The Tank- a Defensive Specialist (P.E.A.C.H) [Archive] - Wizards Community

The Tank- a Defensive Specialist (P.E.A.C.H) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Infinitive
02-28-07, 05:26 PM I'm beginning to think that I have too much spare time at work. Still, here's another PrC for you all to have a look at.

The Tank

The armored behemoths of the battlefield, Tanks specialize in absorbing and deflecting strikes that would eviscerate their comrades. Clad in massive suits of armor and wielding the most massive of shields for their own protection, a Tank is a powerful asset against any powerful enemy.

Requirements:
B.A.B. +5
Feats: Heavy Armor Proficiency, Tower Shield Proficiency, Heavy Armor Optimization, Shield Specialization (Tower Shield), Goad, Exotic Armor Proficiency (Battle Plate or Mountain Armor)
Skills: Intimidate 8 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks

Hit Dice: d12

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
----------------------------------------------------------------
1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Improved Goad, Tower Shield Optimization, Toughness
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Pay Attention!, Toughness
3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Cometary Combatant, Toughness
4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Indomitability +1, Toughness
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Heavy Armor Specialization, Toughness
6 +6 +5 +2 +2 Indomitability +2, Mettle, Toughness
7 +7 +5 +2 +2 Armored Versatility, Toughness
8 +8 +6 +2 +2 Indomitability +3, Toughness
9 +9 +6 +3 +3 Last Stand, Toughness
10 +10 +7 +3 +3 Defensive Monolith, Indomitability +4, Toughness

Class Features:

Improved Goad: When the Tank uses his Goad feat, if his target fails its save, it must include the Tank as a target for any targeted offensive action it takes; any spell or ability that affects an area must include the Tank as part of its area of effect. For example, a spell with multiple allowable targets, such as Magic Missile, must include the Tank as a target of at least one of its missiles. This does not remove tactical capacity from the target of the Goad; rather, while its attention is focused on the Tank primarily, it still recognizes the threat that the Tank’s companions present to it.

Tower Shield Optimization: When wielding a melee weapon in one hand and a Tower Shield in the other, the Tank no longer takes any penalty to attack for wielding a Tower Shield.

Toughness: At every level, the Tank gains Toughness as a bonus feat (+3 HP per instance, stackable).

Pay Attention!: If the Tank is wielding a tower shield in one hand and a melee weapon in the other and attacks only one target during his turn, he may declare that target to be subject of his Pay Attention! ability. If it fails a Will save with a DC equal to 10 + the damage the Tank dealt to it this round, it is affected as if it had failed the check on the Tank’s Improved Goad class feature.

Cometary Combatant: At third level, the Tank gains Cometary Combatant as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet all the prerequisites.

Indomitability: At fourth level and every even level thereafter, the Tank gains a +1 bonus to his AC score. He loses this benefit if flat-footed or otherwise denied his Dexterity bonus to AC.

Heavy Armor Specialization: At fifth level, the Tank gains Heavy Armor Specialization as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet all the prerequisites.

Mettle: Whenever the Tank makes a Fortitude or Will save that allows for a partial effect, he instead negates the effect.

Armored Versatility: The Tank may treat any armor he wears as heavy armor for the purposes of any feats that apply only to heavy armor.

Last Stand: Once a day, when the Tank would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, he may as an immediate action declare his Last Stand ability. Last Stand grants the Tank temporary HP equal to three times his class level for 2 rounds. If the Tank is reduced to 0 or lower HP as a result of damage taken while Last Stand is active, the effect ends immediately (and the next effect does not trigger). When the effect ends normally, however, if the Tank’s HP is 0 or lower, he is automatically reduced to -9 HP and stabilizes.

Defensive Monolith: Whenever a Tank is in combat and chooses not to move during his turn, he gains the benefits of Defensive Monolith. Until the beginning of his next turn, he is completely immovable and gains DR 5/- (this does not stack with the DR granted by Heavy Armor specialization). Also, any space he threatens is considered difficult terrain to any enemy. However, he loses one attack at his lowest total attack bonus if he makes a full attack action.
starvinmarvin07
03-02-07, 01:29 AM I like it, seems OK. Improved Goad is nice, I've always thought Goad was a little weak.

Is there a limit of times/day on his Pay Attention! ability?

I could see someone going nuts on the defensive monolith ability, using say, a spiked chain.

