Taunt (Status Effect)
Overview
Taunt is a game mechanic that is used to hold or draw aggro onto you. Most often used by Tankers, Brutes, and Scrappers, it is available to any Archetype.
Taunt Function
Taunt works by multiplying the Threat generated by attacks, with the multiplier dependent on the AT in question, the duration of the Taunt, and the character's proximity to the enemy. In 2007, Castle created a thread (since lost to forum purge) revealing this fact, as opposed to the commonly accepted explanation (and description in the game documentation) that Taunt simply overrode all Threat.
The Taunt power (and Confront, Calling of the Wolf, Warrior's Challenge, Challenge, and Provoke) counts as an attack, so that hate may be gained with just the damage-less Taunt. Attacks made after the Taunt is applied have their Threat multiplied by 1,000 * Duration (where Duration is the duration of the Taunt effect).
AT modifiers, damage dealt, and proximity to the enemy affect the amount of Threat generated. While a Tanker or Brute should normally be able to build Threat much faster than any other Archetype (especially with the help of the Taunt in all of their attacks), Castle's post was prompted by Issue 11 testing with a Tanker using Taunt that was unable to pull enemies away from a Willpower Scrapper using Rise to the Challenge. The combination of the Scrapper's enemy proximity, pulsing Taunt, and constant damage far outdid the ranged Taunt by the Tanker. After further testing, Ghost Widow followed the code logic to discover that the game's internal documentation on the subject (supporting the "Taunt overrides Threat" argument) was incorrect.
Powers With Taunt
Every archetype can choose Challenge, a single-target taunt power with a hit check, and/or Provoke, a multi-target taunt power with a hit check, from the Presence pool power. All forms of taunt have a to-hit check in PvP, whereas Tanker, Brute, and Scrapper taunts are auto-hit in PvE.
All Tanker attack sets include an auto-hit, multi-target taunt power. Most Tanker defense sets include a toggle that includes a taunt effect. Additionally, all Tanker attacks benefit from Gauntlet, which is a multi-target auto-hit taunt.
All Brute attack sets include an auto-hit, multi-target taunt power. Most Brute defense sets include a toggle that includes a taunt effect. Additionally, all Brute attacks include a single-target auto-hit taunt.
All Scrapper attack sets include a single-target taunt power which is auto-hit. Some Scrapper defense sets include a toggle that includes a taunt effect.
Warshades and Peacebringers have access to a multi-target taunt power with a to-hit check in their Dwarf forms.