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* One of the first to start using the trinity was ''VideoGame/EverQuest'', though it also had crowd control classes. However the third in the series, ''VideoGame/{{EverQuest Next}}'', [[http://www.vg247.com/2013/08/08/everquest-next-will-eschew-the-traditional-holy-trinity-of-mmos/ plans on dropping it]].
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* One of the first to start using the trinity was ''VideoGame/EverQuest'', though it also had crowd control classes. However the third in the series, ''VideoGame/{{EverQuest Next}}'', [[http://www.vg247.com/2013/08/08/everquest-next-will-eschew-the-traditional-holy-trinity-of-mmos/ plans on dropping it]].it.]]
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* '''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]].
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* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS[[note]]from 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]], 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]].
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** 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 enough to require a prolonged engagement. The "shield facing" mechanic very much encourages AlphaStrikes 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]].
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** 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 AlphaStrikes [[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]].
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** Fanbase consensus is that there's no actual need for dedicated tanks and healers outside of premade PVP teams because the PVE content doesn't have enemies that are tough enough or smart enough to require it. If your ship isn't built for offense you're just slowing everyone down, which renders engi-heavy ships like the ''Galaxy''-class family [[TierInducedScrappy Tier-Induced Scrappies]].
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** Fanbase consensus is that there's no actual need for dedicated tanks and or healers outside of premade PVP teams because the PVE content doesn't have enemies that are tough enough or smart enough to require it. a prolonged engagement. The "shield facing" mechanic very much encourages AlphaStrikes to overcome one of the enemy's shields and [[AttackItsWeakPoint fire through the opening]]. If your ship isn't built for offense killing things as quickly as possible, you're just slowing everyone down, which renders engi-heavy engineer-heavy ships like the ''Galaxy''-class family [[TierInducedScrappy Tier-Induced Scrappies]].
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* '''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:
* '''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 [=RPGs=] further subdivide these into [[AlphaStrike burst damage]] and [[GradualGrinder damage over time]].
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some methods to DrawAggro (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A StoneWall character is a very common type to do this.
* '''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.
* '''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 slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
* '''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.
* '''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 slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
to:
* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some methods to DrawAggro (e.g. taunting), and taunting) or sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A StoneWall character is a very common type to do this.
* '''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 statuseffects]], effects]] or otherwise [[StatusBuff buff]] them.
* '''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 aspossible, possible]] or simply just hit really high.
hard. Most modern RPGs further subdivide these into [[AlphaStrike burst damage]] and [[GradualGrinder damage over time]].
* '''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
* '''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
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some to DrawAggro (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A StoneWall character is a very common type to do this.
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some methods to DrawAggro (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A StoneWall character is a very common type to do this.
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* ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}'': the party consists of Yeagar (tank), Artax (damage) and Piffany (healer).
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* ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}'': ''ComicStrip/{{Nodwick}}'': the party consists of Yeagar (tank), Artax (damage) and Piffany (healer).
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** There's debate on how well the game's approach works, however. The dungeon "meta" basically revolves around dealing as much damage as possible, through applying buffs/debuffs that increase damage output and wearing equipment with purely offensive stats. While there's certainly more to running dungeons, a decent players have complained about how one-dimensional efficient dungeon clearing is.
** With the introduction of raids and the Druid (a healing-focusing specialization for Rangers), the game now does feature a sort of holy trinity.
** With the introduction of raids and the Druid (a healing-focusing specialization for Rangers), the game now does feature a sort of holy trinity.
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some way of drawing the enemy's focus to them (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A StoneWall character is a very common type to do this.
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some way of drawing the enemy's focus to them DrawAggro (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A StoneWall character is a very common type to do this.
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* 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)). It is possible to defy these setup rules in some cases with completely preformed parties, but that usually only makes things harder.
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* 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 content (with a few exceptions such as PvP and some of the content for Alliances (3 full parties joining forces)). It is possible to defy these setup rules in some cases with completely preformed parties, but that usually only makes things harder.
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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. 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 tactics-aware]] games.
to:
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.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 tactics-aware]] games.
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* 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)).
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* 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)). It is possible to defy these setup rules in some cases with completely preformed parties, but that usually only makes things harder.
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* Enforced in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV: A Realm Reborn''. Every class 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.
to:
* 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.content(with a few exceptions such as PvP and some of the content for Alliances (3 full parties joining forces)).
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some way of drawing the enemy's focus to them (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A MightyGlacier character is a very common type to do this.
