The following is a pretty big proposal that basically rehashes our entire guild, gets rid of the Smite Pool, introduces a Zeal Pool, Zeal Ability Slots, throws out suggestions for how it would work with Smites, Endurance Abilities and Glyphs, etc etc.

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Soul Pool: Removed. While Soul State remains, the soul pool is gone as the abilities that it fuels (Glyphs) will draw from the single pool of energy described below.

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Zeal: The Zeal pool is renamed from Smite Energy Pool. Zeal becomes the single secondary energy source for Paladin abilities which are not tied directly to the paladins harness. Zeal represents the natural strength of conviction that a Paladin has with their faith. Glyphs, Smites, Endurance maneuvers will all draw from this pool.
Pool Size: The size of the Zeal Pool is increased to the Paladins Charisma(Primary) and Soul State. Circle does not factor into the Soul Pool.
Pool Regeneration: The Zeal pool regenerates over a standard period of time, recovering a % of the total amount (thus those with larger soul pools will enjoy larger pulses). Regeneration is enhanced by the use of certain verbs(See Endurance) or other affects.
Zeal Slots: Paladins receive a number of slots as they level to purchase Glyphs, Smites and Endurance Maneuvers. Some of these maneuvers are given for free as introductory abilities (notably for Endurance, as they are needed to train the skill).

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Endurance
Overview: Endurance facilitates the ability to direct physical and magical aggression towards oneself as well as cope with the pain and effects of those attacks.
Usage & Training: Endurance is trained via a number of abilities(passive and active).
Ability List

Free Abilities
Taunt.
Zeal Cost:(Mild). RT: Yes
Effect: Contest Endurance (Charisma(Prime) + Wisdom (Secondary)) vs Tactics (Intelligence(Prime) + Discipline(Secondary)) contest. Draws the enemies aggression towards the Paladin when successful. Targets receive a penalty to aggressive actions against anyone other than the paladin. Intelligence NPCS find themselves more likely to attack the Paladin. If the target attacks anyone other than the Paladin, the Paladin recovers a moderate amount of Zeal. Only one target may be Taunted at a time. After a target is taunted, the taunt will maintain itself automatically until stopped, refreshing at a reduced Zeal cost.

Guard Self
Zeal Cost:None/Mild. RT: None
Effect: The Paladin takes a defensive stance at the cost of offense. While in this stance the Paladin enjoys a mild increase to his defense, and a moderate increase to any use of the Protect Verb against physical/Magical Attacks. This stance can be taxing and every attack during this time costs a small amount of the Paladins Zeal.


Zeal Slot Abilities
All of the below items require the spending of one or more Zeal Slots

Recoil.
Zeal Cost: None. RT: None(Passive)
Effect: When forced to give ground, the Paladin does not. This ability allows for staggering blows that would otherwise stun or knock down a paladin to be mitigated. A contest is performed against the effect with Endurance, reducing or otherwise preventing the paladin from falling.

Distract
Zeal Cost: (Moderate). RT: Yes (Per "Light Attack" of Held Weapon)
Effect: Contest Endurance (Agility) vs Physical Defenses. The Paladin makes a probing attack at the enemy, forcing the enemy to give ground. Causes the opponent to suffer a defensive penalty for the next few moments against attacks from sources other than the Paladin.

Second Wind
Zeal Cost: Variable. RT: Yes
Effect: The paladin draws deep within themselves to find the will to fight on. When significantly wounded (50% or less health) the paladin may attempt to funnel their zeal into their will to survive. Doing so heals a moderate amount of vitality (Based on health lost (less health=more healed)) and resist the negative effects of wounds to combat contests for the duration of the second wind (which is based on Stamina and Discipline)

Provoke
Zeal Cost: Moderate. RT: Yes
Per Taunt, but applies against all visible hostile npcs or targets engaged with the Paladin or a member of the Paladins party.

Hatred of Evil
Zeal Cost: None. Passive
Provoke and Taunt are especially effective against 'evil' or 'boss' targets.

Draw the Savage Beast:
Zeal Cost: None. Passive
Provoke and Taunt no longer suffer a penalty against unintelligent targets.

Elemental Ward:
Zeal Cost: None/Mild. Passive
Elemental damage received from targets under Provoke or Taunt is reduced. Damage reduced in this fashion drains a mild amount of Zeal.

