Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Steel Cobra 12-26-04, 07:14 PM	Is there a way without spells to boost a PCs AC above 20. The monsters have high ACs like 27 the PCs are weak :surrender . If it helps I have a ranger 16 DEX and a Bard 15 DEX
masterofmayhem 12-26-04, 07:22 PM	Magical armor (mithral breastplate +5 is +10 AC), Dexterity boosts (gloves, spells, etc.), combat expertise, fighting defensively, dusky red (I think) Ioun stone, etc. . . . . There are tons of things out there. What, specifically, are you looking for? Could you give a more detailed description of what you are/what you have access to?
evangelion1010 12-26-04, 08:26 PM	A level in monk allows you to add Wisdom to AC. (not a good route really, but you asked...) As for armor, yes, mithril is probably the way to go. 184 of the DMG 3.5 for properties. It doesn't increase AC, but it allows you to wear heavier armor and still get your dex bonus. But beyond that, if you don't have magic items or spells, you simply can't get your AC up that high. If you mean magic items and not spells, get armor enchantments. They are fairly cheap (bonus squared * 1000). Amulet of natural armor, monks belt (wis mod +1 to ac, can't wear armor), bracers of armor (doesn't stack with armor), gloves of dexterity, ring of protection, ring of shielding....look in the DMG, there are many items...
StrikePaladin 12-26-04, 09:11 PM	Some enemies deal major damage...like dragons. There are feats that increase AC to certain types of creatures... Example Dragon Hunter Dragon Bravery I think they give you +2 AC against dragons. Look around for feats that help.
Steel Cobra 12-26-04, 10:15 PM	Thatll work thank you now PCs will stop complaining
strenoth 12-26-04, 11:34 PM	Magical armor and shields. Since the Base AC for all creature sbefore adjustment is 10, it's not that hard. a 1st level character with breath plate and shield already has an AC of 17, so with a dex of 16 woudl have an AC of 20.
Perpetual Wizard 12-27-04, 03:09 PM	With the half dragon template (+4 natural), wearing adamantine breastplate armor (+5 armor, +2 enhancement), a large adamantine shield (+2 armor, +1 enhancement), a dexterity of 16 (+3), the dodge feat (+1) and a maxed out expertise feat (+5) gives you an AC of 33 vs. one opponent and 32 against all others with no magic what so ever. AC of 33 with no magic! That's pretty good.
Perpetual Wizard 12-28-04, 01:11 PM	For your normal ranger and bard the breastplate armor, shield, dexterity, dodge, and expertise are the only applicable increases. But that still gets you in the high 20's for an AC. And that's with no magic at all.
Leibel 12-28-04, 02:58 PM	For a ranger to get insanely high AC w/out magic try this Helmet, 5gp, AC +2, -2 to Listen/Spot/Search(It hurts your skills but you can take it off) Open Faced Helmet(think the Rohirrim helmet from LOTR), 3gp, AC +1, -1 to listen/spot/search Armor Add-ons I found in a ultimate Paladin book Aventail, 20gp, AC +1 Besagues, 50gp, AC +1 Tabard(wooden/metal), 35 gp/55gp, AC +1/+2 Roundels, 95gp, AC +1 Mithril Skirt(you read that right), 100gp, AC +2 and makes your PC look classy(assuming your playing a female PC anyway)(Found in some ultimate elf book) For a Ranger you can pull of a max AC of 25 10 base + 4 Dex + 4 Chain Shirt armor + 5 from add ons + 2 helmet w/out the shield. You can get it up to 29(2 Mithril Skirt, 2 Heavy Wooden Shield if playing female and using a battle axe) The only problem w/ the armor add ons is they are permanently attached to one peice of armor - you must wear armor to add them on - hence why they are called armor add ons. If you find better armor(Chain Shirt Armor of Silent Moves +1 for example) and get rid of your old armor you have to fork out an extra 220gp to get it maxed out on add-ons.
tarkin 12-28-04, 03:18 PM	Full PLate + shield = 20, with +1 dex. Halfling (size) with Mithral Full Platemail, with shield, with dex, with Dodge feat Can get 10 +1 (size) +1 (Dodge) +8 Platemail +2 shield + 3 Dex = AC 25 That works in anti-magic field. PS "Ultimate x" books, like most 3rd party works, are considered significnatly over-powered as compared to WOTC.
His Divine Shadow 12-28-04, 05:34 PM	Helmet, 5gp, AC +2, -2 to Listen/Spot/Search(It hurts your skills but you can take it off) Which book has those stats? I can't find it in PHB or DMG... Is it perhaps in "Arms and Armor"? (I don't have that book - yet) To be honest, I always thought that the AC values given with armor already included the helmet.
