Tank Builds

PAthfinder 2e role guides
Protect your allies while holding back enemies with these tank builds based on pop culture characters.
tank shield icon

How to Build Tanks in Pathfinder 2e

In a Pathfinder 2e party, tank characters serve as the stalwart protectors, absorbing damage and drawing enemy attention away from more vulnerable party members. Tanks excel at soaking up damage, boasting high durability, and often possess abilities or equipment that enhance their defensive capabilities. Their primary role is to act as a frontline shield, shielding their allies from harm and creating a safe space for their teammates to operate.

Tanks are typically equipped with heavy armor, shields, or possess innate abilities that make them resilient to attacks. Their presence and imposing nature often make them the primary focus of enemy aggression, diverting attention from the party's more fragile characters. Tanks employ techniques such as taunting, crowd control, or protective spells to draw enemies towards them and force adversaries to engage in direct combat. By peeling enemies away from vulnerable party members, tanks create opportunities for their allies to inflict damage, heal, or position themselves more advantageously. They may also possess abilities that mitigate or redirect damage, shielding their allies from harm. Tanks often excel at disruption, using their imposing presence and combat prowess to intimidate or incapacitate adversaries.

However, tanks may have limited offensive capabilities compared to other party members, relying on their teammates to deal significant damage. Effective communication and coordination with the party are crucial for tanks to position themselves strategically and ensure their defensive abilities are utilized to their fullest potential.

In summary, the role of a tank in a Pathfinder party is to be the unyielding protector, soaking up damage, drawing enemy attention, and creating a shield of safety for their more vulnerable teammates, allowing the group to navigate encounters with resilience and confidence.

Key Tank Responsibilities

Absorbing

Why else do Tanks wear all that armor if not to take a few hits? Tanks are experts at getting between their allies and incoming enemy weapons, taking the hits so their friends don't have to. Don't worry, they usually have some way to mitigate the damage – or they're just big, strong and stupid. Either way works.

Peeling

Just as important as taking hits is making sure the enemy wants to hit you. Tanks use their abilities to take the enemy focus away from their allies – either figuratively, with a taunting call, or literally, with some kind of physical movement.