw back of Redemption is that it cannot heal party members.



Resist Fire
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

Shrouding himself in his devotions, the fervent servant of the Light can walk a lake of fire and feel only the comforting warmth of his convictions. A Paladin can withstand the might of a fierce conflagration if his piety is strong enough.
Effect: Increases the Fire resistance of all party members.

This skill has a hidden bonus to max resistance. It does not display on the skill itself (for space reasons) but it will display on your character screen. For each point in the skill you, and your nearby party members and pets, will receive +1% to maximum resist. This is capped at 95%. The Paladin also receives half of the +max resistance bonus (rounded down) when the skill is not active. So with 20 points in the skill you will get +10 to maximum resistance when the skill is off. You get no passive resistance to your actual resist but just to your maximum resist. Items that give bonuses to skills do not increase the passive bonus.



Resist Cold
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None

The splendor of absolute devotion is all the warmth and comfort a Paladin requires. Embraced deep within the shelter of this aura, the faithful need never fear the frost.
Effect: Increases the Cold resistance of all party members.

This skill has a hidden bonus to max resistance. It does not display on the skill itself (for space reasons) but it will display on your character screen. For each point in the skill you, and your nearby party members and pets, will receive +1% to maximum resist. This is capped at 95%. The Paladin also receives half of the +max resistance bonus (rounded down) when the skill is not active. So with 20 points in the skill you will get +10 to maximum resistance when the skill is off. You get no passive resistance to your actual resist but just to your maximum resist. Items that give bonuses to skills do not increase the passive bonus.



Resist Lightning
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: None

Even the elements of nature must yield before the glory of the Light. When a knight of Zakarum has manifested this aura, he and his allies undergo a lessening of their body's natural conductivity, protecting them from attacks empowered by electricity.
Effect: Increases the Lighting resistance of all party members.

This skill has a hidden bonus to max resistance. It does not display on the skill itself (for space reasons) but it will display on your character screen. For each point in the skill you, and your nearby party members and pets, will receive +1% to maximum resist. This is capped at 95%. The Paladin also receives half of the +max resistance bonus (rounded down) when the skill is not active. So with 20 points in the skill you will get +10 to maximum resistance when the skill is off. You get no passive resistance to your actual resist but just to your maximum resist. Items that give bonuses to skills do not increase the passive bonus.



Defiance
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None

Shielding himself and nearby companions within a glow of holy light, the Paladin girds himself to face the unjust in combat. By standing resolute and earnest in the face of opposition, his faith is his shield against harm.
Effect: Boosts the Defense of all party members.



Cleansing
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Prayer [1]

Chaste is the Paladin in the face of all temptations. Pure in body and spirit, he trusts to the splendor of the Light to rid him of all impurities. A Knight of the Faith shall neither be tainted, nor corrupted.
Effect: Reduces Poison and Curse duration for all party members.
- Cleansing is one of only two skills in the game that can reduce curse duration, the other being the Assassin skill Fade (which cannot be used on party members). It can be very helpful when battling Oblivion Knights as they cast the dreaded Iron Maiden, which can cause instadeath syndrome for melee characters. Simply fall back, switch to Cleansing untill the curse is lifted, and then head back into the fray.

Bonuses To Cleansing
Prayer: same as having Prayer active without mana cost



Vigor
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Prayer [1], Cleansing [12], Defiance [6]

A noble knight of Zakarum feels the rapture of his salvation at all times. In his need, the weight of the world lifts from his shoulders, allowing him to march forth without heed to the lamentations of his body.
Effect: Increases Speed, Stamina, and Stamina recovery for all party members.
Vigor allows you and your party to travel faster, further, and longer! This is definitely a must have skill for fast paced game players. As you devote more points into Vigor you will walk and run faster, recover stamina faster, and increase the overall amount of stamina you have whenever this aura is active. Switch to Vigor whenever you are not fighting and not in any danger of enemy monsters. Use it when traveling over long distances that have already been cleared, use it in town to get to the vendors faster. Use it to return to town faster from the field. This can even be combined with Fastest Run/Walk items to make the Paladin run even faster! This is one skill you don't want to miss.



