Mystic Knight Mage Tank

[Garra]

I have this posted in another thread but I think this fits well here:

This doesn't really fit in 100% with this idea of an evasion tank but another good tank mechanism that would avoid all of this RNG that everyone is so worried about, is to give an on command ability to produce a shield similar to how stoneskin/aloq works now. The amount would obviously have to be tweaked so that it fits in terms of mitigation with the other tanks, but then you would have a brand new mechanic that allows PLD and WAR to remain in their own niches (PLD flat mitigation, WAR hp/heals).

This shield type mechanic could for example be a magic tank where they put up small shields on themselves built into their tanking stance. This shields could on regular attacks mitigate a flat damage percent for each shield. To keep this fair, the shields could stack up to a maximum of 5 and only allow 1 shield be used at a time for normal attacks. Then as a greater mitigation mechanism (like hallowed ground/holm) the character could expend all of their shields at once to create one large shield that absorbs for the total of all of the shields x 2 on a large cooldown.

Implementing a tank that uses these shields would require some management of skills and cooldowns similar to how WAR plays, however it could be very easily balanced.

These are just very rough ideas, but I think it would be a neat, active way to include a new tank without making anything overpowered/underpowered.

[Deusteele]

Simple change.

Convert: 20% of damage taken is subtracted from MP instead of Health.
Wizard Strike: 3rd part of enmity combo that grants a high-potency Refresh buff on the player.

[SwordCoheir]

How about something a bit simpler Spelley. For instance how about something along a residual or sustained damage focus. For example.

Mystic Ward - Stance - Reduce damage dealt by 20%, increases Enmity, increases healing received by 25% every time you receive non DoT damage for 5 seconds to a maximum of 100%. Duration is reset when damage is received.

Runic Ward - Ability - Increases Parry by 60% for 30 seconds, any attack that is parried the negated portion will restore MP up to 10% of your Maximum MP.

Close Quarters - Ability - Increases Parry by 30% for 10 seconds, any attack that is parried will be negated and you will recover HP for the amount that would normally be negated up to 20% of your maximum HP.

Aspected Affinity - Ability - For 30 seconds, each time your hit with an elemental attack (Physical or Magical) your resistance to that element grows greatly and gives you a charge. You can stack up to 3 charges, resistances built up will reset when hit with a different element.

Aspected Sabotage - Ability - Use built up charges in order to lower an enemies physical and magical defenses for 20 seconds, each charge consumed will lower each by 10%.

Aspected Barrier - Ability - Consume 1 charge to increase your party's resistances to all elements for 15 seconds by 20%.

Greater Good - Ability - Sacrifice 30% of your MP to restore 20% of a targeted Ally.

So by far it wouldn't be as easy to handle as a WAR or PLD, but it's strengths and abilities play directly in it's ability to tank. I know some are probably thinking, "but if they're OT they wouldn't quite be as effective as a PLD or WAR OT" annnd that's true to a point, but as with most activities there are always points where one job will be stronger or weaker in a given situation. Like where most of PLD's and WAR's defensive abilities are nearly useless OT save when unavoidable AoE's come into play, but in such a situation MTK/SORC would at least be able to occasionally throw out some support utilities during the fight where a PLD or WAR wouldn't.

[File2ish]

Came up with a RDM build off of a new class (fencer) a while back and posted on another thread, could be tweaked for tank role, though I'd much prefer it as DPS (hybrid even, if they will exist in the future) =p

Class: Fencer (sword; Rapier, possibly off hand parry dagger [Main Gauche])
Job: Red Mage (DPS, THM and CNJ)

Actions: Skills like FFXIII's Aquastrike, Sparkstrike, etc. Combo skills like Monk and Dragoon, say Flamestrike -> Galestrike -> Sparkstrike (additional effects and potencies are debatable, not gonna say any). And various self buffs I guess, possibly enfeeble spells like Paralyze (unlikely).

Cross Class: Fire (no astral buff), Thunder, Surecast, and Swiftcast from THM. Cure, Stoneskin, Stone (no gravity/weight effect) or Aero, and Raise from CNJ.

Job Actions (in no particular order):
Dualcast - Next spell is cast twice. 1 minute recast.
Enspell - Adds additional damage per auto-attack (like Sword Oath). Element changes with last combo action used (sparkstrike = thunder, etc.). Takes MP per tick like Bard songs.
Saboteur - Next Damage over time lasts X amount of seconds longer (whatever's reasonable). 2 minute recast.
Aquaveil - 10% reduction to damage taken, 10 second duration (or burns MP and can't be used while Enspell is up, think Fists of Earth/Fire/Wind. Otherwise 2 minute recast).
Elementa - Spell, burns all MP (or all remaining, like Flare). High damage, non GCD, 3-5 minute recast.

[Ixpheon]

The Red Mage would be cool but how about something more out of the box. Blue Mage!

Their design from FFXI meshes well with the Ul'dah aesthetic and they were supposedly capable tanks within FFXI (though people mostly played them as DPS). They could be designed as a magic support off-tank, using the base Gladiator skills for the majority of their tanking repertoire which is then supplemented with Blue Magic to deal/mitigate damage and support the party.

The lore would be interesting as it'd involve the player going out and hunting down monsters in order to gain their abilities. We could have iconic monster spells like White Wind, Matra Magic, Bad Breath etc. to help with the role.

Would be an interesting one, no?

[Jamez82]

I only read up to a certain point but as far as using mp as a resource to tanking you can simply have abilities that take a percentage of damage from mp and use other skills that regenerate it while still having enmity skills that use mp. It would force you to balance survivability with holding hate from the party.