WHM Required?

[Dreakon]

Since the Paladin is kind of a mix of WHM and WAR, it would be a good idea to start raising WHM since I am a WAR, right? The thing is, I don't really want to be a WHM. If I don't though then as a PAL I will have no mp and be useless pretty much.

Any suggestions?

[mlwolfinger]

OK, so you're eventual plan is to be a Paladin? Well, you don't NEED to level WHM. As a Paladin you're going to want to sub Warrior for provoke so as long as that's leveled you'll be fine.

Also, you're going to get MP automatically when you choose the Paladin job whether you've leveled WHM before or not. The only advantage to leveling WHM now is to raise your healing magic skill which may be helpful for you later on. As a Paladin you're going to have to cast a cure spell every now and then.

So, is it a good idea to level WHM? Yes. Is it absolutely necessary? No.

[Pilsbane]

I wouldn't bother with WHM if I were you. There are only three spell skills you have to build up and they aren't that hard (Healing, Divine, Enhancing). Healing goes up in a hurry as you heal yourself and others.

Divine is a little slower since you have to get banish first which is 15 MP, but even then it doesn't take that long. To get enhancing up just cast protect on yourself or others until you run out of MP, go into your mog house for full MP, then go back outside and repeat.

Divine and Enhancing are slow to build up as a WHM too, so being a WHM doesn't make it all the much easier for you.

On the other hand, having all your skills like sword, shield, evasion, etc capped from being a warrior makes your life a lot easier leveling up those first few levels of Paladin. I went from level 1 to 5 Paladin in less than 30 minutes.