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"He is a natural party leader, holy man, and blessed warrior..." As the Diablo II description states, the Paladin is the ultimate party support. In multiplayer games, having a Paladin around is a must; his offensive and defensive auras affect the entire party (within a particular radius), certainly a bonus against the tougher monsters you'll face in multiplayer games. Some might think the Paladin isn't very strong on his own, but under the guidance of a patient, hotkey-adept player, the Paladin holds up well throughout the single-player game and can be more than just aura support in multiplayer games. Paladin's Attributes A Paladin should start with strength and dexterity to improve melee combat, which will start to pay strong dividends by the time you're implementing zeal and concentration. Put other spare points into vitality to keep your health and stamina high. Energy, though, isn't as important to the Paladin. While the combat skills require mana, the auras are all simply turned on and off and don't use mana upon activation. Thus, it's not as important to the Paladin to significantly increase the energy attribute, at least not until the higher levels, when the more powerful combat skills come into play. Most players could probably get by with an energy attribute of 30 to 40 and concentrate all other points on strength, dexterity, and vitality. For a multiplayer character where the Paladin will likely serve as party support, mana is even less needed as, for the most part, the Paladin will simply be using offensive and defensive auras to assist the party. The Paladin's Role The Paladin's wide array of auras makes him, arguably, Diablo II's most varied unit - certainly the most selfless unit. The auras affect the Paladin as well as any party members within range. In a multiplayer game, there's nothing more desirable than having a Paladin head into combat with you. Early on, the Paladin can use might and prayer to bolster attack and damage ratings and generate healing for the party. Later on, the elemental resistances prove essential against unique and specific bosses. And in the late game, spell casters and Barbarians heavily reliant on mana will praise your existence as you help them regenerate mana quicker with meditation. Successful use of the Paladin's auras can turn an average party into a formidable party. It's obviously worthwhile to recruit a Paladin player into your group, as the offensive and defensive auras can make difficult combat situations much easier by increasing damage and defense. Supporting the party doesn't mean the Paladin has to stand back while others fight. Once well equipped, the Paladin can stand up against Diablo II's tougher creatures, especially using offensive auras, such as holy freeze and shock. and combat skills, such as zeal in combination with concentration. TIP: The resistance skills (resist cold, resist fire, resist lightning), when active, boost the player's natural resistance to the particular element. While it's important to acquire each skill, some players may choose not to increase the skill beyond its first point. The reason is that once you reach level 30, you have access to the salvation skill, which decreases all elemental damage done to you and your party - it works like all these resists in one. Though you should acquire each resistance, save extra points for other auras and combat skills and improve salvation once you reach and pass level 30.
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