Is there a way to sacrifice AC or Damage to Increase Accuracy?

[ccflier]

With Power Attack, you sacrifice accuracy for damage. There's usually a lot of math involved that I don't fully understand to optimize how much accuracy you are sacrificing for damage. This is pretty cool.

With Shock Trooper, you sacrifice your AC for accuracy, but only while power attacking, only during a charge. This is great for making power attacks actually hit, but I need something that will just always let me hit.

Is there something that would be decreasing my Damage or AC to increase my accuracy? I'm already going to be using arcane strike to trade spell slots for accuracy. I will get karmic strike, and I will have 2-10 DR for a variety of different damages, so I can and will be a few taking hits. But I also want to land my maneuvers and Stand Still, keeping the aggro on me. Taking a hit to AC seems worth it to land a few more hits. It would be embarrassing to take a bunch of hits and not be able to retaliate.

I'm Dread Necromancer+Crusader/JPM so lemme know if there is a divine feat that might just give a temp boost. Preferably more than one round duration sense I need swift actions.

[Sutr]

http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a Arcane duelist does exactly that, but probably not what you need.

[Rynjin]

The only one I know of is a Barbarian rage Power in Pathfinder. Reckless abandon (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/rage-powers/paizo-rage-powers/reckless-abandon-ex).

Given you're a caster though, seems like it might be better to find a way to reliably access Quickened True Strike or something.

[ccflier]

Arcane duelist does exactly that, but probably not what you need.

I mean, I am heavily focused on CHA, so it's tempting. Would it allow me to get past the max dex cap for armor? Like, even in plate add the full +7 charisma? But even still 3 more non-casting levels would hurt, already at level 16 spellcasting at level 20, with versatile spell caster would let me still use 9th level spells. Divine power for full BAB after I seduce my GM into letting me get a persist metamagic rod.

[Thurbane]

Reckless Offense (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#recklessOffense): take -4 to AC for +2 on melee attacks.

[heavyfuel]

Law Devotion gives a pretty massive bonus to attack rolls. +3 for a single feat. Given you're already a JPM, could even be +5. Even at just 1/day it's amazing for important fights, and DN gives you rebuke so you should get at least 2/day out of the feat.

Also, your attack bonus will scale much faster than enemy's AC. At mid to higher levels, you're pretty much guaranteed to hit your first attack, and AC mostly impacts your iteratives. Of course, because you're an initiator, you don't care about iteratives nearly as much as your standard melee character, so having super high attack bonuses shouldn't be top priority.

[St Fan]

Charge is the basic move for doing so without any special ability. +2 to hit in exchange to -2 to AC.

A few maneuvers from the Tome of Battle are also in this category, such a Steely Strike.

Maybe feats too; on top of my head, there is Circle Student. Such techniques often involve a penalty to AC against all enemies save the one you're focusing on; thus they are safe in a duel, risky when facing multiple attackers.

About sacrificing some damage for accuracy, in a roundabout way there is the Rogue ACF Disruptive Attack (http://srd.dndtools.org/srd/classes/baseCore/rogue.html#disruptive-attack), although this one is technically reducing the target's ability to defend rather than increasing your own precision (same result in the end, though).

[tyckspoon]

I mean, I am heavily focused on CHA, so it's tempting. Would it allow me to get past the max dex cap for armor? Like, even in plate add the full +7 charisma? But even still 3 more non-casting levels would hurt, already at level 16 spellcasting at level 20, with versatile spell caster would let me still use 9th level spells. Divine power for full BAB after I seduce my GM into letting me get a persist metamagic rod.

Pretty sure, yes - it's just Charisma-to-AC with a restriction that you have to be able to dodge (ie, not be being struck unawares or otherwise restricted, which is generally what 'can't use your Dex modifier' represents.) Somewhat oddly for a duelist-themed prestige class Arcane Duelist does not appear to be restricted by armor choice at all.

It would be a much less casting-centered build, but I have to admit I'm kind of loving the image of using Dexterous Attack to very precisely and gently tap somebody with your sword and then exploding them with something like Strike of Perfect Clarity or Diamond Mind's Concentration-check based strikes, or Tiger Claw's save-vs-death Strike (You are already dead! 3.. 2.. 1.. shower of gore.) Question for DM - does Insightful Strike/Greater still get reduced by using Dexterous Attack, or does 'roll a Concentration check and use its result as damage' beat it since you're not rolling weapon damage any more?

[ccflier]

The only one I know of is a Barbarian rage Power in Pathfinder.

Given you're a caster though, seems like it might be better to find a way to reliably access Quickened True Strike or something.

I was thinking about true strike though. I don't have native access to true strike so i'm not sure how I would get it, let alone quicken it to a 5th level spell.

[tyckspoon]

I was thinking about true strike though. I don't have native access to true strike so i'm not sure how I would get it, let alone quicken it to a 5th level spell.

Working off a Dread Necromancer is not a great place for spell access, but take a look at the Circlet of Rapid Casting (Magic Item Compendium.) Nice budget means of Quickening low-level spells, especially those 1st level spells that would be really cool if you didn't have to spend your entire turn casting it.

[ccflier]

Pretty sure, yes - it's just Charisma-to-AC with a restriction that you have to be able to dodge (ie, not be being struck unawares or otherwise restricted, which is generally what 'can't use your Dex modifier' represents.) Somewhat oddly for a duelist-themed prestige class Arcane Duelist does not appear to be restricted by armor choice at all.

It would be a much less casting-centered build, but I have to admit I'm kind of loving the image of using Dexterous Attack to very precisely and gently tap somebody with your sword and then exploding them with something like Strike of Perfect Clarity or Diamond Mind's Concentration-check based strikes, or Tiger Claw's save-vs-death Strike (You are already dead! 3.. 2.. 1.. shower of gore.) Question for DM - does Insightful Strike/Greater still get reduced by using Dexterous Attack, or does 'roll a Concentration check and use its result as damage' beat it since you're not rolling weapon damage any more?

I wont be able to use a deathblow very well, due to lack of a strength score. Insightful strike looks kinda useful. I, as an undead, add my +7 cha to my concentration check, +level+3 for ranks. 20 minimum damage at level 10 and it uses a d20 as the damage die, which sounds really sick, even if my dm wont let it work with insightful strike.


Also, your attack bonus will scale much faster than enemy's AC. At mid to higher levels, you're pretty much guaranteed to hit your first attack, and AC mostly impacts your iteratives. Of course, because you're an initiator, you don't care about iteratives nearly as much as your standard melee character, so having super high attack bonuses shouldn't be top priority.

Had no idea. So AC is more of a number to keep big fighters in check.


Working off a Dread Necromancer is not a great place for spell access, but take a look at the Circlet of Rapid Casting (Magic Item Compendium.) Nice budget means of Quickening low-level spells, especially those 1st level spells that would be really cool if you didn't have to spend your entire turn casting it.

DN is fairly tanky and can rebuke/control undead. I get a ton more undead and its a flank focused build. So I guess no true strike but circlet of rapid casting looks really cool. Can get a swift action ghoul touch/blindness/scare a few times a day.

[Hawk12192]

I think barbarian is the way to go. People already mentioned reckless abandon, but stuff like "come and get me" also fits the flavor of a person who wants to hit and doesn't mind being hurt to do it.

[Thunder999]

Why not just find a way to get good UMD then spam wands of wraithstrike to hit touch.

[Troacctid]

Precise Strike does it for sneak attacks.