Tank Character

[Kolat]

I have a tank melee based were creature, and we are nearing a refresh bonus. I currently have Inhuman Strength/Recovery/Toughness. To dominate melee should I up strength to supernstural, then eventually mythic? Or another one to super natural? Or even take billing size instead?

Just looking to be the nest combat beatatick I can be... Thanks in advance!

[NicholasQuinn]

If I were to tank, I'd go the speed route. The ability to fight a group in people, and not get hit, appeals to me far more than being hit and marking off those (albeit plentiful) boxes granted by toughness. A mixture of the two works well.

Strength isn't all that beneficial for tanking, but does provide a reasonable boost to damage. Although I'd rather speed than strength, again, as not getting hit outweighs a bonus to damage that relies on hitting.

So, if it isn't clear: I'm recommending speed.

[Kiero]

Speed gives you better defense and added mobility; it doesn't improve your ability to tank, and potentially takes you down a completely different route. Speed makes Athletics a really useful Skill to have; but if you can absorb the punishment it's less important not to get hit.

Have you considered any Mortal Stunts, like Wall of Death for taking out multiples of weaker opponents (which is even easier when you're getting a lot of extra Stress)?

[Kolat]

Speed gives you better defense and added mobility; it doesn't improve your ability to tank, and potentially takes you down a completely different route. Speed makes Athletics a really useful Skill to have; but if you can absorb the punishment it's less important not to get hit.

Have you considered any Mortal Stunts, like Wall of Death for taking out multiples of weaker opponents (which is even easier when you're getting a lot of extra Stress)?

I have a few stunts, one that gives me bonuses in Were form (Home brew), and 2 that help me socially with my intimidation. The speed route isn't my characters bag. I just want max the punishment and damage I can do... Hence the term tank!

What are your opinions of hulking  size?

[NicholasQuinn]

There are two typical types of tank within a role-based RPG: "Dexterity, don't get hit, death by a thousand cuts", and "Strength/Constitution, take and/or deal damage".

I personally prefer the former. Can't offer much advise with the latter, unfortunately. Recovery/Strengh/Toughness would seem to be what you're looking for. Out of the bunch I'd go Toughness. Stunts for extra Physical Consequences might be worth looking into.

[wyvern]

If that's the character feel you're looking for, I'd suggest discussing with your GM a custom power that shifts physical defense to endurance.  I'd phrase it as:

-1 Armored Hide: You may use endurance to defend against attacks or maneuvers that would inflict physical stress or damage - unless that damage would be inflicted in a way that bypasses your toughness catch.  In addition, you may complement your defense with might when defending against large, brute force style physical attacks, such as an ogre's club, a boulder thrown by a giant, or a collapsing wall (but not against gunfire, the thrust of a rapier, etc.)

You'll still want a decent athletics, though.  Catch-based attacks will still force you to dodge normally, as will many maneuvers; the power lets you use endurance against a "cut over your eyes" or a "bruised ankle", but won't help against non-damaging maneuvers like tripping, disarming, etc.  It also won't help against grapples.  And mobility is useful anyway.

[EdgeOfDreams]

Do you have Claws yet? That's a 1-point power that most GMs will allow to stack with Strength to boost your damage output by 2.

Aside from that, it really just comes down to whether you want more damage or more health.  Hulking Size does NOT improve your damage output at all, actually.  In fact, because Hulking Size gives you more stress boxes but also makes you easier to hit, it doesn't actually improve your survivability much either.

Moving your Toughness to Supernatural is probably a better investment than doing the same to your Recovery, unless you're really worried about starting every fight completely cleared of consequences.

Inhuman Speed is also worth considering if your athletics is decent and you want more mobility and protection from ranged attacks.  However, I can understand how that might not fit the character's flavor.

[Kiero]

IMO the order you should be improving your powers is thus:
1) Strength - to shorten fights by ensuring you take down the other guy.
2) Toughness - to prolong your ability to stay in the fight while you do the first.
3) Recovery - to ensure you are healed up before the next time you get in a scrap (and also remove the odd Consequence during if you really have to).

