Meatsheild builds - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Meatsheild builds

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
arcana_man
Apr 28, 2009 13:57:23 What is the best build for a meatsheild....aka what character build can you obtain the Highest Hp...its a new character concept ive been thinking about but im pretty simple thinker .. all i can muster up is just a dwarven barbarian with lots of con... but are there better choices... pleace post some useful builds
#2
vardock
Apr 28, 2009 17:45:59 Knight would be better for a meatshield. They have d12's and heavy armor. You could also prestige into Dwarven defender, which has d12's a static bonus to ac, and defensive stance, as well as good fort and will saves.
If you have unearthed arcana, take three levels of dwarf paragon, that will get you +2 to con at 3rd level, as well as a list of other good things.
#3
ace_of_time
Apr 28, 2009 20:56:49 Battlerager build. Go with warforged, dwarf, or dragonborn.
#4
vardock
Apr 29, 2009 10:47:55 Even better, a dragonborn who was once a dwarf!! +4 con
#5
Elemental_Elf
Apr 29, 2009 11:22:05 If you take a level of Cleric you could have the ability to cast protection from evil on yourself to net you 2 to AC. Further, it would grant you access to 2 Domains, I'd suggest Nobility and Luck if for nothing more than the ability to help your allies and get that re-roll ability. Finally the most important bit, by taking a level in Cleric you can use a wand of Cure X Wounds, which would means you can keep your health up and stay in the game for that much longer.

As for PrCs to combo with the Knight, the Defender of Sealtiel is a great option. The PrC (from the Book of Exalted Deeds) has abilities that enhance your AC, help you take damage for your allies. His key ability, Defensive Stance, not only increases your AC (by +4) but your health as well (+4 CON when in the stance!).
#6
ferol_debtor_of_torm
Apr 29, 2009 11:55:03 Battlerager. They are made of balance.
#7
onceuponatime
Apr 29, 2009 13:46:37
What is the best build for a meatsheild....aka what character build can you obtain the Highest Hp...its a new character concept ive been thinking about but im pretty simple thinker .. all i can muster up is just a dwarven barbarian with lots of con... but are there better choices... pleace post some useful builds

Ummm what edition? Some people are answering in 3e speak and others in 4e...
#8
arcana_man
Apr 29, 2009 15:33:15 3.5 edition
#9
yamishinobi
Apr 29, 2009 16:33:57
3.5 edition

Dragonborn Dwarf Axe and board Knight with improved toughness

D12's heavy armor and +4 con.
#10
arcana_man
Apr 30, 2009 3:08:34 dragonborn dwarf would only get a +2 con... they replace your old racial bonuses

I relize its quite easy to chase ways to get higher strength forever.. all kinds of classes... but aside from being a barbarian dwarf with 3 levels in dwarf paragon and the +5 inherit bonus from mauel of vitality and the enchantment bonus from the neclace +6 ... what bonuses are there besides inherit and enchantment and where can i find them...lots of things dont stack... and i prefer rage over defensive stances n such cause since i am vesting time ability boosts in con my str is left to wither so i need str to stay valid and with a high con mod my rage will last forever... my plan is Barbarian+Dwarven paragon... thing i might try and get like 600 hp by the time im 20 ...there just arent alot of classes that get bonuses to con... the dragon disciple dicipline has a little but not enough to invest that much effort into the class +2 thats it...i mean epic dragon disciple gets +4 total instead of +2 but... like 600 hp may seem insane by 20 but take a look at the lvl CR's.... go ahead look... ill wait here.......you back?... good ... omg did you see them! ... crazy... they hurt ive accepted the fact the no-matter how high i get my ac its easy to get hit.. sure i can cheese up my character and be like oh i have 45 AC... suck on it... but it just seems lame to me... id rather just reach for HP...im not looking to become resiliant to attacks.. such as dmg reduction.. spell resistance... enery resistance n such... and ac... i am just looking for various ways to create a character with lots of hp... i mean there are ways to make characters capable of dealing incredible dmg... are there any for having incredible Constitution... i even found ways to have like 60 strength by the time your lvl 20... i am just relizing now how hard it is to increase your constitution... do i truly have no choice to abandon my quest for more HP and contitution at some point in my characters developement... cause i would probly rather retire him... thats just not his personality... he is obsessed with becoming the Toughest Dwarf alive....seems like all i have left to do is get my +2 con from dwarven paragon.. then quest for just 2 magic items.. Manuel of vitality +5 which cost like 135,000....one of the strongest majoy wonderous items in the PHB. and the +6 amulet of Health which cost like 63,000 i think.. i would have to check the DMG. but either way it will take a while... im lvl 9 now.... with only like 12,000 in gold and plunder... i am hoarding my gold and havent spent much at all ... still feel poor for lvl 9... probly cause i started at 7... thats why i like to start at lv 1... cause i always end up with like twice the gold im suposed to... all i do is... i want power... money is power.... at lvl 1 im usualy a theif... rip off some rich guy...and start my own orginization and pay for lackys...mmmm thats sounds fun