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some way of drawing the enemy's focus to them (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A MightyGlacier StoneWall character is a very common type to do this.
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some way of drawing the enemy's focus to them (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents.
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* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some way of drawing the enemy's focus to them (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents. A MightyGlacier character is a very common type to do this.
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* The original archtypes in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' were designed with this in mind. Tankers were Tanks, Defenders and Controllers were Healers while Scrappers and Blasters were DPS. In practice though the game did not have a strong requirement for any of the three. In particular the buff/debuff powers provided by Defenders and Controllers far outclassed their healing powers to the point that teams composed entirely of Defenders or Controllers were among the most powerful in the game.
** The Villainous archtypes however were intended as an aversion of this. Except for Stalkers which were a pure DPS class the archtypes were designed to do decent DPS while also providing some Tank (Brute) or Support (Corruptor and Dominator) powers. The Mastermind could actually do all three, using his pets to tank and DPS while using his secondary powers to buff, debuff and heal.
** The Villainous archtypes however were intended as an aversion of this. Except for Stalkers which were a pure DPS class the archtypes were designed to do decent DPS while also providing some Tank (Brute) or Support (Corruptor and Dominator) powers. The Mastermind could actually do all three, using his pets to tank and DPS while using his secondary powers to buff, debuff and heal.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'s'' party takes this configuration once the CombatMedic Sharla joins Shulk, a GlassCannon damager, and Reyn, an aggro-drawing tank. The configuration can be changed and mixed up after others join the team, but it remains a good strategy to have a team with someone focused on drawing attention while the others do damage and heal up any bruises that show up.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'s'' party takes this configuration once the CombatMedic Sharla joins Shulk, a GlassCannon damager, and Reyn, an aggro-drawing tank. The configuration Although other characters can be changed and mixed up after others join switched, most also fall under the team, but it remains a good strategy to have a team with someone focused on drawing attention while the others do damage and heal up any bruises that show up.damager.
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* ''TabletopGame/DescentJourneysInTheDark'' has this trope encoded in its hero archetypes: Warriors are Tanks with the best defenses and most hit points, Mages and Scouts are damagers (Mages specialize in AreaOfEffect attacks, while Scouts lay directed damage), and Healers are just that. That said, Warriors and Healers can also dish out some pain, they're just not as geared towards it as the other two.
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* ''TabletopGame/DescentJourneysInTheDark'' has this trope encoded in its hero archetypes: Warriors are Tanks with the best defenses and most hit points, Mages and Scouts are damagers (Mages specialize in AreaOfEffect attacks, while Scouts lay directed damage), and Healers are just that. That said, Warriors and Healers can also dish out some pain, they're just not as geared exclusively towards it as the other two.
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See also AnAdventurerIsYou, an overview of different classes not necessarily part of this dynamic and a SuperTrope. WhiteMage[=/=]TheMedic and StoneWall are general character and gameplay archetypes, and may or may not be part of the dynamic. Compare FighterMageThief, another common trio configuration.
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See also AnAdventurerIsYou, an overview of different classes not necessarily part of this dynamic and a SuperTrope. WhiteMage[=/=]TheMedic and StoneWall are general character and gameplay archetypes, and may or may not be part of the dynamic. Compare FighterMageThief, another common trio configuration. Contrast UtilityPartyMember, who is defined by their role ''outside'' of combat.
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* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS[[note]]from "Damage Per Second" -- the acronym stands for damagers by convention, the actual phrase 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 slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
to:
* '''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 slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
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* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS[[note]]from "Damage Per Second" -- the acronym stands for damagers by convention, the actual phrase refers to the attribute describing how much damage you do, which every character has[[/note]], the damager focuses on, you guessed it, directly damaging and killing the foe. They may be quick and able to slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
to:
* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS[[note]]from "Damage Per Second" -- the acronym stands for damagers by convention, the actual phrase refers to the attribute "attribute" describing how much damage you do, which every character has[[/note]], do[[/note]], the damager focuses on, you guessed it, directly damaging and killing the foe. They may be quick and able to slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
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* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS[[note]]Damage Per Second[[/note]], the damager focuses on, you guessed it, directly damaging and killing the foe. They may be quick and able to slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
to:
* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS[[note]]Damage DPS[[note]]from "Damage Per Second[[/note]], Second" -- the acronym stands for damagers by convention, the actual phrase refers to the attribute describing how much damage you do, which every character has[[/note]], the damager focuses on, you guessed it, directly damaging and killing the foe. They may be quick and able to slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
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* ''TabletopGame/DescentJourneysInTheDark'' has this trope encoded in its hero archetypes: Warriors are Tanks with the best defenses and most hit points, Mages and Scouts are damagers (Mages specialize in AreaOfEffect attacks, while Scouts lay directed damage), and Healers are just that. That said, Warriors and Healers can also dish out some pain, they're just not as geared towards it as the other two.
