Paladins & Priests Mod Guide: Classes, Spells, Armor & Weapons

Overview

Paladins & Priests is part of the RPG Series mod collection and adds two distinct holy-themed classes that fundamentally change how you and your allies approach combat. Paladins are durable frontline fighters who blend physical attacks with protective spells, while Priests are dedicated support casters who heal, shield, and on occasion smite undead enemies.

Both classes are built around the Spell Engine framework. Runes serve as ammunition for casting spells, just as Arrows power Bows. You unlock spells by creating a Spell Book at the Spell Binding Table, which you can find in village Gazebos or craft yourself. All items, recipes, and blocks this mod adds are listed in the Items and Recipes tabs on this page.

The mod is designed for multiplayer. A Paladin dropping a Battle Banner while a Priest channels Holy Light behind them is the kind of coordinated play the mod rewards. Solo players still benefit from the survivability tools, but the class identity shines brightest in group play.

Paladin Class

The Paladin is a holy warrior built for sustained combat. Heavy armor, access to melee weapons across three types, and a spell kit that mixes offense with team support make the Paladin the most versatile class in the mod. The Paladin Libram unlocks four spells: Flash Heal, Divine Protection, Judgement, and Battle Banner.

Paladin Spells

Flash Heal heals you or a friendly target within 16 blocks, with a 6-second cooldown. It is a quick single-target recovery that keeps a teammate alive during a tough fight. Divine Protection instantly grants absorption that blocks the next incoming attacks for 8 seconds, with a 30-second cooldown. Activate it just before taking a big hit or charging into a group of mobs.

Judgement launches a holy meteor that crashes down on the targeted enemy, dealing physical damage to all enemies within a 6-block radius and stunning them for 3 seconds. It deals bonus damage against undead mobs. The cooldown is 15 seconds. Battle Banner plants a glowing standard at your feet that buffs you and all allies within roughly 3 to 7 blocks with increased attack speed and knockback resistance for 10 seconds, with a 45-second cooldown.

Paladin Armor

There are three Paladin armor tiers, each requiring a Smithing Table upgrade to progress. All three feature custom 3D armor models. Each piece in every set contributes a flat healing power bonus, which amplifies how much your spells heal.

Paladin Weapons

Paladins have access to three weapon families: Claymores, Great Hammers, and Maces. Each handles differently and suits a different playstyle. All three weapon types allow spell casting from your equipped Paladin Libram, so the choice comes down to combat preference.

Claymores

Claymores are the balanced option. They attack at 1 attack speed, making them reliable for consistent damage output, and deal competitive damage. They are available in Stone, Iron, Golden, Diamond, and Netherite tiers. With Better Combat installed, Claymores use sweeping animations suited to their two-handed fantasy.

Great Hammers

Great Hammers are slow but hit extremely hard. Players who learn to time their swings, particularly after landing a Judgement stun, will find Great Hammers the highest damage-per-hit option. They start at the Wooden tier, so they are available from the very start of a world. Great Hammers pair naturally with Battle Banner, since the increased attack speed from the banner compensates for the hammer's slow swing time.

Maces

Maces attack at 1.2 attack speed and deal less damage per hit than Claymores, but their faster rhythm rewards players who want a more aggressive, hit-and-move style. The Iron Mace is available very early. Maces are available from Iron through Netherite.

Kite Shields

The Kite Shield is a Paladin-exclusive offhand item. Unlike the vanilla Shield, the Kite Shield adds both Armor Toughness and maximum health when equipped. Kite Shields allow Paladins to adopt a highly defensive playstyle: block incoming damage while keeping spells ready in numbered hotbar slots.

The Kite Shield line covers Iron, Gold, Diamond, and Netherite tiers, crafted at the Crafting Table using the respective material plus Leather for the grip. Higher tiers provide stronger defensive stats. The Netherite Kite Shield is upgraded at a Smithing Table from the Diamond version.

Priest Class

The Priest prioritizes healing and utility over combat. Priests wear light robes that provide minimal physical protection, but each piece multiplies their healing power, making their spells significantly more effective than a Paladin's. The Holy Book unlocks three spells, complemented by two passive weapon spells built into Holy Wands and Holy Staves.

Priest Spells

The Heal spell is built directly into every Holy Wand and does not require the Holy Book. It fires a healing bolt at a friendly target or the caster with a 4-second cooldown. The Holy Shock spell is built into Holy Staves: aimed at an ally it heals, aimed at an enemy it deals holy damage, with a 3-second cooldown. These weapon spells fire automatically when you hold down the use key.

Holy Light (from the Holy Book) channels a beam of light for up to 5 seconds. Every second it heals allies in the beam while dealing damage to enemies, with a 10-second cooldown. Circle of Healing pulses outward to heal all players and friendly mobs within 8 blocks and applies an Absorption shield for 6 seconds, also on a 10-second cooldown.