Meditation
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Prayer [1], Cleansing [12]

With the observance of this aura, the Paladin supplicates himself to the Light with silent utterances of prayers. It is in these times of silent worship that the Paladin is rejuvenated in spirit.
Effect: Boosts Mana recovery for all party members.
Meditation will make you very popular with other party members such as Sorceress' and Necromancers.

Bonuses To Meditation
Prayer: same as having Prayer active without mana cost
Note: Meditation will not work on hirelings



Redemption
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Prayer [1], Cleansing [12], Defiance [6], Vigor [18]

A Paladin must be true to his duty and belief that all souls are worthy of attempted salvation. With this aura, the Paladin shares the glory of the Light with his vanquished enemies. With each administration of these final rites, the Paladin is redeemed physically as well as spiritually.
Effect: Periodically attempts to redeem corpses for Health and Mana.
Redemption does not regain mana or hit points for other party members, Minions, Monsters that have been converted or Hirelings.
To use Redemption, get within range of some monster bodies and turn on the aura. When you mouse over the skill it lists chance to Redeem. This means how fast Redemption will work. As you devote more points into Redemption, the chance to redeem will go up and it will work much faster.
Redemption turns the Paladin to a virtual walking well. Whenever the Paladin can kill monsters creating bodies, he can use Redemption to regain mana and health. As you know, there is no shortage of monsters so there is now an almost endless supply of monsters to use to heal the Paladin and to regain mana. This aura is a great replacement to Prayer. It works much faster than Prayer in combat and requires no mana, just monster bodies. When it works, it instantly regains health and mana.
As you devote more points into Redemption, it will regain more Health and Mana from a body, and work much faster. However, this will eat up bodies much faster which isn't always what you want. If you plan on using Redemption while you fight, devote more points into it, so it will help you faster and heal more life, and regain more mana. If you plan on using it after battle, only devote one to a few points to it.
The best way to use Redemption is to kill a few monsters, then run in circles around the monster's corpses until they are redeemed, then jump back into combat. This works very well against large groups of monsters. After finishing a battle with less than full health or mana (if you're using Mana Skills), run back to a group of monster corpses and turn on redemption.
Redemption can be used to get rid of monster bodies preventing any other creatures such as Shamans from raising the bodies. If possible bait the minions who might be raised away from their leader with Redemption on out of the range of the raising monster. Kill them quickly and make sure redemption gets rid of the body. This will prevent the enemy master from raising their minions. It's also possible to do this within the raising corpses range, but is more difficult to pull off.



Salvation
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: None

Trust in the glory of the Light, for its authority supercedes all power in the mortal world. With this aura, the Paladin calls upon the Light to protect his allies from elemental attacks.
Effect: Increases all Elemental resistances for all party members.
The ultimate in resistance skills, Salvation provides 60% Resistance to Fire, Cold, Lightning (but not Poison), with the first point. Used in connection with other resistance equipment, this can quickly boost you to the max of 75% resistance on Normal Difficulty. This can now be used to replace Resist Cold, Resist Fire, and Resist lightning. By giving you resistance to Lightning, Fire and Cold at the same time, you can take on packs of monsters with all of these attacks, instead of having to switch between Resist Fire, Cold and Lightning Auras. Before devoting too many points to Resist Cold/Fire/Lightning, keep in mind this skill is available at level 30. You'll find it very useful in parties and for yourself as you head into Nightmare and Hell difficulty levels, and especially when you face Unique Monsters and Bosses.




