I am thinking of building an ultimate tank which can take on HOF monsters.
The problem I have in HOF is that my 2 main tanks cant stand up to those orcs. They take too much damages.
Currently I have this 2 jokers [img]smile.gif[/img] as tank
(Please suggest what when wrong or which area my guys are weak in)
Level 18 fighter (Drow)
Level 19 paladin (Moon Elf)

* Bracket = paladin's stats
Fighter (Paladin)
Main hand +23/+18/+13/+8 (+32/+27/+22/+17) (What does this mean?)
Base +18/+13/+8/+3 (None)
Weapon None (+5)
Proficiency -3 (+1) (How to minimise the proficiency?)
Abilities +8 (+8)
Others (+1)

Offhand +28
base +18
Weapon +5
Proficiency -3
Abilities +8

Damage Bonus +2 (+2)
Critical hit Bonus +1 (+1)
Number of Attacks 4+1 (4)

Saving throws
Fortitide +16 (+15) (Agianst what?)
reflex +10 (+12) (Against what?)
Will +5 (+9) (Against what?)

Armour class 29 (29)
Base 10 (10)
Armour 10 (10)
Deflection 3 (3)
Generic 4 (1) (What gives generic?)
Dex 2 (2)
Shield (3)

Feats
Ambidextirity 1
Armour Proficiency 3 (3)
Blind fight 1 (Because he is drow, will it help?)
Cleave 2
Dash 1
Dodge (1)
Great Fortitide 1 (1)
Heroic Inspiration (1)
Improved Critical 1 (1)
Improved Initiative 1
Lightning reflexes (1)
Power Attack 1
Two Weapon Fighting 1

(Please let me know if any of the above feats are usefull or just simply hopeless for tanks.)

Any help would be much appreciated!

[ 11-04-2002, 10:41 AM: Message edited by: timberwolf ]

Try using dwarves, half-orcs or humans. This way you'll not need fill those CON minuses. Just a suggestion.

The real problem with HOF mode is that you don't have decent armor class. The gobbies have a very high to-hit and generally miss only one a 1. This will be true of everything else in the game; the monsters only get nastier after you leave Targos.

So you need fighters with really high cons who have good hitpoints. Even then, you'll be healing up a lot during and after every fight.

Fighting with an offhand weapon at this level doesn't mean much. The max number of attacks you can have is 5. If you remove the offhand weapon, you should see your to-hit with the main hand go up.

As for the penalties, see the manual for an explanation of two-hand fighting.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Its pathetic, But I would recommend taking 3-4 Half Orc Fighter4/BarbarianX along in HoF... Not a lot of Role playing there... guess you could make really cool spell casters... [img]smile.gif[/img]

I am in HOf now timberwolf and I am having the same problem (See post below HOF tactics) I am forever raising someone from the dead after a battle. If it were not for Improved invisibility and summoning I would not have made it out of the goblin fotress.

Well lets not forget that tanks *alone* are far *ultimate*. What about a HalfOrc Fighter4/BarbarianX with 20/18/18/10/10/1 stats and under the influence of his own rage, recitation, prayer and bless, chant and what not. In the game, enemy preists do everything in their power to diminish your fighting skills and upgrade theirs. You do the same thing then. Dont forget haste!

I'd further min-max the 1/2 Orc, drop his Int to pump his Wis, will help out with his Will saves.

I am using two fighters and on ranger/fighter.

The first fighter is defensive: Dwarf fighter, maxed out in Cons, good strength and 13 Int. He has expertise and all the defensive feats, toughness and the best armor with rings of protection and other strength enhancing and defensive items (like the immunity to fear necklace).

The second fighter is offensive: Halforc, maxed out strength, decent Dex and Con, with Cleave, power blow, all of the offensive and as many defensives as he could get, especially to boost Will (same as above).

The ranger/Fighter is: Maxed on Dex and specialized as a shooter.

I try to use them as follows: use the dwarf on full defense as bait and while things are focussing on him, the halforc tears into them with a greataxe. The shooter goes after spell casters (as do the rear line people) and defends the rear echelon in a pinch with sword and shield. This works well, but breaks down sometimes in the big battles, when the bad guys flow around the frontline fighters due to numbers.

Might be interesting to have a defensive fighter act as "bait" as you suggest and then to have another one be a fighter/thief who attacks the flanks of the people going for the bait to get the sneak attack damage in.

Well, I kind of did some minor cheating [img]smile.gif[/img] and now my tanks are doing much better. I actually rebuild them. What I did was being a sheperd of undead and with 4 lvl 1 char and 2 summoners (Lvl 17&18) and I lvl squat them up to the start of chapter 2. before I know it, I have 1 lvl 1 barb/29 fighter and a lvl 27 paladin as tank. Can u guys believe the exp I am getting off those orcs? Range from 2K (gobs)to 15K for a winter wolf. I export the lvl 1 chars with 500+K of exp and now I can just rebuild them until I am satisfied (evil grin) oh yeah, a high level monk really rock! Now my party of six can stand toe to toe with anything the game throw at them (not without casualties though).
The game actually throw more monster at you, the werewolf guys had a full circle of followers around him! Just throw in mass dominate and watch the fun start... muahahahahaha

Sorry, got carried away.... game was kicking my ass for 2 straight days until today I have my revange.....