aside from the among of hp i said erlier .. i did the math and my hp would be 451 hp with the set up i have .. at lvl 20 but for like a CR 21... a titan... could easily hit me every attack 4d6+27 and gets 4 attacks on average he could do 156 damage every full attack action... its the thought of a HP only tank an opsolete one.. he has 370... i would have 81 more hp than a titan... but my dmg per turn would lower... his ac is 38... my BaB first would be +20 then i have 14 str + +8 rage and a low magical axe from money spent to increase hp.... my dmg would be low... and it dosnt make sense for the DM to just have the monster conviniently attack the meat sheild if its intelegent... is there a way for me to provoke creatures to attack just me... and by the way.. my con modififer would go up by for temporailiy from my extra rage from barbarian +8 so my temporary HP would be 531...hmmp... well the only thing i know to do is once i run out of items to increase my hp i will hunt for strength bonuses and become very good friends with the healer........ and really... any taunt skills or anything?

i did some more coulucualtions my average dmg... if i picked up +6 str belt and +5 str inherent bonus from wishes... +rage my average dmg agaisnt the titan would be roughly 50 dmg a turn... which.. is with alot of magic.... probly 300,000 gold worth of magic bonuses i dont think i would even have that much gold by lvl 20 ... so if i somhow managed to get THAT MUCH GOLD....soo much... having 531 hp and dealing 50 dmg a turn... i cant solo it... but thats the point i need my party....yeah i gues thats nice it is nice having more HP than a Great wryrm red dragon
whos CR is 26.. but i'll have to put my trust in my group to heal me and kill the dragon.... but the attention grabing on the the target...... PS; think thats Tough and strong enough to become "King of the Dwarves"?
#11
chipll
May 01, 2009 10:15:21 To provoke something to attack the meatshield, take levels in knight and use knights challenge, the titan would then be at penalties if it wanted to attack anyone other than you. Seriously knights are the ultimate meatshield. If you want the rage ability still you could always talk to your dm about some homebrewed version of either barbarian or knight with different alignment restrictions.
#12
kimby
May 03, 2009 23:35:55 Dwarf Battlerager Fighter w/ 18 Con and 16 Str, Heavy Shield, Chainmail and either Hammer or Axe. I know there's lotsa people out there who hate chainmail, but why sacrifice the extra 2 damage when you have temp hp just to have higher AC. Also, give the Dwarf Dwarf Stone Blood and Improved Vigor, by 6th level he'll be getting 7 temp hp's when he hits with Crushing Surge.

Minotaur Battlerager Fighter w/ 18 Str & Con, Heavy Shield, Chainmail and Battleaxe.

Both these builds have never failed me.

The Minotaur is a destroyer on the battlefield. He's build around his Goring Charge and charging attacks in general. He's very hard to stop unless he's immobilized, stunned or Dazed.

The Dwarf is a damage sponge, who can also dish out damage of his own. There's been times where's he's been the last man standing in a fight.

