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DareTheRogue
2008-12-04, 03:52 PM
I am having a little throwdown in a one shot. I was told bring a level 15 character with 15th level starting gold to this little party. I worked out a Halfling Fighter 8/Dervish 7 with a total AC while fighting complete full defense and full ICE of 65. He currently wears +5 Mithral breastplate, 5+RoP, +5 Amulet Nat Armor, Ring of Evasion, and a cloak of Resistance +5. any suggestions on making his AC higher?

Feats:
Combat Expertise
Dodge
Mobility
Weapon Focus (Scimitar)
Two Weapon Fighting
Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Spring Attack
Two Weapon Defense
Improved Combat Expertise
Improved Two Weapon Defense
Improved Critical
Greater Two Weapon Defense

ericgrau
2008-12-04, 04:07 PM
You forgot the dusty rose prism ioun stone for another +1. And what? No shield?

Peak AC can be achieved by dumping armor all together, getting a monk's belt instead, and picking a monster race with a high wis and high natural armor. Also pick up a ring of force shield, bracers of armor and periapt of wisdom.

But actually I'd say you have too much AC already and should focus on a more balanced fighter. First, get a magic shield, it'll do more than ITWD unless there's some dervish ability I don't know about. Make strength your primary stat, and con your secondary, which might make your dex too low to use a mithral breastplate. You may stay halfing and be effective, even with the str penalty, thanks to the halfling's size and dex bonuses. Do get the dusty rose prism ioun stone. Keep CE but dump ICE, unless you'll seriously run into a monster with enough AB to hit you even with CE. Consider swapping your amulet of natural armor for an amulet of health, or at least getting the con boosting ioun stone. See if someone in the party can hit you with barskin (if you don't have the amulet of natural armor). Get a belt of strength too. Get a minor magic weapon, but still something. Note that TWF is even worse than SAB offensively for this reason: the -2, small weapon and cost of paying for 2 magic weapons. But again I'm not too familiar with the dervish, so if he has bonus damage then keep TWF and ITWD. ITWF has questionable value as a feat, since the extra attack is at a -5, and GTWF is almost worthless. Still, ITWF might still be okay if you don't have any other major feats to get.

You'll still be nigh-invincible physically, and you'll actually be able to hurt something.

DareTheRogue
2008-12-04, 04:10 PM
There is no party, it is free for all combat, 16 players 2 dms and a complete mess of monsters. I just plan on being last alive of the PCs atm.

ericgrau
2008-12-04, 04:18 PM
Ohhhh, in that case just be sure to have 19 more AC than the best AB you see, then put the rest in offense and con for HP (many attacks bypass AC). But like I said SAB will do both more damage and give more AC than TWF, unless the dervish gives bonus damage (again, sorry, don't know the class).

Also consider a race with SR to cover spell defense, if allowed.

Person_Man
2008-12-04, 04:22 PM
At 15th level, AC is meaningless secondary compared to miss chance, SR, Saves, and magical buffs/protections (Polymorph, Greater Invisibility, Stoneskin, etc). My suggestion is that you go Invisible and buff yourself every round with potions and scrolls (invest in UMD cross class) and wait for other players to kill each other.

Are you wedded to Dervish? It's a lousy PrC.

mostlyharmful
2008-12-04, 04:31 PM
Try for miss chances, they're generally a lot cheaper and more surefire at high levels, a PC with a Blink ring and a ghost touch weapona dn a way of seeing ethereal (say, dream dwarf or what have you) will have a miss chance against most things, no matter what their BAB, that's a whole lot cheaper than busting a gut on AC boosts.

That being said if you're wanting a high AC try to grab a level or two in the classes that get stat mods to AC, Swordsage and Dwarven Defender and such, generally the easiest way to ludicruos AC.

Demons_eye
2008-12-04, 04:46 PM
Monks belt plus saint template witch its la 2 gets you wisdom to ac twice go FoF to get con and be dwarf for deep warden to replace dex to ac with con.

