This is a character idea I thought of. It's a tank-role class that takes the term kind of literally.
Armor Class – Focus on shield-based defense and benefits from keeping shields up. Effective front-line tank that can deal significant damage.
Action Skill: Tank Suit – Armored suit that gives massive damage reduction, slows movement speed, reduces peripheral vision (think Blast Shield equipment from MW2), and uses a powerful shoulder-mounted explosive cannon for attack. Use aim button to fire the cannon. Fire Rate is 1 round per second. Cannot ADS while in Tank Suit. Base duration is 20 seconds. Base cooldown is 60 seconds.
Trees: Tank, Super Soldier, Destroyer
Tank
Tier 1: Fortified – Increases Shield Capacity and Recharge Rate by 6% per level
Tier 1: Tower of Strength – Reduces Shield Recharge Delay while not moving by 10% per level.
Tier 2: Recharge – Increases Tank Suit Cooldown Rate by 5% per level.
Tier 2: Perserverance – You constantly regenerate Health based on how low your shield is. Up to .6% of max health regenerates per second per level.
Tier 3: Take the Pain – You gain up to +10% Damage Resistance per level based on how low your health is.
Tier 3 Game-Changer: Elemental Negation – While in Tank Suit, when an elemental status effect is applied to you there is a 50% chance it will be negated and reflected back onto your attacker.
Tier 3: Like a Rock – Kill Skill. Killing an enemy grants you .8% shield regeneration and 5% Recoil Reduction per level for a few seconds.
Tier 4: Overcharge – While in Tank Suit, nearby enemies are electrocuted. Rank 1-5 Shock Damage.
Tier 5: Pillar of Life – While in Tank Suit, you and nearby allies regenerate 1% of max health per level.
Tier 6: Ironclad – Activating Tank Suit instantly refills your shield and doubles your shield capacity for its duration.
This tree is all about surviving via shields. I like the idea of damage resistance for the armored guy concept but that’s not a visible stat like your shield bar. It also has diminishing returns, so it’s application is limited. Tower of Strength is for when you take cover to get your shield back up. I came up with the ideas for Perserverance and Take the Pain before I decided he’d be shield-focused, but I still like them for when stuff hits the fan. Shields always end up going down at one point or another, and they’ll be useful on a second wind to make sure you don’t go right back down. Overcharge would be for depleting shields – applies a shock DOT instead of damage numbers like Blight Phoenix, and Pillar would be like Roland’s Stat.
Super Soldier
Tier 1: On Target – Increases Gun Accuracy and Recoil Reduction by 5% per level
Tier 1: Scavenger – Killed enemies have an increased chance of dropping additional ammo and grenades. +10% per level.
Tier 2: Blood Brothers – Increases the Second Wind Health of allies you revive by 10% per level.
Tier 2: Fast Reactions – Kill Skill. Killing an enemy increases your reload speed by 10% per level for a few seconds.
Tier 3: Fully Loaded – Increases Magazine size for all weapons by 8% per level.
Tier 3 Game-Changer: Violent Reciprocation – Taking damage grants a stack of Violent Reciprocation. When you reach 10 stacks, your next shot will consume all stacks and deal damage equal to the amount of damage you received. Entering FFYL erases all stacks.
Tier 3: IED – Grenades have an 8% chance per level to spawn an identical second grenade when they explode.
Tier 4: Manual Override – Damaging enemies while Tank Suit is on cooldown increases the cooldown rate by 6% per level for 5 seconds.
Tier 5: Massacre – You gain +7% per level Gun Damage when your Health is full.
Tier 6 Game-Changer: Double-Tap – Critical Hits do +100% Damage. Successive Critical Hits do an additional 5% damage per hit.
This tree is focused on combat outside of using the Tank Suit, with a few team benefits thrown in. The damage bonus from Violent Reciprocation would have to be play-tested to figure out if it’s balanced, but I’m pretty sure it will work as theorized. I figured you’d be able to one-shot pretty much any enemy with the bonus damage, but just one enemy. Given that almost all enemies have more health than players, it’s not multiplied by a percentage, and sometimes you take hits that are almost negligible damage, I think it would still work out, and not let you one-shot raid bosses either. Notice that VR and Massacre both still fit the shield-up defense theme. I just thought of the additional successive damage for Double-Tap, don’t know if it’s a good idea or not. Land a critical, gets 100% damage. If your next shot is a critical, you get 105%, then 110%, etc. If you miss or don't get a crit, it resets and your next crit gets the 100%. Too much like Rising Shot or Critical Ascension?