Good Luck.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 arcana_man Apr 28, 2009 13:57:23	What is the best build for a meatsheild....aka what character build can you obtain the Highest Hp...its a new character concept ive been thinking about but im pretty simple thinker .. all i can muster up is just a dwarven barbarian with lots of con... but are there better choices... pleace post some useful builds
#2 vardock Apr 28, 2009 17:45:59	Knight would be better for a meatshield. They have d12's and heavy armor. You could also prestige into Dwarven defender, which has d12's a static bonus to ac, and defensive stance, as well as good fort and will saves. If you have unearthed arcana, take three levels of dwarf paragon, that will get you +2 to con at 3rd level, as well as a list of other good things.
#3 ace_of_time Apr 28, 2009 20:56:49	Battlerager build. Go with warforged, dwarf, or dragonborn.
#4 vardock Apr 29, 2009 10:47:55	Even better, a dragonborn who was once a dwarf!! +4 con
#5 Elemental_Elf Apr 29, 2009 11:22:05	If you take a level of Cleric you could have the ability to cast protection from evil on yourself to net you 2 to AC. Further, it would grant you access to 2 Domains, I'd suggest Nobility and Luck if for nothing more than the ability to help your allies and get that re-roll ability. Finally the most important bit, by taking a level in Cleric you can use a wand of Cure X Wounds, which would means you can keep your health up and stay in the game for that much longer. As for PrCs to combo with the Knight, the Defender of Sealtiel is a great option. The PrC (from the Book of Exalted Deeds) has abilities that enhance your AC, help you take damage for your allies. His key ability, Defensive Stance, not only increases your AC (by +4) but your health as well (+4 CON when in the stance!).
#6 ferol_debtor_of_torm Apr 29, 2009 11:55:03	Battlerager. They are made of balance.
#7 onceuponatime Apr 29, 2009 13:46:37	What is the best build for a meatsheild....aka what character build can you obtain the Highest Hp...its a new character concept ive been thinking about but im pretty simple thinker .. all i can muster up is just a dwarven barbarian with lots of con... but are there better choices... pleace post some useful builds Ummm what edition? Some people are answering in 3e speak and others in 4e...
#8 arcana_man Apr 29, 2009 15:33:15	3.5 edition
#9 yamishinobi Apr 29, 2009 16:33:57	3.5 edition Dragonborn Dwarf Axe and board Knight with improved toughness D12's heavy armor and +4 con.
#10 arcana_man Apr 30, 2009 3:08:34	dragonborn dwarf would only get a +2 con... they replace your old racial bonuses I relize its quite easy to chase ways to get higher strength forever.. all kinds of classes... but aside from being a barbarian dwarf with 3 levels in dwarf paragon and the +5 inherit bonus from mauel of vitality and the enchantment bonus from the neclace +6 ... what bonuses are there besides inherit and enchantment and where can i find them...lots of things dont stack... and i prefer rage over defensive stances n such cause since i am vesting time ability boosts in con my str is left to wither so i need str to stay valid and with a high con mod my rage will last forever... my plan is Barbarian+Dwarven paragon... thing i might try and get like 600 hp by the time im 20 ...there just arent alot of classes that get bonuses to con... the dragon disciple dicipline has a little but not enough to invest that much effort into the class +2 thats it...i mean epic dragon disciple gets +4 total instead of +2 but... like 600 hp may seem insane by 20 but take a look at the lvl CR's.... go ahead look... ill wait here.......you back?... good ... omg did you see them! ... crazy... they hurt ive accepted the fact the no-matter how high i get my ac its easy to get hit.. sure i can cheese up my character and be like oh i have 45 AC... suck on it... but it just seems lame to me... id rather just reach for HP...im not looking to become resiliant to attacks.. such as dmg reduction.. spell resistance... enery resistance n such... and ac... i am just looking for various ways to create a character with lots of hp... i mean there are ways to make characters capable of dealing incredible dmg... are there any for having incredible Constitution... i even found ways to have like 60 