Wis to ac twice
Con to ac twice

If you get the mineral worrior template for +6 con and dr 8 addaminte, you get +10 con befor rolling stats will and fort should be sky high. Get 5 levels of kensai for a consentration check for reflex saves. And a nice +6 str bonus for 2 round with a DC 15 consentraion check witch canbe repeated just at +5 DC. If you put the highest stat in con then next highest in wis you could get like +60ish ac easy and thats not counting magic ac bosters.

Curmudgeon
2008-12-04, 08:41 PM
Monks belt plus saint template witch its la 2 gets you wisdom to ac twice go FoF to get con and be dwarf for deep warden to replace dex to ac with con.

Wis to ac twice
Con to ac twiceThis doesn't quite work, according to the FAQ.
Does the Armor Class bonus ability from the monk, swordsage, and ninja stack?
Not quite, each of these abilities provides the same bonus. You are not able to benefit from multiple sources that have the same name more then once. "AC Bonus" is a source with the same name in the Monk, Ninja, Swordsage, and Fist of the Forest classes, so those don't stack regardless of which stat they add, or if they're derived indirectly via an item (Monk's Belt). "Stone Warden" is a different named source in the Deepwarden PrC, as is "Armor Class" in the Saint template, so these work together.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-12-05, 01:09 AM
This doesn't quite work, according to the FAQ. "AC Bonus" is a source with the same name in the Monk, Ninja, Swordsage, and Fist of the Forest classes, so those don't stack regardless of which stat they add, or if they're derived indirectly via an item (Monk's Belt). "Stone Warden" is a different named source in the Deepwarden PrC, as is "Armor Class" in the Saint template, so these work together.See my sig. The sources aren't the same, so they don't stack.

Ponce
2008-12-05, 01:18 AM
See my sig. The sources aren't the same, so they don't stack.

Sbluh?

Also, OP, maybe try something like cleric? Stacking on Cleric buffs is the only feasible way I can think of to get a truly stupendous AC, if that is what you want. Dervish seems like a really difficult class to attempt this with.

Try buying armor spikes and shield spikes. Enchant them to be +1 defending spikes, then cast Greater Magic Weapon on each. They now each grant a stacking dodge bonus to AC equal to whatever enchantment you can manage with GMW.

BobVosh
2008-12-05, 01:40 AM
Scout 5, Swordsage x (until you get ac, dunno SS well), Dervish X (all the rest of levels (consider lowering scout levels a bit as needed for 1000 cuts if you want it.)

Benefits: Scout gives ac for moving 10+ (not much...but meh)
Swordsage adds wisdom to ac when in light armor
Dervish lets you move and do a full attack. This means you get to use skirmish on melee attacks
Saint will let you add wisdom to your ac again.

Dodge/mobility/combat expertise are kinda worthless, but keep any you need to qualify. Flaws are always good for extra feats if you need em.

As for AC at 15 a 50 should be fine. Get some blur, mirror images, blink, etc for a good miss chance on you.

Stronghearted halfling nets you a feat, at a -1 to all saves. Worst comes to worst be SHH and take luck of heroes. Gives you more stuff and better than a reg halfling in everyway.

Since saint + SS wisdom adds to all ac your touch and flatfooted should be decent.


Sbluh? He means FAQ is not RAW. FAQ is wrong (not frequently like some would say) but at least occasionaly.

Fcannon
2008-12-05, 01:54 AM
If you just want to be the last one standing, you could always take the coward's path-get a Portable Hole and close it from the inside, or go caster and use Rope Trick or something. Then hop out fully buffed when there's only one weakened sucker left.

Thurbane
2008-12-05, 01:58 AM
See my sig. The sources aren't the same, so they don't stack.
While FAQ may not be RAW, it's a lot more "official" than most other sources...say random strangers on an internet forum. :smallbiggrin:

He means FAQ is not RAW. FAQ is wrong (not frequently like some would say) but at least occasionaly.
Hey, even the RAW contradicts itself some of the time, doesn't mean you should dismiss it wholesale...

...and yes, people tend to greatly exaggerate how often The Sage gets it wrong. :smallwink: