Protection
The paladin’s tools of war lay bare their motivations. Clenched in one hand is the weapon, a deadly device for exacting righteous judgment. Locked in the other hand is the shield, a symbolic and literal barrier protecting good from evil. Stalwart and steadfast, these protectors are ardent defenders of the Light and all that it touches, and are rejuvenated by its radiance in return. So dedicated they are to their cause that they consecrate the very ground upon which they battle corruption.
"Stalwart and steadfast, these protectors are ardent defenders of the Light" Gameplay
The Protection Paladin arsenal is already closely aligned with its theme. The primary change is the removal of Holy Power, which didn’t have a lot of depth and mostly amounted to limiting use of only a couple of abilities. Instead, these abilities now have cooldowns to allow for better interaction with other abilities.
We’re also addressing an awkward control issue with Crusader Strike and Hammer of the Righteous. To improve control and depth, instead of two functionally identical (apart from the AoE) abilities, we’ve switched to one that conditionally triggers the AoE while standing in Consecration. Judgment is a good example of an ability that is staying simple—baseline—so as to provide a strong platform for talents and other effects to build upon. For defensive buttons, we’ve replaced Word of Glory with a self-focused spell, Light of the Protector, allowing it to be much more interesting and impactful.
To give you an idea of the Protection Paladin in action, here’s a basic look at their core combat abilities:
Defensive
Shield of the Righteous
Melee Range, Instant, 12 sec recharge, 3 charges
Instantly slam the target with your shield, causing huge Holy damage, and reducing damage you take by 25% for 4.5 sec.
Light of the Protector
Instant, 15 sec cooldown
Calls down the Light to heal yourself for 50% of your missing health.
Redoubt
Passive
Your autoattack critical strikes cause you to gain a charge of Shield of the Righteous or Light of the Protector.
Mastery: Divine Bulwark
Increases the damage reduction of your Shield of the Righteous by 10% (with Mastery from typical gear), and increases your chance to block melee attacks by 20% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Also increases your attack power by 20% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Offensive
Avenger’s Shield
30 yd range, Instant, 15 sec cooldown
Hurls your shield at an enemy target, dealing strong Holy damage, interrupting and silencing the target for 3 sec, and then jumping to 2 additional nearby enemies.
Also increases the effects of your next Shield of the Righteous or Light of the Protector by 20%.
Hammer of the Righteous
Melee Range, Instant, 3 sec recharge, 2 charges
Hammer the current target for moderate Physical damage.
If you are standing in your Consecration, Hammer of the Righteous also causes a wave of light that hits all other targets within 8 yds for minor Holy damage.
Grand Crusader
Passive
When you avoid a melee attack or use Hammer of the Righteous, you have a 15% chance of refreshing the cooldown on Avenger’s Shield
Judgment
30 yd range, Instant, 6 sec cooldown
Judge an enemy, dealing strong Holy damage.
Consecration
Instant, 9 sec cooldown
Consecrates the land beneath you, causing strong Holy damage over 9 sec to enemies who enter the area.
Additionally, to provide a glimpse at how some talents may build upon this, here’s one example of a Protection-specific talent:
Blessed Hammer
Instant, 3 sec recharge, 2 charges
Throw a divine hammer that spirals outward from the Paladin, dealing moderate Holy damage to enemies it
passes through.
Replaces Hammer of the Righteous