Offensive Auras



Might
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

Caught up in the fervor of battle, the Paladin calls upon the power of righteousness and the strength of justice to add force to the attacks of his party. What would be glancing blows now strike their mark, and otherwise deflected strikes rend through armor to bite flesh.
Effect: Increases damage dealt by party members.
Before devoting more than one point into Might, keep in mind that Concentration is available at level 18. Concentration offers more damage, and a 20% chance of an uninterrupted hit. You can use Scepters, Unique items that add +1 to Skills, or Sigon's Guard to give additional points in Might until you're able to get Concentration which will pay off in the long run.



Holy Fire
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: Might [1]

With a hint of brimstone in the air, the noble Paladin strides into battle encased in this holy aura. All those within its range are burnt with the fires of divine virtue. Beware, Beasts of Hell! The fire of purification is upon you!
Effect: Periodically does Fire damage to nearby enemies.
Holy Fire can be a good skill to use in Act I. By Act II you should consider advancing on to Holy Shock.

Holy Fire Receives Bonuses From
Resist Fire: +18% Fire Damage Per Level
Salvation: +6% Fire Damage Per Level



Thorns
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None

An eye for an eye is sometimes not enough. Those who would strike the emissaries of the Light had best take warning, for retribution shall be swift and certain. The might of your blows shall be felt a hundred fold unto you!
Effect: Enemies take damage when they cause melee damage to party members.
Player vs Player: Thorns will do 1/8th the damage.
This aura will do severe damage to any monster or player that hits the Paladin with a Melee attack. Thorns will only work if the enemy actually hits you however, so consider using this when you are taking a lot of damage. If the monster is unable to hit you due to your high defense, high shield blocking, high level compared to the monster, or because you kill them before they are able to attack you, consider using a different aura. This Aura also works well in parties against any monsters that may hit your party members.



Blessed Aim
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Might [1]

The spirits of the Light are ever vigilant, and in times of great need, have been known to aid their loyal disciples in subtle ways. When this aura is enabled, these spirits work to guide the hand of the Paladin and his companions, striking true where blows would normally miss.
Effect: Increases Attack Rating.
The Passive Bonus is 5% Attack Rating bonus per hard point invested while the aura is not active.



Concentration
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Might [1], Blessed Aim [12]

Those within the sphere of influence of this skill gain the gift of clarity. A serene sense of lucidity eases the minds of those within, giving them the freedom to focus on individual tasks despite the chaos and distractions of battle. This sense of tranquility allows the Paladin and his comrades to strike calculated and devastating blows.
Effect: Reduces the chance that your attacks will be interrupted.
Concentration offers two things, a chance for an uninterrupted hit, and increases greatly the damage you will do. This can also be combined with other high damage combat skills such as Sacrifice and Charge for high levels of damage. If you want to do a lot of damage, this is a good aura for you. This can also be shared with other party members which is great especially for other Paladins, Barbarians, and Amazons.
Concentration increases the damage for Blessed Hammer at 50% efficiency.



Holy Freeze
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Might [1], Holy Fire [6]

Using this aura, the Paladin causes the temperature of the air around him to drop drastically, freezing the flesh of his enemies. Those so affected will find their movement drastically hindered and are easily dispatched back to the Hells from whence they spawned.
Effect: Periodically slows enemies nearby.
Player vs Player - This will slow but will not Freeze other Players.
Cold Resistances and Cannot Be Frozen Items will not affect Holy Freeze.

Holy Freeze Receives Bonuses From
Resist Cold: +15% Cold Damage Per Level
Salvation: +7% Cold Damage Per Level




Holy Shock
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Might [1], Holy Fire [6], Holy Freeze [18]

A Paladin blessed with the power of this aura calls upon the power of the Light to strike forth at all enemies surrounding him. Divine bolts spring from the earth to smite the Paladin's enemies.
Effect: Periodically does Lightning damage to enemies within a radius.


