Help with getting high AC and possible build Help

[Azoth]

OK first up, Pathfinder only material for advice here. Paizo or Dream Scarred Press are the main places I am looking.

I am currently theory crafting a build that tries to become a Tank in a completely serviceable way, and falling short in the AC department. I am looking for Items or enchants I have missed to increase AC on this character.

The Build is a lvl20 Warder who uses Silver Crane Style so I have to tank 5AC every round to give it to my allies.

So far we have:
10 Base
+14 (+5 Mithral Fullplate)
+4 (Dex Max Dex for my armor is +5)
+5 Natural (necklace)
+5 Deflection (ring)
+7 (+5 Dancing Heavy shield)
+1 luck (jingasa)
+1 insight (ioun stone)
-5 Silver Crane Style
-1 Size
TOTAL=41 AC

Now onto secondary Critiques for the build itself.

Race: Human

Stats (15pb): Str16, Dex12, Con14, Int14, Wis12, Cha 8.

Traits: Bruising Intellect and Unorthodox Method (Eternal Guardian)

Martial Tradition: Empyrial Guardians (gain Silver Crane)

Feats:
(Human) Combat Expertise
(1st) Improved Trip
(Warder 1) Combat Reflexes
(3rd) Silver Crane Style
(Warder3) Greater Trip
(5th) Power Attack
(7th) Silver Crane Feathers
(Warder8) Cornugon Smash
(9th) Fury's Fall
(11th)Silver Crane Wing
(13th) Powerful Mark
(Warder 13) Guard's Glare
(15th) OPEN
(17th) OPEN
(Warder 18)OPEN
(19th) OPEN

Basics of the build are to combine Silver Crane Style with the Warder's Aegis bonus to give allies within 30ft +10 AC (5 moral 5 untyped) +5 Will (moral) +5 Ref (untyped), while giving enemies -10 to hit and 20% spell failure to target anyone but him (Amiger's Mark). The build combos that with the zone control of a tripper build to establish a baseline 20ft radius of NOPE when not regaining maneuvers.

Eternal Guardian has several powerful debuffing curses and teleportation effects to assist in zone control and generally making enemies miserable. It also has a stance to bypass fear immunity which keeps intimidate alive at later levels. Silver Crane will offer me secondary support healing and much needed damage to keep enemy attention on me.

The later Silver Crane style feats give me a 60ft radius where I can immediate action take damage for an ally (even ability damage) and offer a Will Save to try and negate the transfered damage. I only expect to make the Will saves against ability damage by later levels as its DC=damage dealt.

[Azoth]

Bumping in hopes for a reply

[Extra Anchovies]

Dervish Defender's Int to AC plus a higher Dex bonus plus Bracers of Armor could beat the +14 from the full plate. If you want more armor/shield properties than fit on the shield, add a set of +1 padded armor with a bunch of properties (still lets you get +8 from Dex and the Bracers armor bonus still applies).

[FocusWolf413]

See if you can get a friendly spellcaster to cast some of the bite of x spells on you. They provide nice AC. Druid and Cleric spells are particularly nice for this. Look through them.

You might want to invest in something to give you concealment. That 50% miss chance is beautiful.

Edit: noticed it was Pathfinder, but most of what I said applies. Spellcasters are what you need.

[Azoth]

My issue with Dervish Defender is that it pushes a focus to TWFing. Though I suppise that I can just go the typical Guisarme and spiked gauntlet route. Basically the old THFing and TWFing.

Losing Iron Tortoise isn't too big a deal. That may work to give me a few more points of AC.

So let's see the armor bonus goes down to +9 (+5 celestial armor). I would lose 5 points there, but can get Int up to 24, which is a +7 modifier. A net gain of 2 points so a final AC of 43. This is better, but still a little shy of a good Tank AC.

The attack bonuses from Beastiary one for CR20 range from 25 to 39 with an average bonus of 32. So on average I currently have about a 50% chance to not get hit.

[Extra Anchovies]

My issue with Dervish Defender is that it pushes a focus to TWFing. Though I suppise that I can just go the typical Guisarme and spiked gauntlet route. Basically the old THFing and TWFing.

Losing Iron Tortoise isn't too big a deal. That may work to give me a few more points of AC.