Requirements seem a little heavy, 6 feats (5 for melee primary types, they usually get heavy armor, and 4 for some really heavy melee types who get tower shields). Even if you get heavy armor and tower shields from your class, you still need four feats, meaning either enter the class at lvl 10 or be a fighter. Even a paladin (non human) wouldn't be able to enter this class until lvl 13. I'm guessing you want people to be able to get in earlier (from the +5 BAB req.), so if I were you I'd tone down the feats.
Infinitive
03-06-07, 12:50 AM Sorry it took me so long to get back to you; I've been busy lately.

As for the feat requirements, I made this class with the intention that it fill a gap that Wizards has not addressed: a prestige class that takes feats that are quite good for tanking and makes them very potent proactive aggro management tools. With a human, I could get into this class for my seventh level without a single level in Fighter; one level in any class that provides the Heavy Armor and Tower Shield proficiencies cuts it down to the point where a human can do basically whatever (s)he wants; for any nonhuman, taking one level in Fighter or following the Knight progression until you get the bonus feat there does the same thing.

That being said, I could probably dump the Exotic Armor Proficiency feat to make the whole mess more convenient.

Pay Attention! is not limited in uses per day. However, the restrictions on targeting mean that it will only ever work on one target at a time (i.e. tie down a boss so the party can deal with his minions). The interesting secondary part is that Pay Attention! will rarely be very effective against any class with a full Will save progression. They have the base saves such that any reasonable amount of Wisdom will allow them a very good chance at sneaking out of Pay Attention!'s save requirement. Since, even at a full BAB, a Tank is only going to be swinging with a longsword or maybe a Dwarven waraxe, if they're a dwarf, once per 5 levels, the damage that they'll average should be pretty well escapable, even presuming cheese like +1 Flaming Frost Shocking Sonic Longswords.

I didn't put the sword-and-board requirement on Defensive Monolith that I did on most of the Tank's other keystone abilities because it's a capstone, which calls for a little bit more power and versatility. Still, the encouragement to stick with sword-and-board for D.Monolith should still be fairly strong, as you're hedging yourself out of several other abilities for the class if you go for a 2H weapon.

And if you like the capstone of this class, grab a PHB2 and check out the Knight's 3rd level ability, Defensive Bulwark. The part of Defensive Monolith that turns terrain into difficult terrain was grabbed right out of there.