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In {{Character Class System}}s, there are [[AnAdventurerIsYou many different roles]], from petmasters to nukers to jacks of all trades. However, even occasionally outside class systems, three all come together to form what is dubbed in [=MMOs=] "the holy trinity":
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In {{Character Class System}}s, there are [[AnAdventurerIsYou many different roles]], from petmasters to nukers to jacks of all trades. However, even occasionally outside class systems, three all particular combat roles often come together to form together, forming what is dubbed in [=MMOs=] is dubbed "the holy trinity":trinity":
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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. 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.
to:
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. 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.
path--indeed, this is how "tanking" works in more [[CommonTacticalGameplayElements tactics-aware]] games.
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* Enforced in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV: A Realm Reborn''. Every class 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.
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* In ''Series/{{Noob}}'', this was the dynamic of Arthéon (tank), Omega Zell (damage) and Sparadrap (healer). Gaea refers to these concepts by name in an early episode where the characters swap bodies.
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* In ''Series/{{Noob}}'', this was the dynamic of Arthéon (tank), Omega Zell (damage) and Sparadrap (healer). Gaea refers to these concepts by name in an early a season 1 episode where the players' characters swap bodies.are swapped.
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* In ''Series/{{Noob}}'', this was the dynamic of Arthéon (tank), Omega Zell (damage) and Sparadrap (healer). Gaea refers to these concepts by name in an early episode where the characters swap bodies.
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[[quoteright:330:[[http://soodinghel.deviantart.com/art/Holy-Trinity-of-MMOs-471981696 http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/holytrinity_tv_tropes2_4001.png]]]]
In {{Character Class System}}s, there are [[AnAdventurerIsYou many different roles]], from petmasters to nukers to jacks of all trades. However, even occasionally outside class systems, three all come together to form what is dubbed in [=MMOs=] "the holy trinity":
* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some way of drawing the enemy's focus to them (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents.
* '''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.
* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS[[note]]Damage Per Second[[/note]], the damager focuses on, you guessed it, directly damaging and killing the foe. They may be quick and able to slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
The grouping allows each player to have a clear role and helps emphasise team-based combat. Typically, if there are any duplicated roles it will be the damage-dealer.
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. 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.
Sometimes, the different roles will also have bonus abilities tied in with them; the tank could be good at crowd control, the healer might be able to debuff enemies (thus becoming more of a general support role) or [[ReviveKillsZombie have special powers fighting the undead]]... The roles may also be toyed with, or merged slightly with hybrid classes -- e.g. a tank with some support abilities (often a [[ThePaladin Paladin]]).
All roles are commonly found outside the dynamic in other party-based games. Has become a generally accepted standard in {{MMORPG}}s, to the point where some are deliberately defying it.
See also AnAdventurerIsYou, an overview of different classes not necessarily part of this dynamic and a SuperTrope. WhiteMage[=/=]TheMedic and StoneWall are general character and gameplay archetypes, and may or may not be part of the dynamic. Compare FighterMageThief, another common trio configuration.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: [=MMOs=]]]
* One of the first to start using the trinity was ''VideoGame/EverQuest'', though it also had crowd control classes. However the third in the series, ''VideoGame/{{EverQuest Next}}'', [[http://www.vg247.com/2013/08/08/everquest-next-will-eschew-the-traditional-holy-trinity-of-mmos/ plans on dropping it]].
* When designing ''VideoGame/EverQuestII'', the developers realized how much of a problem the Holy Trinity was in the original game. Of more than a dozen classes, 3 of them became absolutely essential for ''EVERYTHING'', leaving all the rest to be almost unnecessary. Clerics were the only ones who could Complete Heal or resurrect fallen players. Warriors had the most HP and taunting ability by far (and Ogres in particular couldn't be physically stunned from the front, making them the best Warriors), and Enchanters were the only ones who could perform crowd control and mana regeneration to any effective degree. Everyone else, rogues, monks, wizards, bards, paladins, druids, etc, were all just extra utility and DPS. To work around this off balance, four archetypes of classes were created to ensure that all classes had a defined role that could generally equally be carried out.
