I Need Help Not Dying

[Lord Ruby34]

So, I'm making a sixth level character for a PbP game, and I'm intolerably squishy. I'm a front line combatant with 45 HP and 13 AC. I can make that 51 and 12 if it would be better. I'm playing a Warforged, so I don't think I can use armor. If I'm wrong it would be a big relief.

Anyway, I have 3800 (Ideally) to 9800 (If I have to sacrifice stuff) left to spend, and I don't have a throat slot available. I can probably make any UMD check I'd care too, so that's an option. I need either an item or a wand that can improve my chances at not folding like a wet tissue to the first monster with power attack we fight.

EDIT: And I have Bard levels, so I don't have to make a UMD check at all for their spells.

[Xerxus]

Been a looong time since I read eberron, but can't you as a warforged get a much better body (AC) through feats? Or something like that.

[Lord Ruby34]

Been a looong time since I read eberron, but can't you as a warforged get a much better body (AC) through feats? Or something like that.

Unfortunately, I don't have the Heavy armor proficiency, or the ability to cast in Heavy Armor that would require.

[Xerxus]

Use a shield? Get Combat Expertise? Ring of protection? Add a magical enhancement to your armor (or body or something)?

[Lord Ruby34]

Use a shield? Get Combat Expertise? Ring of protection? Add a magical enhancement to your armor (or body or something)?

I two hand, want to hit, and the last two are fairly expensive. I'm not sure I can afford enough of a bonus for it to matter. I really wish this worked.

[Xerxus]

A warforged bard twohanding it? What's going on here? :smallbiggrin:

[Karnith]

Unfortunately, I don't have the Heavy armor proficiency, or the ability to cast in Heavy Armor that would require.
Having a warforged with Mithral Body, Ironwood Body, or Adamantine Body doesn't require armor proficiency, because a warforged's body is not actually armor (though it functions much as armor does, including imposing ACPs and spell failure chances). Moreover, since Mithral Bodies and Ironwood Bodies are treated as light armor, you would be able to use Bard spells without impairment in either.

[Lord Ruby34]

A warforged bard twohanding it? What's going on here? :smallbiggrin:

:smallbiggrin: I'm playing a Bardblade, and I'm too attached to my concept to change to a better race.

[Zaq]

Why don't you tell us what the character actually is and what you're trying to do? That way, our suggestions can be far more well-informed.

[Lord Ruby34]

Why don't you tell us what the character actually is and what you're trying to do? That way, our suggestions can be far more well-informed.

Sure.

I'm playing a Combat focused Warforged Bard 2/Warblade 3/Harmonic Lance Adept (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111058) 1. I want to be able to fight on the front-line, and do it well, while using inspire courage. I'd also like to be the party face, and I have the skills to do it well. Everything other than that is character personality, not mechanics, although I'm probably missing something.

We were allowed one flaw.

[Hendel]

Having a warforged with Mithral Body, Ironwood Body, or Adamantine Body doesn't require armor proficiency, because a warforged's body is not actually armor (though it functions much as armor does, including imposing ACPs and spell failure chances). Moreover, sicne Mithral Bodies and Ironwood Bodies are treated as light armor, you would be able to use Bard spells without impairment in either.
Picking up one of the Warforged Armor feats would be great and then spend 1000 gp to make it +1, buy a +1 Ring of Protection for 2000gp and maybe go for an Amulet of Natural Armor +1 for another 2000gp. For 5000gp and a feat you can have an AC in the upper teens.

Again, a bard that is a frontline fighter is doable, but hard...

[Xerxus]

Looks like your AC will go up quite a bit next level. Other than that I'd go with a wand of mage armor, since it would trump your current armor by 2 at a reasonably low cost.

[nedz]

More information would be cool: levels of whatever classes, feats you have taken, spells you know, skills of significance. Now you don't have to tell us anything, but the relevance of the advice you receive may be low otherwise.

Given what you've said so far:

There are loads of spells you could wand if you can make 20 on a UMD roll reliably.

A level 2 Wand would cost 4,500 gp (IIRC) and could buy you any animal buff (+4 Con, Dex, whatever). Mirror Image is probably better.

Level 1 Wands are even cheaper and can buy you AC by several means.

But you probably knew all of this ?

[Lord Ruby34]

A level 2 Wand would cost 4,500 gp (IIRC) and could buy you any animal buff (+4 Con, Dex, whatever). Mirror Image is probably better.

