Avoiding/dodging Rays, Orbs, and friends [3.5 RAW]

[Grey Paladin]

I am looking for an effective way to avoid, dodge, and/or resist the orb/ray spell types that lack a saving throw. I figure boosting touch AC is not an option given True Strike is available.

[tyckspoon]

If you consider it a viable counter, then most of your best ways to do it are countered by True Strike (basically, miss chances and touch AC.) Do remember that using True Strike either requires reducing your effective actions to 1 every 2 rounds or investing resources in using Quickened True Strikes, which means unless your opponent is very optimized they're making a pretty big sacrifice to overcome your defense. I usually consider that worth enough to validate having the defense.

Otherwise, if you can get the magic, your best bet is Ray Deflection (Sorc/Wiz/Bard 4) from Spell Compendium. Automatically defeats Ray spells and effects specifically, and is worded to suggest it should also handle any general ranged touch attack.

[The_Snark]

Ray Deflection (4th level sorcerer/wizard spell) renders you immune to ranged touch attacks, including both rays and the Orb spells.

Friendly Fire (also a 4th-level sorcerer/wizard spell, found in Exemplars of Evil) allows you to redirect any and all ranged attacks (including touch attacks) directed at you to a nearby target of your choice; it doesn't last as long as Ray Deflection, but it provides broader protection, messes up enemies who aren't anticipating it, and if you need it in a hurry it can be cast as an immediate action in exchange for a shorter duration (1 round, I believe).

If you're not a spellcaster, I think there's an alternate class feature in Complete Mage that exchanges trap sense for a bonus against touch spells, but if your enemy is using True Strike it probably won't help.

[Grey Paladin]

Any non-epic resource is allowed. I'll look into Ray Deflection, but ideally the source of the resistance should be inherent to the character and thus undispelable.

Background:
I am trying to make a mundane (well, more correctly non-fullcaster) mage-slayer. It is mostly a losing fight but one I figured would be fun to attempt anyway. Any effect with a saving throw is more or less irrelevant due to all of the sources of rerolling and already only failing on a one (plus ignoring damage on a successful roll), but I am stumped on how to deal with optimized blaster wizards that use saveless damage spells.

EDIT: Friendly Fire has potential as it can be used reactively and thus is guaranteed to save you for a round, but is problematic if you don't get to take actions.

[Flickerdart]

Miss chance that isn't from concealment is your friend here. For example, Blink means that their spell will fail 50% of the time, regardless of the + to-hit, because there's a flat 50% chance you're on another plane when it hits you.

[Zaq]

There's always Wings of Cover, if you have access to sorc-only spells.

[tyckspoon]

EDIT: Friendly Fire has potential as it can be used reactively and thus is guaranteed to save you for a round, but is problematic if you don't get to take actions.

Man, *everything* is problematic if you don't get to take actions. The only reliable way (at least, that I know of) around that one is to be a full caster.

Edit: Or custom magic items to get continuous protection using the relevant spells, but that strikes me as basically giving up and admitting the system won't let you make it work.

[Curmudgeon]

Don't be seen. Being visually undetectable, either from invisibility or a superior Hide check, keeps you from being targeted. At best they could guess the right square and still have a 50% miss chance if they succeed on their attack roll. So Supernatural Hide in Plain Sight, or an inferior form with added cover/concealment, is your friend. If you're not using sneak attack, Deeper Darkness cast on your blade will provide the necessary concealment for you to Hide (plus give the spellcaster a 20% miss chance even if their Spot check is superior).

[Noble Savant]

If you find a way to avoid the spell's effects at least once, the spell reflection (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20061010a) ACF will guarantee that your opponent doesn't get a chance to try it again.

[The_Snark]

Well, if you're looking for nonmagical defenses, there's always Wall of Blades (Tome of Battle, 2nd-level Iron Heart maneuver). It only deflects one attack and you need to beat their attack roll with your own, so it's not a perfect counter (especially if True Strike is involved). But it's not too hard to acquire, either, and most spellcasters wouldn't use until they saw it was needed. Might be worth it just to buy you an extra round.