[SS] Roll With It (was: (Very) Thick Skinned)

[Ridley's Cohort]

I am not impressed.

It is a reasonable schtick to have 5-10 points of DR, but I think you get diminishing returns after that.

 

[The Souljourner]

I don't know what kind of campaigns you play in, but I get hit for 15+ all the time, even at low levels. Granted, you get hit by a lot of spells as well, but I take a majority of my damage from good old-fashioned whacks to the head. Being able shrug off all but the most heinous of hits would be awesome. Granted, you're not going to be dishing out the damage like a full-on fighter, but that's not your role... you're the tank. And hoo boy what a tank.

-The Souljourner

 

[Pax]

As for Survivor, it's cool, but there's a big loss here - no BAB. Going from 20 down to 15 BAB is a huge loss. I don't think that justifies the +2 DR or evasion abilities.

-The Souljourner

Actually, Survivor gives IMPROVED evasion (fater than a Rogue can even get it), and Uncanny Dodge enough to not be flankable, nor lose your Dex bonus to AC.

And +4/+4/+4 saves in 5 levels, nothing to sneeze at there, either. 8)

 

[The Souljourner]

Well, I did say evasion abilities. Anyway, you already get uncanny dodge from Dwarven defender.. Evasion (especially improved evasion) is great, and about the only thing that makes me hesitant to dismiss the class out of hand. The saves are good as well, but like I said, take a level or two of paladin, and you get the same effect without loss of attack bonus.

So... yeah, it's a really cool idea, but I don't know that I would ever take Survivor as a PC.

-The Souljourner

 

[Pax]

Conisder, though -- 5 levels of Survivor and 7 levels of Dwarven Defender, is 12 levels of class(es) which gives an Uncanny Dodge-like ability. So now it takes a SIXteenth level Rogue to flank you, rather than fourteenth (as with a DD/10). A smallish benefit, but ... 8)

IMO, Survivor is a great class for anyone who's more concerned with defense than offense, and isn't sacrificing caster levels to get that PrC.

 

[Hannibal Barca]

You could always use the bonus general feats from the Slayer prestige class at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th class levels for additional Roll With Its.

 

[Deset Gled]

Makes me think of the Comic Villian, Juggernaut. Damage just bounces off, but take off his magic helm and any enchantment cast his way lays him out.

This makes me wonder about what a character with this setup could be capable of if he had one of the Ring's of Antimagicfield that has been brought up before.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Ah, Survivor, the other overpowered Prestige Class you can take at second level.

Well, at least I like the idea of Survivor better.

edit: Though, the class you want to hit Survivor from isn't eligible until sixth-- Monk. There's a little overlap in the Evasion tree, but Uncanny Dodge and Damage Reduction make Monks pretty close to invulnerable.

Going in at fourth level from Fighter/Rogue, though, is a lot nicer, with your Uncanny Dodge stacking. You also don't have to use one of your pretty Special Abilities for Improved Evasion, if you ever reach Epic-level play.

I think the class would be improved considerably by putting in some prerequisites that apply to survival-- Endurance, one of the saving throw feats, or even Toughness. The less normally useful the feat is, the better.