Guide written by Tazoz on the DiabloII.Net Single Player Forums.
The holy fire Paladin (a.k.a "the firebringer" and as "the paladin who killed enemies with fire..........")
It took me 3 years of constant playing but at last I made patriach with my paladin, so I realized that I have to write a guide to my favorite character. Saddly the holy fire paladin was hit hard when the xpac came out, I lost 1/3 of my dmg because holy shock became worthless.
But I decided to anyway finish the game.
Strength depends on the gear
Dexterity base
Vitality all rest (you need al.......ot of stamina)
Energy Eh you will never use any mana (unless you go hybrid of course, if you do there is no real reason for you to read this guide because all the rest of the skills are much better then holy fire after act one normal, yes, even resist cold. )
Zeal
sometimes you have to kill stuff, use this with holy shock for easy kills.
Holy Fire 20 Points
A very important skill max it immediatly
Holy Shock 20 Points
Useful vs fire immunes, it's radius was greatly reduced so it's not very effective vs non fire immunes because you will be hit to much
Vigor 1-max Points
Great skill if you don't have the time to wait until you kill the enemies and lets you replenish stamina.
Convert 0-9 Points
Can take the heat off you when in trouble but you don't need to take this.
Holy Freeze 10-max Points
Very nice skill when chased by to many creatures.
Other skills of note if you decide to go hybrid (add dex for high block and to use an uber elite weapon)
Fanaticism Use this instead of holy fire
Vengence Can kill anything use this vs physical immunes
Conviction Makes monsters easier to hit and increases vengence and banaras star dmg.
A scepter with +3 offensive auras and +3 holy fire if you can find one, if not a scepter with the highest holy fire you can find. (there isn't any decent uniques for a holy fire paladin, unless of course you decide to dirty your hands.) when using holy shock I hear a 3 socketed shaelshaelshael wirts leg is strong.
I would go with one of the +1 skill armors, whicheverone you've got, the Stealth runeword is decent because it makes you run faster.
If you can afford it use Thundergods Vigor for the absorb lightning otherwise doesn't matter.
Magefist is great because it adds +1 to fire skills (effects holy fire) otherwise any.
A Shield with +3 offensive auras and high ressistences will do or a Herald of Zakarum.
Vidala's Fetlock and Treads of Cthon are great because of the stamina (you will be running alot), but the ultimate boots are aldurs boots which you should use if found.
Try getting + to offensive auras and resistences and paladin skills, if you are lucky enough to find Rising Sun it can be a nice item to use to make you immune to fire and add some dmg to holy fire, nice rings are Stone of Jordan and Bul Kathos Wedding Band for + skills and Ravenfrost for chance to hit and cold immune.
+ to paladin skills, offensive skills and resistences circlet, Harlequin Crest.
In the beggining beat stuff up with your sword, put players 8, take might and enjoy the power, this is a great time to decide to go hybrid if so, skip this guide.
Once you get to lvl 6 at last you get your skill, quickly change it to players 1 and get yourself a +3 holy fire skill scepter, change the attack box to throw (you don't want to kill something without holyfire by accident do you?) and start running around, notice that creatures die very slowly, get used to it.
The first really tough boss is the fire enchanted/immune shaman, run away from him.
Try to avoid getting hit, and just run around enemies trying to lure as many as you can into a big group so holy fire will hit more at once, once you get to higher lvls of holy fire the radius gets much bigger so you can hit monsters a whole screen away.
Andriel lure her into the second room and do you see that black hole in the middle run around it, making sure shes behind you.
Duriel he's nasty, run around the room avoiding his charges by changing directions whenever you see the animation, in normal you can keep out of the holy freeze aura without much problem, in nm and hell it's hard.
Mephisto run around in cicles avoiding his attacks.
Council Members you don't stand a chance against them with holy fire, equip a melee weapon and high attack rating items and bash them until they fall.
Diablo run around in circles staying far away from him slowly killing him with holy fire so that when he uses the fire ring you can avoid it by passing throgh the gaps, you should ready holy shock and zeal and when he casts bone prison switch to those and bash it before you die.
Baal he is very hard because of the clones he casts, I'm sure you will find a way to kill him just stay away from him, be ready with lots of money to buy potions and tp scrolls.
Lightning Enchanted bosses try to avoid the bolts.
Fire Immunes kill with holy shock or park.
Very similar to normal just takes *10 time to kill anything.
The true challenge, if you have the patients you can still kill stuff it just takes a couple of hours, reading a book while doing it or paying someone is a good idea. A nice option is running past all the creatures, and just killing the bosses.
Maggot Lair in hell this becomes a death trap, a good option is finding a teleport amulet and skipping battles with it, if you use this tactic be ready to pay alot of money recharging it.
Cow Level this is heaven if you have a couple of days type players 8 and go to hell, if you somehow kill a cow he will give lots of xp, but I wouldn't count on it because they heal as fast as you deal dmg.
Holy Fire Bosses these are your nemesis, they deal as much dmg as you do and have more hp's put on rising sun if you have it to make yourself immune to the dmg and put on as much fire res gear as you can if you can get to 95 res fire or have enough replenish life you will be immune.
Holy fire at lvl 20 deals 19-20 dmg every 3 seconds, if an enemy has 1000 life it would take you only 2.5 minutes to kill him, and if he has 100000 like some bosses do it would take you only 4 hours to kill, be ready to have a couple of years if you plan to finish hell, hell.
Another small comment that might be important after you finish hell hell you should go back to act one normal and run around killing stuff with your finger on alt picking up chipped gems, these can be useful as trade bait to get the items you need to complete the character.
Holy fire is a surprisingly good dueler skill, just remember to ask the opponent to remove any fire ressistence gear and replenish life gear and fire absorb gear, if they refuse curse them and leave the game.
Barbarian put on all your faster run walk gear and stay a screen away from him, he can't touch you, if he starts throwing javelins at you curse him and exit the game.
Sorcy put on all the absorb gear you can get your ressistences to 95 and laugh at her pathetic attempts to harm you while holy fire kills her.
Melee Sorcy pretty tough but if you run around her in unpredictable patterns she shouldn't be able to hit you.
Bow Amazon Eh, I've never dueled one so I don't know.
Javelin Amazon run around her dodging the javelins, and laugh at how weak her decoy is.
Necromancer the easiest duel immaginable just wait just at the edge of the screen so you don't see him except on the map and wait for him to die.
Assassin just stay at the edge of the screen and avoid her traps she should die eventualy.
Druid he can't touch you just run around avoiding him.
Melee Paladin Use the same tactic you use vs the druid, just stay off screen if he uses charge.
Fist of Heavens Paladin Stay off screen and wait for him to die.
Holy Fire Paladin tell him you're not using any absorb or ressistence gear and put on a rising sun amulet, then once you beat him laugh at him for owning him.