Destroyer
Tier 1: Unstoppable – Increases Tank Suit duration by 3 seconds per level.
Tier 1: Blast Shield – Increases your resistance to explosive damage by 8% per level.
Tier 2: High Explosive – Increases Explosive damage by 4% per level.
Tier 2:
Tier 3: Full Auto – Kill Skill. Killing an enemy increases your fire rate by 8% per level for a few seconds.
Tier 3 Game-Changer: Chain-Claw – While in Tank Suit, use melee to fire a Chain-Claw that grabs enemies and pulls them towards you. Cooldown 8 seconds. While on cooldown, melee will function normally.
Tier 3: Self-Destruct – Releases an explosive nova when you enter FFYL. Rank 1-5 nova damage.
Tier 4: Master Exploder – While using Tank Suit, melee attacks cause an explosive nova. This effect occurs automatically on Chain-Clawed enemies.
Tier 5: Anihilator – You gain 6% Gun Damage, Melee Damage, and Grenade Damage while Tank Suit is active.
Tier 6 Game-Changer – Rain of Fire: While Tank Suit is active, press the action button to launch a salvo of 6 rockets for AOE damage. Cooldown of 10 Seconds.
This one focuses on dealing more (explosive) damage when using the action skill. The other Tier 2 spot is still open, was trying to think of something useful that’s not too generic. Self-Destruct would be like spending points in Backdraft or Unforseen. I figured the chain claw could grab more than one enemy if they’re close together, singularity type effect just a different animation. I was also thinking about an additional Tier 4 skill to earn extra duration while using the action skill, but not have it directly mimic Yipee Ki Yay, but it’s not critical to the tree. Maybe damaging enemies adds up to 4 seconds of duration, with a cooldown (like Get Some) of 10 seconds?
Armor Class – Focus on shield-based defense and benefits from keeping shields up. Effective front-line tank that can deal significant damage.
Action Skill: Tank Suit – Armored suit that gives massive damage reduction, slows movement speed, reduces peripheral vision (think Blast Shield equipment from MW2), and uses a powerful shoulder-mounted explosive cannon for attack. Use aim button to fire the cannon. Fire Rate is 1 round per second. Cannot ADS while in Tank Suit. Base duration is 20 seconds. Base cooldown is 60 seconds.
Trees: Tank, Super Soldier, Destroyer
Tank
Tier 1: Fortified – Increases Shield Capacity and Recharge Rate by 6% per level
Tier 1: Tower of Strength – Reduces Shield Recharge Delay while not moving by 10% per level.
Tier 2: Recharge – Increases Tank Suit Cooldown Rate by 5% per level.
Tier 2: Perserverance – You constantly regenerate Health based on how low your shield is. Up to .6% of max health regenerates per second per level.
Tier 3: Take the Pain – You gain up to +10% Damage Resistance per level based on how low your health is.
Tier 3 Game-Changer: Elemental Negation – While in Tank Suit, when an elemental status effect is applied to you there is a 50% chance it will be negated and reflected back onto your attacker.
Tier 3: Like a Rock – Kill Skill. Killing an enemy grants you .8% shield regeneration and 5% Recoil Reduction per level for a few seconds.
Tier 4: Overcharge – While in Tank Suit, nearby enemies are electrocuted. Rank 1-5 Shock Damage.
Tier 5: Pillar of Life – While in Tank Suit, you and nearby allies regenerate 1% of max health per level.
Tier 6: Ironclad – Activating Tank Suit instantly refills your shield and doubles your shield capacity for its duration.
