Armour Class: How to beef it up or gain alternative versions (lvl's 5-7) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Armour Class: How to beef it up or gain alternative versions (lvl's 5-7) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Judging Eagle
09-29-06, 05:43 PM I've got an Archivst in an Eberron campaign and I'm starting to really notice his whole "eggshell with big hammer" dynamic compared to other characters. He really can't take hits to save himself (even with 16 con; and normalized HP, the d6 HD doesn't help since I keep putting this guy right into the thick of the fighting).

His AC in the party is the highest so far with the following gear to beef up his AC:
- mithral chain shirt +2 (to keep moving fast and no penalties on skill checks; getting 60' of motion with Exp. Ret boots is pretty nice) (+6 ac)
-Dark Wood Heavy sheild +2 (+4 ac)
-Dex 16 (+3 ac)
-Nat armour ammy +2 (+2 ac)
-Ring of protection +1 (+1)

Netting: 10 + 6 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 26 AC

Now, that's not bad versus most targets, unless we're fighting things with really high to-hit.

For instance in this current adventure; we faced a hill giant, that taught me to start using a Spiked longspear instead of Spiked club and later we faced a huge cloud giant skeleton (that gargantuan monring star did a number on several party members; 4d6+12 damage can really hurt).

Now, I was wondering; what I can do to increase staright combat survivability.

I guess that anything that would work for a rogue would work for my character (since we pretty much have the same armour proficiencies; except I can wear medium armour).

Some options:

Get a mithral full plate....gonna be costly (1500 + 9000) and would wipe out all of the cash we're each going to earn at the end of this encounter (somewhere along the lines of 13,000 gp when we sell all of hte loot and get our payment).

I can craft wonderous items, so it's not too costly to get new gear (and since I'm saving 25% of the base cost and XP via Legentargy & Extraordianry Artisan, I'm making money crafting for other party members and only chaging them 1/2 of an items cost). The party cleric PC has craft arms and armour which helps for getting gear cheaper.

I'm thinking of crafting the 'throwing & returning' gloves out of the FR setting (costs 10k and grants the Throwing and Returning properties to any weapon held... so I might use a Spiked Club at 'range' to avoid AoOs and let other party members go in front; this would cost me... 3750 gp and 300 xp; instead of 5k and 400 xp).
:hides:

I might try to, instead of getting more and more AC, go for gear that instead introduces miss chances. For example: casting Deeper Darkness on an object and having a eyeband of Ebon Eyes (allows you to see in magical darkness); so enemies would have a 20% miss chance and I'd see them fine.

I could alternatively craft a Blacklight item Blacklight (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/spells/blacklight.htm)
for 27,000 (10150 gp 810 xp to make).

Then have party members wear Ebon Eyebands (3000 base; 1125 gp 90 xp for me to make; I'd have to make 8 or 9; meaning 1/10th of each of our parties reward from this last adventure and 720 xp)

The best way of justifying other party members helping me create a Blacklight item (and their buying Ebon Eyes) would be the following:

Everyone inside the Blacklight (who is also wearing an Ebon Eyeband) gets Total Concealment. Meaning attacks against us will be useless half of the time (when they can even 'hear' us; a 'Mute' button type item via Silence would be very handy) and almost anyone we attack will be flatfooted against us (great news for the group's Ninja and Rogue).

Of course, having items that can cast Darkness (wands probably; nm, a spell trigger item with cost x2 would cost: base cost of 9000, creation cost for me would be 3375 gp 270 xp) ahead of us would allow us to flood an area in darkness so that the radius of even 'darker' darkness that we are hiding in would be nearly impossible to notice.

Well... that's the best I idea I have so far.

