Not all classes have received massive adjustments, but Paladin has certainly seen a fair amount of class changes (RIP Hammer of Reckoning). Below is the full list of class changes made to Paladin in Shadowlands prior to Patch 9.0.1 expansion. For the full patch notes, be sure to check out the link here, where additional class changes are listed.
Paladin - Shadowlands update 9.0.1 class changes
GENERAL
- The Aura bar is back, containing Crusader Aura, Devotion Aura, and Retribution Aura. All Auras have a range of 40 yards and only one can be active at a time.
- Avenging Wrath and Holy Avenger no longer have a global cooldown.
- All Paladins can now use the following abilities:
- New Ability: Turn Evil - The power of light causes an undead, aberrant, or demon target to flee for up to 40 seconds. Damage can interrupt the effect. Only one target can be shot at a time.
- Crusader Aura - Increases climb speed by 20% for all party and raid members with 40 yards.
- Devotion Aura - Party and raid members within 40 yards are empowered by their devotion, reducing damage taken by 3%.
- Retribution Aura - When a party or raid member within 40 yards dies, you gain Avenging Wrath for 8 seconds.
- Word of Glory - Call on the Light to heal a friendly target. Costs 3 Holy Power.
- Shield of the Righteous - Slashes enemies in front of you with your shield, dealing holy damage and increasing your armor for 4,5 seconds. No longer limited by charges, costs 3 Holy Power.
- Crusader Strike - Hit the target for physical damage. Generates 1 holy power and costs 14% of base mana.
- Hammer of Wrath - Throws a divine hammer that hits an enemy to deal holy damage. Only usable on enemies that have less than 20% health or during Avenging Wrath. Now generates 1 Holy Power.
- Consecration - Consecrates the earth beneath your feet, inflicting Holy damage for 12 seconds to enemies that enter the area. Limit 1.
- Blessing of Sacrifice - Blesses a party or raid member, reducing their damage taken by 30%, but you take 75% of avoided damage. The last 12 seconds, or until transferred damage drops you below 20% of your health.
SAINT
- Holy Paladins now use Holy Power as a resource.
- Holy Shock now generates 1 Holy Power and its cooldown has been reduced to 7,5 seconds (was 9 seconds).
- Beacon of Light no longer refunds mana; Casting Lightning Bolt or Holy Light on your Beacon of Light grants 1 Holy Power. Additionally, the Beacon of Light will be healed for 50% of the amount healed (was 40%).
- Light of Dawn now costs 3 Holy Power and has no cooldown.
- Avenging Crusader (talent) no longer has a global cooldown.
- Infusion of Light now reduces the cost of Lightning Bolt by 30% or increases Holy Light healing by 30%.
- Aura Mastery now strengthens the chosen aura for 8 seconds:
- Devotion Aura: Damage reduction taken increased from 3% to 15%.
- Crusader Aura: speed increased from 20% to 60%.
- Aura of Vengeance: Duration increased by 50%.
- The following talents have been adjusted:
- New Talent: Saved by the Light - When an ally with your Beacon of Light is damaged below 30% health, they gain an absorption shield. You cannot protect the same person this way twice in 1 minute.
- New Talent: Seraphim - Light increases your potency for 15 seconds, granting 8% Haste, Critical Hit, and Versatility, and Mastery increased by 12%.
- New Talent: Glimmer of Light - Holy Shock leaves a glow of light on the target for 30 seconds. When you Holy Shock, all targets with Glimmer of Light are damaged or healed. You can have a glimmer of light on up to 8 targets.
- Holy Avenger has been redesigned - Your generation of Holy Power is tripled for 20 seconds.
- Divine Purpose has been redesigned - Holy Power Abilities have a 15% chance to make your next Holy Power skill free and deal 20% additional damage and healing.
- Redesigned Fist of Justice - Each Holy Power expended reduces the remaining cooldown on Hammer of Justice by 2 seconds.
- Awakening now also comes from Word of Glory.
- Granting Faith now generates 1 Holy Power.
PROTECTION
- Paladins of Protection now use Holy Power as a resource.
- New Passive: Brilliant Light - Every 5 Shield for causing your next Word of Glory to cost 0 Holy Power.
- Shield of the Avenger no longer increases the effects of your next Shield of the Righteous and now generates 1 Holy Power.
