[pritchke]

Originally posted by Aerich: 7. Not entirely sure what you mean here, as fighters are always tanking at the front and thus by definition are protecting/bodyguarding the weaker party members. Are you referring to running a mage forward of the group with a fighter, maybe to cast Sunfire or Malevon's Rage? If so, yes, especially when my other characters had just dualed and were relatively ineffective. Yes, but in the interest of role-playing you could create a pure fighter (bodyguard) that you will not tank. His purpose being to protect the leader, or an important weak member like a mage. He never leaves that members side, it is an interesting concept and another way to use a pure fighter. There are also many spells were a mage needs to get in the think of things and the pure fighter as a body guard works best here. Fighters that people create as Archers are ideal bodyguards as they usually stay back with the mage and have good melee capabilities as well. But people usually just use them as archers and not role-play them as bodyguards staying next to the mage to protect him. 8. Much the same as you. Ranged to wipe out weak or weakened enemies. Melee to take out the close stuff. Sometimes I "leapfrog." Mage to draw enemies (melee, not ranged, if I can help it) and use Sunfire, retreat behind fighter to let him/her wipe out what's left, if a significant number and strength of monsters manage to close to melee range on the fighter, mage casts another AE spell.

I often have a bard as leader and he is always in the thick of battle singing. If I have a fighter it is almost always placed near the Bard so creatures attack him first much easier to roleplay using a fighter as a bodyguard to protect the leader as you can still tank him. I have only thought about using one for a mage but it is difficult to role play and keep the fighter back as I almost instinctively want to tank him.