History Main / DamagerHealerTank

* '''Healer:''' Healers, in essence, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin heal]], preventing the rest of the team, particularly the tank, from being wiped out. They may also have other support effects to help them -- such as being able to put shields around allies, remove [[StandardStatusEffects negative status effects]] or otherwise [[StatusBuff buff]] them, and sometimes even debuff enemies for good measure.

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun2001'': Played with, since class and abilities change completely depending on what Djinn are set, and many classes learn healing abilities. And while you start with three characters, you end up with four or eight at endgame.

* ''{{VideoGame/Overwatch}}'' fffheroes are classed as DPS, Tank, and Support. The standard match format now requires teams composed of two players per role.

* ''{{VideoGame/Overwatch}}'' heroes were originally classed as Attack, Defence, Tank and Support. Playstyle depends on what class you pick, with a combination of two, or sometimed all three, archetypes:
** Attacks focus on being Damagers, usually with some Healer abilities (Tracer's Rewind and Soldier 76's Biotic Field) to keep them alive, or having Tank tendencies (Reaper is invulnerable while in Wraith Form).
** Defences are Tank-centric, as they are needed to hold the line. To clear the area from hostiles, they also have Damager-grade firepower (Bastion can transform into a sentry gun, Junkrat likes StuffBlowingUp). Torbjorn can also support his allies via armour packs.
** Tanks are Tanks. They can also unleash massive damage (Reinhardt's hammer and Zarya's particle cannon). Roadhog tops all with the highest resilience, obscene close-range power, and he can heal himself via his Take A Breather ability.
** Supports buff teammates and debuff opponents, so they're Healers. They can still kick butt (Mercy's handgun and Zenyatta's orbs), but not as powerful as everyone else. Symmetra can use her HardLight gun to pierce the usually impregnable shields.
** Eventually, the roles were reclassified into just Damage, Tank, and Support, the former consisting of the Attack and Defense rolls, plus the one Support that couldn't heal. Though this nominally comforms closer to the trope, the above-mentioned mixes still apply.

* ''TabletopGame/Lancer'' Has this in the form of its Striker, Defense and Support classes of mecha.

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheBrokenSeal'': Played with, since class and abilities change completely depending on what Djinn are set, and many classes learn healing abilities. And while you start with three characters, you end up with four or eight at endgame.

* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS,[[note]]from "Damage Per Second" -- the acronym stands for damagers by convention. The actual phrase it comes from refers to the "attribute" describing how much damage you do,[[/note]] the damager focuses on, you guessed it, directly damaging and killing the foe. They may be quick and able to [[DeathOfAThousandCuts slide in many attacks as fast as possible]] or simply just hit really hard. Most modern [=RPGs=] further subdivide these into [[AlphaStrike burst damage]] and [[GradualGrinder damage over time]]. To compensate for their high damage output, the damager will usually be [[GlassCannon quite]] [[SquishyWizard squishy]], unable to stand up to too many enemies (or a single [[BossBattle really powerful enemy]]) at once, requiring the tank to manage aggro and keep it off the damager.

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': Played with, since class and abilities change completely depending on what Djinn are set, and many classes learn healing abilities. And while you start with three characters, you end up with four or eight at endgame.

** Similarly, The Lost Age starts with Felix (tank), Sheba (damage against enemies with wind weakness) and Jenna (healer).
** ''[[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn Dark Dawn]]'' has Matthew (damage), Tyrell (tank), and Karis (healer).

** Fighters (Guardians, Berserkers, Monks, Bruisers, Paladins, Shadowknights) were tank classes who could all tank effectively in their own ways, though in most raid situations, Guardians and Berserkers proved to still be the best just at taking damage and keeping agro.

** Fanbase consensus is that there's no actual need for tanks or healers outside of PVP teams because the PVE content doesn't have enemies that are tough or smart enough to require a prolonged engagement. The "shield facing" mechanic very much encourages [[AlphaStrike Alpha Strikes]] to overcome one of the enemy's shields and [[AttackItsWeakPoint fire through the opening]]. If your ship isn't built for killing things as quickly as possible, you're just slowing everyone down, which renders engineer-heavy ships like the ''Galaxy''-class family [[TierInducedScrappy Tier-Induced Scrappies]].

** When queuing for PVP content, you pick a uniform that sets your role: high-powered weapons are damage, anima conduits are healer, reinforced armor is tank.

* Enforced in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV: A Realm Reborn''. Every class and job is specifically assigned one of three roles - Tank, Healer, DPS - and the "Duty Finder" auto-matching feature will slot players into either a "Light Party" consisting of one Tank, one Healer, and two DPS, or a "Full Party" of two Tanks, two Healers, and four DPS depending on the content (with a few exceptions such as PvP and some of the content for Alliances [3 full parties joining forces, where one Tank gives way for a fifth DPS per party]). It is possible to defy these setup rules in some cases with completely preformed parties, but that usually only makes things harder.

SubTrope of AnAdventurerIsYou, an overview of different classes not necessarily part of this dynamic. WhiteMage[=/=]TheMedic and StoneWall are general character and gameplay archetypes, and may or may not be part of the dynamic. Compare CombatDiplomacyStealth and FighterMageThief, other trio configurations. Contrast UtilityPartyMember, who is defined by their role ''outside'' of combat.