1. Have all party members pack Ebon eybands (cost them 1125 each; and me 730 xp to make 8 of them)

2. Carry a Black light item (with it's 20' radius we should be fine in being able to all stick together; and with Expeditious retreat boots at 1500 gp 120 xp each we should be able to outrun anything we face or are chasing; ... making 1/Day th lvl versions of Smoke Bottle might be a good idea as well; those would cost 3k per party member; but we're gonna find an airship.. so maybe we won't need those)

3. Cast darkness ahead of us on walls, flagstones in the floor, enemy gear or gear/items near an enemy.

4. Since an area is flooded in darkness, very few people will notice the area that's all blackness and will either run or get clobbered by us.

5. Since we're in total darkness that negates darkvision and regular vision, we get 50% concealment.

So... a rather expensive way to render the party invisible to most viewers; and tremorsense, blindsense, blindsight etc. will still be able to spot us.

Carrying a silence item as well may be a good idea (and have everyone burn 1 or 2 skill points on a sign language might be a good idea) as a means to slag blighdsighted creatures. Tremorsense could be acheived via boots of levitation, but we are packing exp. retrear boots. So that's a no-go.
Taeldrin Laesrash
09-29-06, 07:02 PM A Cloak Of Minor Displacement comes to mind, offering a constant 20% miss chance for about 24,000 gp.
Meltear
09-29-06, 08:26 PM Rather than a sign language what about some kind of telepathic speech. Don't have a book right now, but I'm sure there's something like that in the DMG. Even if your ring slots are full, just make it slotless if your DM lets you do custom items. Same with the boots of levitation.
Judging Eagle
09-29-06, 09:57 PM A Cloak Of Minor Displacement comes to mind, offering a constant 20% miss chance for about 24,000 gp.

Yeah, 20% is nice, but darkness + Ebon eyes gives the same thing; for much less. I could craft two sets of Blacklight gear for the cost of buying one displacement cloak. :(

Using it [the displacment cloak) in addition to darkness was an idea I was thinking of at first; but it's so bloody expensive.

Plus, with the method I'm going for, all of the party will get one, if not more benefits. All of us will have 50% concealment from most creatures; and a few will be able to sneak attack every round they're within range wit their weapons.

The down side is that we'll have to drop/lower the darkness/blacklight if we want the Social Engineer to 'fireball' enemies away with his intimitade checks. I still don't think I'll ever see a 6th level character drop the equivalent of 3 maximized fireballs in one round; so being able to affect enemies with fear effects at will (intimidate checks of 27; always, thanks to the fact that he's a changeling, means that he can intimidate anything with Hit Dice + Wis mod = 17; yeah scary)*.

*[edit: Bah, the guy read the skill entry wrong; he has to actually threaten enemies in melee... although ugh, whatever, logically the PC was going to 'threaten' the enemies in combat and he did have the rest of the party there and we were just gonna knock them out and tie them up if we were able to, not kill them]

Plus, I can't make a robe of displacement. I don't and can't learn the spell. :weep:

Meltear:

Yes, but what do you think I can convince the party to spend?

2.5k gp + 1-2 skill points so that we all can get total concealment, or a whole lot more gp so that we can all be mind-linked?

When we're higher level we'll prolly pick up inter-squad comm' gear, but for now, hand signals are best.
dominus_casuum
09-29-06, 10:50 PM Hey JudgingEagle, something tells me they thought you said "artificer" instead of "archivist". That would explain the discrepancy.
jstorrie
09-29-06, 11:56 PM Alter Self is generally much more economical than a natural armor amulet. Just AS into troglodyte form while out adventuring, and turn back when you need to chat with folks.
Judging Eagle
09-30-06, 08:46 PM Alter Self is generally much more economical than a natural armor amulet. Just AS into troglodyte form while out adventuring, and turn back when you need to chat with folks.

Perfect! I'll have to spend 24k to buy one.

Unless I can find a divine bard and buy a scroll to learn it (150 gp); then craft it for 9k gp... O_o.

Expensive; but selling my +2 nat armour ammy should give me back ... 8k? Damn (the changeling rogue with his through the roof diplomacy checks should help me get back my ac)

Since the wearer get a +6 racial to ac; and a +4 racial to hide checks (+8 in rocky areas); the changeling ninja in the group will love this too.
Judging Eagle
10-02-06, 01:23 AM Well, we finished the adventure off; I got 8,912 xp to add to my characer. Putting me at 28k xp (so, level 8, after the next session).