So right now, Supernatural Strength. Then Toughess. Lastly Recovery. Then go around them again if desired.

Recommendations on Claws and the like are good ones; my GM sees Supernatural Strength as the threshold after which weapon breakage becomes a regular occurence (Compel!). So by then you either use Fists alone and forget melee weapons, or use disposable ones. At Supernatural Strength, things you rip out of the ground or fixtures might qualify as such.

[Sanctaphrax]

It very much depends on the situation. The four basic physical powers are pretty well balanced against each other, so none of them is a dumb choice.

Claws is good if you use Fists.

Hulking Size usually isn't great, but the Intimidation boost is nice.

Mortal stunts vary greatly in usefulness depending on the situation. Can't comment on whether they'd be good for you or not without knowing more.

Bottom line: not enough info.

[The Mighty Buzzard]

If you're going for a Tank character like you would in an MMORPG, what Sanctaphrax said but for slightly different reasons.

1) Strength.  Grapples are the only physical means you have of keeping a baddie attacking you rather than your more fragile friends.
2) Toughness. You take a lot more punishment.
3) Recovery. You're healed up for the next fight and can blow off consequence(s) during a fight.

That's powers.  Stunts like Infuriate (YW153) would also be appropriate to keep the target on you without having to grapple.

Just bear in mind that this is a Physical tank build you're going for.  Against vamps or finger-wagglers hitting your Mental track, you're going to be relatively soft and squishy as a target.

[Kiero]

Just bear in mind that this is a Physical tank build you're going for.  Against vamps or finger-wagglers hitting your Mental track, you're going to be relatively soft and squishy as a target.

That's why you keep a relatively high Discipline.

[Michael Sandy]

In a low power game, my glamour based character may end up being the 'tank'.  He has a shadow form that is very tough, and his illusions can steadily pile useful aspects, so he can't be ignored, but he doesn't have much direct striking power.

You could have someone with a very high evocation block be the tank.  Or someone with high toughness, or high athletics + speed and stunts to make their dodge even higher.  Regardless, they also need to have something that causes the enemy to focus exclusively on them, instead of on squishier targets.

[Kiero]

You could have someone with a very high evocation block be the tank. 

That would be an extremely inefficient and pretty wasteful way to tank.

[NicholasQuinn]

That would be an extremely inefficient and pretty wasteful way to tank.

Inefficient? A dedicated defensive caster, as with a dedicated offensive caster, can achieve high numbers fairly easily. For instance a submerged caster, with 5 conviction, 4 discipline, +2 element control, +1 element power. Can summon 6 shifts. Add in a +1 power & control element defensive item keyed to a single spell: you've got a legendary (8 shift) block; which on the second turn you can extend to last for another 7 rounds. Or you could make it a Fantastic block for multiple allies within the same zone. Nifty, huh? Oh, and as of round 2+ you're still able to throw about a few offensive blasts (6 shifts, + any focus items)/ manoeuvres for good measure; or to keep enemies focused on you. Not to mention the possibility of defensive enchanted items, and how effective they could be for a Tank.. I can guarantee some people on this site could make even better Magic Tanks fairly easily.

- The (fixed) numbers listed are assuming 1 mental stress per spell. An Evocator willing to up them to +4 for the spell, 1 for the prolonging (still leaves room for two offensive spells), or any combination thereof of stress useage, can achieve even better blocks.

I know that is an extremely focused defensive caster, but people always discuss how offensive casters are (which, to be fair, they are) awesome; defensive ones can pull it off too!

- Edit: Wizard's can even dish out damage whilst taking it, using Wards. Sponsored magic: Wards could arguably make an insanely good tank as far as retribution goes.

[Kiero]

A tank using the building block powers never takes Stress from their use, they can keep pumping them out round after round with no cost. And cheaper than magic in terms of Refresh, too.

More to the point, focusing magic just around that one thing makes for a pretty boring sorceror-type. All that investment to do one thing really well, and not even a terribly interesting one. At least someone with super-Strength has some non-combat applications of that.