Editing Combat Roles (section)

===[[Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition|Dungeons and Dragons 4e]]'s Named Roles===
Dungeons & Dragons 4e included four explicitly spelled out and named roles that overlap with the MMO nomenclature, so we'll use some of the vocabulary from above. (Since 4e's terms have been used outside of Dungeons & Dragons, we're including it at the same level as everything else, rather than as a subnote of D&D.)

* The '''Defender''', essentially the Tank, with a small region of Area Denial interrupting anybody who tries to attack anybody but him, since 4e lacked an Aggro system. 
** Class differentiation within the role was usually based on how they stopped monsters from attacking others.
** Examples from the original PHB: Paladin (for a more Leader-leaning Defender) and Fighter (for a more Striker-leaning Defender)
* The '''Striker''', a Single Target Damage/Debuffer type. 
** Class differentiation within the role was usually based on what kind of damage, how they dealt it, and how close they could get to their opponent.
** Examples from the original PHB: Rogue, Warlock, Ranger.
* The '''Leader''', a Healer/Buffer, who usually also did Off-Tanking. 
** Class differentiation within the role was usually based on how much of those three the class could be (the Warlord favored Buffing/Debuffing, while the Cleric favored Healing, e.g.).
** Examples from the original PHB: Cleric, Warlord
* The '''Controller''', who did Area of Effect Damage, Area Denial, and Crowd Control-focused Debuffing. The most poorly defined of the four in the initial book.
** Class differentiation within the role was usually based on very little, as Controllers were all based on "the same as Wizards, but slightly different in some way".
** Examples from the original PHB: Wizard

The DMGs also introduced enemy roles as well, giving you some basic archetypes for what kinds of enemies you can face. Each has some common traits that can be exploited to your advantage.

* '''Artillery''' monsters were those who relied entirely on their shooting attacks, whether it was a bow and arrows or casting fireballs, sometimes covering AOE. That said, they suffered hard in melee.
* '''Brute''' monsters were walking walls of muscle, dealing lots of damage with each swing and chock full of HP to tank player fire. That said, they tended to have poor defenses and likely wouldn't be able to attack multiple enemies at once.
* '''Controller''' monsters were like Controller players. They focused a lot on debuffs and area denial at short range. This made them capable of standing up in melee, in odd contrast to players.
* '''Elite''' monsters weren't so much of a proper role as they were a variant. Elites tended to be beefier versions of existing monsters, made more dangerous but giving more XP upon death.
* '''Lurker''' monsters aren't consistent foes, but when they show up, they hurt. Usually they have either some way to evade any attempts to catch them through something like invisibility or have something like a rogue's sneak attack in order to deal extra damage on an enemy they have combat advantage over.
* '''Minion''' monsters are the absolute weakest of the lot. They have 1 HP as a rule and thus will die to even a stiff breeze, but won't die from any damage if an attack misses. Usually these are the most numerous foes to go against.
* '''Skirmisher''' monsters are very mobile, making them somewhat similar to Lurkers. Usually they'll jump in while their target is stuck fighting something more dangerous.
* '''Soldier''' monsters are your analogues to Defender players. These tend to have really good defenses and attack bonuses but didn't tend to do the most damage. This makes them very good [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX|distraction monsters]].
* '''Solo''' monsters weren't a role so much as they were a state. Beefier than even elites, these tended to be monsters so powerful that encounters centered around them had to use them as an encounter of their own. Of course, throwing enough players at them still overwhelmed them.
* '''Leader''' monsters were effectively the same as Leader players. Their role focused more upon the buffing aspect of leaders, whether by boosting stats or by letting allies attack out of turn.