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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 5780151" data-attributes="member: 2011">What forces a Fighter to be a Defender? The fact that WotC tried to force feed that label on players? I've played a lot of Defenders that don't just move to the center of the battle like a moron and try to soak up damage. Instead, they pick and choose their foes, often trying to lock down one specific foe and to not get themselves in situations where they are surrounded.Also, nothing stops a Fighter from using ranged attacks. Thrown heavy weapons are readily available in the game.I didn't say that the Wizard should get better AC and hit points. I said that their powers should be more potent because of their defensive weaknesses.With regard to survivability, the Wizard is WAY behind.A first level Fighter with AC 19, Con 13, and 28 hit points will be unconscious with 7.83 +6 D8+4 same level vs. AC attacks (including crits) on average. A first level Wizard with AC 14, Con 13, and 23 hit points will be unconscious with 4.04 +6 D8+4 same level vs. AC attacks. The Fighter will survive approximately twice as long in an identical same level scenario. You don't consider that a major benefit of the Fighter over the Wizard here when he can take almost twice as many melee attacks before dropping on average? And his hit points increase by 50% more for each level. The level two Fighter is 34 hit points, +7 attacks against his AC 20 for D8+5 damage or 8.55 attacks vs. the Wizard's 4.41. As levels go up, the Fighter is able to handle even more attacks than the Wizard. At level 30 (assuming that both classes can up their AC by 1 every level), it's 12.7 attacks vs. 5.51 attacks, well over twice as many attacks.Yes, the Wizard can sometimes (not always, but sometimes) control the battlefield more. But in order to actually survive in combat (at least against a DM that sends foes against him), he has to devote resources to defense whereas the Fighter doesn't have to.And by more potent, I don't necessarily mean that the powers have to do more damage. A dazing effect is slightly more potent than an effect that does the same damage, but doesn't daze.</blockquote>

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