However, I'm going to burn a great deal of XP in crafting items:

-Black Light Item (820 xp)
-7 Ebon Eyebands (730 for 8)
-Alter Self ammy (720 each...I know me and the ninja will want one; so 1,440 xp)

-'Darkness Casters' (540; 2x 270)

-Throwing & Returning Gloves (300 xp) [throwing a Holy Sworded, Spike'd club up to 50 feet away will be able to be targeted :plotting: ]

-getting some casting items of 'Close Wounds' will really be nice too. those are will be cheap (we could buy wand straight cash if we wanted to)

So, 3,830 xp. Nearly half what I earned. Heh, good thing I'm really ahead of the party xp curve for now.
PhaedrusXY
10-02-06, 03:31 AM Barkskin stacks with the natural armor bonus from Alter Self. If you can get Mirror Image, that is a fantastic way to keep from being hit. I don't know of any divine list that it is on, however. Maybe the Illusion domain?
fnord
10-02-06, 03:53 AM If you want to get cheesy, you could do the Stupid Archivist Scroll Trick of scribing a scroll (yourself, so it's divine) of a wizard spell contributed by a wizard. That would get Alter Self, Mirror Image, Displacement, and anything else you want easily. But it is cheesy.
Judging Eagle
10-02-06, 10:22 AM If you want to get cheesy, you could do the Stupid Archivist Scroll Trick of scribing a scroll (yourself, so it's divine) of a wizard spell contributed by a wizard. That would get Alter Self, Mirror Image, Displacement, and anything else you want easily. But it is cheesy.

Wha-wha-what?

Does that actually work?

I've been constantly having to run around in Sharn to buy scrolls of adept, druid, paladin, ranger, not to mention additional cleric spells.

Usually, that entails dragging along the diplomancer to use his insane gather info checks (well, not so insane, just super-duper fast; 1d4x10 minutes instead of 1d4 hours) and diplomacy skill to get them to sel to a fellow nature respecting, undead hating spell caster.

Seriously, if it wasn't for my ****** d6 HD and 1/2 BAB, my character could make a better paladin than a pally himself; using their (and other) spelllist to power-up for combat really helps in giving the parties oppoents a threat they might not always know how to deal with.

No mount though, I might burn a feat on leadership for a mount of some kind, mebe a wyvern :D, that would be interesting).
Judging Eagle
10-12-06, 04:21 PM Found a better Humaniod Race to change into for +8 racial natural armour:

Crucians (out of the Mini HB; 3 HD so a 3HD version of Alter Self would allow you to change into one).

Plus, I won't look like a stinky-poo Trog. I'll have a giant... shell on my back. I'll call myself the "Young-adult Altered Librarian Crab-Lizard".

The ninja can be the "Teenaged Altered Ninja Crab" though.

So... AC....

Base 10
+ 3 dex
+ 5 (+1 mith chain shirt)
+ 3 (+1 darkwood hvy sheild)
+ 2 (x2 Magic Vestments once on the armour and once on the sheild; lasts 7 hours)
+ 8 (racial armour)
+ 2 (Shield of Faith in an item... +3 if I cast it; 7 min duration)

+ 2 (Barkskin in an item; +3 if actually cast; 70 min duration)

So... 35 AC; maxing at 37 AC if buffed. 41 AC if Bite of the Wereboar is used; 39 if bite of the werewold is used instead.

That should keep most things from hitting; Deeper Darkness and adding Mirror Image to my vest or cloak will help.

Edit: The Illusion Domain gets Displacement as a 3rd lvl spell. That's gonna kick ass. Lots and lots of it. 35 Ac +50% miss chance +20% miss chance. :D Hopefully not much will hit me now (and if it does, it'll be a Touch AC spell).

