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Message: <blockquote data-quote="UltimaGabe" data-source="post: 4835021" data-attributes="member: 16019">I'd first like to say I haven't read half of the posts in this thread because they're very long, drawn-out, and seem to be an argument over semantics between two individuals.That being said, I am playing a Fighter in my D&D group, with my focus on being very sticky and very defendery (to quote the e-vernacular) and I took Rain of Steel in a heartbeat. Here's how I rationalize it:I've taken several feats to make enemies suffer if they try to get away from me. I've got Shield Push (to push an enemy if they try to hit an ally, or push them the opposite direction if they shift away), Heavy Blade Opportunity (to make my opportunity attacks better, thus stopping non-shift movement), Armor Specialization (to make it harder for enemies to hit me), Combat Expertise (to make all of my attacks less likely to miss), and, at a level where I had nothing else to take, Combat Reflexes (to once again make my OAs better). Long story short, enemies don't move away from me. I get free attacks, I stop movement, and though I'm not using a high-damage weapon (is a longsword high-damage?) my attack bonus is high enough that I deal consistent damage, and enemies know if they do anything to get away, I'll hit them.So, like I said, enemies don't move away from me. That's pretty much a given. True, the DM has chosen to do this, but if he didn't, he'd have to deal with all sorts of other things (he'd possibly be taking more damage, and he'd always have to deal with the attack penalties whether he's within reach of me or not). So if the enemies are always going to move away from me, most of my abilities aren't going to get used. (I think I've used Shield Push twice. It turned the tide of battle both times, but still, I don't use it often.) I'll get an OA maybe once an adventure on average.So aren't these feats, on some level, being wasted? I mean, sure, it's great that I'm fulfilling my role by making the enemies attack me instead of my allies, but which is better- to fulfill your role by doing relatively nothing, or fulfill your role AND aiding the battle by doing damage and/or positioning the battlefield in your favor?Which is a better defender- one who keeps the enemies locked down, or one who keeps the enemies locked down half the time, and the other half of the time provokes them into moving (by automatic damage every round), thus locking them down when they move?I love being a Defender.</blockquote>

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