The Adventurers Paladin Class Guide

Paladin is the default-start hybrid frontliner in The Adventurers. You share the opening roster with Wizard and Cleric. Strength feeds slash and bash. Resolve feeds energy (ten per point) and the radiant half of the kit, including 1.0’s 25% magic damage bonus on Resolve. Lay On Hands converts energy into health. That is a self-and-ally sustain tool, not a reason to leave Cleric at home on a brutal map.

Paladin is tankier than Wizard and Cleric and more self-sufficient than Warrior when no healer is hired. Warrior still hits harder as a pure striker and is easier for brand-new players who only want Come At Me and Wide Swing. Paladin asks you to juggle Divine Fury (main attack +50%), Righteous Command (enemy attack −50%), and the heal line. For hex play, combat. For lineups, party comps and the tier list.

Role and primary stats

Role: frontline hybrid — smite, command, and modest healing. You occupy the first rank. Inspiring Presence boosts all allies’ attack power by 20%. Judgment’s Burden marks an enemy for 30% more damage. Guardian’s Grace places a protective shield with temporary health. You are the default tank because the game hands you this class first, not because Warrior is weak.

Primary stats: Strength and Resolve, split to taste. A smite Paladin leans Strength with enough Resolve to fuel Lay On Hands and Radiant Strike. A support Paladin leans Resolve so Lay On Hands, Radiant Renewal, and Guardian’s Grace have a bar to spend. Vitality is still your health pool at ten per point. Agility is block and parry spice.

Signature abilities by level

Default — Divine Fury (Bonus). Fills the Paladin with divine wrath, increasing main attack by 50%. Turn this on before you swing, not after you miss.

Level 2. Righteous Command (Bonus) lowers enemy attack by 50%. Smite Evil (Action) strikes an enemy with a radiant blow, dealing high damage and reducing their attack power by 20%. Lay On Hands (Action) touches an ally and converts energy into health. Early Paladin is already a three-button class: fury yourself, command the foe, hands on whoever is leaking.

Level 4. Inspiring Presence (Bonus) boosts all allies’ attack power by 20%. Blinding Light (Action) releases holy light dealing damage to all enemies in range. Purifying Touch (Action) heals an ally and removes a negative status effect. Presence is the party steroid. Purifying Touch is the cleanse Warrior’s Shake It Off is not ready to provide yet.

Level 6. Judgment’s Burden (Bonus) marks an enemy, increasing damage by 30%. Radiant Strike (Action) channels divine energy, dealing radiant damage with a chance to stun. Radiant Renewal (Action) places a healing over time spell on an ally. Mark plus Smite Evil is a boss package. Renewal is the HoT you apply when Cleric is busy with Divine Mending elsewhere.

Level 8. Holy Resolve (Bonus) makes you immune to debuffs and increases healing by 50%. Vengeance Burst (Action) releases a wave of radiant energy. Divine Sacrifice (Action) channels half health into an ally. Sacrifice is a real cost — half your health, not a flavor name. Use it when Cleric is out of range and Warrior is about to hit bleed-out, remembering Cleric cannot raise the dead.

Level 10. Oathkeeper’s Vow (Action) makes you immune to all negative status effects and increases healing received by 50%. Sacred Blade (Action) summons a blade of pure light, striking a single enemy for massive damage. Guardian’s Grace (Action) places a protective shield on an ally, granting temporary health. Late Paladin is a closer (Sacred Blade) and a bodyguard (Grace, Vow). Holy Resolve and Vow overlap on status immunity; you still want both if the map is a debuff factory.

Positioning

Front rank, same job as Warrior: hold the hex enemies must walk through. Blinding Light and Vengeance Burst want enemies in range, so do not hide three tiles back. Lay On Hands and Purifying Touch are touch tools — if Wizard Phase Shifted at the back, you either walk or let Cleric handle it. Divine Sacrifice’s half-health cost is safer when Cleric still has Mend Wounds for you afterward.

Party fit

Default Paladin + Wizard + Cleric is a complete loop: you hold, Wizard clumps, Cleric fully restores living allies. Adding Warrior makes a double frontline; give Warrior Reckless and keep Paladin on Righteous Command and Guardian’s Grace so both are not racing to 10% health. Archer Mark stacks with Judgment’s Burden — pick one mark per target. Thief Distract wants someone nearby to inherit threat; you are that someone. Druid and Warlock summons can fill side hexes you are not covering.

Paladin is honest: best default tank, real radiant damage, real but limited healing. It does not replace Cleric’s Divine Mending or Celestial Heal. It does replace Warrior if you only have one front seat and you want that seat to also Lay On Hands. If you hate splitting Strength and Resolve, hire Warrior and keep Paladin as a later recruit.

General ability suggestions

Shield Mastery for 10% more block. Armor Proficiency to cut the energy penalty of armor by 25%. Sanctified Core so Lay On Hands and Cleric beacons hit 25% harder on you. Tough S.O.B for 25% more max health, which also makes Divine Sacrifice less terrifying. Hard To Kill if you are the one who hits bleed-out first. Weapon Mastery Sword, Mace, or Flail. Inspired Fighter if you keep morale above 75%. Skip Quick Feet unless you are tired of walking to touch range.

Full eight-class list: Characters Hub. Support-seat comparison: Support Comparison. If you are deciding Paladin versus Warrior, read Warrior next and compare Come At Me to Righteous Command instead of inventing a third tank class.