Leveling a tank character and I have a question about provoke. From what I've read it's top emnity +1 but in my experience that's not the case.

For example. I'm not in a group and am doing fates. I come up on a single monster and he's got aggro on the bard who's being an idiot and running around like a chicken with his head cut off and still getting hit. I really really hate bards, but that's a different story. So I work up an emnity combo but before I Butcher's block I provoke thinking the BB will give me a good aggro lead. Almost every time it says "Fully Resisted" and I don't get top aggro. What gives? Does provoke only work in a party? Does provoke have an emnity cap?