** 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.
** Healers (Templars, Inquisitors, Wardens, Furies, Mystics, and Defilers) could all effectively heal, buff, and resurrect.
** Mages (Wizards, Warlocks, Necromancers, Conjurers, Illusionists, Coercers) were designed for crowd control, buffs, debuffs, and magic DPS.
** Scouts (Troubadors, Dirges, Swashbucklers, Brigands, Rangers, Assassins) were pure DPS classes, but also provided offensive buffs.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' is in part likely responsible for the prominence of the dynamic in [=MMOs=], given its trend-setter status and popularity. Healer, tank, and damage dealer are the primary roles, though each role has its own sub-roles, and some groups bring other "support" roles along in addition to the primary ones.
* Advanced classes in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' (unlocked at level 10 for each starter class) are divided into these categories, with each advanced one geared towards filling one particular role. Parties are limited at four, allowing for someone of each role, plus an extra. The Group Finder explicitly is divided into these, and groups may search for specific roles and, if they find a match, automatically transfer to their location.
* ''VideoGame/WildStar'' also features the trinity, though each class has two different roles it can easily fufill (either tank/healing or damage-dealing). For the most part each class plays their roles differently from each other; for example, an Engineer tank is a ranged pet class.
** Discussed in [[http://www.wildstar-online.com/en/news/uplink_analysis_the_holy_trinity.php/ this blog post]], featuring comments by players about whether it's outdated and if it works.
* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline''[='s=] class structure was originally somewhat organized around this, with tactical captains and escort and raider-class starships being the damage-dealers, engineers and cruisers being the tanks, and science officers and science vessels being the healers and crowd controllers. However the lines are actually extremely blurry:
** There's no class restrictions on what ships you can fly and all the classes have a mix of offensive and defensive powers that you can pick and choose at will. Offensive engineers are actually considered the deadliest ground class by far.
** Fanbase consensus is that there's no actual need for dedicated tanks and healers outside of premade PVP teams because the PVE content doesn't have enemies that are tough enough or smart enough to require it. If your ship isn't built for offense you're just slowing everyone down, which renders engi-heavy ships like the ''Galaxy''-class family [[TierInducedScrappy Tier-Induced Scrappies]].
* ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'' follows this trope as well, despite not having the typical classes.
** Each weapon has two roles it can fill and you can equip two weapons. All do damage for the primary role. Blades, chaos magic, and hammers make up the tanking weapons, while assault rifles, blood magic, and fists make up the healing. The secondary role for elemental magic, pistols, and shotguns is support, most importantly damage buffs, however pistols and shotguns lean towards supporting healing and tanking respectively. Ultimately, standard dungeon groups consist of a tank, healer, and three DPS--the DPS choosing at least one weapon with support buffs are optimal to maximize damage, but few people run a dedicated support "buffbot".
** "Healtanks" combine chaos and blood magic so that a single player tanks the instance and keeps himself alive, to replace a dedicated healer with a 4th DPS.
** 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.
** Auxiliary weapons lean toward the holy trinity as well, via their passive skill. Out of five weapons currently in the game, three are specialized for damage, one for healing, and the last is tank-flavored support. Four more weapons are scheduled to be implemented in the future.
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline'' doesn't ''require'' using this composition, though not using it means trying some workarounds. Bethesda says [[http://www.gamezone.com/news/2013/09/08/the-elder-scrolls-online-doesn-t-require-the-holy-trinity-but-it-will-probably-help the most successful groups tend to be running it]]. How tanking works is being played with a bit, it seems.
-->''"In order to tank all you need to do is be able to defend. So basically the way tanking works is you encourage a guy to attack you either by using a one-handed sword and shield or a fighter skill taunting ability. You'll be fighting eight guys at a time in a dungeon, [the tank] can probably take three, so everyone else is going to have to deal with what you're not tanking."''
* Deliberately averted in ''VideoGame/GuildWars2''. It actually [[http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/03/29/how-team-fortresss-influenced-guild-wars-2s-class-system/ drew inspiration]] from the team shooter ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. Combat tries to force fast-paced changing circumstances -- meaning standing around trying to tank is a good way to get yourself killed.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Video Games]]
* ''[[VideoGame/WarCraft Warcraft III]]'' has most of its heroes follow this archetype, with some variation:
** The Alliance had tank and healer combined with the Paladin, the Mountain King / Archmage / Blood Mage as damage (the Mountain King makes a slightly less effective tank).
