Synergies.

[CelticHound]

BTW, from a peek at skills.txt, it seems to me that a single aura could have 6 shared aura attributes and 5 personal passive attributes.

I'm looking at getting back to basics. (Ack! I'm a fundamentalist!) The character selection screen and much if not all of the D2 artwork show the Paladin as the only character wearing armor. While the Barbarian, for example, is typically shown wearing nothing but a leopard-skin loincloth that he took after killing the original owner with his teeth* - the Paladin invariably wears plate and a carries a shield. From that, I draw the image that while the Barbarian may be the master of attack, the Paladin should be the defensive king. Secure in his faith, he can stand firm in the face of almost any assault, physical or magical. (Though he may not be able to do any damage in return.)

Yeah, I'll admit that the D2 system kinda destroys this notion, since the only way to advance in the game is to beat up the monsters and take their lunch money. And even a perfect defense does not an offense make.

Hmm, the basic principle behind the Holy Shield/Defiance relationship is the idea of defence and how the two things can reinforce in such a way that one can gain huge benefits from running Holy Shield and Defiance together.

As a synergy I don't see this as a senario to convince a Paladin to run any of the Resistance Auras. That's what I'd really like to see in this patch actually: A reason to actually turn those auras on, even if only situationally, that doesn't involve simply adding more unneeded resistance.

Well, if it's one of the three resist auras, what can you do, other than add absorb for the Paladin only? Adding damage undercuts the HolyFCL auras. Hmm, unless it was a reflector - like an elemental thorns - but most bosses would be immune to the reflection unless it was turned into a different kind of damage.

I can understand wanting the see the auras in use, but the other two original combat classes - the Amazon and the Barbarian - each have trees that they don't actually use once they place the points. Given that, I have no problem turning some the auras into defacto passives.

And besides, I like resists - especially ways to increase the maximums. I'm also still hung up on the idea of physical resists. How about Holy Shield gives 1% damage reduction / level to Defiance (Paladin only)?

Since the Paladin doesn't have the life enhancing skills of the Barbarian or the Druid, or the variety of ranged attacks of the Amazon, I'd like to see something done, and extreme defiance of all attacks might have an interesting flavor.

-- CH

*Thank you Terry Pratchett (I'm rereading "The Colour of Magic")