Also, the Illusion Domain gets Phantasmal Killer; oh yeah baby.

I can't Holy Sword a weapon I'm going to throw..., I can cast Spikes on it though.

Hmm, I might go and get the Brutal Throw Feat and combo it with a spiked club and Bite of the Were.... (boar/wolf/bear/tiger/etc.); Divine Power; girallon's blessing+fuse arms (total str: +6 Dive power, +4 gir's arms + fuse arms, +4 str +6 con +8 enhancement to nat armour with Bite fo the Wereboar (lvl 4; the werewolf and wererat give less; although rat is nice for the +6 dex +3 nat amrour and +2 con; wolf gives +2 str and +4 dex/con/nat ac).

A vest of the werewolf (ie. Bite of the Werewolf 2/day) would cost 4218 gp and 450 xp to craft.

Screw it; I'm gonna stick with a glove of Taarnhm the Vigilant (adds Throwing and Returning to any weapon I have; combined iwth Branch to Branch) [4875 gp; 520 xp]; a +1 Spiked Javelin (maybe something else to take advantage of the throwing property of the glove) [1000 gp, 80 xp] (spikes from a set of bracers of spikes 2/day [843 gp 67 xp]; get the alter self (crucian) amulet [3375 gp; 360 xp]; bite of the wererat vest (2/day) [1687, 80 xp]. Some of those are spell trigger items so they're costd a bit cheaper (the spikes bracers, alter self ammy and wererat vest).

I'll have +6 to dex, +2 con, +8 racial natural armour, +3 enchancement to nat armour; a +1 distance returning javelin that deal bldgeouning/piercing damage (1d6 + 1 (enhancement) + 10 (spikes) + 3 (str): total 1d6 + 14) with +9 to hit (+3 Bab, +3 base dex, +3 wererat dex) and a 60' range increment with up to... a range of 300'.

Damage, Bab (attacks) all go up with a divine power (1d6 + 14 => 1d6 + 17) and attacks of +13/+8.

Going to cost me 11,780, which is a good chunck of the loot I got as my share from this last mission.

