High AC Low OP

[cartejos]

I know, I know, "AC is bad, do something else"

The AC was the launching point for the character, which I would like to function as a Vow of Poverty Forsaker.

Chaotic Good Warforged
So far I was thinking Barbarian 4/Swordsage 2/Forsaker 10/X5
One flaw is allowed w/ maximum template of +1 LA

Barbarian gives rage 2/day and Bear Totem gives Great Fortitude
Swordsage gives wisdom as an extra bonus to ac
Poverty gives a bonus of about +15 and forsaker gives con.
AC is 10+Warforged Armor+Dex+Wis+Con+15, or 27+Wis+Con+Dex
Pick up Sacred Vow/Vow of Poverty at first level
At third and sixth would require to sink 2 feats into pretty mediocre stuff, but given that there will be no cloaks of resistances for the character, they'll be useful enough

For the template, I was thinking about Mineral Warrior because of the good defensive abilities and a burrowing machine man of doom seems funny.

I would really like to stick to x5-6/Forsaker 10/x4-5 and keep vow of poverty at 1st level. Other than that, I'm very open to changing up the build, especially because a Kobold would be small, have natural armor instead of light, and could go monk 2/barbarian 3/forsaker 10/x5

[Doc_Maynot]

Does the game you're playing in allow bloodlines?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'd move Vow of Poverty to 3rd to take Mithral Body at 1st. A Swordsage doesn't get the AC bonus unless wearing light armor, and the base composite plating doesn't count as any type of armor. You can say you visited the Otyugh Hole in CS to get Iron Will without spending a feat on it.

If you go the Monk route, you can use Invisible Eye (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#monkVariantFightingSty les) to get Lightning Reflexes at Monk 2. However, most would consider a required alignment change as part of any build (that's not a built-in class concept like Fallen Paladin > Blackguard) to be the opposite of low-op. If you were mostly including Barbarian for the bonus prerequisite for Forsaker, you could just use Monk instead.

Multiple untyped bonuses from the same source don't stack, so a Monk's AC Bonus class feature won't stack with the identically-named AC Bonus class feature of Swordsage or Ninja. However, a Forsaker's Tough Defense bonus to AC will stack with a Deepwarden's Stone Warden bonus to AC, so you could add your Con bonus to your AC twice if you use a Dwarf race or take Stoneblessed 3.

[cartejos]

Bloodlines are allowed

[ericgrau]

AC is great in low op or even some moderate op. All you have to do is still have some attack and stand in front and it becomes relevant. Even with a moderately high AC it's usually better for foes in front to hit you rather than spending the extra time to go around. If your AC is so high you're untouchable, then next you might want to add on something for attacks of opportunity like a reach weapon or large size. So even when they do go around enemies get hurt. And assuming the DM doesn't metagame they might still try to hit you for a round too. And then you'll get an attack of opportunity even without reach, or else you'll make the foe waste 2 turns if he withdraws.

That's the simple way. There are more involved ways to try to force enemies to attack you too.

[Doc_Maynot]

With bloodlines allowed and your plan to go into forsaker, i highly recommend grabbing all the bloodlines you can stuff onto yourself. More feats, and bloodline levels add to your classes to determine level based abilities, such as...


Ability Bonus (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, the character gains a +1 inherent bonus to any desired ability score for each forsaker level.

Or...


Fast Healing (Ex): Forsakers regain hit points at an exceptionally fast rate. At 1st level, the character regains 1 hit point per round, to a maximum of 10 hit points per day. The number of hit points regained per round increases by +1 for every four forsaker levels, and the maximum restorable per day increases by 10 for every two forsaker levels. Except as noted above, this ability works like the fast healing ability described in the introduction of the Monster Manual.

Or even


Spell Resistance (Ex): At 1st level, the forsaker gains spell resistance 11. This value increases by +1 with each forsaker level gained and stacks with any other applicable spell resistance he has.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Apostle of Peace lets you use defensive magic items even though you have Vow of Poverty. Of course, you have to be nonviolent (protip: unarmed strikes can do nonlethal damage; invest in rope).

