I have an idea for a caster/tank.

[Jaegerkrantz]

Isn’t dark knight kind of a caster tank?

It would seem there are some confusion as to what my idea entails, let me clarify, Barrier Caster/Tank = Mage/Wizard/Sorcerer/Gandalf with tanking abilities with a focus on energy shields = Barriers that surround the Caster/Tank and protects him from both physical and magical attacks, my idea is mostly to try to introduce a new unique tank class into mmorpgs, i kinda want to change the stereotype of tanks normally being steroid swollen brutes only and usually they are also decked out in 5 tons of steel and spikes.

[LeoLupinos]

It's similar to what I've created, it's something original, using FFXIV world and plot. You can see the link in my signature.

Into short words, my concept is more a Job that can shift between Tank, Healer and DPS. Though, I've only finished the DPS part, leaving the Tank stance and healer stance only as a brief sketch, without any interactions/trait altering the skills.

Basically it has The Aether Blade Stance, which depletes MP for more power, and it can adapt this power if he's using Crystal Blade (Tank stance) or Life Blade (Healer stance). Using Aether Blade alone, gives more damage to enemies who has the Aether resistence down Dbuff, but does less damage to who don't have the dbuff. Combining with Crystal blade, you receive % less damage, more aggro, while some of the damage goes to deplete more MP. Combining With Life blade, adds % more heals, while converting overheals into shields, that does not stack.

Aether Blade

Spell | instant | 2.5s Cooldown | 0y /5y
Buffs current weapon with Aether Power, 25% more potency to Life Blade and Crystal Blade, dealing 25% more damage to Aether weakened targets and 25% less damage to Normal targets.
Deals damage with a potency of 200, Knockback 15y and binds for 5s the first enemy within 5y that damages caster during 5s initial duration of Aether Blade and generates Anima.
Depletes MP over time, and unable MP regeneration or Refresh.
Effect ends upon reuse or 0 MP.

Crystal Blade

Spell | instant | 2.5s Cooldown (30s recast)| 0y /0y
Buffs current weapon with Crystal Power, Receiving 60% less damage, drawing more emnity and dealing 40% less damage to Aether Weakned targets, while receiving 50% less damage and dealing 40% less damage to Normal targets. Converts a portion of damage dealt from Spells or Time to HP shield. Partially mitigate the damage received to MP while Aether Blade is active.
Shares recast time with Life Blade.

Life Blade

Spell | instant | 2.5s Cooldown (30s recast)| 0y /0y
Buffs current weapon with 40% more Healing Power, able to Heal party members with all damage Spells and specific Abilities, except Weaponspells, also dealing 25% less damage to Aether weakened targets and 50% less damage to Normal targets.
All overheals will convert into a HP shield, does not stack, but higher overheals replaces the lesser ones.
Shares recast time with Crystal Blade

It has some internal mechanics such as: It has weak Spells, but each usage of weaponspell gives 40% more potency to the next spell, up to 4 Stacks (160%).
All spells are into a delay effect, which can be unleashed with the Time Ability at any time.

It surely has the tank stance and healer stance pretty raw, but it's pretty clear the idea with just the DPS side finished.

It has a lot more than that, but it's up to you to read.

[kikix12]

Isn’t dark knight kind of a caster tank?

Not in lore, no. In lore Dark Knight uses his inner feelings, his darkness, and manifests it. Some skills are spells mechanically (really...it's hardly relevant until silenced/pacified), but they are not spells in-world.

Paladin does use spells, but paladins and white magic go hand in hand in all games, but they never are considered anything other than "warriors with a bit of magic". They are NOT casters, which them being disciples of war prove.

And I agree with Rongway. I don't get why people bring up the gears saying that everything needs to share the current fending gear for a tank either. That's just stupid. People are limiting already limited game for the most ridiculous reasons.

A caster will depend on his magic to survive, not being thick with muscles.
Trait, lvl1: "Re-purposed Weaving" "Switch defense and resistance values of worn gear."
Trait, lvl1: "Magical Decoy" "Add X% of MP to HP. Stops interruption of spells on damage."

Voila. A caster that wears caster gear and have the survivability of a tank. Offense doesn't need to be affected. In this game damage and enmity bonuses on skills are what generate hate majorly, and those can be manipulated without any special traits or anything. Potency of attacks can be decreased to avoid excessive damage with the high, caster stats. No problem.

