Tankerbell

[MisterD]

IS there a way to make a Fairey race a tank type character?

Looking for build ideas.

[CTurbo]

Fairy Barbarian. Just boost Dex and Con and use unarmored defense. Bear Totem for maximum tankiness.

Fairy Moon Druid would be really tanky too.

[Leon]

Same as any other race/class choice outside of armour restrictions to flying is all that makes a Fairly have to consider anything. Barbarian from the outset can be "Tanky" with minimal armour investment, a Artillerist Artificer can be tanky with a source of Temp HP.

[Urbanmech]

Go Dexterity based Eldritch Knight. With a high Dex and a shield along with the shield spell you can still fly around being a menace and very tanky to boot.

[animorte]

IS there a way to make a Fairey race a tank type character?

Looking for build ideas.

What is your idea for a “tank type” character? Some people directly refer to just being able to take a hit (or the exact opposite with high AC). Some like to think of a tank as actually drawing the attention of bad guys or otherwise reducing their threat to your allies. Sometimes that just counts as being a nuisance or heavy threat.

You could go with Ancestral Guardian Barbarian, Battle Master Fighter, many options listed previously.

[LudicSavant]

IS there a way to make a Fairey race a tank type character?

Looking for build ideas.

Just take almost any Dex tank build and make it a Fairy. Like a Dex Rune Knight or Eldritch Knight or Bladesinger or Dexadin.

[Greywander]

What do you mean by "tank"? Do you just want to be able to soak damage, or do you want to actively protect your allies?

Here's an interesting build that works surprisingly well. Go Rune Knight, and pick up the Skill Expert feat to get Athletics expertise. The Rune Knight's Giant's Might sets your size to large, regardless of what it was before, so despite being a small race you can be equally effective as a grappler as a medium race. You can also stack Enlarge/Reduce on top of that to become huge, allowing you to grapple any size of monster as early as 3rd level, and the fairy is one of the few races that can pull this off thanks to Enlarge/Reduce as a racial spell.

You can dip out after three levels in fighter, but Rune Knight is a fantastic subclass, and you won't go wrong with the fighter's extra attacks. Do note that you can't fly in medium or heavy armor, so you'll need to either give up your flight or pump your DEX. Fortunately, between Athletics expertise and advantage from Giant's Might or Enlarge/Reduce, you can probably leave STR at 16 and be fine.

Your MO is to find the biggest, baddest monsters on the field and grab them to keep them away from your allies (don't forget, you can get huge to wrestle dragons). Grapple them so they can't move, knock them prone so you get advantage on your attacks and they get disadvantage on theirs. Then fly up into the air with them. Even if they break the grapple, they'll fall. You can also just grab and drop them (maybe grab the Mobile feat or dip two levels into rogue for more speed = more fall damage). Once your party cleans up any other enemies, you can bring your grappled target(s) back into range so your party can finish them off. And because you can fly, flying enemies aren't a problem for you; in fact, you're a problem for them, because knocking a flying creature prone means they stop flying. And if an enemy is immune to being grappled? Well, you're still a fighter, go to town with a weapon and runes.

Conquest paladin is also another fun option, using fear as a sort of AoE grapple. Fairy isn't the best choice, though; a race with a racial fear ability is really nice. Fizban dragonborn with the Dragon Fear feat are my favorite option for this, but you have a number of options to cause fear with just the tools the subclass gives you. Wrathful Smite is an amazing single-target shutdown; note that only the initial roll is a saving throw, and subsequent rolls are ability checks, which the target has disadvantage on because they are frightened.

[Mastikator]

Artificer can be tanky if you take the tanky options, with the added benefit of being tinkerbell

[LudicSavant]

Go Rune Knight, and pick up the Skill Expert feat to get Athletics expertise.

https://i.imgflip.com/7297ug.jpg

This is basically what it is like.

[Unoriginal]

Cavalier Fighter.

[stoutstien]

The usual offering work. Don't forget clerics which are somewhat overlooked as tanks even if they are amazing at it. Light domain would be very on point.

[RogueJK]

As stated already, DEX tanks are a thing. Several good options have already been mentioned, like a DEX-based Eldritch Knight, Rune Knight, or Bladesinger.

Another DEX tank option not already mentioned is a DEX-based Fighter 1/Undead Bladelock X. You've got a good AC, thanks to high DEX + shield + always-on Mage Armor from Armor of Shadows. Plus easy access to Temp HP from your Form of Dread and Armor of Agathys. Plus access to various Warlock buff/defense spells. Plus the ability to routinely inflict the Frightened debuff on enemies (1/turn). And several methods to boost your damage output, from stuff like Eldritch Smite and Grave Touched, as well as the Shadow Blade spell. Not to mention access to the usual Warlock shenanigans, like Darkness+Devil's Sight.

Another option for a non-traditional DEX tank is Ancestral Guardian Barbarian 3 or 5/Soul Knife Rogue X, which would make for a great kiting tank, throwing Psychic Blades from 60' away to trigger Sneak Attack and Ancestral Protectors, and then flying further out of reach.



But if you want to be STR-based, a Fairy Fighter/Barbarian can be very effective, if you can swing decent DEX/CON stats to leverage Unarmored Defense. Something like:

Barbarian 1/Rune Knight Fighter X
Rune Knight Fighter 3/Totem Barbarian X
Ancestral Guardian Barbarian 3/Echo Knight Fighter X

Any of those would be quite tanky while still making good use of the Fairy's racial flight.

[Segev]

I like the idea of a fairy ancestral guardian whose spectral guardians are instead a swarm of fellow fairies. Take the Noble background's alternate "retainers" feature for three normally non-combatant swarms of fairies and be either a sentient swarm or be a fairy prince or queen.

[Yakmala]

I second Fairy Ancestral Guardian. You can mark a target at range from the air, and if they don’t have a ranged attack themselves, they are stuck with disadvantage and half damage. Great way to keep your party safe starting at level three.

[MisterD]

OK
Thinking
1 - Fighter for Archery
2-4(or 2-5) Ancestry Barbarian (ASI & 2 attacks)
5 - 20 (or 6-20) Rogue Maybe Assassin for Adv when acting first and Sneak attack. (IF do not get 2nd attack)

[Psyren]

Just take almost any Dex tank build and make it a Fairy. Like a Dex Rune Knight or Eldritch Knight or Bladesinger or Dexadin.

Yeah that. Not only will they all work fine, they fit thematically too. A Fairy Bladesinger is a good fit for just about any setting.