>1) I assume that, like shifter forms, they are balanced in
>terms of utility, offense and defensive capabilities.

Overall we think they're all about as good as the others; however in specific areas one can beat another.

For example, a lagged out defender is a way better tank than a lagged out paladin of any other kind, assuming he keeps his weapon/shield in hand. There's not much question of that.

>2) Defenders have awesome shield blocking and have parry.
>
>3) Avengers gain a boost to parry by forgoing shield block.
>
>4) Champions gain distance/spin (diluted), retain parry and
>shield block though will likely not use it as they cannot use
>champion skills.

Champion spin/distance is a much much much bigger factor than avenger's small parry boost. It's not even close.

>5) Monks lose parry and shield block to make use of monk
>skills and gain avoid, which seems very poor at the moment, up
>to rank 20 which I am at the moment.
>
>Does avoid get better with rank?

Not really, but how good are you at it?

When you're putting a lot of eggs in one basket, how good you are at that one thing is a big deal.

Note that avoid is good in some situations that other defenses might not be.

Also note that monks have some other defensive help, such as defy and anticipate.

>If not, could Monks gain dodge and lose parry and shield block
>then they dedicate?

I don't see this happening.

>P.S. Another related question - How is hand to hand related to
>transcend, if at all? I have noticed hand to hand improve but
>not when transcending.

I suspect you can't improve hand to hand while transcending, but I don't actually know.

Avoid is 94% and I just got 2 rounded by an assassin. Avoid went off once in the two rounds. My dex and wisdom were both 21 at the time.

Is there any way, either changing the way bless works or making it an edge option, that a paladin can bless armors instead of just weapons? Seems odd that they can weapons but not armors.

NMF

Thanks.