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<blockquote data-quote="StreamOfTheSky" data-source="post: 4549192" data-attributes="member: 35909">The thing is for meat sheilds, unless you have a means to literally force enemies to attack you and no one else, you NEED to be a threat damage-wise.&nbsp; Simply standing in the way isn't an option.&nbsp; If you're turtled in full plate and a tower shield (with its lovely -2 to attack penalty) and a barely upgraded weapon with no feats to improve your use of it... enemies will wise up, take the not-so-painful AoO and run right past you.Knight gets some class features to force enemies to attack you.&nbsp; Namely, a challenge ability with long range (test of mettle, I think), and bulwark of defense, which with a reach weapon (and maybe enlarge person so you threaten out to 20 ft away from you) can make it impossible to get past you.&nbsp; Be sure to get armor spikes or something so you still can threaten adjacent to you if going this route.&nbsp; All in all, Knight is pretty good for this and probably the best of the non-casting classes at it if you can't use Tome of Battle.&nbsp; If you can, search for the &quot;lockdown Crusader&quot; on wotc's character optimization boards to see what it can do.As far as reach weapons, you already get some mounted abilities, so using a lance and some kind of mount might be a good plan.&nbsp; In all seriousness, Halfling Outrider is an awesome prestige class, maybe do knight x / druid 1 / HO 10, dipping druid for an animal companion mount (which increases in level from HO).&nbsp; Another option could be the Wild Cohort feat to get a weak animal companion. Sure, it might die, but you can get a new one in a day, which is useful.Another option is spending an exotic weapon feat for the kusari-gama from the DMG (asian weapons section).&nbsp; I don't think there are any more one-handed reach weapons out there, and if you're tanking, you want a shield.&nbsp; There's Improved Buckler Defense, but I'd personally rather grab a heavy shield with Shield Specialization and Shield Ward.Anyway, you ake no mention of casters for the party beyond the healer.&nbsp; Not all arcanists are blasters.&nbsp; You could play a wizard or sorcerer focused on buffing allies or debuffing enemies, as well as doing some battlefield control.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="StreamOfTheSky, post: 4549192, member: 35909"] The thing is for meat sheilds, unless you have a means to literally force enemies to attack you and no one else, you NEED to be a threat damage-wise. Simply standing in the way isn't an option. If you're turtled in full plate and a tower shield (with its lovely -2 to attack penalty) and a barely upgraded weapon with no feats to improve your use of it... enemies will wise up, take the not-so-painful AoO and run right past you. Knight gets some class features to force enemies to attack you. Namely, a challenge ability with long range (test of mettle, I think), and bulwark of defense, which with a reach weapon (and maybe enlarge person so you threaten out to 20 ft away from you) can make it impossible to get past you. Be sure to get armor spikes or something so you still can threaten adjacent to you if going this route. All in all, Knight is pretty good for this and probably the best of the non-casting classes at it if you can't use Tome of Battle. If you can, search for the "lockdown Crusader" on wotc's character optimization boards to see what it can do. As far as reach weapons, you already get some mounted abilities, so using a lance and some kind of mount might be a good plan. In all seriousness, Halfling Outrider is an awesome prestige class, maybe do knight x / druid 1 / HO 10, dipping druid for an animal companion mount (which increases in level from HO). Another option could be the Wild Cohort feat to get a weak animal companion. Sure, it might die, but you can get a new one in a day, which is useful. Another option is spending an exotic weapon feat for the kusari-gama from the DMG (asian weapons section). I don't think there are any more one-handed reach weapons out there, and if you're tanking, you want a shield. There's Improved Buckler Defense, but I'd personally rather grab a heavy shield with Shield Specialization and Shield Ward. Anyway, you ake no mention of casters for the party beyond the healer. Not all arcanists are blasters. You could play a wizard or sorcerer focused on buffing allies or debuffing enemies, as well as doing some battlefield control. [/QUOTE]

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