Differences between a Paladin and Cleric at 105

Hoping some vets can shine some light on this. Over time it seems like Paladin's ability to heal has risen so high, and Clerics ability to take damage and aggro mobs (ie "Battle Cleric") has also risen equally.

Where is the line drawn between these two classes? What can one do well that the other can't, specifically for group and solo content?

Having a hard time understanding the differences between these 2 classes.

There are huge, huge differences in these two classes and what you think they are doing VS what they are really doing.

... which are?

Sustainability and efficiency.

One of these classes gets Act of Valor.

So you're saying there isn't much difference?

Well, I'm no expert (couldn't ever get a paladin past level 11 without the heroic option - aka it's not my thing).

• Paladin AA's allow them several things that clerics don't have - snare and slow for one thing (on undead mobs).

• Paladin ability to maintain aggro and take damage is much better than clerics. They are more likely to get their spells off when being hit versus a cleric (shorter cast times, stun protection in some cases, higher AC, etc.)

• Clerics ability to heal in any situation is much better than paladins. Clerics get 2 AA's that allow them incredible DPS on undead (every 15 min when asking for the maximum DPS they can do on undead), but then once used their regular DPS (melee and spell) will put them behind paladins.

This is the important part.

While clerics get superior healing, mobbing abilities due to reverse ds healing and ae damage, ability to wear plate and all, only Paladins have the ability to use a meta-game changing ability like what Act of Valor is. It's only through the use of this ability can we do what other classes can only accomplish using external assistance (something that fully buffed clerics might have a hard time trying to accomplish at times, even).

Don't forget also - clerics don't ride unicorns.

Raptor,

If you look at the two classes generally, you end up with a pretty good question, "which is better?" Both are "holy rollers." Both wear plate. Both can heal.

Paladins are knights. They are a melee, damage first followed by a heal. They have better defense stats, better mitigation. This goes down to equipment that they wear and the alternate abilities that they receive. Paladin healing is pretty solid. It has all the types of healing: fast, heal-over-time, group, regular, and cure related.

Link talking about defense and how things work out. https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/armor-class-and-you.160/

Clerics are priests. They are heal first followed by melee/damage second. They are aligned to healing through spells, AA, and gear. They are the best healing class in the game. They can melee and damage but is not like a paladin. This does not mean that they are trivial either. The cleric healing spells are more mana efficient and heal for more. With their healing AAs, the healing spells heal for far more than listed so, when comparing the two side by side remember that.

Which can one do that the other can not? Really nothing ....to confuse you more . For simplicity, Paladins tank. Clerics heal. This is what they do best but not all they can do.

Rykard

Disclaimer: I have played a cleric to 100 but, have only played a paladin to 96. I, however, still think the post holds true.

I've read quite a few pretty stupid posts on these forums in all these years, but this has got to be up there among the must dumb.

If you need help figuring out the difference between them, next time on raids - convince your raid leader to have the cleric main tank and the paladin be main healers.
See how that works for ya.

Wha??? This was a real post?

Well then here is my 2 cents ....

A cleric is the guy you want to bless you when you are getting ready to go save the princess in the tower.

A paladin is the guy saving the princess.

I'm not sure why I'm getting such hostile responses. I feel like I made it pretty clear I was talking about group and solo content.

From the outside it's really hard to figure out what exactly the differences are between certain classes, because of the ten thousand plus AAs and 105 levels of spells that from the outside appear to do very similar things (heal, gain aggro, etc.) Yes, I understand that Paladins are tanks and Clerics are healers. But I've got 15 years of forum posts that show up in my Google searches that say Clerics can tank such and such and Paladins can be main healer for group content that is making it hard to differentiate the two.

Hence, why I was asking the question.

Some of the responses here have put a pretty bad taste in my mouth. Which is a shame, because now I'm not sure I even want to come back to the game.

Treat others like you wished to be treated. Apparently some of you want to be treated like crap.

It is never a bad thing to seek knowledge. However, you posted a question that is common knowledge for people who have been playing this game for a decent amount of time. I think you are receiving hostility because of where you posted this (could have gone in newbie forums). Also a search of the forums in general or even googling your question can come up with similar posts.

As for the pally/cleric thing- it's a question of what role you want to fill. Paladins are primary off tanks (raid) and can main tank group content well providing splash healing and cures and having great group/self durability. Clerics are the class best suited to keeping main tanks alive in raid content and tend to be the best overall healing class while sacrificing utility to shaman and Druids while gaining the ability to take a few more hits than the other priests.

Don't let these forums alter your decision to come back to the game. They aren't an accurate representation of the actual game landscape (for the most part). Just be aware in the future that the EQ forums are the capital of Trollopolis.

For the most part clerics only can heal, even in good gear they;re not good tanks. Paladins can heal most group content if the tank is decent but some of the stuff in the new tbm content hits very hard and I think a paladin might have trouble being the group healer unless the tank is very well geared. You might have trouble convincing players to allow your paladin to main heal though as a cleric merc typically is better than a paladin at healing a group.

In solo content or molo (1 player + merc) I think you will find that a paladin way out does a cleric in almost all situations.

Depends when he quit, paladins could heal as well as druids or shamans during classic. There's no need to be rude

Yeah, think of it this way - each class's weakness is the other's strength AND that weakness is most impressive in older content (not current).

So for example, while I know some clerics who can tank well in CoF content (haven't seen many talk about tanking in TDS content), they are also using mercenaries to do this and more often than not boxing as well.

Go back an additional expansion and HoT/some VoA and RoF, no mercenaries are needed. But I disagree that clerics can maintain aggro or tanking for long periods of time. Just like paladin will burn through mana if they have to play a healer role for too long.

Neither class takes the place of the other; it's just that paladin are children of clerics so they are going to share a lot of overlap. And the best skilled will run circles around everyone else.

The simple answer is this: Paladins are Tanks who can somewhat heal, and Clerics are Healers who can keep themselves alive. (Which is a bit different than 'tanking.')

Gear, AA, and skill levels all -blur- those lines.

In controlled circumstances, both classes can appear to have immense ability in their weaker aspects, but it's just that -controlled- circumstances. A raid geared, AA'd paladin can heal a raid gear War all day long, with the right mana support. (Or themselves, with stunnable mobs.)

A raid geared cleric can keep themselves alive, and hold aggro, vs a decent amount of non-raid geared DPS, when fighting group mobs.

But, in general, don't expect to be a group's healer if you are a pally, and don't expect to be a group's tank if you are a cleric. (Unless, in either case, you overpower the content.)

Here's all you need to know:

Paladins are ugly and smelly.
Clerics are pretty and smell of sugar cookies.


Don't worry about the rest.

If you decide to jump back into it, come see me.