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Matamane
2010-06-12, 10:28 AM
I'm in a gold starved party playing the monk. It's around 8th level now, and we are getting to the point where 17-19 AC isn't doing anything for me.

DM says lots of treasure is coming up, so any tips on getting a really high AC without armor?

The Glyphstone
2010-06-12, 10:29 AM
In b4 retrain to swordsage.

Rings of Deflection, Amulet of Natural Armor, Bracers of Armor, Ioun Stones. 4th level Pearl of Power instead of the Bracers, convince a party caster to cast Greater Magic Vestment on your clothes.
Take Vow of Poverty.

NEO|Phyte
2010-06-12, 10:31 AM
Gold Starved? Sounds like a job for Vow of Poverty.

Siosilvar
2010-06-12, 10:32 AM
Gloves of Dexterity, Periapt of Wisdom.

EDIT: You said gold-starved, though, didn't you.

Combat Expertise, fighting defensively. Um... convince the DM you can use a Gnome Twistcloth?

Matamane
2010-06-12, 10:32 AM
no boed. multiclassed as Assassin.

Hague
2010-06-12, 11:04 AM
If you can, pick up Weapon Focus (unarmed strike) and then multiclass to Kensai up to 6 levels. Invest both of your fists as Defending weapons +5. Voila! You can now add +10 AC whenever you feel the need.


Defending: A defending weapon allows the wielder to transfer
some or all of the sword’s enhancement bonus to his AC as a bonus
that stacks with all others. As a free action, the wielder chooses how to
allocate the weapon’s enhancement bonus at the start of his turn
before using the weapon, and the effect to AC lasts until his next turn.
Moderate abjuration; CL 8th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor,
shield or shield of faith; Price +1 bonus.

Edit: Been mulling it over, and it is technically possible with the Versatile Unarmed Strike with Kensai abilities to make a Vorpal fist. Though, it wouldn't really be worth the +5 to have it work. An interesting concept is the idea of a "dancing fist" but I don't think any DM would let that happen:smallamused:

Wounding seems like a good choice. Five attacks that deal 5 points of constitution damage seems pretty good. Scratch that, one Brilliant Energy fist and one Disruption fist.

There's also a lot more that could be abused this way. Imagine a Thri-kreen monk/kensai. They'd have an awesome array of signature weapon powers for their 4 unarmed attacks. Imagine the monk with Spell-storing hands. You can store healing spells and slap unconscious party members back to health. Add confusion or hold person to your fist attacks. Get immunity to fire and store two fireballs in your fists and Hadoken your enemies to death. Another obvious choice is having a Speed fist but is +3 really worth the effect of an easily cast haste spell?

2xMachina
2010-06-12, 11:37 AM
In b4 throwing/returning fists.

Range means AC is not so big a problem

Merk
2010-06-12, 11:44 AM
Take the Law Devotion feat, which allows you to once per day for 1 minute, add anywhere from a 3 to 7 bonus to your attack or AC (you can re-allocate it each round).

Bakkan
2010-06-12, 12:23 PM
Check out the MiC's guide for adding different types of bonuses to an item. IIRC, and if you can get custom-designed items, you can get a shirt that contains armor, natural armor, and deflection bonuses at once. Just notice that it's generally cheapest to mix and match between the three types rather than maxing one out.

For instance, a +3 shirt costs 9000 gp, while a +1 shirt of natural armor (+1) and deflection (+1) costs 5000 gp.

I don't know if I'm saying anything particularly brilliant, but putting all your armor bonuses on one item frees up your other item slots. Just make sure you have some way of protecting your one item from being stolen.

2xMachina
2010-06-12, 12:28 PM
MIC rules, you can stack those bonuses to any item without extra cost (base still on of course), so you won't be really freeing up slots.

You can put your Protection+1 on your ring of evasion just as well as you can put it on your magic robes.

Eldariel
2010-06-12, 12:31 PM
Mage Armor from a party caster is a start, as is Magic Vestment (no "Greater" exists, just use the normal one). Then, yeah, all the stated AC boosters; Amulet of NA, Ring of Protection, Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone, Wis/Dex boosters and yeah...

But seriously, you're a Monk, don't expect too much.

Sir Giacomo
2010-06-12, 02:34 PM
A monk in general is one of the classes that eventually can get the highest AC (objection to Eldariel here).
But at level 8 with only few magic items, you'll have a problem.

As Bakkan suggested, get several cheap AC boosters at once (deflection +1 from ring, +1/+2 natural AC from necklace, +1 insight from ioun stone etc...)

Core item suggestions:
Boots of speed/haste also gives you +1 unnamed to AC (plus an additional attack for full attack and +1 to hit, very handy)

You can also boost AC by
+3 from fighting defensively with tumble 5 ranks
+2 from 1st level reduce buff spell (+2 to DEX, +1 to AC from size)
+4 from 1st level shield spell buff (say, together with reduce from lesser ring of spell storing, at 18,000 gold iirc)

A very good idea is also to make use of your flurried attacks (3/round at lvl 8) and circumvent necessity for AC by getting (total) concealment (for instance, via the eversmoking bottle, or a horn of fog) and the blind-fight feat . This is what I usually recommend for low-mid level monks.

- Giacomo