AA advice for Paladin/Wizard duo

[Icarium]

The title says it all really. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />I'm looking for some advice on how to spend my AAs in both trees. I'm very<i> </i>green with the Paladin, and would rather avoid learning the hard way if possible. I intend on soloing a fair bit, but duoing with my gf (who's a Wizard) in about equal amounts. In later levels I will be duoing with my gf almost exclusively (rather than soloing). Any advice on AAs and character traits for a Pally in these circumstance would be GREATLY appreciated. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />PS: I'm really not clear on which attributes are key for me either. I've had it suggested that str,stam, and wis were the important ones, but then int, str, and stam were touted as integral by another. It would be great if I could get some clarification there too (with reference to my circumstances, in particular).~Brukhalian

[DVang]

<p>I run a paladin and my wife runs a Wizard.  I almost exclusively duo with her, with only the occasional group.</p><p>I am level 60, but we didn't get EoF or RoK until recently, so I don't have too many AA's yet (about 30 so far).  However, I went down the STR line through the end and have not regretted it.  </p><p> STR gives damage plus power for paladins.  Swift Axe is nice for the haste increase (more hits = more aggro), as well as the +speed and +hate later in the line.  The ending Avenger Title is nice with the 10% reuse / recovery bonus (to more quickly recast those taunts/heals/ward).  Now I am working the Paladin Heal line increasing my heals and ward reuse, then I will move down the Hero line to get the shield block bonus.</p><p>In a duo with a wizard, maintaining aggro and keeping heals up with incoming damage are your primary concern.  She'll be able to kill them pretty well on her own.  I've found Paladin taunts are a bit weak in general (due to the ToT nature) unless your GF plays her wizard conservatively and waits to start doing damage.  If she's like my wife she's blasting from the get go (admittedly, she does usually wait a little bit before laying down the big nukes) so the additional hate generated from the STR line has helped tremendously.</p><p> The other line I'd consider is WIS, for power and bonus to wards and health regen (I expect I'll head that way after the Hero line).</p><p>As far as paladins in general:  STR and WIS both provide power.  STR also increases your melee damage (and hence your aggro), STA affects your health amount, WIS also increases your resistances.  INT affects your spell damage (you do get a few damaging spells), and AGI affects your defensive abilities (dodge).  So, really all stats are nice to have.  </p><p>Personally, I went STR->WIS->STA->AGI->->INT.   More power means more wards and heals to me, and STR and WIS do double-duty getting power as well as +damage and +resist.  However, extra health from STA means you need fewer heals, and AGI is nice to avoid needing to heal.  I didn't feel I needed INT, as doing damage was rarely going to be my main concern. </p>

[Karlen]

On the Paladin tab, the upgrades for the single heal, the ward and the raid armament AAs are all very nice and will improve your survivability.The WIS line includes a very nice group skill boost which will help both the paladin and wizard land their hits/spells.

[Tames]

<p>Go for Crusader DPS over Wis AA, the +skills doesnt make much difference and is nerfed for orange mobs anyway <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p><p>Fear "Immunity" is good if you dont have someone to cure it but you have paid 22AA to get it and the other benefits are very poor.</p><p>For Pal AA I went Hero, Smite, and Cure. Faster Ward and Intercede is possible with this mix also.</p>

[Boethius_Permafrost]

Int line for spell crits is the first priority.  This includes procs and damage shields. Damage is not your primary concern while you are playing, but it should still be important to you.  However, when you choose your achivements, it should be the primary concern.Agro should be completely trivial in a duo once you have amends at 49. And it will be if you're doing any damage.ps: I'm usually a big fan of the wisdom line, although it's parked on the mirror in my house, for now.  But its main strength is for a leveling group.  Not a duo.  Two people is not enough to benefit from its group buffs.

[DVang]

<p>I would have to slightly disagree with the previous post</p><p>Wizards do so much damage that keeping aggro is not a given.  My wife can still draw aggro from me occasionally, and did often before I spent AA in the STR route, even when she was trying to be careful.  That was with Amends at Adept 3.  Now, with the boost in DPS and +hate from the STR line I can keep aggro pretty much all the time as long as she doesn't lead with her biggies (Ice Comet, for example).  Duoing with a wizard, the only real need for dps/damage for the paladin is to help keep aggro.  You're better off using your abilities to keep aggro, keep yourself alive, and occasionally stun than trying to max out your damage (which will end up insignificant compared to the wizard's damage anyway).  </p>

[Icarium]

Thanks for the advice, folks. Much appreciated. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />At the moment I am planning on (and have begun) focusing on the INT, STA, and STR lines on the Crusader tree. I need at least a respectable DPS until I am no longer soloing so much.