Paladin: Getting out LoH and Buffs Faster

[Torm51]

So this is an issue I have always had and I am trying to eliminate it.  I like playing my Paladin as a front liner.  This is seems to be counter intuitive to handing out a quick Lay on Hands or Exhortation.  He has to wear at the very least a breast plate.  At the start of the game you want Plate.  Which means he is going to be slow.  One way I get by the slowness is by anticipating bang debuffs.  I just don't engage and Liberating on a party member.  The issue is when a front liner needs a quick Lay on Hands mid fight.  I am wearing plate and sometimes do not get the heal off on time....this is frustrating.  Also if I take a bad debuff mid fight a Liberating Exhortation seems to take ages lol.....

 

I just do not see a solution other then just making a front line paladin a tank/alpha striker and leaving buffs and heals to a back line type Paladin who can wear lighter armor.  Any suggestions?  Its hard to take a crap ton of DEX on a front line paladin when you play PotD.  You need Might, Int, Per so you can hit stuff on Alpha strikes..Arguable you don't need PER I guess as FoD has a +20 plus Sworn Enemy and Weapon Focus is enough...Maybe drop 15 PER and take a 15 DEX?  Will I be that much faster in Plate with 15 DEX?

 

Also I play expert mode so no recovery bars.

Edited August 17, 2017 by Torm51

[MaxQuest]

Applying LoH or Exhortation takes long mostly when paladin is in a long recovery from previous action. I would advice taking a fast one-handed weapon (even more so if it's a rapier or stiletto) and drop Cautious Attack modal.

 

P.S. Imho you don't need more than 12 DEX. Provided there are other importatnt stats to spend points in, 8-10 DEX should be enough.

[Natures Bounty]

LoH is just painfully slow, no matter your dex. i know that this is a matter of taste, but i think that LoH is one of the worst abilities in the game. i would go for passive healing sources: take veterans recovery on your tanks, if they have enough might and int. choose ancient memory on your chanter. if you combine that with items that increase healing rate, or take the survival bonus for the healing rate, you will regenerate endurance very quickly. if you play a kind wayfarer paladin, strange mercy can be quite good and is also a passive apassive talent

[Boeroer]

I like LoH. With enough INT it lasts quite a while. The trick is to cast it before the recipient gets pummeled too hard. I cast it in foresight. And if it was wasted who cares? It's 2 per encounter. And better waste one use of LoH than being too slow and a party member bites the dust.

 

High DEX shortens long casts of course. So it helps with the casting time of LoH. And it's the only thing that does. Recovery shouldn't be your problem (if you don't spam your useless auto-attacks all the time right before you need to cast LoH). Once LoH is out it's not a big problem if a huge chunk of recovery follows. The casting time is what prevents you from using it as an emergency button. And that is not altered by plate or anything. Only DEX.

 

But it's true: once you do the things Natures Bounty mentioned you don't need LoH a lot. Regenerating is basically healing with no casting time and no recovery which makes it so effective. The downside is a bit of wasted healing here and there.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Boeroer

[Torm51]

So ya that's pretty much how I remedy the painfully slow cast time.  I cast early its just over heal sometimes.  The time I try and wait its too late....so better to go with the over heal.  Back to my MMO Holy Paladin days....