Hopefully hanging 60' away from combat and hitting with a spiked javelin and having a ton of AC will drastically improve my character's survivability.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Judging Eagle 09-29-06, 05:43 PM	I've got an Archivst in an Eberron campaign and I'm starting to really notice his whole "eggshell with big hammer" dynamic compared to other characters. He really can't take hits to save himself (even with 16 con; and normalized HP, the d6 HD doesn't help since I keep putting this guy right into the thick of the fighting). His AC in the party is the highest so far with the following gear to beef up his AC: - mithral chain shirt +2 (to keep moving fast and no penalties on skill checks; getting 60' of motion with Exp. Ret boots is pretty nice) (+6 ac) -Dark Wood Heavy sheild +2 (+4 ac) -Dex 16 (+3 ac) -Nat armour ammy +2 (+2 ac) -Ring of protection +1 (+1) Netting: 10 + 6 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 26 AC Now, that's not bad versus most targets, unless we're fighting things with really high to-hit. For instance in this current adventure; we faced a hill giant, that taught me to start using a Spiked longspear instead of Spiked club and later we faced a huge cloud giant skeleton (that gargantuan monring star did a number on several party members; 4d6+12 damage can really hurt). Now, I was wondering; what I can do to increase staright combat survivability. I guess that anything that would work for a rogue would work for my character (since we pretty much have the same armour proficiencies; except I can wear medium armour). Some options: Get a mithral full plate....gonna be costly (1500 + 9000) and would wipe out all of the cash we're each going to earn at the end of this encounter (somewhere along the lines of 13,000 gp when we sell all of hte loot and get our payment). I can craft wonderous items, so it's not too costly to get new gear (and since I'm saving 25% of the base cost and XP via Legentargy & Extraordianry Artisan, I'm making money crafting for other party members and only chaging them 1/2 of an items cost). The party cleric PC has craft arms and armour which helps for getting gear cheaper. I'm thinking of crafting the 'throwing & returning' gloves out of the FR setting (costs 10k and grants the Throwing and Returning properties to any weapon held... so I might use a Spiked Club at 'range' to avoid AoOs and let other party members go in front; this would cost me... 3750 gp and 300 xp; instead of 5k and 400 xp). :hides: I might try to, instead of getting more and more AC, go for gear that instead introduces miss chances. For example: casting Deeper Darkness on an object and having a eyeband of Ebon Eyes (allows you to see in magical darkness); so enemies would have a 20% miss chance and I'd see them fine. I could alternatively craft a Blacklight item Blacklight (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/spells/blacklight.htm) for 27,000 (10150 gp 810 xp to make). Then have party members wear Ebon Eyebands (3000 base; 1125 gp 90 xp for me to make; I'd have to make 8 or 9; meaning 1/10th of each of our parties reward from this last adventure and 720 xp) The best way of justifying other party members helping me create a Blacklight item (and their buying Ebon Eyes) would be the following: Everyone inside the Blacklight (who is also wearing an Ebon Eyeband) gets Total Concealment. Meaning attacks against us will be useless half of the time (when they can even 'hear' us; a 'Mute' button type item via Silence would be very handy) and almost anyone we attack will be flatfooted against us (great news for the group's Ninja and Rogue). Of course, having items that can cast Darkness (wands probably; nm, a spell trigger item with cost x2 would cost: base cost of 9000, creation cost for me would be 3375 gp 270 xp) ahead of us would allow us to flood an area in darkness so that the radius of even 'darker' darkness that we are hiding in would be nearly impossible to notice. Well... that's the best I idea I have so far. 1. Have all party members pack Ebon eybands (cost them 1125 each; and me 730 xp to make 8 of them) 2. Carry a Black light item (with it's 20' radius we should be fine in being able to all stick together; and with Expeditious retreat boots at 1500 gp 120 xp each we should be able to outrun anything we face or are chasing; ... making 1/Day th lvl versions of Smoke Bottle might be a good idea as well; those would cost 3k per party member; but we're gonna find an airship.. so maybe we won't need those) 3. Cast darkness ahead of us on walls, flagstones in the floor, enemy gear or gear/items near an enemy. 4. Since an area is flooded in darkness, very few people will notice the area that's all blackness and will either run or get clobbered by us. 5. Since we're in total darkness that negates darkvision and regular vision, we get 50% concealment. So... a rather expensive way to render the party invisible to most viewers; and tremorsense, blindsense, blindsight etc. will still be able to spot us. Carrying a silence item as well may be a good idea (and have everyone burn 1 or 2 skill points on a sign language might be a good idea) as a means to slag blighdsighted creatures. Tremorsense could be acheived via boots of levitation, but we are packing exp. retrear boots. So that's a no-go.
