D&D 5E What class fills the tank role best? Fighter, Barbarian, Cleric or Paladin?

I'm going to be starting an Out of the Abyss campaign next week, and this group plays by the books.

27 point buy, starting at level 1.

I want to build a tank, somebody who can both dish out damage and draw the attacks away from the other PCs, who are much squishier than I plan on being.

Which class works best?

Well, depends on how you are tanking. If you want to control other creatures hits and have survivability, you can always go with a Battlemaster Fighter with a Protection fighting style. The Protection fighting style gives you the ability to use a REACTION to impose disadvantage on an attack roll to any attack that targets a target other than you within 5 feet. Only thing is you MUST use a shield and have it equipped. Battlemaster comes with manuevers which you can spend superiority dice to get that do a number of cool things. NO ONE controls like a sword and board protection style battlemaster fighter.

And, it is the simplest character sheet other than the Champion protection fighting style fighter. Which, I would consider that as well.

Both are effective.

Druid!

But, of your choices, Battlemaster Fighter. (Barb has better attack, but the Battlemaster is more solid in defense. If you're planning on playing him through a number of levels, though, I'd take the hit at the early levels so you can be a Paladin 6 -- the bonus you give to saving throws, and the defensive fighting style? Who wouldn't want to be standing next to you?

Bear Barbarians. Effectively double hit points AND double-powered heals from your Cleric! In a combat heavy game, there is no option even close to this for a tanking ability.

And with reckless attack and the GWM feat, you have outstanding offense too!

Other than that, a tank is any class capable of using full plate. If you can get an AC north of 20, you have good staying power against most monsters.

Minsc said:

I'm going to be starting an Out of the Abyss campaign next week, and this group plays by the books.

27 point buy, starting at level 1.

I want to build a tank, somebody who can both dish out damage and draw the attacks away from the other PCs, who are much squishier than I plan on being.

Which class works best?

Click to expand...

I played a Human Fighter, Battlemaster, Defense style, who took Heavy Armor Master and Sentinel (and found a +1 Shield giving me the Shield Master Feat, thanks DM!) all the way through HotDQ/RoT. In my experience the combination made for a superb tank. The high AC meant I spent most fights wading into mobs and standing my ground, and the Sentinel made me sticky enough to stay there. Additionally, the Battle Master maneuvers gave my fighter a lot more to do than just "take a hit, give a hit". The Rally maneuver was a great tool in most combats, and Goading attack kept a lot of enemies focused on me.

Hiya!

I hate to say it, but there isn't a "tanking" capability in 5e. In MMO's, where the real 'concept' of tanking really originated, can have a "tank" because of the mechanics of the computer programming. It's based on "x damage, y defense, z proximity"; all purely numbers based. Intelligent decisions for monsters aren't made...they are simply evaluations of these three (or more) factors, the numbers crunched, and the creatures target selected. There is simply no such thing in an actual table-top RPG like 5e. You can have a uber-tough (high AC, high HP, high Damage) PC and it will not make a lick of difference in a lot of fights (at least as far as "aggro"...drawing off attacks from others) because monsters react in a more "human" way becuase the DM is playing them as he would expect them to act. No computer script compairing numbers to decide. TTRPG's don't generally work that way.

That said...if you are interested in "protecting others", you're probably good choosing a Paladin or a defensive styled Battlemaster Fighter. As someone mentioned above, a defensive Battlemaster with a shield has the best "defend others" type of abilities. That said, there is still NOTHING stopping the troll from trying to eat the wizards head, even if you are standing next to it. So...you would simply be another target for it to consider, as opposed to you being able to somehow "tank" the troll into attacking you over the wizard.

If I was you, I'd go with Paladin. I mean, fighting demons in the underdark? How can you not want to play a paladin?! Sword, shield, the whole "shining knight" thing. Mmmmm.... Make yourself a desirable target to demons; I mean, any demon worth his salt would love to sink his claws/teeth/whatever into a paladin over pretty much anything else other than a pious cleric...maybe. A DM looking at the situation, say a Defensive Battlemaster or the Wizard ... or ... a Paladin or the Wizard? No contest. Paladin, every time.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

I would go with anything that gave you access to the shield spell. Multiclass or Eldritch Knight path is up to you.

Minsc said:

somebody who can both dish out damage and draw the attacks away from the other PCs, who are much squishier than I plan on being

Click to expand...

There's few to no abilities that can influence monster targetting, but there are a few that can make it difficult for the monsters to execute attacks at their intended target (though chiefly melee attacks only).

Minsc said:

starting at level 1

Click to expand...

Variant human fighter with Sentinel feat.

Fighter1/Warlock XYZ (bladelock and fiendpact) gives you a boatload of temp hit points and some spells and better ranged options. Makes you hard to kill and is the best damage soak I have seen in the game.