Tank (5e Class)

Fighters, Paladins and Barbarians. The 3 tanks of Dungeons and Dragons. One fights with skill and weapon mastery, one fights with devotion and smites, the last fights with fury and willpower. Tanks are raw physical power embodied. Their goal? Protect. Defend. You are the party's shield against all that threaten them.

Creating a Tank

As the Red dragon raises its head, stepping forward, a puff of hot smoke sparks out of its nostrils, coating the parties open wounds with ash. With everyone on the back foot, all hope seems lost. The beast lunges forward, only to be stopped by a Goliath clad in thick armor. Even against the odds, he holds his shield and maul close, as he will defend his friends to the last breath.

In the depths of a murky dungeon, the halfling rogue inspects a trap. He delicately attempts to disarm the contraption, patiently tinkering with the device. Mid way through, something snaps, as shock covers his face. In an instant, he is pulled back quickly as the trap explodes, expelling toxic gas. He looks up to his savior, to which he meets eyes with the groups Dwarven Tank

Tanks are the main line of defense in a party, like a fortress to a kingdom. Your goal is to protect and maintain your allies during battles or adventures. You want to defend, whether you defend the weak or are a hired brute. Maybe you want to show off your superior physical mass, or perhaps you are just doing your job. Tanks are generally larger members of their race, to better defend their allies.

Quick Build

You can make a Tank quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability Score. Second, choose the Soldier background. Third, choose heavy armor and a shield.

Class Features

As a Tank you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Tank level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Tank level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, Medium and Heavy armor, Shield
Weapons: Simple and Martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) chainmail or (b) any medium Armor and a Shield
• (a) explorer's pack or (b) dungeoneer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4×10 gp in funds.

Table: The Tank

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Marking, Defensive Reactions
2nd	+2	Vitality, Fighting Style
3rd	+2	Select Archetype
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra attack, Vitality Features
6th	+3	Archetype Feature
7th	+3	Guardian's Reaction
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Vitality Features
10th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
11th	+4	Archetype Feature
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Vitality Features
14th	+5	Heart of Iron
15th	+5	Body of Steel
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Vitality Features
18th	+6	Archetype Feature
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Invincible

Marking

At 1st level as a Tank, you strive to defend others, specifically by focusing on a threat. On hit with a weapon attack, you may mark a creature. You may only have one creature marked at a time. You gain a special reaction, to use exclusively against the target of the marked or the marked themselves. For example, you may use this reaction to use "Defensive Reactions" on an ally hit by the marked, or use it to opportunity attack the marked. In addition, you may make one weapon attack, grapple or shove against a Marked creature using this special reaction when they attack a friendly creature.

Defensive Reactions

At 1st level, you’ve learned how to protect your allies in all situations. As a reaction, you may shove or grapple a willing creature with no check involved. This would be in response to danger, like they are falling and you grab them, or a ranged attack is coming so you knock them prone.

Vitality

At 2nd, you, as a Tank, your superior power allows you to go beyond the physical limitations of a none tank. Pick one of the following options, gain additional features of this choice at levels 5, 9, 13 and 17. If for story reasons you would like to change your Vitality type, you may ask your DM, as long as you have a good reason story wise. It is advised a change like that should be planned out in advance.

Vital Enhancement

You gain an increase in physical strength and endurance. Either way, you gain 2 features;

Remarkable Athlete

Your movement speed increases by 5 feet, and you gain jump a bonus amount of feet equal to your constitution modifier.

Adrenaline State

Expending 1 hitdice, you may enter a greater physical state for 1 minute. You gain the roll in temporary hp, and for the duration, you can lift as one size larger, and you can dash as a bonus action.

Vital Empathy

You gain a bond with another person or creature. Maybe you love this person, are their paid body guard, or you have sworn to protect them. Either way, you gain 2 features;

Restoring Care

During a short rest, you can care to your bonded wounds. They regain your proficiency bonus more hit points, and gain your proficiency bonus temporary hp. In addition, you can use a medicine kit as a bonus action on your bonded.

Rook Swap

Expending 1 hitdice, you may swap places with your bonded as a reaction, provided they are within 10 feet of you. You and they gain temporary hp equal the the hitdices roll. If an attack would've hit them and you swap places with them, the attack still hits you, regardless if it would've hit your armor class.

Vital Emanation

You gain a mystical power spanned from your sheer will. Psychic? Magic? Perhaps. Either way, you gain 2 features;

Extended Grasp

Your reach extends by 5 feet for grapples and shoves, your will extends itself beyond your body.

Emanating Aura

Expending 1 hitdice, you may conjure a 5 by 5 foot shield of energy as a bonus action. This shield has a damage threshold (As a structure would) equal to half your constitution score, which may be bypassed by psychic damage. Its AC equals your own, and its HP equals the roll of the hitdice plus con. It hovers anywhere within 5-15 feet in front of you, and will follow your movement. If it isn't destroyed, it disappears after a minute, turning back into a hitdice. As an action, you may shove from the shields position.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you may select one of the fighting styles:

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Interception

When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Thrown Weapon Fighting

You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.

