Classes
Paladin
Holy knight — heals, buffs, undead-slaying, flash stuns, and the deepest utility of any non-Bard class.
Paladin is the holy hybrid — a plate-armored knight who casts priest spells, lays healing hands once per rest, and stuns caster mobs through immunities most other classes can't touch. They tank second-best (after Warriors), heal second-best (after the priest classes), and carry the most group utility of any non-Bard class. The Paladin identity is complete role coverage. They main-tank single-mob camps, off-tank raid mobs, heal in emergencies, buff Symbol stacks, stun caster mobs, and Lay Hands a falling teammate to full HP on a real-time cooldown. No other class spans that range.
Role and identity
A Paladin exists to be the body that won't let a fight go bad. They tank with discipline-and-heal hybrid mitigation, then cover the cracks — the Wizard who pulled aggro, the Cleric who sat down at the wrong moment, the Monk whose Mend missed. Lay Hands is the safety net that makes any group with a Paladin survive one mistake per camp.
Class identity is devotion — to the deity, to the group, and to the slow grind of stun-and-tap that defines the Paladin's combat rhythm. Unlike the Warrior's pure mitigation, the Paladin contributes to every phase of a fight: burn opens with stuns, mid-fight with Symbol refresh, end-fight with Lay Hands or a Slay Undead crit.
Strengths
- Lay Hands — once per real-time rest, full-heal any target
- Stun line that bypasses most caster-mob immunity
- Slay Undead crits dominate undead zones (Hate, Kithicor, Mistmoore)
- Symbol HP buffs stack with Cleric Symbol stacks
- Self-heal sustain makes solo camps attrition-proof
- Plate-and-shield tanking against single-target raid bosses
Weaknesses
- Mana pool gates how much healing or stunning per fight
- Slow leveling early (mana + melee both budget-bound)
- DPS contribution lags melee classes
- Needs both melee and casting gear — itemization is split
- Stun is resisted by some boss-tier raid mobs
Solo, group, and raid
Solo
Stun-and-heal, or tank-with-self-buff. Slower than Druid, Necro, or Shaman solos, but attrition-proof. A Paladin rarely dies solo — Lay Hands is the always-in-pocket failsafe, and self-heal scaling keeps long camps viable. Undead-heavy zones become solo farms thanks to Slay Undead.
Group
Paladins fit every group. Melee groups get a DPS-tank. Caster groups get an off-tank and emergency healer. Undead-heavy zones treat Paladins as raid-DPS. Signature contribution is the Lay Hands save plus stun-locks on caster adds.
Raid
Paladin raid identity is off-tank, emergency healer, and undead crit-DPS. Slay Undead in Plane of Hate is a Paladin DPS showcase. AA priority is Combat Stability for tank duties, then Mana Conservation for sustained sub-healing, then the Paladin-specific Slay Undead and Holy Steed lines.
The Last Camp any-race-class combos
The big The Last Camp Paladin opens the canonically forbidden races. Iksar Paladin is the headline build — the regen tank with deity options that don't include Cazic-Thule, requiring a faction grind to Mithaniel Marr to pick up Symbol training. Dark Elf Paladin is the inverse build, a redeemed Teir'Dal carrying Marr's banner through Neriak's hostile faction map.
Troll Paladin stacks the highest racial HP regen onto plate, producing the most resilient solo Paladin in the game. Ogre Paladin brings frontal stun immunity to the holy knight for the first time, making the class viable as a true raid main tank against caster bosses where stun protection matters most. Halfling Paladin of Mithaniel Marr is the dexterity-and-shieldwall build, riposte-heavy and very small.
Spell / discipline highlights
Defining spells: Lay Hands (once-per-rest full heal), Symbol of Marzin / Ryltan / Naltron (group HP), Stun / Burst of Flame (caster mob lock), Flash of Light (stun-blind), Yaulp (self-buff opener), Soul Abrasion (lifetap line), and Slay Undead (crit chance vs undead). Discipline coverage is light compared to Warrior — Holyforge and Sanctuary are the era highlights.
AAs to prioritize
Combat Stability, Mana Conservation, and Spell Casting Reinforcement first. Then Slay Undead, Holy Steed, and Hastened Lay on Hands. Late-tier picks include Divine Stun and the Paladin-specific Improved Symbol line. Holy Steed unlocks summonable mount utility that scales across all of Norrath.
Leveling path summary
- 1-15: Starting city newbie yard. Build up Symbol line and stun.
- 15-30: Blackburrow, Najena, The Last Camp (good-side races). Undead starts mattering here.
- 30-45: Mistmoore, Sol B, Lower Guk, Kithicor at night.
- 45-60: Chardok, Karnor's, Sebilis. Slay Undead changes the parse.
- 60-65: PoP. Main-tank for some fights, off-tank for most, Slay Undead in Hate.
Notable gear by tier
Early Paladins prize Ghoulbane (Classic undead anchor), Soulsever (Kunark undead), and any 1H with stun proc. Kunark adds the Innoruuk's Holy Wrath chain and Iksar holy-faction weapons. Velious gives Coldain shield progression and Plane of Growth gear. PoP endgame is the Time priest-plate set and Firefall Bo Staff for 2H utility. Epic 1.0 Fiery Defender remains the iconic 1H stun-proc weapon.