strength by the time your lvl 20... i am just relizing now how hard it is to increase your constitution... do i truly have no choice to abandon my quest for more HP and contitution at some point in my characters developement... cause i would probly rather retire him... thats just not his personality... he is obsessed with becoming the Toughest Dwarf alive....seems like all i have left to do is get my +2 con from dwarven paragon.. then quest for just 2 magic items.. Manuel of vitality +5 which cost like 135,000....one of the strongest majoy wonderous items in the PHB. and the +6 amulet of Health which cost like 63,000 i think.. i would have to check the DMG. but either way it will take a while... im lvl 9 now.... with only like 12,000 in gold and plunder... i am hoarding my gold and havent spent much at all ... still feel poor for lvl 9... probly cause i started at 7... thats why i like to start at lv 1... cause i always end up with like twice the gold im suposed to... all i do is... i want power... money is power.... at lvl 1 im usualy a theif... rip off some rich guy...and start my own orginization and pay for lackys...mmmm thats sounds fun aside from the among of hp i said erlier .. i did the math and my hp would be 451 hp with the set up i have .. at lvl 20 but for like a CR 21... a titan... could easily hit me every attack 4d6+27 and gets 4 attacks on average he could do 156 damage every full attack action... its the thought of a HP only tank an opsolete one.. he has 370... i would have 81 more hp than a titan... but my dmg per turn would lower... his ac is 38... my BaB first would be +20 then i have 14 str + +8 rage and a low magical axe from money spent to increase hp.... my dmg would be low... and it dosnt make sense for the DM to just have the monster conviniently attack the meat sheild if its intelegent... is there a way for me to provoke creatures to attack just me... and by the way.. my con modififer would go up by for temporailiy from my extra rage from barbarian +8 so my temporary HP would be 531...hmmp... well the only thing i know to do is once i run out of items to increase my hp i will hunt for strength bonuses and become very good friends with the healer........ and really... any taunt skills or anything? i did some more coulucualtions my average dmg... if i picked up +6 str belt and +5 str inherent bonus from wishes... +rage my average dmg agaisnt the titan would be roughly 50 dmg a turn... which.. is with alot of magic.... probly 300,000 gold worth of magic bonuses i dont think i would even have that much gold by lvl 20 ... so if i somhow managed to get THAT MUCH GOLD....soo much... having 531 hp and dealing 50 dmg a turn... i cant solo it... but thats the point i need my party....yeah i gues thats nice it is nice having more HP than a Great wryrm red dragon whos CR is 26.. but i'll have to put my trust in my group to heal me and kill the dragon.... but the attention grabing on the the target...... PS; think thats Tough and strong enough to become "King of the Dwarves"?
#11 chipll May 01, 2009 10:15:21	To provoke something to attack the meatshield, take levels in knight and use knights challenge, the titan would then be at penalties if it wanted to attack anyone other than you. Seriously knights are the ultimate meatshield. If you want the rage ability still you could always talk to your dm about some homebrewed version of either barbarian or knight with different alignment restrictions.
#12 kimby May 03, 2009 23:35:55	Dwarf Battlerager Fighter w/ 18 Con and 16 Str, Heavy Shield, Chainmail and either Hammer or Axe. I know there's lotsa people out there who hate chainmail, but why sacrifice the extra 2 damage when you have temp hp just to have higher AC. Also, give the Dwarf Dwarf Stone Blood and Improved Vigor, by 6th level he'll be getting 7 temp hp's when he hits with Crushing Surge. Minotaur Battlerager Fighter w/ 18 Str & Con, Heavy Shield, Chainmail and Battleaxe. Both these builds have never failed me. The Minotaur is a destroyer on the battlefield. He's build around his Goring Charge and charging attacks in general. He's very hard to stop unless he's immobilized, stunned or Dazed. The Dwarf is a damage sponge, who can also dish out damage of his own. There's been times where's he's been the last man standing in a fight. Good Luck.