Taeldrin Laesrash 09-29-06, 07:02 PM	A Cloak Of Minor Displacement comes to mind, offering a constant 20% miss chance for about 24,000 gp.
Meltear 09-29-06, 08:26 PM	Rather than a sign language what about some kind of telepathic speech. Don't have a book right now, but I'm sure there's something like that in the DMG. Even if your ring slots are full, just make it slotless if your DM lets you do custom items. Same with the boots of levitation.
Judging Eagle 09-29-06, 09:57 PM	A Cloak Of Minor Displacement comes to mind, offering a constant 20% miss chance for about 24,000 gp. Yeah, 20% is nice, but darkness + Ebon eyes gives the same thing; for much less. I could craft two sets of Blacklight gear for the cost of buying one displacement cloak. :( Using it [the displacment cloak) in addition to darkness was an idea I was thinking of at first; but it's so bloody expensive. Plus, with the method I'm going for, all of the party will get one, if not more benefits. All of us will have 50% concealment from most creatures; and a few will be able to sneak attack every round they're within range wit their weapons. The down side is that we'll have to drop/lower the darkness/blacklight if we want the Social Engineer to 'fireball' enemies away with his intimitade checks. I still don't think I'll ever see a 6th level character drop the equivalent of 3 maximized fireballs in one round; so being able to affect enemies with fear effects at will (intimidate checks of 27; always, thanks to the fact that he's a changeling, means that he can intimidate anything with Hit Dice + Wis mod = 17; yeah scary). [edit: Bah, the guy read the skill entry wrong; he has to actually threaten enemies in melee... although ugh, whatever, logically the PC was going to 'threaten' the enemies in combat and he did have the rest of the party there and we were just gonna knock them out and tie them up if we were able to, not kill them] Plus, I can't make a robe of displacement. I don't and can't learn the spell. :weep: Meltear: Yes, but what do you think I can convince the party to spend? 2.5k gp + 1-2 skill points so that we all can get total concealment, or a whole lot more gp so that we can all be mind-linked? When we're higher level we'll prolly pick up inter-squad comm' gear, but for now, hand signals are best.
dominus_casuum 09-29-06, 10:50 PM	Hey JudgingEagle, something tells me they thought you said "artificer" instead of "archivist". That would explain the discrepancy.
jstorrie 09-29-06, 11:56 PM	Alter Self is generally much more economical than a natural armor amulet. Just AS into troglodyte form while out adventuring, and turn back when you need to chat with folks.
Judging Eagle 09-30-06, 08:46 PM	Alter Self is generally much more economical than a natural armor amulet. Just AS into troglodyte form while out adventuring, and turn back when you need to chat with folks. Perfect! I'll have to spend 24k to buy one. Unless I can find a divine bard and buy a scroll to learn it (150 gp); then craft it for 9k gp... O_o. Expensive; but selling my +2 nat armour ammy should give me back ... 8k? Damn (the changeling rogue with his through the roof diplomacy checks should help me get back my ac) Since the wearer get a +6 racial to ac; and a +4 racial to hide checks (+8 in rocky areas); the changeling ninja in the group will love this too.
Judging Eagle 10-02-06, 01:23 AM	Well, we finished the adventure off; I got 8,912 xp to add to my characer. Putting me at 28k xp (so, level 8, after the next session). However, I'm going to burn a great deal of XP in crafting items: -Black Light Item (820 xp) -7 Ebon Eyebands (730 for 8) -Alter Self ammy (720 each...I know me and the ninja will want one; so 1,440 xp) -'Darkness Casters' (540; 2x 270) -Throwing & Returning Gloves (300 xp) [throwing a Holy Sworded, Spike'd club up to 50 feet away will be able to be targeted :plotting: ] -getting some casting items of 'Close Wounds' will really be nice too. those are will be cheap (we could buy wand straight cash if we wanted to) So, 3,830 xp. Nearly half what I earned. Heh, good thing I'm really ahead of the party xp curve for now.