This tree is all about surviving via shields. I like the idea of damage resistance for the armored guy concept but that’s not a visible stat like your shield bar. It also has diminishing returns, so it’s application is limited. Tower of Strength is for when you take cover to get your shield back up. I came up with the ideas for Perserverance and Take the Pain before I decided he’d be shield-focused, but I still like them for when stuff hits the fan. Shields always end up going down at one point or another, and they’ll be useful on a second wind to make sure you don’t go right back down. Overcharge would be for depleting shields – applies a shock DOT instead of damage numbers like Blight Phoenix, and Pillar would be like Roland’s Stat.
Super Soldier
Tier 1: On Target – Increases Gun Accuracy and Recoil Reduction by 5% per level
Tier 1: Scavenger – Killed enemies have an increased chance of dropping additional ammo and grenades. +10% per level.
Tier 2: Blood Brothers – Increases the Second Wind Health of allies you revive by 10% per level.
Tier 2: Fast Reactions – Kill Skill. Killing an enemy increases your reload speed by 10% per level for a few seconds.
Tier 3: Fully Loaded – Increases Magazine size for all weapons by 8% per level.
Tier 3 Game-Changer: Violent Reciprocation – Taking damage grants a stack of Violent Reciprocation. When you reach 10 stacks, your next shot will consume all stacks and deal damage equal to the amount of damage you received. Entering FFYL erases all stacks.
Tier 3: IED – Grenades have an 8% chance per level to spawn an identical second grenade when they explode.
Tier 4: Manual Override – Damaging enemies while Tank Suit is on cooldown increases the cooldown rate by 6% per level for 5 seconds.
Tier 5: Massacre – You gain +7% per level Gun Damage when your Health is full.
Tier 6 Game-Changer: Double-Tap – Critical Hits do +100% Damage. Successive Critical Hits do an additional 5% damage per hit.
This tree is focused on combat outside of using the Tank Suit, with a few team benefits thrown in. The damage bonus from Violent Reciprocation would have to be play-tested to figure out if it’s balanced, but I’m pretty sure it will work as theorized. I figured you’d be able to one-shot pretty much any enemy with the bonus damage, but just one enemy. Given that almost all enemies have more health than players, it’s not multiplied by a percentage, and sometimes you take hits that are almost negligible damage, I think it would still work out, and not let you one-shot raid bosses either. Notice that VR and Massacre both still fit the shield-up defense theme. I just thought of the additional successive damage for Double-Tap, don’t know if it’s a good idea or not. Land a critical, gets 100% damage. If your next shot is a critical, you get 105%, then 110%, etc. If you miss or don't get a crit, it resets and your next crit gets the 100%. Too much like Rising Shot or Critical Ascension?
Destroyer
Tier 1: Unstoppable – Increases Tank Suit duration by 3 seconds per level.
Tier 1: Blast Shield – Increases your resistance to explosive damage by 8% per level.
Tier 2: High Explosive – Increases Explosive damage by 4% per level.
Tier 2:
Tier 3: Full Auto – Kill Skill. Killing an enemy increases your fire rate by 8% per level for a few seconds.
Tier 3 Game-Changer: Chain-Claw – While in Tank Suit, use melee to fire a Chain-Claw that grabs enemies and pulls them towards you. Cooldown 8 seconds. While on cooldown, melee will function normally.
Tier 3: Self-Destruct – Releases an explosive nova when you enter FFYL. Rank 1-5 nova damage.
Tier 4: Master Exploder – While using Tank Suit, melee attacks cause an explosive nova. This effect occurs automatically on Chain-Clawed enemies.
Tier 5: Anihilator – You gain 6% Gun Damage, Melee Damage, and Grenade Damage while Tank Suit is active.
Tier 6 Game-Changer – Rain of Fire: While Tank Suit is active, press the action button to launch a salvo of 6 rockets for AOE damage. Cooldown of 10 Seconds.
This one focuses on dealing more (explosive) damage when using the action skill. The other Tier 2 spot is still open, was trying to think of something useful that’s not too generic. Self-Destruct would be like spending points in Backdraft or Unforseen. I figured the chain claw could grab more than one enemy if they’re close together, singularity type effect just a different animation. I was also thinking about an additional Tier 4 skill to earn extra duration while using the action skill, but not have it directly mimic Yipee Ki Yay, but it’s not critical to the tree. Maybe damaging enemies adds up to 4 seconds of duration, with a cooldown (like Get Some) of 10 seconds?