There's a trait called Unorthodox Tradition that swaps out one of your disciplines for a different one. If you want Iron Tortoise back you can use that.


So let's see the armor bonus goes down to +9 (+5 celestial armor). I would lose 5 points there, but can get Int up to 24, which is a +7 modifier. A net gain of 2 points so a final AC of 43. This is better, but still a little shy of a good Tank AC.

The attack bonuses from Beastiary one for CR20 range from 25 to 39 with an average bonus of 32. So on average I currently have about a 50% chance to not get hit.

The advantage of getting an ability score other than Dex added to your AC (or using Bracers of Armor and getting full Dex to AC) is that your armor class is uncapped, hence my suggestion.

[Sacrieur]

My issue with Dervish Defender is that it pushes a focus to TWFing. Though I suppise that I can just go the typical Guisarme and spiked gauntlet route. Basically the old THFing and TWFing

Dump Silver Crane and pick up Scarlet Throne Style. Take a 1 level dip into Stalker (Investigator archetype) and take up the diverse training feat.

It may be a bit of a stretch to consider Scarlet Throne Style as wielding a weapon in each hand however...

Edit: In case you're reading this we had a discussion in the PoW Expanded thread about the Scarlet Throne Style. After some debate, the feat was reworded and clarified that it's for using a weapon two-handed, and does not count as wielding a weapon in each hand. I'll revise my build below to compensate for this.



Losing Iron Tortoise isn't too big a deal. That may work to give me a few more points of AC.

So let's see the armor bonus goes down to +9 (+5 celestial armor). I would lose 5 points there, but can get Int up to 24, which is a +7 modifier. A net gain of 2 points so a final AC of 43. This is better, but still a little shy of a good Tank AC.

Losing the armor is the best way to gain armor.

I built a funsies build (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=178144) on this which will exceed your 43 AC at half the level. I think I was playing around with it some and got it up to 50-something at around level 13. It requires that you can get Web of Steel, which is 3rd party, however.

[Deadline]

At high levels AC is less useful, and Miss Chance/Attack Denial are better. Finding a way to get a 50% miss chance should be a top priority. Does PF still have the Cloak of Displacement(Greater)? If you are currently at an average 50% chance to be hit, then adding the Cloak will put you effectively at an average 25% chance to be hit (with better returns for things that have a better attack bonus).

[Azoth]

Okay, first round of maneuver progressions for this build. Again, remember that the idea is to piss off/hinder enemies as much as possible while staying standing and keeping allies up.

Lvl1: Enduring Crane Strike(sc), Warden's Bearing(eg), Guard's Oath(eg), Encouraging Roar(gl), Pride Movement(gl)

Stance: Silver Crane Waltz

Lvl2: Terrifying Blow(eg)

Stance: Vigilant Keeper's Stance(eg)

Lvl3: Relentless Warden's Strike(eg)

Lvl4: Pride Movement(gl)->Fear the Reaper(eg)

Lvl5: Silver Knight's Blade(sc)

Stance: Stance of the Eternal Guardian(eg)

Lvl6: Encouraging Roar(gl)->Binding Fetters(eg)

Lvl7: Grim Guard's Laughter(eg)

Lvl8: Guard's Oath(eg)->Oath of Torpor(eg)

Stance: Stance of the Silver Crane(sc)

Lvl9: Argent Knight's Banner(sc)

Lvl10: Enduring Crane Strike(DC)->Unbreakable Gaze(eg)

Lvl11: Inescapable Fetters(eg)

Stance: Jailer of the Damned(eg)

Lvl12: Terrifying Blow(eg)->Silver Crane Resurgence (sc)

Lvl13: Unbreakable Promise(eg)

Lvl14: Relentless Warden's Strike(eg)->Grim Satisfaction(eg)

Lvl15: Hammer of the Immortal(eg)

Stance: Stance of the Infinite Warrior(eg)

Lvl16: Binding Fetters(eg)->Benediction of the Silver Crane(sc)

Lvl17: Oath of Eternity(eg)

Lvl18: Warden's Bearing(eg)->Strike of Silver Exorcism(sc)

Lvl19: Holy Rush(sc)

Stance: Stance of the Crane Night(sc)

Lvl20: Crushing Rebuke(eg), Fear The Reaper(eg)->Watchmen's Rebuke(eg)