As an off-topic: one of the best cohorts anyone can get from the Leadership feat for a party is a Knight with Spiked Chain proficiency. Stick his butt on a horse and have him just stand in front of the casters, turning a 30-foot wide swath into unchargeable morass. Almost as good as Entangle, and you don't have to spend the turn casting.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Infinitive 02-28-07, 05:26 PM	I'm beginning to think that I have too much spare time at work. Still, here's another PrC for you all to have a look at. The Tank The armored behemoths of the battlefield, Tanks specialize in absorbing and deflecting strikes that would eviscerate their comrades. Clad in massive suits of armor and wielding the most massive of shields for their own protection, a Tank is a powerful asset against any powerful enemy. Requirements: B.A.B. +5 Feats: Heavy Armor Proficiency, Tower Shield Proficiency, Heavy Armor Optimization, Shield Specialization (Tower Shield), Goad, Exotic Armor Proficiency (Battle Plate or Mountain Armor) Skills: Intimidate 8 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks Hit Dice: d12 Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Improved Goad, Tower Shield Optimization, Toughness 2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Pay Attention!, Toughness 3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Cometary Combatant, Toughness 4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Indomitability +1, Toughness 5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Heavy Armor Specialization, Toughness 6 +6 +5 +2 +2 Indomitability +2, Mettle, Toughness 7 +7 +5 +2 +2 Armored Versatility, Toughness 8 +8 +6 +2 +2 Indomitability +3, Toughness 9 +9 +6 +3 +3 Last Stand, Toughness 10 +10 +7 +3 +3 Defensive Monolith, Indomitability +4, Toughness Class Features: Improved Goad: When the Tank uses his Goad feat, if his target fails its save, it must include the Tank as a target for any targeted offensive action it takes; any spell or ability that affects an area must include the Tank as part of its area of effect. For example, a spell with multiple allowable targets, such as Magic Missile, must include the Tank as a target of at least one of its missiles. This does not remove tactical capacity from the target of the Goad; rather, while its attention is focused on the Tank primarily, it still recognizes the threat that the Tank’s companions present to it. Tower Shield Optimization: When wielding a melee weapon in one hand and a Tower Shield in the other, the Tank no longer takes any penalty to attack for wielding a Tower Shield. Toughness: At every level, the Tank gains Toughness as a bonus feat (+3 HP per instance, stackable). Pay Attention!: If the Tank is wielding a tower shield in one hand and a melee weapon in the other and attacks only one target during his turn, he may declare that target to be subject of his Pay Attention! ability. If it fails a Will save with a DC equal to 10 + the damage the Tank dealt to it this round, it is affected as if it had failed the check on the Tank’s Improved Goad class feature. Cometary Combatant: At third level, the Tank gains Cometary Combatant as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet all the prerequisites. Indomitability: At fourth level and every even level thereafter, the Tank gains a +1 bonus to his AC score. He loses this benefit if flat-footed or otherwise denied his Dexterity bonus to AC. Heavy Armor Specialization: At fifth level, the Tank gains Heavy Armor Specialization as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet all the prerequisites. Mettle: Whenever the Tank makes a Fortitude or Will save that allows for a partial effect, he instead negates the effect. Armored Versatility: The Tank may treat any armor he wears as heavy armor for the purposes of any feats that apply only to heavy armor. Last Stand: Once a day, when the Tank would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, he may as an immediate action declare his Last Stand ability. Last Stand grants the Tank temporary HP equal to three times his class level for 2 rounds. If the Tank is reduced to 0 or lower HP as a result of damage taken while Last Stand is active, the effect ends immediately (and the next effect does not trigger). When the effect ends normally, however, if the Tank’s HP is 0 or lower, he is automatically reduced to -9 HP and stabilizes. Defensive Monolith: Whenever a Tank is in combat and chooses not to move during his turn, he gains the benefits of Defensive Monolith. Until the beginning of his next turn, he is completely immovable and gains DR 5/- (this does not stack with the DR granted by Heavy Armor specialization). Also, any space he threatens is considered difficult terrain to any enemy. However, he loses one attack at his lowest total attack bonus if he makes a full attack action.
starvinmarvin07 03-02-07, 01:29 AM	I like it, seems OK. Improved Goad is nice, I've always thought Goad was a little weak. Is there a limit of times/day on his Pay Attention! ability? I could see someone going nuts on the defensive monolith ability, using say, a spiked chain. Requirements seem a little heavy, 6 feats (5 for melee primary types, they usually get heavy armor, and 4 for some really heavy melee types who get tower shields). Even if you get heavy armor and tower shields from your class, you still need four feats, meaning either enter the class at lvl 10 or be a fighter. Even a paladin (non human) wouldn't be able to enter this class until lvl 13. I'm guessing you want people to be able to get in earlier (from the +5 BAB req.), so if I were you I'd tone down the feats.
Infinitive 03-06-07, 12:50 AM	Sorry it took me so long to get back to you; I've been busy lately. As for the feat requirements, I made this class with the intention that it fill a gap that Wizards has not addressed: a prestige class that takes feats that are quite good for tanking and makes them very potent proactive aggro management tools. With a human, I could get into this class for my seventh level without a single level in Fighter; one level in any class that provides the Heavy Armor and Tower Shield proficiencies cuts it down to the point where a human can do basically whatever (s)he wants; for any nonhuman, taking one level in Fighter or following the Knight progression until you get the bonus feat there does the same thing. That being said, I could probably dump the Exotic Armor Proficiency feat to make the whole mess more convenient. Pay Attention! is not limited in uses per day. However, the restrictions on targeting mean that it will only ever work on one target at a time (i.e. tie down a boss so the party can deal with his minions). The interesting secondary part is that Pay Attention! will rarely be very effective against any class with a full Will save progression. They have the base saves such that any reasonable amount of Wisdom will allow them a very good chance at sneaking out of Pay Attention!'s save requirement. Since, even at a full BAB, a Tank is only going to be swinging with a longsword or maybe a Dwarven waraxe, if they're a dwarf, once per 5 levels, the damage that they'll average should be pretty well escapable, even presuming cheese like +1 Flaming Frost Shocking Sonic Longswords. I didn't put the sword-and-board requirement on Defensive Monolith that I did on most of the Tank's other keystone abilities because it's a capstone, which calls for a little bit more power and versatility. Still, the encouragement to stick with sword-and-board for D.Monolith should still be fairly strong, as you're hedging yourself out of several other abilities for the class if you go for a 2H weapon. And if you like the capstone of this class, grab a PHB2 and check out the Knight's 3rd level ability, Defensive Bulwark. The part of Defensive Monolith that turns terrain into difficult terrain was grabbed right out of there. As an off-topic: one of the best cohorts anyone can get from the Leadership feat for a party is a Knight with Spiked Chain proficiency. Stick his butt on a horse and have him just stand in front of the casters, turning a 30-foot wide swath into unchargeable morass. Almost as good as Entangle, and you don't have to spend the turn casting.