Need help pumping up AC

[SciChronic]

I'm currently in the process of writing up a suite of characters that i am going to present to my group and ask which they would like me to play in our upcoming ECL9 campaign. The current list includes: Homebrew Alu-fiend Martial Factotum variant, 'Captain America' themed Human Bloodstorm Blade, Necropolitan Whispergnome Beguiler (still brainstorming), and an Elan Psychic Warrior Smacker.

My current request is regarding the final entry, the Psychic Warrior Smacker. Using a 32 Point-buy system my stat array is looking like 16Str-10Dex-14Con-16Wis-12Int-8Cha. And she uses +1 Called Fullplate, putting her at 19 AC. While that is decent enough as is, i'm looking to regularly be using Expansion -and the augmented version once she gains a level- which is going to drop her AC down by 4. I'm looking for a way to shore up my AC a bit with my remaining ~10k gold. You Playgrounders have any ideas? touch armor boosts would be helpful as well, seeing as it is 10 right now.

[DR27]

At ECL9, with the WBL available to you, you should be looking at items that affect miss chance (linky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) - check the "miss chance" section), rather than pump AC, especially if you feel that your AC is too low.

[faircoin]

At ECL9, with the WBL available to you, you should be looking at items that affect miss chance (linky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) - check the "miss chance" section), rather than pump AC, especially if you feel that your AC is too low.

Shouldn't you always be going for miss chance over AC, given that AC scales poorly to attack bonuses in comparison to miss chance?

[Harlot]

Bracers of armor for a +2 for 4000gp/ +3 9000 gp http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Bracers_of_Armor (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Bracers_of_Armor)

Or look into the augment crystals (MIC p 24 ff.) - some consider them cheasy, and they may be, but they can be swapped (buy a handful so that you have one for any situation) and they are cheap, with prices starting at 250 gp.
The Greater Iron ward diamond (8000gp) gives you damage reduction 5/- until it has prevented 50 points of damage (a day.)

Edit: Yup, missed the whole Full Plate Armor - I mostly run DEX-based types...

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

As a Psychic Warrior, you should definitely give this character the Linked Power metapsionic feat in CP, and buff with Force Screen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/forceScreen.htm), Thicken Skin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/thickenSkin.htm), Defensive Precognition (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/precognitionDefensive.htm), etc.

Alternatively, get Persistent Power from the 3.0 Psionics Handbook as it's still a valid feat (found here (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/ArcanaOccupationsandFeats.rtf)) along with one of the psionic power recharge methods (Bestow Power + Midnight Augmentation works) and Persist all of the above buffs for a lower augmentation on each. In this case you can also throw Mental Barrier (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mentalBarrier.htm) onto the pile and Persist that as well later on.

[SciChronic]

Bracers of armor for a +2 for 4000gp/ +3 9000 gp http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Bracers_of_Armor (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Bracers_of_Armor)

Or look into the augment crystals (MIC p 24 ff.) - some consider them cheasy, and they may be, but they can be swapped (buy a handful so that you have one for any situation) and they are cheap, with prices starting at 250 gp.
The Greater Iron ward diamond (8000gp) gives you damage reduction 5/- until it has prevented 50 points of damage (a day.)

Bracers of Armor count as an armor bonus to AC, meaning it doesnt stack with the fullplate i'm wearing.

As a Psychic Warrior, you should definitely give this character the Linked Power metapsionic feat in CP, and buff with Force Screen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/forceScreen.htm), Thicken Skin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/thickenSkin.htm), Defensive Precognition (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/precognitionDefensive.htm), etc.

Alternatively, get Persistent Power from the 3.0 Psionics Handbook as it's still a valid feat (found here (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/ArcanaOccupationsandFeats.rtf)) along with one of the psionic power recharge methods (Bestow Power + Midnight Augmentation works) and Persist all of the above buffs for a lower augmentation on each. In this case you can also throw Mental Barrier (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mentalBarrier.htm) onto the pile and Persist that as well later on.
Expending power points on defensive powers is a bit out of reach for me. At the moment i only have 37 power points a day. If i use defensive powers i'll likely have to stop using the share Pain+share power(vigor) combo with my psicrystal, and i rather like the use of the psycrystal for RP reasons (i intend on making my character a mute who seems "feral", and only communicates through the telepathy of the psicrystal)

[Pesimismrocks]

Norker are from a dragon magazine. They get +2 Con and Dex but -2 to all mental stats. They get +5 Natural armour. That's +6 to get you to 25.

[Khedrac]

The basics on boosting AC at lower levels are pretty simple.

1. Enchant the Armour at 1000 * bonus squared (+150 for masterwork).
2. Shields - enchant as per armour
2a. If you want a 2H weapon then a +1 Animated Darkwood Large Shield comes in just under 10K (it's +3 equivalent) for a +3 Shield bonus to AC.
2b. If Arcane Spell Failure is a problem then go for a +1 mithril buckler, for casters is more to get it Full Fortification than the AC boost though.
3. Ring of Deflection at 2000 * bonus squared.
4. Gauntlets of Dexterity boost to AC at bonus squared, boost to AC half Dex boost.
5. Dusty Rose Ioun Stone +1 Insight bonus for 5000gp.