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* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' splits heroes into Assassins, Warriors, Supports, and Specialists, with the former three being Damagers, Tanks, and Healers respectively. Specialists are classified as [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter having a playstyle that diverges from the norm]], but in practice they're almost all Damagers, with the exception of Medivh and Abathur who fall under Healer instead (though their actual healing pales compared to Supports, they focus mainly on supporting teammates). That being said, some heroes can fall under multiple categories: Ragnaros and Uther are examples of an Assassin and Support respectively that can also serve as Tanks, while Sonya and Kharazim (Warrior and Support respectively) can easily be built as Damagers. There's also Varian, whose entire gimmick is that he can be built as either as either Tank or Damage depending on his team's needs, and Cho'Gall, a two-player hero who combines Tank and Damager into one body.

* ''VideoGame/FreedomWars'' has 3 kinds of [[WhipItGood thorns]]: Binding, Healing, and Shielding thorns. Binding thorns paralyze Mooks and [[HumongousMecha Abductors]] for a set period of time. Healing thorns create a forward-facing blast that heals allies and cures their [[StandardStatusEffect status effects]], along with creating a giant tree made of thorns that create a healing AreaOfEffect that heals everyone within the radios, including the wielder. Shielding thorns buff the base defense for everyone within the radius, including the wielder, and its second charge creates a barrier that nullifies firearms from enemy Sinners and Accessories.

** [[CaptainObvious Tanks are Tanks]]. They can also unleash massive damage (Reinhardt's hammer and Zarya's particle cannon). Roadhog tops all with the highest resilience, obscene close-range power, and he can heal himself via his Take A Breather ability.

* ''VideoGame/FreedomWars has 3 kinds of [[WhipItGood thorns]]: Binding, Healing, and Shielding thorns. Binding thorns paralyze Mooks and [[HumongousMecha Abductors]] for a set period of time. Healing thorns create a forward-facing blast that heals allies and cures their [[StandardStatusEffect status effects]], along with creating a giant tree made of thorns that create a healing AreaOfEffect that heals everyone within the radios, including the wielder. Shielding thorns buff the base defense for everyone within the radius, including the wielder, and its second charge creates a barrier that nullifies firearms from enemy Sinners and Accessories.

Often reliant on a simple [[UsefulNotes/RolePlayingGameTerms "aggro"]] system, wherein the tank must keep the highest amount of [[UsefulNotes/RolePlayingGameTerms "threat"]] in order to keep enemies focused on him -- earlier games simply had foes go after whoever did the highest damage, rarely allowing a tank a place in combat, and earlier still featured them attacking mostly at random or just whoever they noticed first. Without this threat and aggro system, it becomes highly illogical for the enemies to not just ignore the tank and attack the other two guys. Still, it is possible to work without it: the damagers/healers could be ranged, for instance, and the tank could just be blocking the path--indeed, this is how "tanking" works in more [[CommonTacticalGameplayElements tactically-inclined]] games.

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** In general, most versions of tanking in D&D, including 4th Edition, avoid forced threat aggro in favor of instituting consequences for attacking targets other than the tank. Most commonly, targets other than the tank will have a severe penalty to hit, which will tend to make the NPCs focus on the tank as an easier target. Only rarely do effects include a "you must attack x target", notably the Knight/Cavalier classes from various editions. The reasons are generally because [=MMOs=] have a computer opponent that needs a firmer rule of enemy engagement than tabletop games using a human DM that can make better judgment calls, especially for what would be considered in character.

* ''{{VideoGame/Overwatch}}'' heroes are classed as Attack, Defence, Tank and Support. Playstyle depends on what class you pick, with a combination of two, or sometimed all three, archetypes:

** In general, most versions of tanking in D&D, including 4th Edition, avoid forced threat aggro in favor of instituting consequences for attacking targets other than the tank. Most commonly, targets other than the tank will have a severe penalty to hit, which will tend to make the NPCs focus on the tank as an easier target. Only rarely do effects include a "you must attack x target", notably the Knight/Cavalier classes from various editions. The reasons are generally because MMOs have a computer opponent that needs a firmer rule of enemy engagement than tabletop games using a human DM that can make better judgment calls, especially for what would be considered in character.

* ''[[VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm]]'' splits heroes into Assassins, Warriors, Supports, and Specialists, with the former three being Damagers, Tanks, and Healers respectively. Specialists are classified as [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter having a playstyle that diverges from the norm]], but in practice they're almost all Damagers, with the exception of Medivh and Abathur who fall under Healer instead (though their actual healing pales compared to Supports, they focus mainly on supporting teammates). That being said, some heroes can fall under multiple categories: Ragnaros and Uther are examples of an Assassin and Support respectively that can also serve as Tanks, while Sonya and Kharazim (Warrior and Support respectively) can easily be built as Damagers. There's also Varian, whose entire gimmick is that he can be built as either as either Tank or Damage depending on his team's needs, and Cho'Gall, a two-player hero who combines Tank and Damager into one body.

* ''Heroes of the Storm'' splits heroes into Assassins, Warriors, Supports, and Specialists, with the former three being Damagers, Tanks, and Healers respectively. Specialists are classified as [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter having a playstyle that diverges from the norm]], but in practice they're almost all Damagers, with the exception of Medivh and Abathur who fall under Healer instead (though their actual healing pales compared to Supports, they focus mainly on supporting teammates). That being said, some heroes can fall under multiple categories: Ragnaros and Uther are examples of an Assassin and Support respectively that can also serve as Tanks, while Sonya and Kharazim (Warrior and Support respectively) can easily be built as Damagers. There's also Varian, whose entire gimmick is that he can be built as either as either Tank or Damage depending on his team's needs, and Cho'Gall, a two-player hero who combines Tank and Damager into one body.