[Technical Solutions] Complete Guide to Tanking in GURPS

[Peter Knutsen]

In some computer games, "tanks" can increase the likelihood of NPCs ("mobs") attacking them instead of attacking other party members. In some games this is via tweaking the NPC's perception of how much damage each party member causes, so that the "tank" seems to each NPC to be causing more damage than he actually is (at the same time some other party members may have abilities that causes NPCs to perceive them as causing somewhat less damage than they actually do, and the same goes for party healers whose healing efficiency may be underestimated by the NPCs).

Another somewhat more plausible ability is taunting in various ways, which again increases the likelihood of NPCs attacking the taunter rather than other of its foes, but realistically, this only works on foes with minds, and may require special skills (Animal Handling, for lack of something better) or Languages (it's easier to taunt Orcs if you can insult them in Orcish).

Another option again is to almost-force NPCs to attack you (the tank) via some combat option that means that if they attack anyone else they are subject to a penalty. Like the previous, this can be tweaked to be rather realistic. It makes less sense for ranged attacks and spells, and such abilities in no way forces the NPC to choose an attack option - it is free to do other things.

Even more realistic is the ability to control ground, via something similar to the attack-of-opportunity rule from D&D3, which among other reasons exists to discourage "en passant"-style movement where the NPCs run past the warrior so they can hack away at the squishy party wizard with their swords. From what I've heard, the AoO rules in D&D3 were terribly difficult to learn and arbitrate, and I'd very much like something simpler and more "en passant"-focused for my own design projects, but I haven't got anything yet, so have nothing to share. The kernel of such abilities in GURPS is pretty obvious: Extra Attack with a Limitation -?? Only To Prevent En Passant-style Movement. The devil is in the details, though. Defining exactly when such Extra Attacks may be used, via objective rules.

[DouglasCole]

Tactics skill, for the 'rerolls' it grants you if using the optional rules in (um . . . ) High Tech? Gun Fu? Martial Arts? One of them. A tank that gets rerolls can grant them to his buds, which allows him to protect them from lucky rolls.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

Tactics skill, for the 'rerolls' it grants you if using the optional rules in

Martial Arts, p60. Must try too use that trick sometime.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Even more realistic is the ability to control ground, via something similar to the attack-of-opportunity rule from D&D3, which among other reasons exists to discourage "en passant"-style movement where the NPCs run past the warrior so they can hack away at the squishy party wizard with their swords. From what I've heard, the AoO rules in D&D3 were terribly difficult to learn and arbitrate, and I'd very much like something simpler and more "en passant"-focused for my own design projects, but I haven't got anything yet, so have nothing to share. The kernel of such abilities in GURPS is pretty obvious: Extra Attack with a Limitation -?? Only To Prevent En Passant-style Movement. The devil is in the details, though. Defining exactly when such Extra Attacks may be used, via objective rules.

Wait. What you're looking for is Extra Attack, sure (so you can attack a foe in front of you), and then Wait, so that if someone tries to run past, you can smack 'em.

There's no special rule needed for this; interrupting movement is what Waits are for.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

Wait. What you're looking for is Extra Attack, sure (so you can attack a foe in front of you), and then Wait, so that if someone tries to run past, you can smack 'em.

There's no special rule needed for this; interrupting movement is what Waits are for.

Extra Attack only works if you take an Attack manuever (including any variations of that theme). It doesn't work with Move, Concentrate, Aim or Wait.

That is, you can convert your wait into an Attack and an Extra Attack, but you can't make your Extra Attack and then Wait.

[Anthony]

The main reason for not charging past a front line defender in GURPS is the risk that they'll turn around and whack you in the back. Of course, if you have buddies, they can in turn whack the defender in the back, so this is a somewhat limited threat. The fact is, real-world 'tanking' is mostly about being in the way -- take a wait, and if they run forward, step into their path and attack them. Even if your attack fails to stop them, they can't continue without slamming in to you. In reality, it's very hard for a single person to 'tank' except by being too dangerous to ignore (and even that rarely works against more than one foe at a time), it's more the role of a line or formation of multiple people (defensive/offensive line in football, say, or a shield line).

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The main reason for not charging past a front line defender in GURPS is the risk that they'll turn around and whack you in the back. Of course, if you have buddies, they can in turn whack the defender in the back, so this is a somewhat limited threat. The fact is, real-world 'tanking' is mostly about being in the way -- take a wait, and if they run forward, step into their path and attack them. Even if your attack fails to stop them, they can't continue without slamming in to you. In reality, it's very hard for a single person to 'tank' except by being too dangerous to ignore (and even that rarely works against more than one foe at a time), it's more the role of a line or formation of multiple people (defensive/offensive line in football, say, or a shield line).

Yes, the Wait manoeuver on a 1 second timescale represents what the AoO rules did on D&D's 6 second timescale. The other option is having a ranged weapon ready to shoot anyone who comes forward or leaves cover, but again that uses a Wait manoeuver (or the suppressive fire rules).

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Extra Attack only works if you take an Attack manuever (including any variations of that theme). It doesn't work with Move, Concentrate, Aim or Wait.

That is, you can convert your wait into an Attack and an Extra Attack, but you can't make your Extra Attack and then Wait.

I'd house-rule this in an instant, for the reasons I state above. It's an elegatn solution. I would probably force a Per roll to execute this in combat, maybe a perception-based weapon skill roll, but I'd definitely allow it.

I'm not saying your quotation of RAW is wrong. It's just something that feels like a change would be a good addition to a fighter's capabilities.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

I'd house-rule this in an instant, for the reasons I state above. It's an elegatn solution. I would probably force a Per roll to execute this in combat, maybe a perception-based weapon skill roll, but I'd definitely allow it.

I'm not saying your quotation of RAW is wrong. It's just something that feels like a change would be a good addition to a fighter's capabilities.

Sure, it's a good addition to a fighter's capabilities, but that doesn't change the fact that an Extra Attack that works with a manuever that isn't some variety of Attack is worth more than 25 points. You'll note that the cost of being able to choose two different manuevers in a turn is worth 100 points and this is clearly a limited version of that.

If taking Extra Attack for 25 points conferred this ability, no fighting character would ever not take it. That is an indication that it might be overpowered.

[munin]

Kromm's Armed Interdiction technique allows you to make attacks against someone who moves past you within reach of your weapon. It defaults to Parry-2 so you can make as many armed interdictions per turn as your skill will allow.

It's loosely based on the Trip technique (p. MA81) which also allows you to intercept people who move past you.