Beast Slayer Builds: Tank Mage

A Mage that can take a hit in this tabletop rpg

Let’s be honest, Magick users tend to be squishy when things get up-close and personal. But building a tank mage can be a way around this; imagine being able to sling spells and take a hit at the same time.

This is the first in a new series of guides on how to build certain archetype player characters in the tabletop rpg, Beast Slayer. It can be fun to custom build your character, but if you’re having trouble coming up with an idea, we hope that this series of guides will help.

Stats for a Tank Mage

Beast Slayer has fewer stats than some other roleplaying games. With the core being: Athletics, Cunning, and Magick. Dot allocation is highly important when building your character. It sets the tone for the overall experience during the one-shot.

You have five dots to fill at the start of character creation. Since you are playing a Magick user, the first thing you will want to do is fill all three dots in Magick. This unlocks all the spells in the game and gives you a versatile assortment to pick from.

Your secondary stat will be Athletics. Fill two dots in this which will complete your dot allocation. By doing this you increase your base movement, and have better odds against taking a direct close range hit.

The only downside is you will have nothing in Cunning. You’ll want to avoid those ranger types during combat if at all possible. This could prove a deadly encounter for you.

Tank Mage Inventory

This is where you get to really beef out your tankness. Choosing the right inventory is crucial for this play style. You’ll want to max out your armor rating here as much as you can.

Starting with armor. You’ll skip the magick armor, even though it gives you certain buffs, this isn’t the play style you’re going for. You will want to dip into the athletic armor sets. Chainmail is your best option as it will grant you the highest armor rating for your character.

Building off of armor, we come to the weapons table. Instead of the taking two small weapons, you’re gonna take one large weapon. Again, avoid the Magick weapons just like you avoided the armor. Instead, go for the Heavy Shield. This will grant you access to the highest armor rating on the weapons table.

When you get to Assists, there is some more flexibility here. Keep defense in mind. Items you’ll want to consider are: the Amulet of Thick Protection, Necklace of Fate, Ring of Swiftness, Super Health Potion, and a Ring of Embers. These should be your main focus to choose from and you can mix and match whichever fits best for you. In the Lair, make sure to keep an eye out for these items as well.

Tank Mage Abilities

Given you have three dots in Magick and two in Athletics, this will open up some fun where you can buff up your defense and start prepping your offense. There are some recommendations but there is more room to mix and match.

Starting off with your secondary stat, Athletics. Within the Level 1 abilities, feel free to pick them based on your own preference. Level 2 abilities however, take Thick Skin and Resilience. These will boost your defense for that final push.

Now onto your primary stat, Magick. For Level 1 abilities, same as with Athletics feel free to pick whichever you feel is best. For Level 2 abilities make sure to take Destroy Trap. Between Lightning Strike or Blizzard, do you want something with more range or damage? It’s alright to be more aggressive in this area since you have already built up a solid defense. For Level 3 abilities take Heal. Having access to the only healing spell in the game can mean the difference between success and failure. It’s up to you if you want to take Flames of Glory or Helping Hand. Do you want to be more support with your defense or take up some more offense for your tank mage? Either option is acceptable.

Some Final Words

Tank Mages aren’t something I’ve seen a lot while running the game, but I think they can have a fun play style. Like it was stated earlier, watch out for Cunning. Taking an arrow isn’t something this build is meant for. But you hold a great defense against other Magick users and can take a hit from Athletic characters as well.

This can be a fun defensive build for the tabletop rpg, Beast Slayer. More builds are on their way, so make sure to keep an eye out.