Paladin

Shields the party (scaling with Toughness) and intercepts a share of damage aimed at allies — until its own guard is nearly broken.

"Stand behind me. I will not fall."

What Changes at Level 10

When a Warrior reaches level 10 and you select Paladin, three things change permanently:

1. Stat bonuses are added to the hero's ability scores immediately and permanently.
2. Active ability is replaced with the subclass variant (Sacred Guard).
3. Passive effect is unlocked and becomes active in all future runs.

Ability: Sacred Guard

Permanent Stat Bonuses

Paladin grants the following ability score bonuses on top of the Warrior base scores:

• +2 Toughness — adds to the Warrior base toughness score
• +1 Spirit — adds to the Warrior base spirit score

These bonuses stack with ability score points allocated from levelling. They cannot be removed without retiring the hero.

Passive Effect

Intercepts 25% of damage aimed at allies, taking the hit instead. Stops intercepting below 30% HP.

This passive is always active during combat — no gear or skill tree investment required to trigger it.

Recommended Skill Tree Themes

Defense (Iron Wall, Living Fortress, Immovable), Vitality (Juggernaut, Resilience).

See the Skill Tree deep dive for the full 119-node reference and routing advice, or the Warrior build guide for a complete path recommendation for this class.

Paladin vs. Berserker

Both subclasses unlock at level 10. Compare them to choose:

The choice is permanent — use a Scroll of Divergence consumable to re-select without retiring the hero.