Optimizing the Stalwart Defender

[Bashyron]

I am soon going to be joining a Homebrew campaign with a couple other players. I saw the Stalwart Defender PrC from the Advanced Player's Guide, and immediately liked it. However, I have heard/seen from many others that it may not be as viable, depending on the environment (which I don't know). If I could get help min/max-ing so I could keep up with other players that would be great.

I hope to be a tanky frontliner, who still does enough damage to be a threat. In order to best do this I am planning on making a Dwarf (for the +2 Con, and desirable racial traits), as well as an homage to the Dwarven Defender. The Campaign will be starting at 6th or 7th level, and continuing on for the foreseeable future. As far as equipment goes, I was really interested in the Mechanus Plate from the Planar Handbook, and using a Shield. Otherwise I have no other plans with the account.


Sorry if I didn't provide enough information, but if I could get help with the build that would be great.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Short answer: Stalwart Defender is a bad PrC.

Long answer: melee PCs have to be able to move. Everything about the Stalwart Defender as a PrC is centered around not moving and becoming a powerful defender. Against dangerous enemies they will ignore you and target the squishier, mobile enemies or they will just carry on with what they were doing because you cannot stop their world-ending plan while standing in a doorway.

The idea of being an impenetrable, human(oid) tank does sound cool. If you want to make it happen I suggest you look at other ideas that allow you to move while doing your schtick. Possibly while heavily armored with high HPs and damage resistance. Depending upon the edition you play that could be a Fighter, Knight, Barbarian, or several other classes.

Good luck!

[exelsisxax]

If you want a defender type and also want to be useful, there are no 1st party options. DSP's Warder from Path of War is your best bet. It's like an even tougher fighter, with most of its class features being geared towards defending the party with huge reach AoOs and counters from the various defensive disciplines in PoW. You should really check it out.