AC Challenge [3.5]

[Tokuhara]

Hey playgrounders!

I'm jumping into a campaign as a Dwarf Psi Warrior/Warmind who is focused on Mage Slaying.

I realized a long time ago that normal AC is useless against mages. What are VERY cost-effective ways of boosting your Touch AC?

[herrhauptmann]

Miss chances are even better than touch ac.
Ring of blinking, cloak of displacement, Smoking weapon, various psi abilities should do it too.

[Snake-Aes]

Hey playgrounders!

I'm jumping into a campaign as a Dwarf Psi Warrior/Warmind who is focused on Mage Slaying.

I realized a long time ago that normal AC is useless against mages. What are VERY cost-effective ways of boosting your Touch AC?

Inertial Armor and Force Screen are both force effects. They apply to touch attacks and to incorporeal attacks.

Also, warmind/psychic warrior has horrible horrible manifester level.

[ex cathedra]

Being an outsider, using Alter Self to become a Dwarven Ancestor, and casting Scintillating Scales.

Being a Kalashtar Psion and using Power Link dragonshards on Defensive Precognition.

Potions of CL18 Shield of Faith.

Edit:


Inertial Armor and Force Screen are both force effects. They apply to touch attacks and to incorporeal attacks.

Woah, what? They effect incorporeal touch attacks, but I'm quite sure that neither of them actually improve your Touch AC.

[Tokuhara]

Inertial Armor and Force Screen are both force effects. They apply to touch attacks and to incorporeal attacks.

Also, warmind/psychic warrior has horrible horrible manifester level.

I was thinking of that, but items are cool too...

and that's what the GM handed me. He rolled up our race/class combination and said "Have at it. Build him however you want."

Seriously, we have a Half-Orc Bard, a Human Truenamer, and a Half-Ogre Rogue

[Hirax]

If you're wearing heavy armor the deflective armor feat (Races of Stone, 137) is perfect for you. While psionically focused your armor bonus (including the enhancement bonus) applies to touch attacks.

[ex cathedra]

Human Truenamer

Oh, wow, poor guy. Point him to Item Familiars (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm), if he doesn't already know about them.

Edit: Apparently that d20srd page is non-functional. My bad. Check your local copy of Unearthed Arcana for it.

[Snake-Aes]

I was thinking of that, but items are cool too...

and that's what the GM handed me. He rolled up our race/class combination and said "Have at it. Build him however you want."

Seriously, we have a Half-Orc Bard, a Human Truenamer, and a Half-Ogre Rogue

Well, the other thing is, as said, concealment. Precognitions also help ac... But you don't really have much more.

[Admiral Squish]

Actually, solution: In RoS, there is Deflective Armor, which turns Armor bonus into a deflection bonus while you're psionically focused. Also, Lords of Madness has parrying/buffeting (don't remember off the top of my head) shield which adds shield bonus against touch attacks.

[Tokuhara]

Actually, solution: In RoS, there is Deflective Armor, which turns Armor bonus into a deflection bonus while you're psionically focused. Also, Lords of Madness has parrying/buffeting (don't remember off the top of my head) shield which adds shield bonus against touch attacks.

Squish, you are genius

[Hirax]

As I pointed out in my post keep in mind deflective armor only works in heavy armor. I'm not sure if it would apply to mithral full plate, but it seems like it should.

[Eldariel]

Monk's Belt is also a decent choice for any Wisdom-based character. And of course, yeah, Deflection and Dexterity.

[W3bDragon]

The Shield Ward feat, from PHB2 I believe, adds your shield bonus to your touch AC. Large shield +5 with shield ward is yummy.

[Admiral Squish]

The Shield Ward feat, from PHB2 I believe, adds your shield bonus to your touch AC. Large shield +5 with shield ward is yummy.

Actually, that only applies against melee touch things like trip, if I remember correctly.

[Snake-Aes]

Actually, that only applies against melee touch things like trip, if I remember correctly.

Correct.

Parrying Shield (Lords of Madness) lets you add the shield's ac to touch attacks of any kind. It's also a fighter bonus feat.

[Admiral Squish]

Yay! I is smart!

[W3bDragon]

Actually, that only applies against melee touch things like trip, if I remember correctly.

I just had a read through feat. It applies to your touch AC and to checks to resist stuff like trip. So it should still apply.

[Admiral Squish]

Huh. I coulda sworn... But yeah, then take shield ward from PHB II instead of parrying shield. You should have plenty of feats to pick up shield specialization too.

[Snake-Aes]

Wow, nwo I feel bad. Teaches me to read more than just the feat menu.

[Yuki Akuma]

Incorporeal touch attacks really should have been called incorporeal slam attacks, considering they're really not touch attacks at all.

No, I have nothing to contribute.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

First of all Force effects like Inertial Armor and Force Screen do not apply to your general touch AC, they only help against incorporeal touch attacks.

Consider switching your build to something like Crusader or Fighter 4/ Sanctified Mind 1/ War Mind 10/ Sanctified Mind 5. You'll need to get Hidden Talent (XPH p67) or use a psionic race, and be sure to get cross-class ranks in Kn: Psionics in those first four levels, to qualify for everything. You won't get any more powers known or base powerpoints/day from Sanctified Mind increasing your War Mind manifesting, but you'll get more bonus powerpoints for a high Wisdom and your manifester level will be higher for durations and augmentation. Get Practiced Manifester and you'll be at ML 19 at level 20. If starting higher than 1st level say you visited the Otyugh Hole detailed in Complete Scoundrel and pay 3,000 gp to get Iron Will without spending a feat on it. Definitely get Heavy Armor Optimization and Focused Armor, though it won't work with mithral full plate because that is considered medium armor.

[W3bDragon]

Huh. I coulda sworn... But yeah, then take shield ward from PHB II instead of parrying shield. You should have plenty of feats to pick up shield specialization too.

Scared me there for a minute. Thought one of my favorite characters was using the feat wrong this whole time! :smalleek:

But yeah, you should be able to easily get around +10 to touch AC from that alone. Stack on some dex and dodge bonuses (imp. combat expertise) and you're golden. I vaguely remember my touch AC hitting the 30s at level 10 without being optimized for touch AC specifically.

[Cespenar]

Use Vow of Poverty + Vow of Peace Monk/Sorcerer/Tattooed Monk. :smalltongue:

[ericgrau]

Miss chances are even better than touch ac.
Ring of blinking, cloak of displacement, Smoking weapon, various psi abilities should do it too.
Cloak of minor displacement costs more than touch AC for a lower miss chance until very high levels. i.e. over 90% of the time. Other items/abilities that burn a round are a trap, because you lose a round.

The simplest thing to use against mages is cover (any creature or obstacle between you and him) or getting into melee with one of their allies. Instant +4. With low BAB and dex as a 3rd stat that's enough to ruin their day right there until very high levels. Beyond that there's ring of protection, gloves of dexterity, dusty rose prism ioun stone. Splatbooks also have ways to apply your shield AC (shield ward) and/or natural armor to touch AC (scintillating scales), for more cheesy and crazy high boosts.