There is no statistic which universally enhances spellcasting ability. Instead, characters gain experience in each spirit as they cast related spells; a combination spell's power is based on both spirits it uses. Items cannot be used from battle unless they are equipped, traditional healing spells are nonexistent, and extra healing items cannot be purchased. The primary healing items are healing "bottles", which are good for nine uses each. These bottles can be refilled cheaply at most towns. The only other healing items are certain pieces of equipment which can be used as an unlimited healing item, but can only heal the wearer, and cannot be used outside of battle. The player controls a party of up to four characters: up to two main characters, while the rest of the party slots can be filled by mercenaries. Although the player controls a mercenary's actions in battle, the player has no control over the equipment they wear and cannot purchase spirits for them. Many mercenaries have spirits not yet available to the player, and so have spells not yet available to the main characters. Some mercenaries lack a healing bottle, making them unable to do any healing in battle. New, stronger mercenaries become available as the player progresses through the story (usually for a price), but it is up to the player whether to continue by leveling their old mercenaries, or hiring new ones. All mercenaries may be rehired, with the exception of a single mercenary tied to a story event. The musical score for "Paladin's Quest" was composed by anime and game composer Kōhei Tanaka. A promotional MiniDisc containing 10 tracks with the game's original music was released by Asmik under the title "Welcome to the Lennus World!". A separate soundtrack titled "Lennus: Memory of the Ancient Machine Original Album" also contains 10 tracks, half composed of arranged instrumental medleys of the game's music and the other half consisting of dramatic dialogue. The album was released by Future Land on December 2, 1992. "Paladin's Quest" received mixed to negative reviews. "GamePro"s The Wizard of Awe commented that the game "feels rather stale. Its dialogue, story, transitions, settings, and even its game play seem to have been done before." He criticized the system wherein magic usage draws from the character's pool of hit points, and found the characters in general underpowered against the game's enemies, requiring tedious backtracking to inns and reloading of saves. Mike Weigand of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" commented, "For fans of "Soul Blazer", this borrows the perspective, but it isn't as interactive plus combat isn't as direct.