"Tank" build...

[Simonic]

I'm a little clueless on this front, and there are a TON of different takes on the matter.

Is there a build that has high/moderate AC, high DR, high Intimidate, and a moderate hp pool...as well as saves.

I was thinking dwarf/fighter would be the way to go...but I can't find anything that agrees with the poster, or the poster below, or the one below that.

I know the common view of "tanks" isn't the same in DDO (ie. Intimitanks), but surely there must be something that has all the "tank" qualities that can hold its own in a raid environment...

[Rheebus]

In my opinion a tank must be a survivor. Since there is no way in DDO to avoid taking any damage, if you can't heal yourself, you are not a true tank. Folks often misuse "tank" to mean "DPS" or damage per second. Tanks are characters who soak up aggro and don't die. Unless you have a dedicated cleric (only really expected in certain raids), a tank must be a self-healer. Warforged casters make great tanks. Dwarven clerics can also tank very well. Fighters and barbarians are almost never good tanks because they struggle staying alive when soaking up aggro.

Some will argue with me saying that a tank doesn't have to be self-healing, and I can see your point, but if your tank cannot heal themselves well, they will eventually die, releasing the aggro they have collected upon the rest of the group.

If you want to build a great tank, check out Tak's Tukaw build. It is nearly one of a kind! I have a Tukaw clone on Ghallanda, and he always does his job. He grabs aggro, keeps it, and doesn't die. He even manages to do lots of DPS with his guards and mineral II great axe.

[gavagai]

I'm a little clueless on this front, and there are a TON of different takes on the matter.

Is there a build that has high/moderate AC, high DR, high Intimidate, and a moderate hp pool...as well as saves.

I was thinking dwarf/fighter would be the way to go...but I can't find anything that agrees with the poster, or the poster below, or the one below that.

I know the common view of "tanks" isn't the same in DDO (ie. Intimitanks), but surely there must be something that has all the "tank" qualities that can hold its own in a raid environment...

This is a blurb on Paladin tanks, but I think it gives great, balanced advice on what it means to tank and how you will be expected to function. Although for alternative tank builds (monk/ranger/sorcerer/&c.) obviously the parts about Heavy Armor and Tower Shields don't apply.

That said, the traditional tank-style builds in the game will be Stalwart Defender Fighters and Defender of Siberys Paladins. You can search the forums for "Cannon Fodder," "Riott Tank," or "Big Rock Candy" for fighter versions; and "Valhelm" for a good Dwarf Paladin version.

You can make any class/multiclass into a tank ultimately, and in all cases tanks need a bit of twink gear to be effective.

[Tumarek]

A classic tank would be dwarfen fighter with shield feats and enhancement, 2WF and weapon focus (dwarfen axe or kopesh), and intimidate.

good but not great AC, great DR while blockeng, and very high dps if needed. nice allrounder, not hard to build, not too equipment addicted.

Wont be earthshaking but will do those jobs very good... Not high end like Tukow but easy to build and to play...

[Quikster]

A classic tank would be dwarfen fighter with shield feats and enhancement, 2WF and weapon focus (dwarfen axe or kopesh), and intimidate.

good but not great AC, great DR while blockeng, and very high dps if needed. nice allrounder, not hard to build, not too equipment addicted.

Wont be earthshaking but will do those jobs very good...

not great ac? Maybe with no gear, but a dwarven stalwart defender should be able to attain great ac with good gear no problem.

[Tumarek]

Yeah probably... was thinking of those monk dex wis monsters with icy and chattering and stuff like that...

if you max dex and dex enhancments for armor, with mithril you can get very close you are right.

[Quikster]

Yeah probably... was thinking of those monk dex wis monsters with icy and chattering and stuff like that...

if you max dex and dex enhancments for armor, with mithril you can get very close you are right.

well defenders get more ac with fp, does that get me all the way to right?

I mean sustainable ac around 100 raid buffed (while blocking since the op and other are talking about dr) seems pretty stellar to me.

[MrWizard]

I'm a little clueless on this front, and there are a TON of different takes on the matter.

Is there a build that has high/moderate AC, high DR, high Intimidate, and a moderate hp pool...as well as saves.

I was thinking dwarf/fighter would be the way to go...but I can't find anything that agrees with the poster, or the poster below, or the one below that.

I know the common view of "tanks" isn't the same in DDO (ie. Intimitanks), but surely there must be something that has all the "tank" qualities that can hold its own in a raid environment...

I am a fan of the stalwart defender line as a fighter. You can splash 2 rogue on it for evasion but that takes work to get the ac back up easily.

Human would get you 39 DR blocking, dwarf 42
Usually 6/- dr with a shield on, not blocking, but umd gets you easy stoneskin until you find clickies. (10/adamantine)
Your AC will be in the 70s, fully buffed to 90s, maybe even 100s if you work on it.
Saves should be high 20s for will, mid to high 30s for fort, reflex between that.

Add evasion...and Good UMD with rogue, and I feel you got a good bit of everything.


my build is in my signature, but I am also looking at a dwarf ftr18/rog 2 build, still in the process (cannonjr).


AC, DR, saves, etc, is not as gear intensive as you would think, but it is build intensive and grind intensive. Build intensive means you gotta plan it out to make it happen, or it does not. Grind means you gotta grind to get what you need...