Wiseblood
Adventurer
Who goes adventuring and needs a babysitter? Defend yourself. People get miffed that the cleric was relegated to healbot or ambulatory band-aid. Will they chafe at having to defend as the fighter? I certainly do. The fighter should fight not "protect whistle britches" from the unwashed hordes. People that get defended in fiction are frequently the "defenseless". While not useless they are typified by a complete lack of combat ability and or adventuring background. (Think Natalia in Goldeneye.)
I am the first to admit that teamwork is important. I think the "tank" meme is a legitimate approach. Heavy armor is to protect the wearer from harm. The wearer of said armor often will interpose himself between danger and his charge, if he has a charge. I think "defender" needs to be a theme or background not the foundation of a class.
The expectation of "defending" as the role of fighters is as insulting as the fighter being the "pack mule".
If I defend, it is by the fighting of foes. What do I defend? My positoin. I seek to become invincible. Great fighters in our history often defended things villages, virtues, and well I can't think of another "V' word. They did it by kicking butt. The Spartans defended they sold their lives for a dear price. Huge piles of dead enemies.
Tactics, strategy, strengths and weaknesses all come into play. The fighter can be so much more than a defender that it makes me ill to think they might get shafted with that crap again. Imagine if wizards could only be "artillery"".
I do not mind the fighter being "the front line" but if some dope is dumb enough to slip by into the midst of my comrades they should definitely be able to handle it. I trust them to watch my back after all.
I am the first to admit that teamwork is important. I think the "tank" meme is a legitimate approach. Heavy armor is to protect the wearer from harm. The wearer of said armor often will interpose himself between danger and his charge, if he has a charge. I think "defender" needs to be a theme or background not the foundation of a class.
The expectation of "defending" as the role of fighters is as insulting as the fighter being the "pack mule".
If I defend, it is by the fighting of foes. What do I defend? My positoin. I seek to become invincible. Great fighters in our history often defended things villages, virtues, and well I can't think of another "V' word. They did it by kicking butt. The Spartans defended they sold their lives for a dear price. Huge piles of dead enemies.
Tactics, strategy, strengths and weaknesses all come into play. The fighter can be so much more than a defender that it makes me ill to think they might get shafted with that crap again. Imagine if wizards could only be "artillery"".
I do not mind the fighter being "the front line" but if some dope is dumb enough to slip by into the midst of my comrades they should definitely be able to handle it. I trust them to watch my back after all.