** The Horde has Tauren Chieftain as the tank, Shadow Hunter as healer, and Far Seer / Blademaster as damager.
** The Undead have the Crypt Lord as the tank, Death Knight as healer, and Lich / Dreadlord as damage.
** The Night Elves have the Demon Hunter and Warden as tanks (comparatively speaking, they're both fragile, but the Demon Hunter can evade some attacks and the Warden can teleport), Keeper of the Grove as healer and Priestess of the Moon as damage.
** Neutral heroes have the Pandaren Brewmaster, Beastmaster and Pit Lord as tanks, Alchemist as healer, and Dark Ranger / Sea Witch as damage.
* ''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.
** Until you meet Mia (healer), the party consists of Isaac (healer), Garett (tank) and Ivan (damage against wind-weak enemies).
** Similarly, The Lost Age starts with Felix (tank), Sheba (damage against wind-weak enemies) and Jenna (healer).
** ''[[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn Dark Dawn]]'' has Matthew (damage), Tyrell (tank), and Karis (healer).
* In the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series, the Warrior class is mainly about tanking, Rogues are pure damagers, and Mages are the only ones with healing powers. That said, both warriors and mages can be built as damagers instead, and ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' even includes a secret tank build for mages. But the "holy trinity" becomes very prominent again in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', which took many cues from [=MMORPGs=] in regards to its combat.
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'s'' party takes this configuration once the CombatMedic Sharla joins Shulk, a GlassCannon damager, and Reyn, an aggro-drawing tank. The configuration can be changed and mixed up after others join the team, but it remains a good strategy to have a team with someone focused on drawing attention while the others do damage and heal up any bruises that show up.
* Traditionally, ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' gives Knight characters (or a given entry's equivalent) the "Cover" ability, allowing them to take hits for squishy and/or heavily-damaged party members and functioning as Tanks. [[TheMedic White Mages]] are the healers and buffers, and [[GlassCannon Monks]] and [[SquishyWizard Black Mages]] typically deal the most damage at the cost of requiring protection.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Since the magic and summoning materia that allow for much of the most powerful damage-dealing also [[GlassCannon decrease hit points]], divvying up roles in this way makes a lot of sense. A character with naturally high hit points such as Barrett or Cait Sith can be given the Cover (allowing them to randomly take hits for other party members 20-80% of the time) and HP Plus (boosting their defense even higher) materia, with the magic materia loaded onto a dedicated caster like Aeris or Red XIII. Since a single Restore materia doesn't lower HP so much as to cripple the wielder's defense, healing duties can safely be spread around the party, although a caster with their Magic stat boosted by many other magic materia will still be better at it.
** A solid strategy for most of the playthrough of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', where micromanaging is everything. Also recommended in the official guide for that game.
*** Tank: Vaan or Balthier, armour to boost defence and evasion, buffs to boost defences, max HP and to draw enemy fire.
*** Damage dealer: Basch, weaponry to maximise damage output or to be ranged (to keep them out of danger), buffs to boost speed, attack power and to give them berserk status (for both attack and speed).
*** Healer: Penelo or Ashe, weaponry to be ranged (to keep them out of danger) or to boost magic stat, usually too busy healing to be buffed.
*** Note: Fran has such horrible stats she doesn't really fit into any of the roles and is largely worthless. Typically, the game's magic lag and costliness of magic generally prevent magic from being used effectively as a damage-dealing tactic, though certain circumstances (crowd control of enemies with exploitable elemental weaknesses) may encourage this.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' gives you roles in battle that can be changed via Paradigm Shifts. Four roles fit under this:
*** Sentinel: A role that does nothing but guarding (with the exception of countering and evading attacks).
*** Medic: Heals allies.
*** Commando: Deals high physical damage to the enemy.
*** Ravager: Works along the opposite side of the BreakMeter to the Commando to increase inflicted damage.
* Also a solid strategy in at least one ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' game. Park a unit with high defence against what's coming at you in a bottleneck (General for physical attacks, Pegasus for magical attacks), have a powerful ranged character behind (Any mage or character with a bow) and any mage with ranged healing in the nearby area.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', many character classes or options for them have been made to fit these roles in varying degrees over the game's many iterations. In third edition, for instance, the Knight base class was built specifically as a tank, with abilities that helped them keep enemies off of their friends. The fourth edition codified this tradition the most directly, by categorizing classes as belonging to one of four basic roles: Defender (tank), leader (healer, though with an emphasis on ally buffs sometimes), striker, and controller. The striker and the controller shared the damage dealing role somewhat. Striker classes usually specialized in high damage output to single targets, or sometimes small groups. Controllers were built more for dealing smaller amounts of damage to larger groups, in addition to using status and lingering area effects frequently.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Media]]
* Examined by Brian Green in [[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4219/rethinking_the_trinity_of_mmo_.php this]] Gamasutra article.
* ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}'': the party consists of Yeagar (tank), Artax (damage) and Piffany (healer).
* Discused in ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' strip [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/06/29 "The Guildfather"]], mafia-style. A healer wants to try a new MMO, and the guildleader guilt trips them on how their tanks and DPS are doomed without him.
[[/folder]]
----
In {{Character Class System}}s, there are [[AnAdventurerIsYou many different roles]], from petmasters to nukers to jacks of all trades. However, even occasionally outside class systems, three all come together to form what is dubbed in [=MMOs=] "the holy trinity":
* '''Tank:''' The tank, in essence, focuses on soaking up damage, preventing the other party members from being hurt. To that end, they generally have high health, high defence, some way of drawing the enemy's focus to them (e.g. taunting), and sometimes just being able to outright dodge the opponents.
* '''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.
* '''Damager:''' Otherwise known as DPS[[note]]Damage Per Second[[/note]], the damager focuses on, you guessed it, directly damaging and killing the foe. They may be quick and able to slide in many attacks as fast as possible, or simply just hit really high.
The grouping allows each player to have a clear role and helps emphasise team-based combat. Typically, if there are any duplicated roles it will be the damage-dealer.
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. 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.
Sometimes, the different roles will also have bonus abilities tied in with them; the tank could be good at crowd control, the healer might be able to debuff enemies (thus becoming more of a general support role) or [[ReviveKillsZombie have special powers fighting the undead]]... The roles may also be toyed with, or merged slightly with hybrid classes -- e.g. a tank with some support abilities (often a [[ThePaladin Paladin]]).
All roles are commonly found outside the dynamic in other party-based games. Has become a generally accepted standard in {{MMORPG}}s, to the point where some are deliberately defying it.
See also AnAdventurerIsYou, an overview of different classes not necessarily part of this dynamic and a SuperTrope. WhiteMage[=/=]TheMedic and StoneWall are general character and gameplay archetypes, and may or may not be part of the dynamic. Compare FighterMageThief, another common trio configuration.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: [=MMOs=]]]
* One of the first to start using the trinity was ''VideoGame/EverQuest'', though it also had crowd control classes. However the third in the series, ''VideoGame/{{EverQuest Next}}'', [[http://www.vg247.com/2013/08/08/everquest-next-will-eschew-the-traditional-holy-trinity-of-mmos/ plans on dropping it]].
* When designing ''VideoGame/EverQuestII'', the developers realized how much of a problem the Holy Trinity was in the original game. Of more than a dozen classes, 3 of them became absolutely essential for ''EVERYTHING'', leaving all the rest to be almost unnecessary. Clerics were the only ones who could Complete Heal or resurrect fallen players. Warriors had the most HP and taunting ability by far (and Ogres in particular couldn't be physically stunned from the front, making them the best Warriors), and Enchanters were the only ones who could perform crowd control and mana regeneration to any effective degree. Everyone else, rogues, monks, wizards, bards, paladins, druids, etc, were all just extra utility and DPS. To work around this off balance, four archetypes of classes were created to ensure that all classes had a defined role that could generally equally be carried out.
** 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.
** Healers (Templars, Inquisitors, Wardens, Furies, Mystics, and Defilers) could all effectively heal, buff, and resurrect.
** Mages (Wizards, Warlocks, Necromancers, Conjurers, Illusionists, Coercers) were designed for crowd control, buffs, debuffs, and magic DPS.
** Scouts (Troubadors, Dirges, Swashbucklers, Brigands, Rangers, Assassins) were pure DPS classes, but also provided offensive buffs.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' is in part likely responsible for the prominence of the dynamic in [=MMOs=], given its trend-setter status and popularity. Healer, tank, and damage dealer are the primary roles, though each role has its own sub-roles, and some groups bring other "support" roles along in addition to the primary ones.
