Paladin

"The Paladin is a battle-ready warrior for whom faith is a shield, and fights for what he believes to be right. His steadfastness gives him powers to bestow blessings to his friends and wreak cruel justice on foes. There are those who call the Paladin an overwrought zealot, but others recognize in him the strength and goodness of the Light."
—Class description

A Paladin

The Paladin is a playable class in Diablo II.

Lore

A Paladin

Paladins (a.k.a. "Knights of the Faith") use holy magic as gifted by the High Heavens. They maintain strictly ordered lives, constantly upholding the cause of Virtue and Light. They must never succumb to worldly temptations lest they risk being deceived into following "false lights" - demons masquerading as Heavenly beings. Paladins may use their skills to increase their prowess with sword and shield, as well as cast blessing "auras on themselves and to any who join them. They are particularly skilled against the undead, as they know many holy incantations effective against these types of creatures.

Numerous Paladin orders exist/have existed. What these orders share in common (in theory at least) is their devotion to the teachings of Akarat and spreading the Zakarum faith.

In-game

The Paladin is a playable class in Diablo II. He is a member of the Knights of Westmarch branch.

Skills

	Defensive Auras	Offensive Auras	Combat Skills
Level 1	Prayer, Resist Fire	Might	Sacrifice, Smite
Level 6	Defiance, Resist Cold	Holy Fire, Thorns	Holy Bolt
Level 12	Cleansing, Resist Lightning	Blessed Aim	Zeal, Charge
Level 18	Vigor	Holy Freeze, Concentration	Vengeance, Blessed Hammer
Level 24	Meditation	Holy Shock, Sanctuary	Conversion, Holy Shield
Level 30	Redemption, Salvation	Fanaticism, Conviction	Fist of the Heavens

Attributes

Paladin artwork

Starting Attributes

• Strength: 25
• Dexterity: 20
• Vitality: 25
• Energy: 15
• Hit Points: 55
• Stamina: 89
• Mana: 15

Level Up

• Hit Points +2
• Stamina +1
• Mana +1.5

Attribute Point Effect

• 1 Vitality point gives 3 Hit Points
• 1 Vitality point gives 1 Stamina
• 1 Energy point gives 1.5 Mana

Builds

Main article: Paladin builds

Paladin render

The Paladin has a variety of builds. It is one of the most adaptable classes having builds that are good for PvM (like Hammerdin) and builds that are good for PvP (like FoHer).

Quotes

In Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, characters can be heard saying things when they reach certain areas or initiate scripted events. The following information is a list of one-liners made by the Paladin:

Act I

(upon entering the Blood Moor): "I shall cleanse this wilderness."

(upon entering the Den of Evil): "Evil dwells within this cave."

(upon clearing the Den of Evil): "My duty here is done."

(upon entering the Burial Grounds): "This holy place has been desecrated."

(upon slaying Blood Raven): (mournfully) "Sisters, there was no other way."

(upon touching the Cairn Stones): "Maybe Akara could dispel the mysteries within these stones."

(upon touching the Tree of Inifuss): "This tree bristles with magic."

(upon reaching Tristram): "What a tragic end to Tristram."

(upon freeing Deckard Cain): "Deckard Cain, leave quickly!"

(upon entering the Forgotten Tower): "This tower shall be cleansed of evil."

(upon killing The Countess): "I've earned the right to this abandoned trove."

(upon entering the Monastery Gate): "Even the Light cannot pierce this gloom."

(upon retrieving the Horadric Malus): "This will help the Sisters turn the tide against evil."

(upon entering the Jail): "This is no place for a warrior to die."

(upon entering the Catacombs): "There is great evil here."

(upon defeating Andariel): "My work here is finished."

Act II

(upon killing Radament): "I pray that Atma will rest easy now."

(upon entering the Claw Viper Temple): "Light guide my way in this accursed place."

(upon shattering the Tainted Sun Altar): "The Light can never be extinguished by evil."

(upon entering the Arcane Sanctuary): "This surely is the product of a twisted mind."

(upon killing The Summoner): "Rest in peace, tortured soul."

(after killing Duriel and freeing Tyrael): "I should kill all three Prime Evils for the honor of Tal Rasha."

Act III

(upon obtaining the Jade Figurine): "Perhaps I could trade this for something more valuable."

(upon obtaining The Gidbinn): "This blade shall pierce the heart of evil."

(upon obtaining Lam Esen's Tome): "May the black book deliver us from evil."

(upon defeating the High Council of Zakarum): "The temple shall shine anew with the light."

(upon killing Mephisto): "The Lord of Hatred shall darken the world no more."

Act IV

(upon defeating Izual): "How can one who was once so holy fall so far from righteousness?"

(after slaying Diablo): "Let Diablo's death end the reign of the Three."

Act V (expansion only)

(upon entering the Bloody Foothills): "Baal. I'm coming for you."

(after slaying Shenk the Overseer): "Harrogath is free of your kind, demon."

(after freeing the last soldiers in the Frigid Highlands): "Follow me."

(upon entering Nihlathak's Temple): "By the Light, what is this place?"

(after defeating Nihlathak): "Nihlathak, what led you to this end?"

(upon reaching the Arreat Summit): "The Summit... the barbarian holy ground."

(upon entering the Worldstone Chamber): "The Worldstone... praise the Light."

(after slaying Baal): "Baal... you shall no longer taint this mortal realm."

Skills

Paladin Skills

Combat Skills — Sacrifice • Smite • Holy Bolt • Zeal • Charge • Vengeance • Blessed Hammer • Conversion • Holy Shield • Fist of the Heavens
Defensive Auras — Prayer • Resist Fire • Resist Cold • Resist Lightning • Defiance • Cleansing • Vigor • Meditation • Redemption • Salvation
Offensive Auras — Might • Holy Fire • Thorns • Blessed Aim • Concentration • Holy Freeze • Holy Shock • Sanctuary • Fanaticism • Conviction

Development

During development of Diablo II, the Paladin was a sub-class of the Fighter.

Known Paladins and Orders

A Paladin

Individuals

• Akarat
• Akkhan (left to found the Crusader Order)
• Fara (formerly)
• Hale
• Rakkis
• "The Paladin" (player character of Diablo II, member of the Knights of Westmarch)

Orders

A Paladin in prayer

• Hand of Zakarum (corrupted)
• Knights of Westmarch
• Order of Paladins (merged into the Knights of Westmarch)
• Protectors of the Word (defunct)

In addition, the Templar and Crusader Orders, while not Paladin orders per se, can trace their origins to the Hand of Zakarum (as can the Order of Paladins).