Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 RPGBG May 03, 2015 8:23:23	So, some background first. Currently I am playing a lvl 4 human battlemaster fighter with the following rolled stats and choices:   Str: 16, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 10 Feats: Sentinel, Shield Mastery Skills: Athletics, Survival, Nature, Persuation, Animal Handling Fighting Style: Dueling Maneuvers: Trip Attack (I know I can shield shove, but I keep it for taking down flyers), Pushing Attack, Disarming Attack   I have been playing as the group's wilderness guide and tank. The problem is that the group consists of a Vengeance Paladin, Tempest Cleric and a Fiend Patron Blade Warlock who just picked up Medium Armor Master and has the Dex to make it work. Between the warlocks equivalent to a heavy armor and a stream of temporary hit points, and the cleric's heavy armor and shield - the most vulnerable member of our party is the Great Weapon Vengeance Paladin, provided he is not running Shield of Faith to close the gap.   It's not terrible, since act more passively at the start of the encounter (providing advantage with shield shoves), let them take most of the initial heat and then start shoving Sentinel attacks and Battlemaster maneuvers at the opponent's faces, but I don't feel more tankish than them by any significant margin. That's why I have decide to continue with the wilderness angle and take few levels in bear totem barbarian. My family crest is an owlbear so it also ties in thematically.   That being said as I was taking my 5th level and waving goodbye (for now!) to my extra attack - I was pointed out that rage and heavy armor don't work well together (as in "at all"). This leaves me with the following options:   1. Downgrade into medium armor, which will cost me 2 AC (but gives me resistance to weapon attacks). 2. Stay in heavy armor and ignore the rage benefits.   Now, having in mind that I am not interested in the following suggestions: 1. Change your stats a bit (I can't). 2. Don't multiclass into a barbarian (I want to).   Which of the two options above do you consider more mechanically effective?
#2 Kentus May 03, 2015 16:15:38	Go to medium armor. Actually tanks works best, if they are not impossible to hit and the damage resistance makes those hits less dangerous. So it's actually a win-win situation.   Don't confuse being a tank with "taking no hits at all", since the base thoughts of a tanks are: "Be targeted instead of your allies." and "Be able to bear the incoming attacks." I saw plenty of tanks fail, because no enemy would even attack them anymore after one or two rounds, since who likes attacking something, that won't even bulge.   So if you're looking for being the tank: Just embrace the full potential of the barbarian (a class which is an excellent tank).
#3 BRJN May 06, 2015 17:59:23	Don't worry about being a Tank, if being "reinforcements" helps your group beat enemies faster.  You can also think about specializing more in Wilderness Survival, since it helps the group in sticky situations (avoiding a fight is as good as giving Team Monster a TPK, when you want to not be noticed).
#4 Glimjack May 06, 2015 19:28:23	Are you using a shield? Duelist fighting style should give you a significant AC with a shield whilst maintaining some heavy damage with your one-handed weapon.   ** Edit: Of course you're using a shield, I forgot that part **   If you stick with fighter you'll also get more feats: at 6th level you get a feat when noone else does, so you could easily take a tanking feat. Tough to add 12HPs and an additional 2HPs/level from now one? Heavy Armour Mastery to gain DR 3 ( and increase you strength by 1) or Defensive Duelist to add +3 to your AC as a reaction (to start) or potential Martial Adept for more manuevers and superiority dice. Then you'll still get another one at 8th!   Also don't forget that killing the bad guy faster also reduces damage against you. You can achieve this by addiing to your own damage or being an enabler. At the moment it looks like you've focused you maneuvers on control, in a party that doesn't really need that kind of control since they are all up in the enemy face anyway. Maneuver wise: Distracting Strike will have your allies thanking you (unlike Trip Attack, it's no save and works even if the enemys turn is next, at the cost of not working against multipe attacks, Parry will reduce your damage intake significantly, Riposte will make every hit against you hurt the enemy more, Goading attack will draw the enemy fire, and menacing attack will increase your survivability by giving the enemy you're engaged with disadvantage on attacks.   I think you'll also find at at your current level, some of the tanking benefits of Shield Mastery are lost, as typical there aren't as many AoE attacks. I think you'll find as you level that this feat becomes much more useful and will help you "out-tank" your allies. Combine that with an increasing Second Wind Heal, and you should have little problem carcing out that niche for yourself well above what another class can do.