- Judgment now causes the target to take 25% more damage from your next Holy Power skill and generates 1 Holy Power.
- Hammer of the Righteous now generates 1 Holy Power.
- Consecration reduces damage taken by Protection Paladins by 5% while in their Consecration, in addition to any bonuses added by mastery.
- The Protector's Light has been removed.
- Word of Glory now has an additional effect: when you cast Word of Glory on yourself, it is increased by up to 150% depending on your missing health.
- The following talents have been adjusted:
- New Talent: Divine Aim - Holy Power Abilities have a 15% chance to make your next Holy Power skill free and deal 20% additional damage and healing.
- New Talent: Holy Avenger - Your generation of Holy Power is tripled for 20 seconds.
- New Talent: Sanctified Wrath (replaces Last Defender) - Vengeful Wrath lasts 25% longer and causes Judgment to generate 2 Holy Powers.
- New Talent: Moment of Glory (Replaces Bastion of Light) - Resets Avenger's Shield cooldown. Your next 3 Vengeful Shields have no cooldown and deal 20% more damage.
- Redesigned Fist of Justice - Each Holy Power expended reduces the remaining cooldown on Hammer of Justice by 2 seconds.
- Redoubt has been redesigned - Shield of the Righteous increases your Strength and Stamina by 2% for 10 seconds, stacking up to 3.
- Blessed Hammer now has a 6 second cooldown (was 4,5 seconds), generates 1 Holy Power, and reduces subsequent damage to enemies they deal to you.
- First Avenger has been redesigned - Avenger's Shield hits 2 additional targets and grants you an absorption shield for 100% of all damage it deals.
- Hand of the Protector now increases Word of Glory's healing for the target's missing health on any target.
- Final Stand is now an area trigger that taunts all targets for 8 seconds, instead of a single taunt.
- Righteous Protector now reduces the remaining cooldown of Avenging Wrath and Guardian of Kings by 1 second for each Holy Power expended.
PUNISHMENT
- Wake of Ashes is no longer a talent and is learned by all Retribution Paladins at level 34. Wake of Ashes damage increased by 50%, now deals reduced damage to secondary targets, and generates 3 Holy Powers (instead of of 5).
- Blade of Justice now has a cooldown of 12 seconds (was 10,5 seconds).
- Crusade (talent) no longer has a global cooldown.
- The greatest blessing of kings and the greatest blessing of wisdom have been taken away.
- Divine Storm is now limited to 5 targets.
- The following talents have been adjusted:
- New Talent: Empyrean Might (Replaces Hammer of Wrath) - Crusader Strike has a 15% chance to make your next Divine Storm free and deal 25% more damage.
- New Talent: Healing Hands (Replaces Word of Glory) - Lay on Hands's cooldown is reduced by 60%, based on the target's missing health. Word of Glory's healing is increased by up to 100%, depending on the target's missing health.
- New Talent: Seraphim (Replaces Wake of Ashes) - Light increases your potency for 15 seconds, granting 8% Haste, Critical Hit, and Versatility, and Mastery increased by 13%.
- New Talent: Holy Avenger (Replaces Consecration) - Your generation of Holy Power is tripled for 20 seconds.
- New Talent: Sanctified Wrath - Vengeful Wrath lasts 25% longer. During Avenging Wrath, each Holy Power spent causes you to explode with Holy Light damage to nearby enemies.
- New Talent: Final Reckoning (Replaces Inquisition) - Summon a blast of heavenly energy, inflicting Holy damage to all targets in target area and causing them to take 50% more damage from your Holy Power abilities for 8 seconds. Passive: When the cooldown is off, your attacks have a high chance to summon a bolt of lightning that deals Holy damage and causes the target to take 10% more damage from your next Holy Power skill.
- The execution sentence has been redesigned - A hammer slowly falls from the sky on the target. After 8 seconds, they take holy damage, plus 20% of the damage your abilities take during that time.
- Divine judgment has been removed.
- PvP talent changes:
- New PvP Talent: Aura of Reckoning - When you or allies in your Aura are critically hit, you gain Reckoning. At 50 Reckoning Stacks, your next weapon strike deals 200% more damage. Additionally, it activates Avenging Wrath for 6 seconds.
- Vengeance Aura now works on crowd control that hits all allies within 20 yards, rather than allies within 40 yards who have your greatest blessings.
- The judgment hammer has been removed.