* Advanced classes in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' (unlocked at level 10 for each starter class) are divided into these categories, with each advanced one geared towards filling one particular role. Parties are limited at four, allowing for someone of each role, plus an extra. The Group Finder explicitly is divided into these, and groups may search for specific roles and, if they find a match, automatically transfer to their location.
* ''VideoGame/WildStar'' also features the trinity, though each class has two different roles it can easily fufill (either tank/healing or damage-dealing). For the most part each class plays their roles differently from each other; for example, an Engineer tank is a ranged pet class.
** Discussed in [[http://www.wildstar-online.com/en/news/uplink_analysis_the_holy_trinity.php/ this blog post]], featuring comments by players about whether it's outdated and if it works.
* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline''[='s=] class structure was originally somewhat organized around this, with tactical captains and escort and raider-class starships being the damage-dealers, engineers and cruisers being the tanks, and science officers and science vessels being the healers and crowd controllers. However the lines are actually extremely blurry:
** There's no class restrictions on what ships you can fly and all the classes have a mix of offensive and defensive powers that you can pick and choose at will. Offensive engineers are actually considered the deadliest ground class by far.
** Fanbase consensus is that there's no actual need for dedicated tanks and healers outside of premade PVP teams because the PVE content doesn't have enemies that are tough enough or smart enough to require it. If your ship isn't built for offense you're just slowing everyone down, which renders engi-heavy ships like the ''Galaxy''-class family [[TierInducedScrappy Tier-Induced Scrappies]].
* ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'' follows this trope as well, despite not having the typical classes.
** Each weapon has two roles it can fill and you can equip two weapons. All do damage for the primary role. Blades, chaos magic, and hammers make up the tanking weapons, while assault rifles, blood magic, and fists make up the healing. The secondary role for elemental magic, pistols, and shotguns is support, most importantly damage buffs, however pistols and shotguns lean towards supporting healing and tanking respectively. Ultimately, standard dungeon groups consist of a tank, healer, and three DPS--the DPS choosing at least one weapon with support buffs are optimal to maximize damage, but few people run a dedicated support "buffbot".
** "Healtanks" combine chaos and blood magic so that a single player tanks the instance and keeps himself alive, to replace a dedicated healer with a 4th DPS.
** 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.
** Auxiliary weapons lean toward the holy trinity as well, via their passive skill. Out of five weapons currently in the game, three are specialized for damage, one for healing, and the last is tank-flavored support. Four more weapons are scheduled to be implemented in the future.
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline'' doesn't ''require'' using this composition, though not using it means trying some workarounds. Bethesda says [[http://www.gamezone.com/news/2013/09/08/the-elder-scrolls-online-doesn-t-require-the-holy-trinity-but-it-will-probably-help the most successful groups tend to be running it]]. How tanking works is being played with a bit, it seems.
-->''"In order to tank all you need to do is be able to defend. So basically the way tanking works is you encourage a guy to attack you either by using a one-handed sword and shield or a fighter skill taunting ability. You'll be fighting eight guys at a time in a dungeon, [the tank] can probably take three, so everyone else is going to have to deal with what you're not tanking."''
* Deliberately averted in ''VideoGame/GuildWars2''. It actually [[http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/03/29/how-team-fortresss-influenced-guild-wars-2s-class-system/ drew inspiration]] from the team shooter ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. Combat tries to force fast-paced changing circumstances -- meaning standing around trying to tank is a good way to get yourself killed.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Video Games]]
* ''[[VideoGame/WarCraft Warcraft III]]'' has most of its heroes follow this archetype, with some variation:
** The Alliance had tank and healer combined with the Paladin, the Mountain King / Archmage / Blood Mage as damage (the Mountain King makes a slightly less effective tank).
** The Horde has Tauren Chieftain as the tank, Shadow Hunter as healer, and Far Seer / Blademaster as damager.
** The Undead have the Crypt Lord as the tank, Death Knight as healer, and Lich / Dreadlord as damage.
** The Night Elves have the Demon Hunter and Warden as tanks (comparatively speaking, they're both fragile, but the Demon Hunter can evade some attacks and the Warden can teleport), Keeper of the Grove as healer and Priestess of the Moon as damage.
** Neutral heroes have the Pandaren Brewmaster, Beastmaster and Pit Lord as tanks, Alchemist as healer, and Dark Ranger / Sea Witch as damage.
* ''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.
** Until you meet Mia (healer), the party consists of Isaac (healer), Garett (tank) and Ivan (damage against wind-weak enemies).