Cost Wise
Armour to +1 - 1150gp
Shield to +1 - 1150gp
Ring of Deflection +1 - 2000gp
Armour from +1 to +2 - 3000gp
Shield from +1 to +2 - 3000gp
Gloves of Dexterity +2 (+1AC) - 4000gp
Ioun Stone - 5000gp
Armour from +2 to +3 - 5000gp
Shield from +2 to +3 - 5000gp
Ring from +1 to +2 - 6000gp
etc.

Edit: I haven't listed an Amulet of Natural Armour because there are almost always better items for a neck slot - usually Con boosts

[SciChronic]

assuming that i'll have to use Claws of the beast and share pain at least twice a day, that its 20 power points on its own. Considering that there should be around 2-3 encounters a day, it will cost 2-3 power points on expansion (using metapower>linked power), and around 6-9 points on vigor. Costing a total of 28-31, using up to 5 rollover points from my cognizance crystal i can just barely manage it if i consider hustle, claws of the vampire, and damp power uses, so using points for defense powers is a bit much at the moment.

question, if i get metapower(vigor) does that mean if i linked power expansion into vigor are they both at reduced cost?

are there any other ways i can be more power point efficient and reduce costs? i know of the earth power feat, but the 2 feat cost is a bit high and i don't know if i have the room to even be able to use it until ~level 15

also, what cheap ways is miss chance/concealment available to me?

[SciChronic]

Current Character Sheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjCgFIGwxLxxdElJZml2WUdRMzRqMmFkck5qV2UtZ FE&usp=sharing)

[Arkusus]

I'm just going to throw this out there, it may sound a bit strange, but hear me out...

Instead of an Elan Psychic Warrior, play an Elan Wilder, with the educated variant, and just pick up the key skills the Psychic Warrior uses with your Expanded Knowledge.

The Psychic Warrior's buffs combo extremely well with the Wilder's wild surge ability, letting you get higher armor bonuses, better claws, better buffs in general, while spending less (or equal) power points to do so, and from a larger power point reserve.

I seem to recall having a 12th level wilder that could give himself a +11AC for 15 hours, and another +7 shield bonus for 14 minutes when he needed it.

At level 9, you could have +10AC for 11 hours and a +6AC for 11 minutes at a time.
You don't get the same BAB as a Psychic Warrior, but if you use claws of the beast, you won't be sacrificing extra attacks. It's worth it for the overcharged buffs, and increased endurance. The extra AC should help cover the difference in hit points, and if not... Vigor overcharges nicely too.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

assuming that i'll have to use Claws of the beast and share pain at least twice a day, that its 20 power points on its own. Considering that there should be around 2-3 encounters a day, it will cost 2-3 power points on expansion (using metapower>linked power), and around 6-9 points on vigor. Costing a total of 28-31, using up to 5 rollover points from my cognizance crystal i can just barely manage it if i consider hustle, claws of the vampire, and damp power uses, so using points for defense powers is a bit much at the moment.

question, if i get metapower(vigor) does that mean if i linked power expansion into vigor are they both at reduced cost?

are there any other ways i can be more power point efficient and reduce costs? i know of the earth power feat, but the 2 feat cost is a bit high and i don't know if i have the room to even be able to use it until ~level 15

also, what cheap ways is miss chance/concealment available to me?

Get Midnight Augmentation, Midnight Dodge (or some other source of +1 essentia), and Expanded Knowledge: Bestow Power (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/bestowPower.htm). Invest two essentia into it every day via Midnight Aumgentation. The power costs a base 3 powerpoints, and grants 2 powerpoints to your target (yourself). With Midnight Augmentation, for every 3-2=1 additional powerpoint you spend it grants the target an additional 2 powerpoints. So augmenting it twice costs a base 5 powerpoints and grants the target 6 powerpoints. Do this as often as desired between encounters to fully recover all of your powerpoints. Your powerpoint pool is now per-encounter rather than per-day.


Current Character Sheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjCgFIGwxLxxdElJZml2WUdRMzRqMmFkck5qV2UtZ FE&usp=sharing)

Elans aren't Humanoids, they're Aberrations, which is the only reason for using them in the King of Smack build because they're one of the few creature types that can qualify for (Improved) Rapidstrike.

[SciChronic]

Get Midnight Augmentation, Midnight Dodge (or some other source of +1 essentia), and Expanded Knowledge: Bestow Power (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/bestowPower.htm). Invest two essentia into it every day via Midnight Aumgentation. The power costs a base 3 powerpoints, and grants 2 powerpoints to your target (yourself). With Midnight Augmentation, for every 3-2=1 additional powerpoint you spend it grants the target an additional 2 powerpoints. So augmenting it twice costs a base 5 powerpoints and grants the target 6 powerpoints. Do this as often as desired between encounters to fully recover all of your powerpoints. Your powerpoint pool is now per-encounter rather than per-day. I feel like this tactic is a bit too cheesy and will immediately get shut down by my DM

Elans aren't Humanoids, they're Aberrations, which is the only reason for using them in the King of Smack build because they're one of the few creature types that can qualify for (Improved) Rapidstrike.
oops, fix'd