Bonuses To Holy Shock
Resist Lightning: +12% Lightning Damage Per Level
Salvation: +4% Lightning Damage Per Level




Sanctuary
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Might [1], Thorns [6], Holy Fire [6], Holy Freeze [18]

This aura causes the Paladin to shine with an inner, holy light. This light is an anathema to the undead, summoned as they are through the machinations of the Prime Evils. The aura carries with it the essence of life and the strength and purity of the Paladin's convictions.
Effect: Damages and does knockback to the Undead. Ignores Physical Resistances and Immunities Of Undead Monsters.
- This Skill works on super unique Undead Monsters (Griswold, Radament etc.) but not on bosses.
- Steal Life/Mana items work well with Sanctuary against immune to physical undead monsters; as long as they have positive drain effectiveness. (See Monsters Section.) Sanctuary does significant damage against undead compared to other auras, because it ignores the %50 Damage resistance which nearly all undead monsters have in Hell diffuculty. (Level 1 Sanctuary %150. Level 20 Fanaticism 373/2=186.5)

Sanctuary Receives Bonuses From
Cleansing: +7% Magic Damage Per Level to knockback effect only



Fanaticism
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Might [1], Blessed Aim [12], Concentration [18]

True faith can cause its believers to perform fantastic feats. With this aura the Paladin, and all those allied with his cause, carry themselves with a zealous fervor, allowing them to strike down their foes as swiftly as the scythe reaps the harvest.
Effect: Increases your Attack Rate and Attack Rating. Increases damage for all party members.



Conviction
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Might [1], Thorns [6], Holy Fire [6], Holy Freeze [18], Sanctuary [24]

It is fearsome enough to behold the power of a Paladin, let alone a Paladin aglow with the aura of Conviction. This halo of righteousness demonstrates, with force, the grim determination of those who shine within its brilliance. Any who stand against the Paladin and his allies will understand the meaning of folly.
Effect: Reduces enemy Defense and the Resistances of monsters.
- This aura does not lower an enemy's magic or poison resistance. Conviction will remove immunities which will allow you or your party members to damage monsters that were previously untouchable with immunities. There is a cap of -150% resistance and you will not be able to remove some monster's immunities in hell level.
- This aura, when breaking an immunity, will only function at 1/5 effectiveness.



Combat Skills



Sacrifice
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

At what price glory? By sanctifying his weapon with some of his own blood, a Paladin of Zakarum is able to increase his efficiency in combat by forfeiting a portion of his own physical essence. This sacrifice is a symbol of faith that even the lowliest Paladin must submit before the Light, in order that he may prove himself worthy of victory.
Effect: Increased damage at the cost of health.
Sacrifice allows you to do a large amount of damage without spending any mana. Paladins that focus in this skill and Auras (except Prayer), do not have to spend any points in Energy for increased mana, use mana items, or worry about using Mana Potions. This may be appealing for some Paladins.
The first thing to understand about Sacrifice is that the more damage your weapons does, the more life will be drained from yourself. It's possible to increase Attack Damage so high using Sacrifice, a good weapon, and Might or Concentration, that you will be losing huge amounts of life each time you hit a monster. If you plan on using Sacrifice as your main attack, you will have to balance the loss of life with items or you will have to use a lot of Healing Potions.
Items that "Steals % Life" work well with Sacrifice. Find a weapon and ring that steals life. If you can steal enough life per hit with high life stealing percentages or a combination of life stealing items, you can make up for the loss of your health and actually use Sacrifice attacks to heal yourself.
Items that Replenish Life can also help make up for the loss in life when using Sacrifice. It can, however, take a while to regain life such that Replenish Life may not alone be enough to make up for the loss of life. However, they can be used in combination with Prayer, Healing Potions, and Life Stealing items to make up for the time it takes Replenish Life to work.
The Prayer Aura can be a good skill to use with Sacrifice initially. You can use Sacrifice on the left Action Button, and have your Prayer Aura active healing you at the same time on the Right Action button. You will have to devote points to Energy to increase your Mana to support Prayer or use magic items that add to Mana. Later on you will probably want to upgrade to RedemptionAura which although doesn't help party members, can make up for Sacrifice hit point loss much faster and better than Prayer.
Be careful when using Combat Shrines. Combat Shines will greatly increase your damage, which will greatly increase the life lost when using Sacrifice. You may want to avoid Combat Shrines when using Sacrifice, or use them then switch to another skill.
Powerful Two-handed Weapons
By using Sacrifice and Might or Concentration at the same time with a powerful two-handed weapon, you may notice you will do alot of damage. This looks very attractive at first glance. You may do so much damage that you can kill many monsters including Uniques in one or two hits. However, you may also notice that you are losing a lot of your life with each Sacrifice hit. At first you may believe this is caused by giving up the defense and blocking of a shield to wield a two-handed Weapon, but the increased loss of life is really caused by the increase in damage of your new two-handed weapon. The more damage you do, the more life you will lose. Another problem with high damage weapons when using Sacrifice is that you may be doing more damage to the monsters than you need to. A monster may die in one hit with a Two-handed weapon damage of 538 but 200 damage might also be all you need to kill the monster. The extra damage caused by your powerful weapon will cause increased loss in your life needlessly. Try finding a less powerful weapon. Although you will not kill the monster as quickly, you will be draining less hit points.
To make up for the life lost when using Sacrifice you will have to find the right balance between the damage of your weapon compared to the monsters, life stealing items, Potions, Replenish Life items, and Prayer.