Leibel 12-28-04, 11:20 PM	I found the helmet in Green Ronin's Testament. And the "ultimate X" may be overpowered but I'd half twice the number of dead PC's w/out those spiffy add-ons. Looking like a walking tank might not be cool but it sure helps in combat.
Thorak 12-29-04, 12:42 AM	Character with a minimum 12 dex, for a +1 mod. Full plate brings it to 19 (10 base, 1 dex, 8 armor). Enchant it to +5, 24 AC. Now, a tower shield, that's +5 as well. That's 33 AC. Amulet of natural armor +5. 38. Ring of Protection +5. 43. And I haven't gotten complicated yet. Toss in Combat Expertise and Dodge, and you hit 49. 5 ranks in Tumble, and let's fight defensively, to hit 52. And we can still add further dodge bonuses, or innate natural armor if the PC has it as a race. And that's all core, and without considering PrCs. I'm sure I could get even nastier by taking, say, Dwarven Defender levels. If you really want a tanker, I can't reccomend a tower shield highly enough. It provides the same benefit Combat Expertise does, 2 AC over a Heavy shield, for -2 to hit. Which, of course, stacks with CE. And the use-as-total-cover is so freaking useful. Ranged enemies pelting you with arrows? Advance slowly, laughing at their futile hail pattering off your shield. Some guy with a Reach weapon? Make a Move action after using your Standard action to get total cover from that direction; can't make an AoO through total cover, so you close to melee without getting nailed. I keep finding new uses for it.
Mongoose4937 12-29-04, 12:45 AM	With the half dragon template (+4 natural), wearing adamantine breastplate armor (+5 armor, +2 enhancement), a large adamantine shield (+2 armor, +1 enhancement), a dexterity of 16 (+3), the dodge feat (+1) and a maxed out expertise feat (+5) gives you an AC of 33 vs. one opponent and 32 against all others with no magic what so ever. AC of 33 with no magic! That's pretty good. Bah, nothing. Full plate (+8), Tower shield (+4), Dex (+1), Dodge (+1), Combat Expertise (+5), Fight defensively w/5 ranks in Tumble (+3). 32 with no magic, magic items or level adjustment. Tack a +5 for armor, +5 for shield, +5 for amulet of natural armor, +5 deflection from a ring, and +5 from a defending weapon, and you've got an AC of 58. Make the armor mithral and have a +3 dex, and you've got an even 60.
Czahkiswashi 12-29-04, 12:56 AM	...I'd half twice the number of dead PC's ... wait.. half twice? dont those cancel eachother out?
Mongoose4937 12-29-04, 01:06 AM	Alright, highest I can find: Elven Monk 10/Deulist 10 +5 Defending Rapier, Headband of Intellect +6, Gloves of Dex +6, amulet of natural armor, bracers of armor +8, Ring of protection +5, Dex 18, Int 16, Wis 16 10 base +7 Dex +6 Int +3 Wis +8 Armor +5 Deflection +5 Natural +5 Combat Expertise +3 Defensive fighting +1 Dodge +2 Monk AC bonus +10 Elaborate Parry +5 defending rapier 65, assuming average stats and a core race. If you give me access to other books, that'll just go higher.
masterofmayhem 12-29-04, 01:16 AM	How about: Gray Elven Swashbuckler 3/Barbarian 2 (for Uncanny Dodge)/Fighter 1/Duelist 10/ Invisible Blade 4 (not sure about the prerequisites for this PrC) Give him a +5 Defending dagger, Headband of Intellect +6, Gloves of Dex +6, amulet of natural armor+5, bracers of armor +10, Ring of protection +5, and Monk's belt with Dex 18, Int 18, Wis 16. Add in a tome of Dexterity +5, Wisdom +4, and Intelligence +4 comes out to Dex 32, Int 30, Wis 28. 10 base +11 Dex +14 Int +9 Wis +10 Armor +5 Deflection +5 Natural +20 Improved Combat Expertise +3 Defensive fighting +1 Dodge +10 Elaborate Parry +5 defending rapier Equals 103 AC. Want more cheese? Lose 2d6 damage by adding in TWF and Greater Two Weapon Defense, as well as another +5 defending dagger, and permanently reduce yourself ( :rolleyes: ) New total = 116 AC. When moving out of a threatened square (if for some strange reason you don't have enough tumble ranks), you then have 124 AC. Ick. Too much cheese. :yuck: As a side note, I think someone once got to 160 or so with a cleric build in the optimization boards. I think he used some Book of Exalted Cheese stuff. As another side note, this probably gets beaten down by the Quintessential Books. wait.. half twice? dont those cancel eachother out? He means "have." ;) Just in case you weren't joking with him. :)
Leibel 12-29-04, 10:26 AM	Correction - twice as many dead PC's.
