Tank

A Tank is an RPG term used to refer to a character within a party who is built to take damage and intended to be the target of attacks, thus protecting other members of the party. This term is most often used in an MMO setting, although is it also used in certain single player RPGs where the single player controls a party.

It's generally used with other generic roles, such as a ranged player with DPS, some sort of caster and a healer.

These terms can equally apply to monster groups as well as player groups.

Other Uses

• A tank is also an armored and tracked vehicle used in heavy combat usually with a main cannon on a swivel, and often secondary cannons or machine guns elsewhere. This is where the term Tank (as an RPG term) comes from because the armored military tank can take a lot of abuse and protect infantry taking refuge behind it.