If you guys are in the process of developing Paladin;

ysil6969

Can you guys please just give us the option to use 2h, or sword and shield? It should have been implemented with the fighter, instead of trying to break them up into two different classes that don't make any sense. It just makes more sense to give us the option to choose between the two. Give us the regular trees for dps, tanking, and I'm assuming support. I'd hate to be shoe horned into a sword and board paladin.

Seeing as how there's both sets of weapons in the game this shouldn't be all that difficult.

bioshrike

Frankly, unless switching between 2H and sword + shield is the class mechanic, I find this unlikely to happen; It would require they either create separate animations for all the at-wills and encounter powers, or shoehorn both weapon attacks into unsightly generic animations.

What would be cool is if they used "hand and a half" weapons, with the shield as your offhand, and allowed us to switch from a defensive stance (with shield out) to an offensive one, with the shield on your back. Now let's imagine that all Paladin powers had an offensive and defensive component, and changing stances simply shifted the amount of bonus each power granted (more damage/debuffs for having just the weapon out, more buffs/healing for having the shield out).

psychicslug

I see the paladin being a sword and shield with spell casting of course, or what I favor is a variation on the Guardian Fighter and Great Weapon Fighter classes. Like a path at first level that would change the basic abilities and choices of the class, but as they have not done this they will more than likely make a whole class with just sword and shield.

bernatk

Paladin is basically a sword and board class. From level 2 you can choose special fighting style like great weapon fighting (2-handed melee wep) or dueling (1 hand + no offhand wep). (PHB pg. 84)

So I'm pretty sure if we ever get a pala class it will be defensive sword and shield fighter. Of course with auras and some minor cleric spells.

ysil6969

bioshrike wrote: »

Frankly, unless switching between 2H and sword + shield is the class mechanic, I find this unlikely to happen; It would require they either create separate animations for all the at-wills and encounter powers, or shoehorn both weapon attacks into unsightly generic animations.

What would be cool is if they used "hand and a half" weapons, with the shield as your offhand, and allowed us to switch from a defensive stance (with shield out) to an offensive one, with the shield on your back. Now let's imagine that all Paladin powers had an offensive and defensive component, and changing stances simply shifted the amount of bonus each power granted (more damage/debuffs for having just the weapon out, more buffs/healing for having the shield out).

That is a great idea. Plus it gives me nostalgia remembering Baldurs Gate and Ajantis running around with a ******* sword. Paragon paths would make the paladin focus on which path they'd like to pursue farther. I'd just prefer being able to be a 2h avenging paladin instead of being forced to be a protective paladin. GF was boring enough until recently, don't need a second GF. And I'd rather it not end up like DC, where we thought we were going to get a second spec sooner then later for war priest. Can't see that happening now.

Even then though, making animations usable in both forms wouldn't really be that hard. A lot of the animations are already in the game for GWF and GF. Add in some casting animations and you'd be all set. But if I had the choice I'd definitely go your route.

Edit: I'm confused how Paladin is sword and board if it has a Great weapon option? In 5e it has the GWF weapon style option. In 4e Avenging Paladin is recommended to take a 2h weapon. So either way Paladin is both a GWF (offensive) or Sword and Board (Defensive) and it's always been a very versatile class. Like fighter used to be -,-

k3ll0

bio's idea sounds rather like the unholy offspring of the GWF/GF weapons and the HR stance switch.:p
Not a bad concept, though. The shield doesn't even need to go to the back, it could just be slung passively from the shoulder to provide reduced benefit - IRL this wasn't an unusual thing to do, all the more so as most shields came with a neck-strap (properly termed guige) for carrying by default.

hercules125

I've always played Paladin as a 2-hander, and reserved sword+board play for my warriors in other games.

Regardless what they do, I'm really hoping they make it a tankish type class with auras that buff the rest of the team.

ysil6969

I think it depends on if they're going 4th or 5th edition. I'm assuming they'll stick with 4th. Which means paladin auras will be aoe buff/debuff powers.