Sacrifice Receives Bonuses From:
Redemption: +15% Damage Per Level
Fanaticism: +5% Damage Per Level



Smite
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

The sword of a Paladin represents the might of righteousness and his shield symbolizes the strength of his faith. Both are tools he uses to mete out justice. Just as righteousness can give his spirit the fortitude to overcome the attacks of the unjust, so too can faith be a weapon to strike back at those who work to defeat him. To this end, the Paladin has developed several combat techniques that use the shield not only for defense, but also as an offensive weapon.
Effect: Shield bash that does damage and knock back.
- Smite always hits a target in range, so Attack Rating does not matter when using this skill.
- Smite does not work with Life/Mana % Steal.
- Smite is a weapon skill and thus is affected by Attack Speed (e.g. 'Fanaticism') and is not affected by Cast Rate (e.g. -of the Apprentice). Smite works with any "X% Chance to cast level Y (spell) upon striking" ability on your weapon.
- Smite does not receive added damage vs. undead with the Sanctuary aura.
- The Fire/Cold/Lightning damage added to attacks with the Holy-Fire, Holy-Freeze, and Holy-Shock auras do not add onto Smite damage.
- Smite can steal life with life tap cursed on target.
- Smite can also deal crushing blow and open wounds damage, but not deadly strike and elemental damages.
- Using Smite will reduce the durability of your weapon NOT shield



Holy Bolt
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None

The Paladin can learn to summon bolts formed of pure, righteous energies. These projectiles are vessels of life, bane to the undead, and succor to the faithful. At the battle of Taelohn Bridge, the villagers feared the day was lost when an army of the walking dead besieged them. Just as the battered militia was about to be overwhelmed, a small band of Paladins appeared. Wading through the rotting carcasses of the living dead and hurling spheres of pure Light that expelled the evil controlling the battling corpses while renewing the strength of the remaining villagers.
Effect: Bolt of energy that damages undead, or heals friendly units.
Holy Bolt will not heal undead minions. Works on hires and on Golems and party members. Friendly Skeletons will not take damage from Holy Bolt.
Ignores the resistance of Undead. Increased Healing to non-monster characters.