Incarnum works fine with Vow of Poverty. There've got to be some soulmelds that increase AC.

[Silentline]

I know, I know, "AC is bad, do something else"

The AC was the launching point for the character, which I would like to function as a Vow of Poverty Forsaker.

Chaotic Good Warforged
So far I was thinking Barbarian 4/Swordsage 2/Forsaker 10/X5
One flaw is allowed w/ maximum template of +1 LA

Barbarian gives rage 2/day and Bear Totem gives Great Fortitude
Swordsage gives wisdom as an extra bonus to ac
Poverty gives a bonus of about +15 and forsaker gives con.
AC is 10+Warforged Armor+Dex+Wis+Con+15, or 27+Wis+Con+Dex
Pick up Sacred Vow/Vow of Poverty at first level
At third and sixth would require to sink 2 feats into pretty mediocre stuff, but given that there will be no cloaks of resistances for the character, they'll be useful enough

For the template, I was thinking about Mineral Warrior because of the good defensive abilities and a burrowing machine man of doom seems funny.

I would really like to stick to x5-6/Forsaker 10/x4-5 and keep vow of poverty at 1st level. Other than that, I'm very open to changing up the build, especially because a Kobold would be small, have natural armor instead of light, and could go monk 2/barbarian 3/forsaker 10/x5

Hmm.. Try heading for the Sainthood template or see if you can start with it to get that trusty Insight bonus to AC since your using exalted feats. The Vow of Poverty is going to put a clamp on you owning pretty much anything you may need to bolster your AC at higher levels leaving all the spell-like stuff behind that makes the Vow of Poverty so worth having due to the forsaker restrictions.

Honestly the Vow kinda kills your total AC potential unless you are trying for a NO armor proficiency approach such as an apostle of peace or arcane concept. I'm sorry friend but forsaker is more or less best optimized with the one hitter quitter class types who can break nearly anything with whatever they pick up. The narrow minded vision against magic is pretty natural with most savages who have been scarred forever by its use against them. Plus stacking multiple class features like Barbarian Rage, Frenzy, and or Berserk (Deities and demi-gods book) etc. they can plow through castle walls and turn squads of high CR foes into red slush while literally standing dead on their feet with health in the negatives with a slim chance to fast heal back into positive numbers while the frenzy lasts. We are talking MASSIVE strength out of no where endangering anyone and everyone present but it fits the role perfectly.

Allow me to offer a better conventional high AC low OP option that does not require multi-classing.

Pick a race with multiple limbs who can equip one or two additional bucklers with light armor to prevent instantly drowning should you have to swim. Its a quick modestly tanky cleric who can become an Ultra tanky when things get ugly. Using Divine feats empowered by turning the cleric can slap his charisma bonus to his AC on a shield for a certain amount of rounds equal to his charisma bonus (See divine Shield feat). Plus with the Divine might feat you can make weapons including spiked shields add charisma as additional damage. At that point you want character Charisma to be high pumped up with all sorts of enhancements from items and equipment. The advantage of being able to also fall back on various protective spells when needed can make a difference at low as well as high levels. Sure the Vow is gone but in perspective to the highest armor enchants and armor qualities plus the armor specializations available.. By default you outclass nearly anyone walking or flying in AC.

You can scrap the spells and keep cleric 1 for divine shield satisfaction and go fighter the rest of the way for all sorts of feats while kicking maximum @#$ in the process. Because it just feels good when you unload a full offensive then shield bash an enemy NPC 10 feet onto his back without losing so much as a drop of AC. (Shield expert feat/knockdown feat) Priceless..

Cleric lv1/Fighter lv1-19 specialist FTW

Edit: And i also forgot exploiting the many fighting style and AC enhancing feats or using complete warrior Fighter feats to turn Base attack into Additional AC for each wielded weapon.