Essential skills?

[Cold_Stele]

Pre U19 player returning and jumping on the Pally bandwagon... What skills are essential now?

UMD (ofc)
Concentration & Heal for fleshies?

There's no requirement to take Intimidate is there?

Anything else?

[Paleus]

Pre U19 player returning and jumping on the Pally bandwagon... What skills are essential now?

UMD (ofc)
Concentration & Heal for fleshies?

There's no requirement to take Intimidate is there?

Anything else?

UMD and Heal for fleshies are probably good enough to worry about. With concentration you'll honestly probably get hit too hard for it to matter, and be using quicken/LOH anyway. With intimidate I'm thinking probably not unless you're really building for it for some reason. Even then, in almost 99% of content you'll play people aren't using aggro management techniquies, preferring for the everyone's their own steamroller approach instead.

You may, and this is certainly a big if, want to consider spell-craft depending on what EDs you use, but the net benefit of that being cross-classed and of limited true use may mean you'd forgo it on a low skill point build.

[Enoach]

UMD and Heal for fleshies are probably good enough to worry about. With concentration you'll honestly probably get hit too hard for it to matter, and be using quicken/LOH anyway. With intimidate I'm thinking probably not unless you're really building for it for some reason. Even then, in almost 99% of content you'll play people aren't using aggro management techniquies, preferring for the everyone's their own steamroller approach instead.

You may, and this is certainly a big if, want to consider spell-craft depending on what EDs you use, but the net benefit of that being cross-classed and of limited true use may mean you'd forgo it on a low skill point build.

As a long time paladin player I will have to disagree with the concentration not being an option, depending on PRR/MRR ratings much of the incoming damage is reduced to levels where concentration will still allow for success with other times using timing to avoid the higher damage as well as use LoH during heavy damage spikes - Keep in mind it is based on the individual damage not on an accumulation.

You have to weigh between available skill points and feats. Paladin class in general gets a very limited feat selection and while Quicken does help with cure spells if they are not boosted properly it could still not work out. I actually recommend Empower Healing and concentration over Quicken myself.

Skills I find valuable for a Paladin (not in any particular order)
Heal
Concentration
Balance - When you are on your back your DPS is reduced the sooner you get back on your feet the better
Use Magical Device
Diplomacy - Also a good way to give you a moment to use spell/scroll healing
Bluff - Pull or to open up Sneak attack damage
Spot

[Fedora1]

I actually recommend Empower Healing and concentration over Quicken myself.

I agree.

Since concentrate is a class skill, and UMD uses charisma, these are my two choices for a paladin, especially since a pally needs STR, CON, and CHA as primary stats. INT usually ends up between 8-12, not a lot of skill points there.

As another poster noted, intimidate is not generaly used in typical pugs, everyone is supposed to BYOH and run through everything. After UMD and concentrate I usually toss any left over points into balance. You won't have much (if any) left over after those three skills, so no need to go any deeper in your choices.

[Wipey]

I liked Intimidate while levelling Pally last few weeks. Something like 60 + is pretty effective against lot of trash.
Great for quests like Vol or Friends in low places or Lesson. I would just run, grab all mobs with Intim, Consecration, Cleaves and Strike Down.
Pretty effective for many reasons. "Passive" Torcing, Consecration effectiveness, grouping mobs for aoes and absorbing brunt of the attacks with tankiness.
Super cool to play a Wizard or Cleric in Vol for example when you get a guy that can just run ahead and get attention of all mobs first. Promptly followed by Mass Hold, eBursts and Divine Wrath while melees finish of survivors. Then move to next room.
Or Implo > Comet > Sunburst > Wrath or Positive burst against groups of Undead or Golems. Heck even Shadarkai or Orcs now I love playing in groups like that - it's like moving ball of death that is easy to buff, easy to heal, easy to cc for.

Divine Righteousness too. Magma Brutes, those Vol Deathknights or Cinderspawns. Can put uber tankiness to good use.

Oh well got carried away, tl;dr Intim ( but not only ) for mob herding ftw.

[Tobril]

In order of importance: (presuming cocoon, lay on hands, other destiny powers, and cure spells are the primary healing)

UMD
Heal (repair if bladeforged)
Concentration (mainly if you scroll heal and/or don’t have quicken, you could do without if needed)
Intimidate (only if it fits your style of play)
Jump (leftovers to help while leveling, can be ignored if you’re OK with using consumables/buffs until high enough STR to hit 40 jump)
1 tumble (optional because it’s fun, can also be pretty useful with Unearthly Reactions)


Quicken > Empower Heal, though I would take both if possible.
(without quicken concentration is more important)


My choices are made with EE’s in mind and the knowledge that
a combination of the threat levels (both number and severity of monsters)
and my own reaction time requires the use of quicken.

[Lonnbeimnech]

In higher difficulty settings it is impossible to get concentration high enough to matter, if you get hit for 150 damage you would need 131 concentration to have even a 5% chance of making the check. just get quicken if you plan to use cure spells. Cocoon is a spell like ability and is thus not required to make a concentration check, neither is loh.

heal, if you max it out is 23 positive spell power more than if you put nothing in it. This offers a very marginal difference, assuming you invest in positive heal power slot a devotion augment etc.

honestly none of the skills matter all that much to a paladin except umd and a point in tumble.

[Ralmeth]

Paladins can benefit from UMD, intimidate, concentration, heal, as well as some points thrown into balance at low levels, and jump if you have any extra points...

The question is, at what point of the game are you going to be focusing on? That will determine which skills are more important for you. Personally, I like to make sure I have UMD, intimidate & concentration maxed and any extra points can go to the other skills. Traditionally I always liked points into balance, but with the new tier 1 Vanguard enhancement "Armor Training" this could be a great substitute.