Basic Information
The combat role of the Dedicated Bodyguard is a specialized version of The Tank. A Tank is there to man the front lines and generally soak up damage by being a target the enemy can't really afford to ignore. The Dedicated Bodyguard, by contrast, picks one or two more vulnerable party members and specifically aims to shelter those characters. They keep the Glass Cannon from getting shattered.
Not all game systems support the Dedicated Bodyguard concept. Games that abstract combat out tend to make it much harder to bodyguard well than games with choke points on a tactical grid. Some games include specific class abilities and powers that let you directly penalize (or redirect) enemy attacks, take damage onto yourself to protect allies, or restrict enemy movement, so it's easier to bodyguard in those systems than in rules sets that lack such options.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- The Dedicated Bodyguard overlaps with The Tank and its variants (the Magic Tank can usually do it well), but may also shade into Character Buffer, Terrain Denial or The Healer depending on system and abilities.