Posted by Nepenthe(IMM) on March 6, 2000 at 16:37:38:
If I can be bothered to unslothify myself to comment on the poor conduct of a paladin, I s'pose I can be bothered to comment on the deathfullness of the paladin class in general.
Paladins have gone longer than almost any class without significant changes. This does mean that in some respects paladin strategy isn't currently as broad and varied a subject as strategy for other classes has become. (Raise your hand if you remember way back in the old, old days when warriors could do exactly five different things in a fight?) I still wouldn't call them soccermomlian.
Without going into advanced elitist-style specifics that I'd be forced to cloak in frustrating levels of vagueness, I'll make a few points about less obvious strengths of the paladin class:
1) Paladins compare favorably to the other classes at all levels.
2) Paladins are (relatively) easy to level.
3) Paladins are good for exploration, either alone or with a group. To go it alone well you'd need to practice lore to 90%+, but that's just one skill. The advantages of exploring could be a whole other post.
4) Paladins are easy characters to equip quickly, even alone. Scratch the unicorn pendant and blademaster's gloves and I could take (and have taken) a hero paladin from naked to equipment as good as Everntien had in an hour.
5) Pills and potions -- the same things that help warriors, thieves, etc. in a fight will help a paladin.
6) Paladins are one of the better group/backup/support classes. This is the single greatest advantage paladins have over the evil classes. In several ways, their communes and skills (used well) magnify the power of every other person in their group. This topic could also be a whole other post.
7) Communing vs. spellcasting.