** Similarly, The Lost Age starts with Felix (tank), Sheba (damage against wind-weak enemies) and Jenna (healer).
** ''[[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn Dark Dawn]]'' has Matthew (damage), Tyrell (tank), and Karis (healer).
* In the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series, the Warrior class is mainly about tanking, Rogues are pure damagers, and Mages are the only ones with healing powers. That said, both warriors and mages can be built as damagers instead, and ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' even includes a secret tank build for mages. But the "holy trinity" becomes very prominent again in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', which took many cues from [=MMORPGs=] in regards to its combat.
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'s'' party takes this configuration once the CombatMedic Sharla joins Shulk, a GlassCannon damager, and Reyn, an aggro-drawing tank. The configuration can be changed and mixed up after others join the team, but it remains a good strategy to have a team with someone focused on drawing attention while the others do damage and heal up any bruises that show up.
* Traditionally, ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' gives Knight characters (or a given entry's equivalent) the "Cover" ability, allowing them to take hits for squishy and/or heavily-damaged party members and functioning as Tanks. [[TheMedic White Mages]] are the healers and buffers, and [[GlassCannon Monks]] and [[SquishyWizard Black Mages]] typically deal the most damage at the cost of requiring protection.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Since the magic and summoning materia that allow for much of the most powerful damage-dealing also [[GlassCannon decrease hit points]], divvying up roles in this way makes a lot of sense. A character with naturally high hit points such as Barrett or Cait Sith can be given the Cover (allowing them to randomly take hits for other party members 20-80% of the time) and HP Plus (boosting their defense even higher) materia, with the magic materia loaded onto a dedicated caster like Aeris or Red XIII. Since a single Restore materia doesn't lower HP so much as to cripple the wielder's defense, healing duties can safely be spread around the party, although a caster with their Magic stat boosted by many other magic materia will still be better at it.
** A solid strategy for most of the playthrough of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', where micromanaging is everything. Also recommended in the official guide for that game.
*** Tank: Vaan or Balthier, armour to boost defence and evasion, buffs to boost defences, max HP and to draw enemy fire.
*** Damage dealer: Basch, weaponry to maximise damage output or to be ranged (to keep them out of danger), buffs to boost speed, attack power and to give them berserk status (for both attack and speed).
*** Healer: Penelo or Ashe, weaponry to be ranged (to keep them out of danger) or to boost magic stat, usually too busy healing to be buffed.
*** Note: Fran has such horrible stats she doesn't really fit into any of the roles and is largely worthless. Typically, the game's magic lag and costliness of magic generally prevent magic from being used effectively as a damage-dealing tactic, though certain circumstances (crowd control of enemies with exploitable elemental weaknesses) may encourage this.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' gives you roles in battle that can be changed via Paradigm Shifts. Four roles fit under this:
*** Sentinel: A role that does nothing but guarding (with the exception of countering and evading attacks).
*** Medic: Heals allies.
*** Commando: Deals high physical damage to the enemy.
*** Ravager: Works along the opposite side of the BreakMeter to the Commando to increase inflicted damage.
* Also a solid strategy in at least one ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' game. Park a unit with high defence against what's coming at you in a bottleneck (General for physical attacks, Pegasus for magical attacks), have a powerful ranged character behind (Any mage or character with a bow) and any mage with ranged healing in the nearby area.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', many character classes or options for them have been made to fit these roles in varying degrees over the game's many iterations. In third edition, for instance, the Knight base class was built specifically as a tank, with abilities that helped them keep enemies off of their friends. The fourth edition codified this tradition the most directly, by categorizing classes as belonging to one of four basic roles: Defender (tank), leader (healer, though with an emphasis on ally buffs sometimes), striker, and controller. The striker and the controller shared the damage dealing role somewhat. Striker classes usually specialized in high damage output to single targets, or sometimes small groups. Controllers were built more for dealing smaller amounts of damage to larger groups, in addition to using status and lingering area effects frequently.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Media]]
* Examined by Brian Green in [[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4219/rethinking_the_trinity_of_mmo_.php this]] Gamasutra article.
* ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}'': the party consists of Yeagar (tank), Artax (damage) and Piffany (healer).
* Discused in ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' strip [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/06/29 "The Guildfather"]], mafia-style. A healer wants to try a new MMO, and the guildleader guilt trips them on how their tanks and DPS are doomed without him.
[[/folder]]
----
