One of the things that bothered me with Brordaran was how holy word works, to wit: why do you need a free hand?

A few things come into play. The paladin must decide to remove his weapon or shield to use it, and it has a significant lag, so to use it in battle either to start or during is very difficult and usually (if ever) worth it.

I don't see why a priest would need a free hand to speak a word.

Now, I suspect that it just got bundled in that way because to bless others you need a hand free. But that just begs the same question, why? And the paladin does not need to have a free hand to bless himself, so a blessing does not need a hand movement - and it's a prayer, not a spel, not like you ever need to use hands.

In short, I never understood why (and thus think changing it should be considered) holy word is made so difficult to use.

Well, removing weapon and shield is lame, plus the three round lag. I'm voting for it to be like a powerword. I know powerword is only singe foe. Maybe increase the mana used for holyword or maybe make it to use with one hand or longer lag?

Otherwise for a shaman/paladin to use it without weapons and shield is bad news. I'd rather use earthquake for area effects. But then holyword has frenzy to some people.

Whatever. Crossing-fingers.

How many of you who posted about this had shield pallies?
Khelednala my 2hander had to remove his weapon but
my shield pally didn't. I always figured it was an
advantage of shield pally as opposed to 2hand.

Might have been changed since I had a paladin, but
I'm not thinking so.

Part of it I think is reaching to touch everyone
bop people in the head with a sword or use the shield
hand (considering it may be possible to touch someone
with a shield on as it is usually strapped to the arm
just leggo withthe hand and touch)
Maybe I just had a glitchy character, (never played one
before that so nothing to compare it to) or maybe things
changed since then.
God I loved that sup though... :)

As I said, I was a shield paladin. Giant. Still had to remove a shield or weapon.

And let's remember, you only "have to" do something because someone once decided it. It's a game. A creation. You can make it anyway you want it. There is nothing inherent in a need to have a hand free to do anything. You (and everyone else) are just used to seeing it that way. But it does not have to be that way.

And let's remember, you only "have to" do something because someone once decided it. It's a game. A creation. You can make it anyway you want it. There is nothing inherent in a need to have a hand free to do anything. You (and everyone else) are just used to seeing it that way. But it does not have to be that way.

Conversely, there is nothing inherent to the ability which suggests changing it.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

maybe not the best at landing kills. but they've got a high-damage one-round lag sup.

It's two or three rounds, not one round.

I said *I* didn't have to and that I haven't played a
pally since those two.
and what I mean by I didn't have to since it didn't get through
is Dimion never once removed weapon OR shield to do holy word.

the edited part: no where in your post did it say
'i was a shield pally' or anything like it.
you could have been a 2hander speaking in general
you said A pally has to remove shield or weapon.
(again if you were 2hander you might not have
known if shield pal's could do it w/o removing
anything)
And yes before you say it, in your second post you did.

The original implementation allowed for shield specs to bless and holy word without removing their shield or weapon whereas two-handers would get the echo "you need a hand free". Someone posted it on the bug board and it was changed.

I whined about this too. Primarily because I tended to use it to draw people into combat when I was blind, which meant in order to free a hand I had to throwdown. My whines were to no avail.

Holy Word is a nasty supplication. You basically have a cleric that can significanly enhance his own army while DAMAGING and potentially CURSING all enemies in a single motion. In addition, it can have a nice utility function for drawing certain pesky characters into combat. Yet, the lag is no more than a simple dirt kick. Something has to give, here ... Weapon or Shield? Choose your poison.

Holy Word should be used sparingly, anyhow. Also, it makes shield paladins that much more appealing, since they can probably make the best use of it in comparision to 2H and shaman.

You have a high damage self/group enhancing AREA ATTACK commune and you're complaning about having to have an hand free? Give me a break...

I can't remember the echo for holy word, but doesn't it say something about reaching your hand to the heavens? I know this was a fairly common occurrence in the gospel choir I was in, but I never really understood the etiology (settle down, it's a joke!) of it. Then again, we weren't singing in platemail holding swords and shields either.

That being said, I definitely like the feel it gives the two supps in that they either have to make some sort of physical/spiritual connection with the heavens in order to use Holy Word, or have to lay a hand on someone else to bless them. However at the same time, it seems to me there are several other skills that seem like they'd require an empty hand (or two) that don't need one.