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OMG PONIES
2010-05-19, 10:43 AM
Hello all, I'm rebuilding a character for a campaign that's picking up after a brief hiatus, and I want to focus on making defenses as crazy as possible. Here are the non-negotiables:

Level 16
Warforged
Earthstrength Warden
Maxed out CON score
22-point buy

Beyond that, I'm open to any suggestions in terms of feats/powers/gear/paragon paths that will mostly help me to be hit as infrequently as possible. I'd also like to take some of the Warforged feats (like immutability/improved immutability). What suggestions (specifically MCing...fighter maybe?...and PPs) can you mighty optimizers make?

Also, I know that sometimes defenders don't want an ungodly AC because then the monsters will just take the -2 to attack others, but my DM doesn't play that way. Good or bad, take it or leave it.

Kurald Galain
2010-05-19, 11:09 AM
With a few nice items, you can easily have resist/10 to a number of energy types by level 16, and resist/5 to a handful of others. This is a very good addition to just having a high AC and so forth.

For instance, cloak of survival (fire/cold), viper belt (poison), and skull mask (necrotic).

Meta
2010-05-19, 11:45 AM
Hello all, I'm rebuilding a character for a campaign that's picking up after a brief hiatus, and I want to focus on making defenses as crazy as possible. Here are the non-negotiables:

Level 16
Warforged
Earthstrength Warden
Maxed out CON score
22-point buy

Beyond that, I'm open to any suggestions in terms of feats/powers/gear/paragon paths that will mostly help me to be hit as infrequently as possible. I'd also like to take some of the Warforged feats (like immutability/improved immutability). What suggestions (specifically MCing...fighter maybe?...and PPs) can you mighty optimizers make?

Also, I know that sometimes defenders don't want an ungodly AC because then the monsters will just take the -2 to attack others, but my DM doesn't play that way. Good or bad, take it or leave it.

As a build that lacks two NADS from the get go, that's going to be difficult. A shield will only begin to cover your ineptitudes in reflex and will is going to be even harder.

A warforged warden can start with 18's in str and con and i recommend it. If you dont mind a little cheese drop a 12 in cha (13 in paragon) and pick up a sorcerer MC. Platinum Scales adds your Strength mod to all defenses once a day for an encounter at level 22. Also sudden scales is a much lower level utility and adds str modifier to one defense as an interrupt once an encounter.

If you want your defenses to be unnaturally high every encounter, it's a bit tricker. Assuming you're in masterwork hide with a diamond cincture around your waist, Fort will be fine. It's going to be impossible to make yourself very difficult to hit in will and reflex until epic tier so you can try using circlet of indomitable will and boots of quickness (+2) but instead id pick up this shield:

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/24823685/Backdrop_Chessenta_--_Con_mod_DR_with_heavy_shield_at_level_15.

Con mod resistance and a steady supply of THP from strength of stone plus emergency healing from the cincture will keep you running all day with an even somewhat competent healer.

Also on the table are the paragon tier feats, armor specialization Hide (swap for second skin in epic), paragon defenses (robust defenses in epic), shield mastery if you really want an unhittable fort, and earthstrength defenses. The latter will make secondwinding for you lovely. If you don't mind taking a Dragonmark, the mark of warding will give you a flat +1 anytime you raise a defense through a power, second wind, etc. very useful.

EDIT:If you have feats to spare you could skip paragon defenses and pick up all of the +2 to one defense feats in PHB

Warforged Juggernaut is a tasty racial paragon path i'd look at.

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/23061901/A_Rock_and_A_Hard_Place:_A_Warden_Handbook?pg=1

Pretty useful guide if you get a chance to read through it