Holy Bolt Receives Bonuses From
Blessed Hammer: +50% Magic Damage Per Level
Fist of the Heavens: +50% Magic Damage Per Level
Prayer: +15% Life Healed Per Level



Zeal
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Sacrifice [1]

A noble Paladin, fervent in his dedication to righteousness, can draw upon the spirit of that dedication to perform seemingly impossible tasks. When surrounded by his enemies, a Paladin versed in this skill sets upon his adversaries with the zealous fervor of many times his number.
Effect: Quickly attacks multiple adjacent enemies.
Zeal increases your Attack Rating, and allows you to attack multiple adjacent monsters. Additional points into Zeal increases Attack Rating and increases the number of swings per use of Zeal up to 5. Zeal allows you to take a lot of very quick swings at a monster while at the same time increasing your attack rating.
Zeal is uninterrupted.

Zeal Receives Bonuses From:
Sacrifice: +12% Damage Per Level



Charge
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Smite [1]

In showing fear, a Paladin displays his lack of faith, and a faithless Paladin is less than a man - let alone a knight. This is vital in that when all else fails, it is faith that will carry the Paladin through to victory. Warriors of faith never shirk from combat, but rush forward with heads down and shields up, allowing their glory to carry them into the thick of battle to deliver the first blow.
Effect: Closes the distance with an enemy, delivering a bash on contact.
- Although Charge is after Smite on the Skill Tree, Charge does not require a Shield. You can charge without a shield with a two-handed weapon.
- You can also use Charge on the Left Action Button while having Auras active at the same time. When maxed, Charge offers more damage than Sacrifice. Consider getting Mana Stealing Items when using Charge to offset its mana cost.
- You can only use Charge on a Monster if you are already not in melee range. This is the one drawback when compared to Sacrifice. You will have to back away or select another monster that is further away.
- May be used to flee from fights or even dodge (outrun) projectiles (such as Diablo's Fire Nova or Undead Mages' Bone Spirit). May also be used to (very) rapidly traverse land.
- Sometimes Charge skill may stun yourself (you cannot attack and move but can drink potions) when attacking. This may continue very long until to your death. You can fix this by pressing the "W" key to swap weapons which should exit you from the stun.

Charge Receives Bonuses From:
Vigor: +20% Damage Per Level
Might: +20% Damage Per Level



Vengeance
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Sacrifice [1], Zeal [12]

When a Paladin undertakes a crusade to banish evil, he is permitted to call upon the just souls of past crusades. Thus summoned, the spirits of the honorably vanquished manifest themselves and lend their energies to the weapons of the Paladin.
Effect: Adds Elemental (Fire, Lightning and Cold) damage to all melee attacks.
The Damage bonus applies to all three elemental damages. At level 1, it would be +70% Fire, +70% Cold, and +70% Lightning (not Poison).
Poison is not included in the Vengeance Skill.
Monster resistances have the ability to reduce the additional elemental damage.

Vengeance Receives Bonuses From
Resist Fire: +10% Fire Damage Per Level
Resist Cold: +10% Cold Damage Per Level
Resist Lightning: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level
Salvation: +2% Elemental Damage Per Level




Blessed Hammer
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Holy Bolt [6]

The Visions of Akarat tell of a hopeless battle. Legions of the undead had laid siege to a small convent of nuns who were the keepers of a sacred relic, the Hammer of Ghrab Thaar. Suspended over a fiery chasm within the convent, the sisters knew the Hammer to be a powerful vessel of the Light and vowed never to allow it to fall into the hands of evil. With no weapons of their own, and no one to defend them, the nuns sacrificed themselves to destroy the hammer. Rather than let the undead despoil the church and the relic, they took the hammer and plunged themselves into the fiery chasm. At that moment, a powerful force of Light washed over the undead legion, striking them down where they stood. Since that time a well-trained Paladin is able to tap the remnants of this released energy, whirling a magical hammer to strike down his adversaries, especially the forces of the walking dead.
Effect: A summoned Hammer spirals outward, damaging enemies. The Undead take additional damage.
- This sends out a little glowing Hammer. The Hammer spins around you making a wider and wider turn until it disappears. Blessed Hammer has the ability to damage multiple enemies if it hits them.
- Ignores the resistances and immunities of Undead and Demons
- Does not ignore the immunity of monsters that are immune to magic
- Also receives bonuses from Concentration
- % Mana and Life Steal bonuses from items and weapons do not apply to Blessed Hammer attack against Undead.