PhaedrusXY 10-02-06, 03:31 AM	Barkskin stacks with the natural armor bonus from Alter Self. If you can get Mirror Image, that is a fantastic way to keep from being hit. I don't know of any divine list that it is on, however. Maybe the Illusion domain?
fnord 10-02-06, 03:53 AM	If you want to get cheesy, you could do the Stupid Archivist Scroll Trick of scribing a scroll (yourself, so it's divine) of a wizard spell contributed by a wizard. That would get Alter Self, Mirror Image, Displacement, and anything else you want easily. But it is cheesy.
Judging Eagle 10-02-06, 10:22 AM	If you want to get cheesy, you could do the Stupid Archivist Scroll Trick of scribing a scroll (yourself, so it's divine) of a wizard spell contributed by a wizard. That would get Alter Self, Mirror Image, Displacement, and anything else you want easily. But it is cheesy. Wha-wha-what? Does that actually work? I've been constantly having to run around in Sharn to buy scrolls of adept, druid, paladin, ranger, not to mention additional cleric spells. Usually, that entails dragging along the diplomancer to use his insane gather info checks (well, not so insane, just super-duper fast; 1d4x10 minutes instead of 1d4 hours) and diplomacy skill to get them to sel to a fellow nature respecting, undead hating spell caster. Seriously, if it wasn't for my ****** d6 HD and 1/2 BAB, my character could make a better paladin than a pally himself; using their (and other) spelllist to power-up for combat really helps in giving the parties oppoents a threat they might not always know how to deal with. No mount though, I might burn a feat on leadership for a mount of some kind, mebe a wyvern :D, that would be interesting).
Judging Eagle 10-12-06, 04:21 PM	Found a better Humaniod Race to change into for +8 racial natural armour: Crucians (out of the Mini HB; 3 HD so a 3HD version of Alter Self would allow you to change into one). Plus, I won't look like a stinky-poo Trog. I'll have a giant... shell on my back. I'll call myself the "Young-adult Altered Librarian Crab-Lizard". The ninja can be the "Teenaged Altered Ninja Crab" though. So... AC.... Base 10 + 3 dex + 5 (+1 mith chain shirt) + 3 (+1 darkwood hvy sheild) + 2 (x2 Magic Vestments once on the armour and once on the sheild; lasts 7 hours) + 8 (racial armour) + 2 (Shield of Faith in an item... +3 if I cast it; 7 min duration) + 2 (Barkskin in an item; +3 if actually cast; 70 min duration) So... 35 AC; maxing at 37 AC if buffed. 41 AC if Bite of the Wereboar is used; 39 if bite of the werewold is used instead. That should keep most things from hitting; Deeper Darkness and adding Mirror Image to my vest or cloak will help. Edit: The Illusion Domain gets Displacement as a 3rd lvl spell. That's gonna kick ass. Lots and lots of it. 35 Ac +50% miss chance +20% miss chance. :D Hopefully not much will hit me now (and if it does, it'll be a Touch AC spell). Also, the Illusion Domain gets Phantasmal Killer; oh yeah baby. I can't Holy Sword a weapon I'm going to throw..., I can cast Spikes on it though. Hmm, I might go and get the Brutal Throw Feat and combo it with a spiked club and Bite of the Were.... (boar/wolf/bear/tiger/etc.); Divine Power; girallon's blessing+fuse arms (total str: +6 Dive power, +4 gir's arms + fuse arms, +4 str +6 con +8 enhancement to nat armour with Bite fo the Wereboar (lvl 4; the werewolf and wererat give less; although rat is nice for the +6 dex +3 nat amrour and +2 con; wolf gives +2 str and +4 dex/con/nat ac). A vest of the werewolf (ie. Bite of the Werewolf 2/day) would cost 4218 gp and 450 xp to craft. Screw it; I'm gonna stick with a glove of Taarnhm the Vigilant (adds Throwing and Returning to any weapon I have; combined iwth Branch to Branch) [4875 gp; 520 xp]; a +1 Spiked Javelin (maybe something else to take advantage of the throwing property of the glove) [1000 gp, 80 xp] (spikes from a set of bracers of spikes 2/day [843 gp 67 xp]; get the alter self (crucian) amulet [3375 gp; 360 xp]; bite of the wererat vest (2/day) [1687, 80 xp]. Some of those are spell trigger items so they're costd a bit cheaper (the spikes bracers, alter self ammy and wererat vest). I'll have +6 to dex, +2 con, +8 racial natural armour, +3 enchancement to nat armour; a +1 distance returning javelin that deal bldgeouning/piercing damage (1d6 + 1 (enhancement) + 10 (spikes) + 3 (str): total 1d6 + 14) with +9 to hit (+3 Bab, +3 base dex, +3 wererat dex) and a 60' range increment with up to... a range of 300'. Damage, Bab (attacks) all go up with a divine power (1d6 + 14 => 1d6 + 17) and attacks of +13/+8. Going to cost me 11,780, which is a good chunck of the loot I got as my share from this last mission. Hopefully hanging 60' away from combat and hitting with a spiked javelin and having a ton of AC will drastically improve my character's survivability.