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Once acquired, zeal will likely become your Paladin's primary attack. Zeal lets multiple adjacent monsters be hit in a single attack. Increasing the zeal skill increases your attack rating (5 percent with each level, starting at 10 percent) and adds an additional hit (starting at 2). Also, zeal doesn't cost much mana - only 2 - so, even using zeal frequently, you won't have to pour a lot of attribute points into energy. Hoard mana potions to use as needed and seek out mana steal weapons (or skulls to use in a socketed hand-to-hand weapon). Zeal works well in combination with concentration, an offensive aura that increases damage done and decreases the chance that the attack will be interrupted. This lets zeal function with little or no interruption, increasing successful hits and, subsequently, damage dealt. Each point into the concentration skill increases damage, not the interrupt chance, but the added damage will only benefit zeal and its increased attack. Also, zeal performs well with might, an offensive aura that increases the damage done by you and your party. However, skill point for skill point, concentration elevates the damage potential higher, though carries a higher prerequisite level and higher prerequisite skills. Zeal and concentration will serve you well against the tough bosses you'll face late in the game. You must concentrate on switching auras as needed, though; specifically the elemental resistance. For instance, Diablo attacks primarily with a fire and lightning attack. Prepare your resist fire and resist lightning auras and use them as needed. With resist lightning, the Paladin actually has a better chance of surviving Diablo's vicious lightning attack than even a sturdy Barbarian. Hotkeys: A Must for the Paladin Get used to the function keys (F1-F8) and get used to them quickly! Managing the hotkeys is essential for a successful Paladin, whether you're emphasizing single- or multiplay. Most of the Paladin's offensive and defensive auras work best in particular situations. For instance, switch to resist fire against fire-enchanted enemies and resist cold against cold-enchanted enemies. By assigning these auras to a function key, you can quickly load them into your right mouse button and activate the aura in a second. You'll want to switch offensive auras as frequently, so you can use holy fire, holy freeze, and holy shock as desired. During melee combat (and using zeal), you'll want to switch to concentration and gain its damage and attack bonuses. This constant switching could be overwhelming unless you learn to use the hotkeys and memorize what you've placed in each. You could assign offensive skills to the first four function keys and defensive skills to the second four or vice versa. Be prepared to have a hand near the function keys at all times, usually conveniently positioned over the number keys, which you'll press to use belt items such as healing, mana, and rejuvenation potions as well as town portal scrolls.
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