AC/Defense Help

[JohnStone]

Hello I was just wondering what are some tricks for keeping my AC up as i level.

im noticing that with BAB and weapon enhancements progressing much faster than anything that can compare to Dex bonuses and Armor bonuses AC is going to probably fall way behind really fast.

The good news is im playing PATHFINDER and im a SOULKNIFE (nimble blade) which means lots of money for armor and items, as well as dex as primary stat.

Should i bother infesting in AC, or do i need to start looking into other forms of defense. such as combat tactics(tripping, disarming), DR, Run away screaming?

[Rhynn]

Miss chance. Cloak of displacement. Scales nicely.

[BowStreetRunner]

I would concentrate on keeping your AC high enough that creatures with multiple attacks have trouble landing them all. Accept that you are going to take that first attack, more often than not, and keep your HP up. But remember that the second iterative attack is at a -5, or that flurry of blows and two-weapon fighting style attacks are at a -2. So the higher the AC you have, the fewer of these additional attacks are going to get through.


Miss chance. Cloak of displacement. Scales nicely.
This works much the same way. You are not stopping all the attacks from getting through. Instead, it's all about the percentages. Accept that you are going to get hit sometimes and keep your HP up. Then employ strategies like this to make sure that you are not taking EVERY hit.

[JohnStone]

thats a good point.
I was planning on concentrating on one big two handed standard attack fueled by power attack, psychic strikes,enhancements, (and whatever else i can find)
So i hadnt thought about the full attacks from the enemies.

ill look into cloak of displacement

[Gwendol]

Hiding is a good strategy for not getting targeted. Hiding in Plain Sight is a very valuable ability, but there are feats that allow concealement for one round, such as cloak dance: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#cloakDance

[Shining Wrath]

Blur, Blink, Displacement, Greater Invisibility if you can get it.
A 20% chance of missing you is a 20% chance at first level and a 20% chance at 20th level.

The usual ways to raise pure AC are armor, shield, natural armor (amulet), deflection (ring of protection), Dexterity, and Wisdom for some classes (Swordsage, Monk). There are trade-offs between, e.g., heavy armor and Dex bonus.
Deflection is best because it helps both touch and flat-footed AC.

Having said that, at higher levels you are going to get hit, you are going to get hit HARD, and you are likely to get critical hits. Which are double-hard. The only thing that can possibly keep you on your feet is a big pile of HP.

[yougi]

Take the Dodge feat.

In all seriousness, a good way (depending on your level) to avoid melee is to be out of their reach: flight and spiderclimb are the ideas that come in mind right now.

Also, looking at the List of Necessary Magic Items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851), there are multiple cheap ways to get miss chances:


Cheap:

Shadowy Diadem (DMagic). 4400GP, head slot. Grants concealment for one minute as a swift action, and immunity to energy drain to boot. It doesn't like being caught in high level light spells, but that's not exactly an everyday occurrence.
Smoking weapon enhancement (LoD). +1 weapon enhancement cost. This 3.0 enhancement grants you concealment, with some limitations. Usually considered woefully underpriced.
Shadow Sibling (MoE). 8000GP, symbiont. 50% concealment as an immediate action, constitution modifier times per day. It's as awesome as it sounds, only problem is that it requires sharing your body with some kind of usually-lawful-evil incorporeal aberration thing. May not be available at the local Magic Mart.
Shadow Cloak (DotU). 5500GP, shoulders slot. Grants concealment for 1 round as an immediate action three times per day, along with (good) secondary benefits.
Torc of Displacement (MIC). 2000GP, throat slot. As an immediate action, spend charges to gain varying degrees of concealment for one round.
Blurring armor enhancement (MIC). +1 armor enhancement cost. Three times per day, blur effect (as the spell) for 5 rounds. Swift action activation.
Displacement armor enhancement (MIC). +1 armor enhancement. Once per day, displacement effect (as the spell) for 5 rounds. Swift action activation.
Mithralmist Shirt (MIC). 3400GP, body slot. Gain concealment as a swift action seven times per day, but it is due to a cloud that doesn't follow you if you move.
Eversmoking Bottle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#eversmokingBottle) (DMG). 5400GP, slotless. Creates a huge cloud of nasty fog without daily limits. This hampers vision (creates total concealment) for everyone involved, but the clever player can work around that.


And Miss chance is pretty much your best bet for, you know, upping your chances of getting missed.

[CaladanMoonblad]

A combat technique in d20 is called "Fighting Defensively"

You can get +2 AC for -2 Attack. Or +4 AC if you don't attack at all. If you have 5+ ranks in tumble, this bonus goes to +3 and +6. In addition, the feat Combat Expertise lets you swap out a -1 attack for a +1 AC for one round up to -5/+5 (need Int 13).

In Pathfinder, they modded the numbers from 3.5; only a +2 AC for a -4 attack penalty. : / Although Combat Expertise (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/combat-expertise-combat) got its boundary numbers removed, making the feat more useful.