The zDPS Support Paladin in Diablo 4 is the ultimate team player, designed to maximize group efficiency rather than dealing damage itself. Short for “zero Damage Per Second,” this build focuses entirely on enhancing party performance, making it invaluable for tackling high-tier content like Tower and Pit challenges. With the Diablo IV Items right setup, a Support Paladin can empower allies to clear T140+ encounters with relative ease while keeping the team alive through consistent healing and defensive buffs.

Build Overview

The Support Paladin comes in three primary variants, each tailored to slightly different team needs:

Judgement Support: This variant emphasizes weakening enemies by applying Vulnerable and other debuffs, increasing your party’s overall damage output. It’s ideal when your DPS players need an edge against heavily armored or high-resist foes.

Auradin Support: Centered on the Auradin skill, this build focuses on bolstering allies’ Attack Speed, Crit Chance, and elemental damage, making it perfect for fast-paced group compositions where maximizing DPS rotation speed is key.

Shield of Retribution Support: Designed for defensive synergy, this variant uses Shield of Retribution to provide damage mitigation and increased Armor to all allies, while reflecting some damage back to enemies. This setup excels in groups tackling high-damage bosses or elite packs.

Regardless of the variant, all zDPS Paladins share a common goal: supporting the team rather than dealing damage themselves. This includes buffing party members’ Damage, Attack Speed, Crit Chance, Armor, and Bonus Resistances, while simultaneously applying debuffs to enemies and providing consistent healing.

How It Works

At the core of this build is the concept of maximizing party buffs while minimizing personal damage output. The Support Paladin accomplishes this in several ways:

Defensive Auras and Healing: By investing in Defiance Aura potency and ranks, the Paladin boosts the survivability of all party members. This not only increases Armor and Bonus Resistances but also applies healing over time, keeping the team sustained during prolonged fights.

Debuffing Enemies: Skills like Judgement and Weakening effects ensure that enemies are more vulnerable to incoming attacks. These debuffs are critical for allowing your DPS players to achieve higher damage numbers and more frequent critical hits.

Offensive Buffs: Though this build doesn’t deal damage directly, it amplifies the team’s offensive capabilities. Boosts to Attack Speed and Crit Chance can drastically improve DPS output, making the Paladin’s contribution to the fight more about empowerment than execution.

Playstyle Tips

Playing a zDPS Support Paladin requires strong situational awareness. Positioning is crucial to ensure your auras and heals cover the entire team while avoiding unnecessary threats. Focus on keeping your buffs active and refreshing them as needed, and prioritize healing teammates who are in danger. Coordination with your DPS players is key—understanding their rotation and damage peaks allows you to cheap d4 mats maximize the effectiveness of your buffs.

In group play, a Support Paladin can be a game-changer. With proper management of auras, healing, and debuffs, your party will tackle Tower and Pit content more efficiently, survive tougher encounters, and consistently reach higher-tier content. This is the build for players who want to make their mark not through direct damage, but by empowering allies to shine.