Barrier is the Priest's tier-4 capstone. Casting it summons a physical Barrier entity that lasts 10 seconds, blocking projectiles, enemy magic, and physically preventing enemies from entering the protected area. With a 40-second cooldown, using Barrier requires careful timing. It is most effective at chokepoints or while reviving an ally.

Priest Armor

Priest armor comes in three tiers. The base Priest set uses Chainmail and White Wool for a clean ceremonial look, while the upgraded Prior set swaps Chainmail for Gold and Ghast Tear for stronger bonuses. Netherite Prior is the endgame version. All six robe pieces use custom animated models.

Holy Wands and Staves

Priests wield two types of magical weapons. Holy Wands are one-handed and come pre-loaded with the Heal spell. Holy Staves are two-handed, provide higher healing power, and come pre-loaded with Holy Shock, the dual-purpose heal-or-damage spell. Staves are generally the better choice once you have the resources, since Holy Shock's ability to deal damage to enemies gives Priests a way to contribute offensively.

Wands progress through Acolyte (Sticks), Holy (Gold + Iron), Diamond Holy, and Netherite Holy tiers. Staves progress through Holy (Gold + Iron), Diamond Holy, and Netherite Holy. The Ruby Holy Staff requires a Nether Ruby from the Better Nether mod and represents a tier-4 upgrade. Each tier increases the weapon's spell power multiplier, directly improving both heal amounts and Holy Shock damage.

Spell Books and the Spell Binding Table

The Spell Binding Table functions like an Enchanting Table for spells. Place Bookshelves around it to increase the available spell tiers, then insert a Book to choose either a Paladin Libram or a Holy Book. Selecting a book converts the blank Book into your class-specific Spell Book and gives you the first spell for free.

With your Spell Book created, return to the Spell Binding Table to learn additional spells. Each spell costs experience levels. Lower-tier spells require around 3 experience levels, while tier-4 spells can cost up to 40 levels and require many Bookshelves nearby. The Paladin Libram unlocks Flash Heal, Divine Protection, Judgement, and Battle Banner. The Holy Book unlocks Holy Light, Circle of Healing, and Barrier.

To use spells, equip your Spell Book in the accessory book slot, then hold a compatible weapon. Paladin spells activate with any Paladin melee weapon (Claymore, Great Hammer, or Mace). Priest spells activate with Holy Wands or Holy Staves. Your active spells appear in numbered slots at the bottom-left of the screen.

Monk Villagers and Sanctuaries

Paladins & Priests adds Sanctuary structures to villages. These small stone buildings house a Monk Villager who trades high-quality paladin and priest equipment. The Monk sells Holy Wands, Holy Staves, wool materials, and enchanted weapons including versions of the Diamond Holy Staff with Spell Power already applied. Spell Power is an enchantment that increases the effectiveness of your heals and spells.

You can also create a Monk Workbench to establish your own monk trading station. The Monk Workbench requires a Gold Ingot, a Ghast Tear, and Polished Andesite. Placing it in a village enables Monk Villagers to use it as their job site block. Trading with a Monk Villager unlocks the Healers Exchange advancement.

Dungeon Loot

Paladin and Priest equipment can be found in dungeon loot chests throughout the world. Bastion Remnants are confirmed loot sources. The specific loot table injections are configurable in your world's config folder under config/rpg_series/loot.json, allowing server admins to adjust spawn rates or add equipment to additional dungeon types.

Cross-Mod Tier 4 Weapons

With compatible mods installed, additional tier-4 weapons and shields become available. These represent the strongest items in the mod and are tied to endgame materials from other RPG Series mods.

The Better Nether mod adds Nether Ruby as a material, enabling the Ruby Claymore, Ruby Great Hammer, Ruby Mace, Ruby Kite Shield, and Ruby Holy Staff. Ruby weapons are crafted at the Smithing Table by upgrading their Netherite versions using a Nether Ruby and a Smithing Template. The Better End mod adds Aeternium, which enables the Aeternium Claymore, Aeternium Great Hammer, Aeternium Mace, and Aeternium Kite Shield.

The Aether mod adds Ambrosium as a repair material for a special set of four holy weapons: the Holy Claymore, Valkyrie Great Hammer, Sun's Mace, and the Silver Staff of the Valkyrie. These Aether weapons are unique in that they are found as dungeon loot within the Aether dimension rather than crafted.

Progression Path

Configuration

Spell casting mechanics and HUD display can be adjusted under Mod Menu, then Spell Engine, then Settings. Item attribute values including healing power bonuses per armor piece are defined in config/paladins/items.json and can be modified with a text editor. Loot table injection rates are in config/rpg_series/loot.json. Village Sanctuary spawn weight and frequency are controlled in config/paladins/villages.json. All spells are defined in data files and are fully customizable via data packs.