Unarmed Fighting

Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.

Archetype Feature

At 3rd level, you choose one tank Archetype of the following: Arcane Defender, Artillery, Juggernaut and Warden. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th and 18th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

At 5th level, when you make the attack action, you can make an additional attack.

Vitality features

At 5th level, you gain additional features based off the path you chose at 3rd level.

Vital Enhancement

You gain advantage on exhaustion saves, and you gain expertise in athletics, perception or intimidation, which ever you have proficiency for.

Vital Empathy

When you rook swap with your bonded, they gain resistance to all damage but psychic until the start of their next turn.

Vital Emanation

When you use your Emanating Aura, you may conjure 6 shields in a formation to create a greater shield. This uses 1 hitdice, but all shields are connected in certain configurations; a 10 foot tall by 15 foot wide wall or a cube around yourself. This greater shield has a higher hp, gaining a bonus to its HP equal to your level. While cubed, all attacks you make that start from yourself deal damage to the cube, and all attacks from the outside hit the cube.

Guardians Reaction

At 7th level, you may make a reaction for each creature within 10 feet of you. Once you have used a reaction for a specific creature, you may not use a reaction against that creature until the start of your next turn.

Vitality features

At 9th level, you gain additional features based off the path you chose at 3rd level.

Vital Enhancement

You gain advantage on strength checks during your adrenaline state.

Vital Empathy

You may rook swap 15 feet now.

Vital Emanation

Your range with grapples and shoves extends by a further 5 feet.

Vitality features

At 13th level, you gain additional features based off the path you chose at 3rd level.

Vital Enhancement

You may gain an additional expertise in athletics, intimidation or perception.

Vital Empathy

When your Bonded is reduced to 0 hp, you gain advantage on attack rolls against the creature that reduced them to 0 hp, and gain a bonus to damage equal to half your tank level. This bonus immediately ends after a minute, that creature is reduced to 0 hp, or when you bonded comes back to 1 hp.

Vital Emanation

When you shove with your shield, creatures who fail a strength save take 1d12 bludgeon damage and are knocked back another 5 feet, half damage on a success.

Heart of Iron

At 14th level, you gain proficiency in wisdom and charisma saves, as you have trained to resist mental attacks.

Body of Steel

At 15th level, you gain a damage threshold against non magical attacks equal to your level. Damage threshold means any damage below the number is completely ignored; but damage above the threshold is unreduced. This damage threshold is applied before resistances and forms of damage reduction. As a reaction, you may gain a damage threshold against magical attacks equal to half your level, starting until the beginning of your next turn.

Vitality features

At 17th level, you gain the final features based off the path you chose at 2nd level.

Vital Enhancement

Once per day, you may use 4 hitdice to activate the adrenaline state. When entered this way, you instead gain the effects of the haste spell, and you can lift as gargantuan. After 1 minute, the state ends, and you gain a level of exhaustion until the next short rest.

Vital Empathy

Once per day, you may use 4 hitdice to bond further with your bonded. As an action when you are within 15 feet of your Bonded, you may start this bond. You are both reduced to 0 hp, and gain a single hp pool equal to both your hps. This pool of hp resists all damage. You will both maintain consciousness as long as this pool isn't reduced to 0 hp. Any spells that effect you or your bond effect the other. After 1 minute or you and the bonded are separated over 30 feet away from each other, the pool is split into two, healing each pool of hp by half the remaining combined hp. If this would heal over one of the creatures maximum hp, the rest of the hp is made into temporary hp.

Vital Emanation

Once per day, you may use 4 hitdice to cast wall of force.

Unstoppable

At level 20, you refuse to die. While you still have allies alive and fighting within 30 feet of you and you are reduced to 0 hp, you may come back with half your maximum hp. When you do so, you gain the effects of the "invulnerability" spell until the start of your next turn.

Archetypes

Arcane Defender

As an Arcane Defender, you specialize in finding and countering magic. Maybe you have a grudge against a wizard, perhaps you don't like spell casters, or dispelling curses is your job. Either way, you slay mages and protect your allies from nasty spells.

Spell Detection

At 3rd level, you can cast "identify" and "detect magic" without material components as a ritual. You also gain proficiency in Arcana, if you don't already.

Anti Magic Strikes

Your weapon attacks are potent, specifically with dealing against magic. Creatures hit by your weapon attacks have disadvantage on the concentration checks it imposes, and creatures within 5 feet that cast spells provoke opportunity attacks from you.

Magic Weapons

At 6th level, your weapons are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non magical attacks and damage.

Dispeller

At 11th level, learn a few more Arcane tricks. You may cast "dispel magic" or "remove curse" once per day each.