Blessed Hammer Receives Bonuses From:
Blessed Aim: +14% Magic Damage Per Level
Vigor: +14% Magic Damage Per Level



Conversion
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Sacrifice [1], Zeal [12], Vengeance [18]

Through force of will and strength of steel, a noble Paladin with this skill is able to blind his enemies with the glory of the Light. After trading blows with the Paladin and facing the fire of righteousness burning in his eyes, an enemy will sometimes be struck with a divine epiphany and momentarily repent his past undertakings. So complete is the transformation, that the converted will turn to slay its former comrades.
Effect: A successful attack has a chance to convert the target to fight evil.
Player vs Player - This will not work on other Players.
- This skill will not work on Super Unique Monsters, Champions, and Bosses.
- Conversion allows you to steal Monsters and use them against other Monsters in the area. Consider stealing Monsters with special attacks like Lightning or Blizzard, to help you fight. Be warned that eventually conversion will wear off and you will be forced to destroy your new friend.
- You get experience for kills made by monsters you have converted.
- You do not get experience for those converted monsters that are killed while under your power. You do not get experience for any of your minions that are killed (Golems, Valkyries, Revived, Converted, Attracted, Confused, Skeletal Mages, Skeletons).
- Combining Conversion with Thorns makes a great way to get large numbers of monsters to kill themselves, however, once the Conversion wears off, your Thorns aura will remain on the monster for a second or two. If you hit the monster during this time (easy to do with Zeal) then you'll do massive damage to yourself.



Holy Shield
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Smite [1], Holy Bolt [6], Charge [12], Blessed hammer [18]

To a Paladin, the shield is a symbol of his faith. Particularly devout Paladins can channel their faith into their shields, bolstering its defensive value with holy energy. The purer his faith, the greater his defense.
Effect: Magically enhances shield to give defense bonuses.
Holy Shield increases Smite Damage for each point.
Holy Shield is not a Passive skill, it is similar to the Sorceress' Frozen Armor spells. To create a Holy Shield, cast the spell. It will last until it wears off which will be determined by how many skill points you have placed in Holy Shield.
Paladins who use Shields should consider this skill. Additional defense and increased blocking is always something to be desired, and this skill can still be used in combination with his Auras, and other Combat skills.
You may not want to use this skill in combination with the Thorns Aura. When using Thorns, you want the monsters to hit you so that they will be damaged by Thorns, however Holy Shield makes it more difficult for monsters to hit you.
Holy Shield is very useful to increase blocking on shields with low blocking. You may find a great rare, or unique shield with low blocking. The lack of blocking on the shield may make you think twice about using it, but with Holy Shield you can raise the chance to block and still use this shield.

Holy Shield Receives Bonuses From
Defiance: +15% Defense Per Level




Fist of the Heavens
Casting Delay: 1 Second
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Sacrifice [1], Holy Bolt [6], Zeal [12], Vengeance [18], Blessed Hammer [18], Conversion [24]

This spell allows the Paladin to summon the power of holy vengeance. Manifesting as lightning from the heavens, these bolts rain down from the sky, exploding into a thousand shafts of light that radiate outwards to banish the evil from the battlefield.
Effect: Lightning attack from the sky that releases Holy Bolts.
- Target a monster, and Fist of Heavens unleashes a Lightning Bolt from the Heavens. From the impact point, Holy Bolts spread out around the area.
- This skill is primarily useful against large collections of undead Monsters but also can be used against other monsters for the direct Lightning damage.
- Fist of the Heavens always hits.

Fist of the Heavens Receives Bonuses From
Holy Bolt: +15% Holy Bolt Damage Per Level
Holy Shock: +7% Lightning Damage Per Level