So I was just messing around on test with my paladin and I realized that this spell no longer buffs parry either? Did paladin's lose both the parry and evasion buffs? I saw the reflex and defending which don't get me wrong, It's very nice. Just for being the defense prime guild only buffing a single defense makes me sad. Is it hiding in another spell I could not afford?

>Paladins are armor primary guild sir, get your facts straight.

Are facts the currency of these forums? My apologies.

Just with how many guilds get 2/3 or 3/3 defense skill buffs. I feel like paladin should be getting at least 2/3. And Parry/shield make sense.

-Zerreck Arkarm

The argument was having all 3 defenses on one spell, regardless of cost, was too much bang for a single cast. At the time I was annoyed and had trouble agreeing, fast forward a few months I can see the logic. At the upper end it works out to a net gain except for DFA.

As 3.1 draws closer to launch and some of the dev resources get a chance to shift gears I imagine we can request and have a reasonable chance to receive another spell to fill that niche for our non-shield using members. Till then I suggest taking up sorcery for the short term.

Samsaren

>>Maybe i am missing something, But I don't see how reflex (not in SOI) and defending work out as a gain at any point over a evasion and parry buffs, Both of which are in SOI.

I'll grant comparing 3.1 20% Evasion/Parry/Shield vs Shield/Defending/Reflex feels a bit meh, but it is what it is. I'm holding out hope of an eventual additional spell post 3.1 release to fill that hole a bit.

Samsaren

>>But that's also counter balanced by not wanting people to feel like they need like 8 buffs up at once as a baseline.

Alas - in an MMO community that will more or less always become the case. In combat if I CAN buff it, I'm going to. Defense wise to lower incoming damage to hunt longer to work more skills, Offense wise because well, yeah. PVP wise if I KNOW I'm going into a fight I'd rather throw up every possible defensive/offense boosting spell I can, even at the cost of wading into a fight manaless. A lot of this stems from a chunk of my offensive magical options being either pointless (magic tert vs at level) or cooldowns (Shatter required to fade before reapplied) or diminishing returns punishing rapidfire casts.

The flip side - jacking costs/resource management to the point of silliness from a thirst for balance can rapidly push things too far into the line of frustrating. Finding the balance point is a rough job, and one I do not envy.

Samsaren

How about replacing hand of justice with hand of evasiony or parry-y goodness. It doesn't have to make sense.

In all seriousness, offense is going down quite a bit in 3.1 from what I've experienced. Would love to have another defensive spell to compensate. The paladin guild's not my favorite because I like doing tons of damage, after all. Not to mention, DFA is awful without an evasion buff, truly a paladin killer; so bad I'd rather have a DFA ward than an evasion buff.

<<Cool, then give us a spell to decrease our armor hinderance even further and we won't need another spell to boost evasion or parry =)

<<--Just a Squire

This. And this:
<<Not to mention, DFA is awful without an evasion buff, truly a paladin killer; so bad I'd rather have a DFA ward than an evasion buff.


~~~
True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.

>Cool, then give us a spell to decrease our armor hinderance even further and we won't need another spell to boost evasion or parry =)

Out of curiosity, since my baby Paladin is only 40th and wearing steel gear, but do Paladins have hindrance? My guy is mixing four armor types and sitting at barely.

I see the light, and chain. Which of those pieces are which though? And can you give a rough rank estimate on that? It's an interesting mix.

>>I see the light, and chain. Which of those pieces are which though? And can you give a rough rank estimate on that? It's an interesting mix.

some insulated heavy ruazin wool pants Legs - Light armor 350~ ranks
a triple-reinforced vardite pavise shield stupidly hindering shield - 1k
some lumium lamellar vambraces Arms - Brig 850~
a lumium chain balaclava Head/eye/neck - Chain - 775~
some lumium lamellar gloves Hands - Brig
a damite heavy breastplate Chest - plate - 1k
a heavy damite backplate Back - plate
a damite heavy plate fauld Abdomen - plate

With the rank gaps they all lock and more or less the same rate, plate being the last to get anywhere usually. Long-term training I usually see arm or leg bleeders well before any other serious damage. Item appraisals are available on request, just shoot me an IM/Email.

Samsaren

Easier to swap pieces for managing training, easier to forge (I can't do damite half plate on my best day), far less vulnerable to naptha attacks, etc.

Samsaren

My armor setup:

Considering all the armor and shields you are wearing or carrying, you are currently lightly (4/14) hindered and your stealth is rather (8/14) hindered.

an engraved electrum-plated chain helm (Kanton's chain, no eyes)
a sculpted damite faceplate with silversteel inlays of the avatars of the Immortals (Altered HP mask covering the eyes)
some midnight black crusader's armor accented with a platinum etching of the Fruvous family crest on the breastplate (Altered old HP half plate)
a tarnished crusader's shield with a worn soulstone boss encircled by the pantheon of the Immortals (Altered vardite pavise shield)
some titanese battle gauntlets reinforced with damite plates inlaid with silversteel (Altered LA heavy titanese gloves)
some pockmarked silver-plated light plate greaves (Kanton's Brigandine)

With this setup I lock all armors, the lowest of which is over 600 ranks.

--Just a Squire

>>Jhaliascleric: Out of curiosity, since my baby Paladin is only 40th and wearing steel gear, but do Paladins have hindrance? My guy is mixing four armor types and sitting at barely.

Plate Armor: 597.29
Brigandine: 584.66
Chain Armor: 559.72
Light Armor: 326.87

---

My heavy plate setup (the barbute and tonlet armor are altered Relayer-forged steel):

a damite tower shield
a winged barbute with a conical crown
a luminous suit of tonlet armor with winged pauldrons
some damite heavy plate gauntlets

But considering all the armor and shields you are wearing or carrying, you are currently lightly (4/14) hindered and your stealth is highly (10/14) hindered.

---

My mixed armor setup (I swap between chain and bone greaves to keep my armor skills moving):

a damite tower shield
a silver-edged helm (steel brigandine)
some gleaming silver plate (steel plate)
some lumium mail gloves
a pair of articulated ivory greaves (bone)

But considering all the armor and shields you are wearing or carrying, you are currently insignificantly (3/14) hindered and your stealth is rather (8/14) hindered.

---

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall rank!

Vote for DragonRealms on Top MUD Sites: http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html

Could anyone recommend a store based mix that would work? I'd like to train every armor on my paladin, but don't have the mad $$ to do it. I'm actually flat broke right now I think, a few gold on me.

<<Could anyone recommend a store based mix that would work? I'd like to train every armor on my paladin, but don't have the mad $$ to do it. I'm actually flat broke right now I think, a few gold on me. >>

Should be able to get all of this from Tembeg's:

Half Plate (HP)
Scale Greaves (Brig)
Chain balaclava (Chain - duh)
Leather gloves (LA)

For guildies, I will pound out any armor for free provided you find me in game, provide the materials, and keep me company while I'm doing it. So if you can scrounge up a steel ingot (which is easy to make), come find me.

--Just a Squire

>>For guildies, I will pound out any armor for free provided you find me in game, provide the materials, and keep me company while I'm doing it. So if you can scrounge up a steel ingot (which is easy to make), come find me.
>>--Just a Squire

Same - though I'm betting Lennon's easier to find.

Samsaren

I'll look someone up sooner or later. I've actually got a similar mix already, just didn't think of using greaves for brig, duh.

Thanks all.