muuphish 12-29-04, 10:44 AM	My lizardfolk Ranger had an AC of 30 by effective level 11/ranger level 8 Breakdown: Base 10 (+10) Natural Armor (+5) Dex (+3) +1 Mythral Fullplate (+9) +1 Bracer ( +2) Ring of Protection (+1) He had a AC of 30...of course, he had a touch AC of 14, which is how he came to his ultimate demise...Until then, he was Kerlaw the Invincible.
Escef 12-29-04, 11:07 AM	Dex 18, Int 16, Wis 16 [...] assuming average stats [...] An 18 and two 16's is average? Maybe in an abnormally high-powered game, but not anywhere I've gamed. Or is that after racial and level modifiers?
Keenath 12-29-04, 11:11 AM	The suits of armor described in the PHB are considered to be 'complete' on their own -- that is, a 'breastplate' isn't JUST a breastplate, but the plate plus chain leggings, leather underlayer, and a helm. Likewise, Full Plate isn't *just* the plate, but the padding that goes underneath, the helm, the neck guard, and so on. You can't get an additional 2 AC for declaring you're wearing a helmet, because the helmet (if applicable) is already taken into the AC for that suit of armor! I mean, read the description of each suit of armor in the PHB -- it SAYS what the suit comes with.
masterofmayhem 12-29-04, 02:33 PM	I mean, read the description of each suit of armor in the PHB -- it SAYS what the suit comes with. Yup. I guess the Quintessential books give a lot of unessential, redundant stuff? ;)
Escef 12-29-04, 02:44 PM	My lizardfolk Ranger had an AC of 30 by effective level 11/ranger level 8 Breakdown: Base 10 (+10) Natural Armor (+5) Dex (+3) +1 Mythral Fullplate (+9) +1 Bracer ( +2) Ring of Protection (+1) He had a AC of 30...of course, he had a touch AC of 14, which is how he came to his ultimate demise...Until then, he was Kerlaw the Invincible. Ok, two questions. 1) Why does a +1 bracer give you +2 AC? 2) Bracers provide an armor bonus, why is this stacking with your fullplate?
masterofmayhem 12-29-04, 02:53 PM	My lizardfolk Ranger had an AC of 30 by effective level 11/ranger level 8 Breakdown: Base 10 (+10) Natural Armor (+5) Dex (+3) +1 Mythral Fullplate (+9) +1 Bracer ( +2) Ring of Protection (+1) He had a AC of 30...of course, he had a touch AC of 14, which is how he came to his ultimate demise...Until then, he was Kerlaw the Invincible. You had a ranger in medium armor? Don't rangers lose all their special fighting stuff in medium armor?
wtfpwned 12-29-04, 05:50 PM	The bracer he is referring to may be the Dastana bracer found in Arms and Equipment guide ( so its offical goodness, unlike the crappy 3rd party publications). Its a bracer that stacks with armor and shields that grants +1ac, and is enchantable. So a +1 bracer = 2ac.
ksbsnowowl 12-29-04, 08:23 PM	If you want another boost to AC, take the Leadership feat (or an ally could do the following) and have him take the (Combat) Expertise, Superior Expertise/Improved Combat Expertise, and Allied Defense feats. Allied Defense is found in Shining South. Whenever the character gains a dodge bonus to AC from the Expertise feat, at least one adjacent ally gains a dodge bonus to AC equal to the one gained by the owner of the Allied Defense feat. Have your cohort always bumping his AC as high as possible, and have him delay so he acts on the same initiative as you (or he could just ready an action to follow you, but then he wouldn't get to use expertise, and thus he'd be of no AC benefit to you).
Escef 12-30-04, 07:47 AM	The bracer he is referring to may be the Dastana bracer found in Arms and Equipment guide ( so its offical goodness, unlike the crappy 3rd party publications). Its a bracer that stacks with armor and shields that grants +1ac, and is enchantable. So a +1 bracer = 2ac. Dastana, as far as I know, first appeared in an issue of Dragon back in the days of 2e. I have A&EG, but never gave it that thorough a read. Still, he said bracers and not Dastana, so... :thinks: