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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Enkhidu" data-source="post: 508493" data-attributes="member: 351">I'm going to give a short anecdote that will bring this discussion away from the numbers.For a number of years I was a very active participant in the SCA. Now I'm not about to say that SCA sport combat is a match for what we play out in D&D, but I did carry away a few lessons that have greatly helped me put arguments like this into perspective.I have always enjoyed being a shieldman in a large scale melee - nothing much made me happier than carrying a huge scutum sized shield and marching directly at the enemy front. I always had a good view of what was going on, and have always liked being in the press.In large melees like that, the number of enemy troops I personally brought down was never very large. I was never able to walk away from a large battle where I could say 'Wow, I took down over a dozen of those guys!' Instead, I became what I term a "movable wall."Basically, I would partner up with one or more buddies with a long weapon (like a reach weapon), who would then fight over top of me. My job, instead of 'killing the enemy,' became 'keep this guy alive.' On the days when my polearmsman and I clicked, we might walk off the field with 2 to 3 dozen 'kills' between us. When I partnered with an combat archer, the number rose higher. Together, we were far more effective than either of us would have been alone.So what's my point, you ask?D&D is a team sport. The lizardman barbarian who started out this thread is likely more efficient partnering with the archer and keeping that archer alive than trying to 'dish out the damage.' Judicious use of a defensive posture may not make it any easier for the barbarian to cause massive amounts of hp damage, but without the tank in front of them, archers become far less effective.So take on for the team - besides, any kill caused by someone your character directly protects is half yours!</blockquote>

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