[SilverObi]

i kinda want to change the stereotype of tanks normally being steroid swollen brutes only and usually they are also decked out in 5 tons of steel and spikes.

This game already mostly breaks that trope considering we got petite hyurs, lithe catgirls, and tiny potatoes throwing down with the burliest of them. And a fair amount of Fending gear goes out of its way to be functional armor that permits movement instead of traditional RPG "I wear a slab of metal" armor.

[Jaegerkrantz]

This game already mostly breaks that trope considering we got petite hyurs, lithe catgirls, and tiny potatoes throwing down with the burliest of them. And a fair amount of Fending gear goes out of its way to be functional armor that permits movement instead of traditional RPG "I wear a slab of metal" armor.

True, still i want to bring a pure magic tank to the scene, we got pure magic healers, we got pure magic damage dealers, might aswell introduce a tank to the mix of magic users.

[Jaegerkrantz]

A slight update on my idea btw, we have set the foundation that the barrier caster/tank which i from here on shall call Varia Mage will be defending himself through the use of energy shields/barriers, but how will he attack?
I gave this some thought and decided to come up with a concept of attacks, the Varia Mage will actually use his own energy shield/barrier to attack with!
This concept is based on his weapons being something akin to arm guards with crystals or something.

Basic Attacks

3 skills that unleashes the energy of the current active barrier, effects will vary depending on active barrier, you cant attack btw if you dont have a barrier activated.

1. Single target attack.
2. Cone attack.
3. AoE attack on the area surrounding the caster.

Additional Skills

1.Critical Unleash. (Job gauge skill)


The Barriers

The plan on the barriers is that the standard/Neutral barrier will be your main barrier and the rest are more temporary elemental enhancements that will only stay active for a short period of time.
Enhancement barriers will be used up and disappear when you use a unleash attack so attacks are best used right before a enhancement barrier runs out.
When a enhancement barrier disappear you will default back to your Standard/Neutral barrier.
Each enhancement barrier will have a separate cooldown. (15-30 Sec)

1. Standard/Neutral Barrier. (Haven´t decided on color yet)
2. Red Fire Barrier.
3. Green Wind Barrier.
4. Purple Thunder/Lightning Barrier.
5. Yellow Earth Barrier.

Standard/Neutral Barrier
Your basic barrier, this is the one you will have active at all times when in combat, unless you want to die instantly that is.
It will constantly drain your MP while being active.
It will reduce incoming dmg by a certain amount.

Red Fire Barrier
Elemental fire enhancement on your barrier, only active for a short time (5-10 Sec)
Burns all enemies that attack your character causing damage and enmity on them.

Green Wind Barrier
Elemental wind enhancements on your barrier, only active for a short time (5-10 Sec)
Increases your healing received while active.

Purple Thunder/Lightning Barrier
Elemental thunder/lightning enhancement on your barrier, only active for a short time (5-10 Sec)
Zaps nearby enemies with electric shocks.
Regenerates MP.

Yellow Earth Barrier
Elemental earth enhancement on your barrier, only active for a very short time (3-5 Sec)
This is the Varia Mage tank buster shield.

[Jaegerkrantz]

Job Gauge
Your barrier absorbs a small amount of energy from enemy attacks filling the bar, the bar can hold up to 3 charges of absorbed energy.
Each charge will boost 1 of your barrier unleash attacks with more potency and additional effects.
Charges will be used up when you use Critical Unleash.
If you save up to 3 charges your barrier will enter a hyper mode, when you use Critical Unleash with 3 charges the cooldowns on your enhancement barriers disappears, you will be able to unleash as an example 3 fire barrier attacks in a row if you so desire.

Edit: This is just the basic concept atm, adjustments will most likely be necessary at some point, all these skills will currently take up 9 hotbar spaces so far.

[Brightshadow]

After playing Octopath traveler I really want a runelord. Hmm... perhaps call them Rune Magus and give them magical runes to cast.

Either way I don't care what the job is called I just want an ability called:

You shall not Pass

[Eloah]

I swear too many people come up with this tank idea for SE not to do it. I mean, they get the final say on design and implementation, but come on, the entire fanbase, mostly, has the same idea, lol.

Geomancer would make a great barrier mage. And if it ever gets announced, I will share my idea. Until then its wishful thinking.

[hynaku]

Thought dark knight was a mage/knight. It uses a lot of mp for its defense and offense skills. Only other can think of was magitek knight that used elemental attacks.