[3.5] Is there anyway around Max-Dex on armour?

[kentma57]

The title says it all, I have a character in the works and I am trying to think of away around max-dex on some of the heavier armours in the game.
I figure, worst caste I talk my DM into a new type of armour enchantment.

[monty]

If the difference in max Dex is high enough, just ditch it for Bracers of Armor.

[kentma57]

I don't know, I'm in the mood for Full-Plate with +4 max-dex.

[Faleldir]

That's +1 Nimbleness (MIC) mithral full plate.

Price: 14500 gp
Armor bonus: +9
Maximum DEX bonus: +4
Armor check penalty: -1
Arcan spell failure: 25%

It is totally not worth it.

[SurlySeraph]

Mithral with the Nimbleness enchantment.

EDIT: Faleldir beat me to it.

[Jack_Simth]

I don't know, I'm in the mood for Full-Plate with +4 max-dex.

Hmm. Well, Mithral will get you an extra +2 Max Dex (to three).

[Bluebeard]

There's an argument to be made for Deepwarden.
When it replaces Dexterity with Constitution, the limit may or not go too.
Ask your DM.

And isn't this the Dread Commando's whole schtick?
I never gave that class much attention... I can't remember.

[Lycanthromancer]

Look at Complete Psionic. One of the items in the back is a psychoactive skin of ectoplasmic armor.

It can be donned/removed with a standard action, it weighs 1 lb, does not decrease your speed, and it otherwise acts as full-plate. Yes, it has a Max Dex of +2, but it stacks with a monk's belt, since it's not actually armor.

Alternately, an eternal dorje (ie, wand) of inertial armor with a manifester level of 9 or greater (and 9 or more power points invested into it). 18+ hours of +8 armor bonus for (I believe) double the cost of a regular dorje: over 66,000 gp.

...Reeeeally overpriced, but there you go.

[herrhauptmann]

I'm sure that some of the special armor materials will allow you to do as you desire. Most likely in Races of the Wild, but there's so many materials, listed in so many books, that it's a bit ridiculous.

[Tehnar]

Or maybe you can ask your DM to do away with the concept of maximum dexterity bonus. IMO, it serves no real purpose, it just penalizes classes that wear heavy armor (beyond the armor check penalty and movement speed reduction).

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Or maybe you can ask your DM to do away with the concept of maximum dexterity bonus. IMO, it serves no real purpose, it just penalizes classes that wear heavy armor (beyond the armor check penalty and movement speed reduction).

Not really. If you look at the chart, the best AC+Max Dex adds up to +9 for each weapon type. That means the Fighter and the Rogue have the same AC, but the Fighter gets it without needing to invest in Dex, while Dex is the Rogue's primary stat.

[Eldariel]

Not really. If you look at the chart, the best AC+Max Dex adds up to +9 for each weapon type. That means the Fighter and the Rogue have the same AC, but the Fighter gets it without needing to invest in Dex, while Dex is the Rogue's primary stat.

Actually, Full-Plate and Padded have the highest AC bonuses. Breastplate & Chain Shirt come then. Then the other medium & heavy armors, which mostly suck as far as composite AC goes.

[Starbuck_II]

Look at Complete Psionic. One of the items in the back is a psychoactive skin of ectoplasmic armor.

It can be donned/removed with a standard action, it weighs 1 lb, does not decrease your speed, and it otherwise acts as full-plate. Yes, it has a Max Dex of +2, but it stacks with a monk's belt, since it's not actually armor.

Alternately, an eternal dorje (ie, wand) of inertial armor with a manifester level of 9 or greater (and 9 or more power points invested into it). 18+ hours of +8 armor bonus for (I believe) double the cost of a regular dorje: over 66,000 gp.

...Reeeeally overpriced, but there you go.

Although, MIC, they nerfed it to count as light armor for class features (like Monk Wis to AC).

That said, Swordsages still get to use it.

[Lemmingboy]

Look in the Arms and Armor guide (I think) for Tesselated Armor. It's +2 full plate that's med category. Take a mith copy instead and, if you can, put nimbleness on it. I think it's either a +4 or +5 max dex, and the mith puts you substantially on weight, keeping you away from carrying a med load- which gives you a max dex of +3.

[Greg]

Not really. If you look at the chart, the best AC+Max Dex adds up to +9 for each weapon type. That means the Fighter and the Rogue have the same AC, but the Fighter gets it without needing to invest in Dex, while Dex is the Rogue's primary stat.

But the rogue gets dex to touch AC, which becomes more important at higher levels.

[JonestheSpy]

Everyon'e forgotten the easiest answer:

Find a DM who doesn't give a boop about game balance.

See? That was easy.

[Lycanthromancer]

The only AC that matters after low levels is touch AC, since most monsters will be able to hit your regular AC very very easily.

Invest in touch AC and multiple miss-chances (or in not being able to be targeted and hit at all), and you're much better off, as it's far cheaper (and more useful) than investing in your normal AC.

[NEO|Phyte]

The title says it all, I have a character in the works and I am trying to think of away around max-dex on some of the heavier armours in the game.
I figure, worst caste I talk my DM into a new type of armour enchantment.

There is a way to ignore max dex on light and medium armor, but it isn't exactly what you'd call easily accessible.

[Thane of Fife]

While they aren't WotC material, there are feats to accomplish just this sort of thing in the Gaming Section of GitP. See: Armor Focus, Greater Armor Focus, Epic Armor Focus.