Level 1 Wands are even cheaper and can buy you AC by several means.

But you probably knew all of this ?

I know I can use wands, but I'm not sure I'll always have time to buff before combat, and I'd prefer not to do so during it. If wands are my best bet, then wands are my best bet, but I'm really hoping for an item or feat.

Speaking of feats mine are as follows:

1:Power Attack
F: Melodious Casting (Can be changed)
3: Song of the White Raven
6: Doomspeak (Can be changed)

[Karnith]

I know I can use wands, but I'm not sure I'll always have time to buff before combat, and I'd prefer not to do so during it. If wands are my best bet, then wands are my best bet, but I'm really hoping for an item or feat.

Speaking of feats mine are as follows:

1:Power Attack
F: Melodious Casting (Can be changed)
3: Song of the White Raven
6: Doomspeak (Can be changed)
Taking Mithral Body as a first-level feat and spending 1,000 gold to enchant your body will get you a +6 armor bonus (and you can spend 3,000 more to get +7) with a maximum Dex bonus of +5, if you're okay with either missing out on Melodic Casting or switching it to your sixth-level feat. That's probably be the simplest way to up your AC into semi-respectable levels at this point.

Alternately, you could just take the Unarmored Body feat and pay for armor.

[Lord Ruby34]

Taking Mithral Body as a first-level feat and spending 1,000 gold to enchant your body will get you a +6 armor bonus (and you can spend 3,000 more to get +7) with a maximum Dex bonus of +5, if you're okay with either missing out on Melodic Casting or switching it to your sixth-level feat. That's probably be the simplest way to up your AC into semi-respectable levels at this point.

Alternately, you could just take Unarmored Body and buy armor.

I swear I read that feat already, and I didn't see that it gave an armor bonus. I feel very, very stupid now.

Thank you.

[Hendel]

Taking Mithral Body as a first-level feat and spending 1,000 gold to enchant your body will get you a +6 armor bonus (and you can spend 3,000 more to get +7) with a maximum Dex bonus of +5, if you're okay with either missing out on Melodic Casting or switching it to your sixth-level feat. That's probably be the simplest way to up your AC into semi-respectable levels at this point.

Alternately, you could just take the Unarmored Body feat and pay for armor.
This was my thoughts as well. However, the +1 to +2 jump on Armor bonus costs 3000gp, so I thought a +1 Ring at 2000gp is better at this stage and gives a better touch AC.

Potions of Cat's Grace and other spells (or wands as mentioned) might help. The Mage Armor only nets you +2 to AC as you already had +2 from the Composite Body of the Warforged. Mithral or Adamantine may be the way to go, but it really depends on your full build.

[Karnith]

This was my thoughts as well. However, the +1 to +2 jump on Armor bonus costs 3000gp, so I thought a +1 Ring at 2000gp is better at this stage and gives a better touch AC.
It would at this level, but if he continues in his PrC when he levels up he'll get an ability called Armor of Sound, with which he can expend a bardic music use to get a deflection bonus to his AC equal to his Cha mod. If he has a Charisma bonus of at least +2 (and I would hope that he does, though I don't know), then the ring would pretty much only be useful at his current level. Rather than have a ring only to sell it shortly afterward, I thought that a better investment would be in his armor Of course, this may be because I have had DMs who have been less than fond of magic marts and standard WBL, so I wouldn't fault anyone for getting the ring.

[SowZ]

If you can drop your Dex by 2 in order to improve your Con by 2 I'd definitely do it. Any proper encounter will be able to hit a 13 with ease, anyway, so the difference between 12 and 13 is minor. Yeah, you may be able to get the AC to respectable levels as you grow in power. But even long term, Con is a better investment.

Constitution bonus will 'only' get more beneficial to your survivability as you level up. But that 1 point of AC will always be a 5% chance.

[AttilaTheGeek]

Yeah, with AC that low I'd just skip to miss chance. Mirror Image and Blur are bard spells, right?

[avr]

ToB also has some items which give you access to maneuvers. Setting Sun was slippers IIRC. With those on you could throw a Baffling Defence in the way of a big power attack and base your AC off your Sense Motive skill rather than any form of armour. Keep moving and you should be able to avoid a full attack. If you're going to need to use it again next round, standard action attack to refresh it.