Front Line Tank - Build Help

[lordphynix]

I've been asked to join in a 3.5 game with all of the books open to use. The party currently needs a front-line tank who can have a great AC and absorb a lot of damage. I'm not overly familiar with this kind of role so I thought I'd ask the community for some ideas or show me some builds that would work.

The stats are pre-set (ew) and are:
Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, wis 16, Cha 14
The character will start at Level 8 and I was thinking going Human as the race; I was also thinking of going pure Cleric as the build but I'm just not sure.

So can anyone give me a bit of a hand? Showing me some builds up to level 8 or recommendations would be fantastic. The GM is also not concerned with any level of twinkery. Also the two stat points for levels 4 and 8 have not been determined yet. This character will also get 20k worth of gold in gear to start with.

 

[BENINHB]

I'll agree that Cleric is a good choice, especially with those stats and starting at that level.

Do you have any Deities in mind yet?

You could make your cleric slightly more marshal by adding Pious Templar from Complete Divine.

So Cleric6/Pious Templar2 would be your level 8 build

 

[lordphynix]

I'll agree that Cleric is a good choice, especially with those stats and starting at that level.

Do you have any Deities in mind yet?

You could make your cleric slightly more marshal by adding Pious Templar from Complete Divine.

So Cleric6/Pious Templar2 would be your level 8 build

I just got the starting information today and this kind of character type is out of my element. Normally I play Duskblades or Rogues so its new to me. I haven't found a diety yet, I was thinking some kind of war diety or battlefield diety would be appropriate.

Looking at a list online I'm thinking something along the lines of Hextor, Halmyr or Lyris.

 

[Empirate]

How does going a more martial route sound to you? With Crusader 4/Cloistered Cleric 1/Ruby Knight Vindicator 3 you could still cast buffs and heals, but your main focus would be shrugging off the blows.

Crusader 4 allows a save reroll 1/day, and has a delayed damage pool of 10.
Instant maneuver recovery by spending a Turn attempt is very nice indeed, and RKV offers that. Your maneuvers allow you to lay on the hurt as a standard action, allowing you to move wherever a Tank's needed.

Stat points must go into Con. Actually, that's necessary with any tank build, Con 12 simply won't cut it for you. I mean, your role implies you want to get hit more than your party colleagues!

That's also the reason I'd pick Dwarf as a race over Human, Con is just that important. If you don't want a Cha penalty (Turn attempts! Crusader maneuvers!), go Gold Dwarf, they get a Dex penalty instead.

For Feats, consider Power Attack (maneuvers mean you'll take single attacks, so PA away with no regard to iterative attacks), Additional Granted Maneuver (or whatsitsname), Stand Still (so your enemies remain where they are), Law Devotion (welcome bonuses changeable on the fly), and Knowledge Devotion ( makes sure your attack bonus stays in order, so you're a threat at all - a common failing of many so-called tank builds). Devotion feats can be got by swapping out Domains, freeing up feat slots.

Take a reach weapon and armor spikes, get yourself an Enlarge spell and a Str item, and stay right in the face of your enemies!

 

[lordphynix]

How does going a more martial route sound to you? With Crusader 4/Cloistered Cleric 1/Ruby Knight Vindicator 3 you could still cast buffs and heals, but your main focus would be shrugging off the blows.

Crusader 4 allows a save reroll 1/day, and has a delayed damage pool of 10.
Instant maneuver recovery by spending a Turn attempt is very nice indeed, and RKV offers that. Your maneuvers allow you to lay on the hurt as a standard action, allowing you to move wherever a Tank's needed.

Stat points must go into Con. Actually, that's necessary with any tank build, Con 12 simply won't cut it for you. I mean, your role implies you want to get hit more than your party colleagues!

That's also the reason I'd pick Dwarf as a race over Human, Con is just that important. If you don't want a Cha penalty (Turn attempts! Crusader maneuvers!), go Gold Dwarf, they get a Dex penalty instead.

For Feats, consider Power Attack (maneuvers mean you'll take single attacks, so PA away with no regard to iterative attacks), Additional Granted Maneuver (or whatsitsname), Stand Still (so your enemies remain where they are), Law Devotion (welcome bonuses changeable on the fly), and Knowledge Devotion ( makes sure your attack bonus stays in order, so you're a threat at all - a common failing of many so-called tank builds). Devotion feats can be got by swapping out Domains, freeing up feat slots.

Take a reach weapon and armor spikes, get yourself an Enlarge spell and a Str item, and stay right in the face of your enemies!

This sounds very much like what I'm looking for. Thanks Empirate for the suggestions.

 

[Veven1290]

This sounds very much like what I'm looking for. Thanks Empirate for the suggestions. Where would I find the Crusader and Cloistered Cleric classes? I have most of the books so trying to locate them is being a bit tedious.

Crusader is in the Tome of Battle, Cloistered Cleric is in Unearthed Arcana (or right here Variant Character Classes :: d20srd.org in the good old srd)

I would also recommend some sort of crusader build. The Stone Power feat from Tome of Battle also helps with tank builds. It is similar to power attack but instead of gaining a damage bonus you gain temporary HP that are then eaten by your delayed damage pool. If you are using Stone Power as often as possible this basically lets you shrug off 10 points of damage per round.

 

[lordphynix]

Crusader is in the Tome of Battle, Cloistered Cleric is in Unearthed Arcana (or right here Variant Character Classes :: d20srd.org in the good old srd)

I would also recommend some sort of crusader build. The Stone Power feat from Tome of Battle also helps with tank builds. It is similar to power attack but instead of gaining a damage bonus you gain temporary HP that are then eaten by your delayed damage pool. If you are using Stone Power as often as possible this basically lets you shrug off 10 points of damage per round.

Thank you for the references. I had found the Crusader and RKV in the ToB and I didn't have a copy of UA for the Cleric but a friend does so I ran next door and grabbed it.

ETA: Looking it seems the 1 level in Cloistered Cleric was to meet the Turn Undead/Rebuke Requirement of RKV?

I'm looking at the recommended classes, I'm not understanding how Cloistered Cleric or the RKV fit into the build since the cleric seems to eschew martial combat and the other seems to be more stealth and rogue based than in-your-face. A little explanation on the choices would be helpful here, I think.

 

[Veven1290]

The cloistered cleric gets the Knowledge domain which you can trade for the Knowledge devotion feat (from complete champion IIRC) which lets you make knowledge checks to get combat bonuses against creatures. Useful but not that necessary for a tank build.

I am really not anything close to an optimization expert so i couldn't really tell you how RKV fits in there but i would say you would have a pretty mean tank with just straight crusader. Although RKV does continue cleric casting which has some pretty mean buffs. Enlarge person is super fun.

 

[Dandu]

If you trade in the domain, you don't get all knowledge skills as class skills.

 

[DumbPaladin]

Knowledge Devotion isn't really a great feat for a class that only gets 2 + Int skill points per level. It's excellent for the people that are swimming in skills (Bard, Rogue, Factotum) or simply have an already high Int, like a Warmage or Wizard.