Avenging Soul:
Zeal Cost: None. Passive
Effect: If a party member of the Paladin is slain from an attack from a taunted or provoked source, the Paladin regains a large amount of Zeal, and their zeal regeneration is enhanced for a time.

Redeeming the Fallen:
Zeal Cost: None. Passive
Effect: Killing a Taunted or Provoked target causes the paladin to regain some Zeal. This is enhanced against 'Evil' & Boss Targets, and further against the undead.

Selfless Martyr:
Zeal Cost: None. Passive
Effect: Damage received from a Taunted or Provoked source has a chance to restore some Zeal.

(more like this)

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Glyphs

Glyph of Warding:
Zeal Cost: Mild
Effect: When drawn onto a target, the glyph will disrupt the vectors of violence against them. Targeted or Aimed attacks against will be hindered. Chaotic area spells or those that strike from the heavens are disrupted more heavily than those that are carefully aimed.

Glyph of Preservation:
Zeal Cost: None
Effect: When this glyph is drawn on a weapon or the body of the dead, the body will be warded (see the current Warding Glyph) and their weapons brought back to their hands. A paladin whom draws this ward enjoys a mild but long term increase to their zeal. There is a one hour cooldown on this later benefit. If a Paladin falls, this Glyph is drawn on themselves automatically, regardless of their current Zeal.

Glyph of Light
Zeal Cost: High
Effect: The Glyph creates balls of light that float around the Paladin, providing a light source in dark areas and granting a bonus to perception. The strength of this power diminishes over time. While active any attacks from stealth that are initiated against the Paladin will restore a moderate amount of the Paladins Zeal (weather they are successful or not), however there is an internal cool down to this effect in CvC.

Glyph of Mana. Requires level 30.
Zeal Cost: Massive
Effect: Raises the Holy mana of the Room, pulling it from other nearby rooms (per current). If glyphed in a room with a cleric and dead player present, the Paladin receives a bonus to their soul and a mild zeal regeneration increase for a lengthy period (hour cooldown).

Glyph of Ease
Zeal Cost: Mild
Effect: Drawing this glyph on dead will cause their bodies to be easier to drag, where as drawing on a living target will cause them to receive a bonus to their fatigue regeneration and athletics skill.

Glyph of the Battle (Requires Endurance Feat: Second Wind)
Zeal Cost: Moderate
Effect: The Paladin and all members within his group are effected by the Paladins Second Wind. If the paladin has recently received the benefits of Second Wind, they do not regain any additional vitality).

Glyph of the Holy Weapon. Requires level 50.
Zeal Cost: Massive (100% of pool).
Effect: This replaces the holy weapon quest. When drawn onto a weapon, it will function as a focus of the paladins zeal and prowess for the next hour, after which the connection will fade and the glyph will need to be re written. Acts as the current holy weapon but without charges. Drawing this glyph at the current holy sites will reduce the zeal cost to 50%, and drawing it with an personal altar will reduce the zeal cost to 75%. It should be noted that loosing your entire pool is a big pain in the ass, as you must first wait to fill the pool, then use this, then recharge to a level where you are functional.

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Smites

Free Abilities
Smite: All Paladins receive smite at a given level. Smite sacrifices a small amount of accuracy for damage at the cost of Zeal. The damage increase is relative to the Paladins Charisma.
Not Free Abilities

Smite Purge: The paladins trades the damage bonus of Smite to instead disrupt the energy within the target. This blow focuses the ability for the Paladin to dispell passive energies within the target. This contest is enhanced against targets being taunted by the paladin, and more so against "Boss", or "Evil" targets.

Smite Renew: The paladin trades the damage bonus of Smite to place a brand of energy on the target. Additional damage against the target will restore a small amount of vitality and fatigue to the attacker, relative to the damage dealt. The paladin receives a reduced amount.

Smite Exhaust: The paladin trades all damage in his attack and instead deals damage to the targets fatigue. The blow also carries with it an increase to Force of Impact, making it more likely to stun or knock over the opponent.

(etc etc)

Some pretty cool ideas :)

~ Leilond
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h307/ss1shadow/Leilond_Progression.jpg

Thank you for the feed back ^_^