Spell Breaker

At 18th, you've mastered the art of countering magic so well that your body has adapted to it. You have advantage on saves against magic, and resist all damage from magic.

Artillery

As an Artillery, you use ranged weapons to keep your enemies at bay, and away from your friends. Can use crossbows or bows, but also a good archetype for those who want to use guns.

Marksman

You are proficient with guns if your campaign has them. When using a ranged weapon, you may use your strength modifier for attack and damage rolls, and you ignore the loading property on weapons. In addition, you don't gain disadvantage from firing at creatures within 5 feet of you with ranged weapons.

Area Strike

Once per turn when you hit with a ranged attack, you may make one additional attack against an adjacent creature. You may not make this attack if the first or second creature is within 5 feet of you.

Ranged Advantage

At 6th level, you are experienced in fighting ranged opponents. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, they have disadvantage on hitting creatures other than you with ranged attacks until the start of your next turn.

Ballista Shots

At 11th level, your ranged attacks have enormous force. Your ranged attacks have a knock back of 5 feet. Once per turn, you may knock a creature back 10 more feet and prone.

Castle Keeper

At 18th level, your experience in ranged fighting has increased your reflexes and fortitude. You gain the evasion feature, you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures on lower elevation then you, and critical hits with ranged weapons reduce a creatures speed to 0.

Juggernaut

As a Juggernaut, you play the strong man of the group, breaking through enemy defenses and acting as a complete meat shield.

Bullying Strikes

You are proficient with improvised weapons and unarmed strikes, and roll a d6 for damage with unarmed strikes, shields or other improvised weapons.

Pummeling Strike

On hit with a weapon attack, you may grapple or shove as a bonus action. Alternatively against grappled creatures, you may make one unarmed strike or improvised weapon attack as a bonus action.

Over powering Build

At 6th level, your body has adapted to your training and brute force. You can lift, drag push and carry as one size larger, and you deal double damage to structures.

Tough as nails

At 11th level, you can use a reaction to resist bludgeon, slashing and piercing damage until the start of your next turn.

Unstoppable

At 18th level, your resilience is amazing. You are immune to being stunned or paralyzed, and when below half hp, you heal 5+con hp at the start of each of your turns.

Warden

As a Warden, it's your job to protect nature, or use the power of nature to protect others. Either way, you are a Rangers best friend, and a wielder of the elements.

Natural Expert

At 3rd level, you may gain 2 skills from the following list; Animal Handling, Nature, Perception, Survival or Stealth. One of these skills may be double proficient. In addition, you don't have disadvantage on stealth in heavy armor.

Elemental Strike

Once per turn on hit with a weapon attack, you may deal 1d6 additional acid, cold fire, lightning, poison or thunder damage. When this attack is used to mark, the marked creature enrages the elements. The marked creature treats moving away from you as difficult terrain, and takes 1d6 of that elements damage whenever it attacks a creature besides you.

Primal Resistance

At 6th level, you may cast "absorb elements" an amount of times per day equal to your wisdom modifier.

Natural Traveler

At 11th level, you've become accustomed to moving through nature's terrain. You ignore all difficult terrain, can swim and climb at a speed of 30 feet, and have advantage against all exhaustion saves.

Natures Channeller

At 18th, your elemental power is truly significant. You may cast any of the "Investure of Element" Spells. Once you use this feature, you may not do so again until you finish a long rest.

Variant Fighter Subclass

Some DMs may not except a Tank class. Luckily, I have foreseen such an outcome, and have constructed a handy Fighter Subclass as a Variant of the Tank class. This is a bit similar to the Cavalier I will admit, so if your DM doesn't allow this, just play Cavalier. With out further ado;

Marking

At 3rd level, you strive to defend others, specifically by focusing on a threat. On hit with a weapon attack, you may mark a creature. You may only have one creature marked at a time. You gain a special reaction, to use exclusively against the target of the marked or the marked themselves. For example, you may use this reaction to use "Defensive Reactions" on an ally hit by the marked, or use it to opportunity attack the marked. In addition, you may make one weapon attack, grapple or shove against a Marked creature using this special reaction when they attack a friendly creature.

Defensive Reactions

At 3rd level, you’ve learned how to protect your allies in all situations. As a reaction, you may shove or grapple a willing creature with no check involved. This would be in response to danger, like they are falling and you grab them, or a ranged attack is coming so you knock them prone.

Vitality

At 7th level, your Vitality and Strength make you excellent at what you do. You gain double proficiency in athletics, and once per short or long rest, may lift as one size larger for one minute.

Athletic Power

At 10th level, you gain double proficiency wit perception or intimidation. In addition, when you use Vitality to lift as one size larger, you may dash as a bonus action.

Improved Reaction

At 15th level, you gain an additional reaction.

Survivor

At 18th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience in battle. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Tank (Fighter Archetype)

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Tank class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Strength, 13 Constitution

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Tank class, you gain the following proficiencies: Shields

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