4th Edition D&D Paladin Defending Tips

The paladin is unique among defenders for two reasons. A majority of paladin powers either heal or provide bonuses to allies and paladins are the only defender that can punish a marked enemy with using an immediate action. In fact, a paladin's mark can punish an enemy while the paladin is unable to act. Compared to other defenders, paladins have a high AC, high hit points, average damage, and the hardest mark to maintain. Presented are some tips for effectively defending as a paladin.

Ranged Weapon - As a paladin, to maintain your mark against an enemy, you need to either end your turn next to it or have attacked it on your turn. In order to maintain a mark against an enemy that has fled, you will want to have an at-will ranged weapon that you can use against it.

Divine Sanction - In addition to the divine challenge, paladin's have many powers that put a mark called a divine sanction on an enemy. Since you can only have one enemy marked by your divine challenge, use divine sanction powers on other enemies in order to maintain multiple marks. Just be careful to end your turn next to whatever enemy is affected by your divine challenge.

Enter the Fray - Because you can only have one enemy affected by your divine challenge, one of the best ways to defend against multiple enemies is to move adjacent to as many as possible. This will maintain your divine challenge and threaten opportunity attacks against other enemies. Your high AC and hit points will protect you from the brunt of the attacks.

Lay on Hands - Assuming you have the lay on hands power, you should, whenever possible, try to use it on an ally, rather than yourself. Because you spend the healing surge when the power is used, the power acts as retroactive defending when used on an ally.

Avoid Stun - Unless the target of your divine challenge can't move, stun is the most devastating status effect that you can be affected by. While stunned, you can't attack or move in order to maintain your divine challenge. If your divine challenge isn't maintained, you can't reapply it for an entire round.

Following these simple tips, you will be a more effective defender as a paladin. When playing a paladin, you should try to balance your role as defender and leader. You are primarily a defender, but your leader-like abilities should be used as support for your defender role. The most effective moments for any paladin will be against enemies that are vulnerable to radiant damage.