is there a way to increase my touch ac?

[hoborobot]

i tend to run into problems that cant be solved by high dex/Armour bonus the monster goes straight for my touch ac, and i want to know if there is any way to increase it.

[Asrrin]

If you have natural armor, Scintillating Scales is a sorc/wiz 2 spell to change it to a deflection bonus, granting it to your touch AC.

[Orsyn]

First, to make sure it's clear, your Dex bonus DOES apply to your touch AC. It is ignored by your flat-footed AC, or by any effect that specifically denies your Dexterity bonus to AC. Beyond that, any form of AC bonus that is not Armor, Shield, or Natural Armor is applied to your touch AC. This includes Deflection, Dodge, Luck, Competence, and anything else so long as it's not one of the types I mentioned already, and so long as it doesn't specifically say that touch attacks bypass it (I can't think of any such mechanic offhand).

[Hiro Protagonest]

You could just get things for miss chance.

[stack]

Path of war has a feat for getting your shield to touch AC, if you allow third party. High quality 3rd party.

[mvpmack]

Actually Parrying Shield from Lords of Madness also adds shield AC to touch AC and is not third party.

[Elricaltovilla]

Actually Parrying Shield from Lords of Madness also adds shield AC to touch AC and is not third party.

Lords of Madness also happens to be 3.5, not Pathfinder.

[Secret Wizard]

i tend to run into problems that cant be solved by high dex/Armour bonus the monster goes straight for my touch ac, and i want to know if there is any way to increase it.

what's your class.

[deuxhero]

Snapping Turtle Style's second feat gives a grand total of ONE AC to touch, and requires Snapping Turtle Style, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +3 or monk level 3rd (though two levels in Master of Many Styles Monk gives it to you) and a swift action to activate each combat.

Yes, Paizo managed to make two feats that even as one would be strictly worse than dodge

[Kudaku]

Snapping Turtle Style's second feat gives a grand total of ONE AC to touch, and requires Snapping Turtle Style, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +3 or monk level 3rd (though two levels in Master of Many Styles Monk gives it to you) and a swift action to activate each combat.

Yes, Paizo managed to make two feats that even as one would be strictly worse than dodge

While I agree that Snapping Turtle is not a spectacular combat style, you're not being entirely fair here. The main advantage of Snapping Turtle Clutch isn't the +1 AC bonus, but that it allows you to make grapple maneuvers as an immediate action.


Whenever an opponent misses you with a melee attack while you are using the Snapping Turtle Style feat, you can use an immediate action to attempt a grapple combat maneuver against that opponent, but with a –2 penalty.

It is a very good style option for a Tetori monk, for example.

[ericgrau]

Yes, Paizo managed to make two feats that even as one would be strictly worse than dodge
It's not strictly worse than dodge if it stacks with dodge. Just like the upgrade from +2 to +3 isn't strictly worse than the upgrade from +1 to +2 even though it costs more. And being forced to get the second +1 second isn't an additional advantage that makes things any different, merely what you would do anyway. That it's strictly worse to get out of order doesn't mean a thing. It seems weird because if you have neither and get it then it's worse, but that should never ever happen. Or else "strictly worse" is misleading, because it may be worse but that doesn't mean you shouldn't ever get a +3 (or +3 equivalent) weapon or armor.

You get a lot of feats in PF so stacking 4 different +1s is one way. Another way is to dip classes that give X to touch AC. Many of these require you to be armorless though. If you have an int 12, light armor and a lot of spare feats you can dip duelist though. If they are melee touch attacks then duelist 2 has parry. If they are ranged then get behind an ally (+4 AC), kneel (+2 AC) or drop prone (+4 AC), but note that these aren't great in melee. A +1 ring of protection and later on maybe a +1 dusty rose prism ioun stone and +2 dex gloves help a little. Magic circle against evil is a nice 10 min/level buff for +2 deflection AC against evil creatures. Haste has mulitple benefits including +1 touch AC. Prayer likewise gives foes a -1 to hit, damage and other rolls, while a +1 to the party. The AC/-1 to hit alone isn't worth it on haste and prayer spells but all the benefits together are very much worth it. Wherever you can get your cheap +1s you stack 4-8 of them from a wide variety of sources and boom +4 to +8 touch AC on the cheap.

Miss chance is worse before level 15ish. It either costs a precious standard action or costs way more for the same benefit.

[Andreaz]

Big picture, gentlemen, big picture. That style feat is terrible, has terrible pre-requisites and costs actions you'll need for other stuff.

Yeah, sure, its rider effect is good for one very niche, specific build. Still doesn't make the feat less terrible. Notice how no one gets the feat (or anything in the style) for the AC bonuses. It's all about that rider effect for that one grapple build.

Now back to the OP: As said, all bonuses that aren't armor/shield/natural apply to touch. Secondary defenses are also excellent since they don't distinguish touch from normal attacks. Counter-maneuvers tend to be of the "attack your attacker's attack", which is excellent since attack rolls tend to be big and being touch doesn't disfavor you in any way.

So...what's your build so far?