Defenses for a level 10 fighter?

[WarKitty]

What defensive items would you give to a level 10 fighter? I'm afraid I've been rather stingy in my items this game due to inexperience (got stuck DM'ing a higher level than I was ready for). I'm noticing most CR-appropriate monsters can hit my fighters almost all the time, and would like to change that up.

[Skaven]

First stop: Better AC Armour.

(Is he a sword+board? if so, shield here)

Second stop: Ring of protection.

Third stop: Amulet of Natural Armour (I find I prefer the con amulet on my fighters).

[Boci]

Miss chance is generally superior to extra AC at level 10 (cloak of concealment I think its called?), but using the MiC rules for combining magical affects can help boost your AC by paying a small amount of gold for a multiple +1's. Alternativly embrace your low AC and take robilar gambit in two levels, but you might not want to do that with your fighter.

[WarKitty]

First stop: Better AC Armour.

(Is he a sword+board? if so, shield here)

Second stop: Ring of protection.

Third stop: Amulet of Natural Armour (I find I prefer the con amulet on my fighters).

We have 2...one sword/board, one TWF. TWF is an optimizer and outpaces the party sorcerer, sword/board is the opposite end of the spectrum and can't manage to hit most things.

Miss chance is generally superior to extra AC at level 10 (cloak of concealment I think its called?), but using the MiC rules for combining magical affects can help boost your AC by paying a small amount of gold for a multiple +1's. Alternativly embrace your low AC and take robilar gambit in two levels, but you might not want to do that with your fighter.

In case it wasn't clear I'm the DM.

[Boci]

In case it wasn't clear I'm the DM.

Okay then, same advice: give him a cloak of concealment (or however you call it) and a wizard who can enchant his other magical items with some +1's to AC (could be the wizard's Guild form of payment for completing an assigment).

[Vizzerdrix]

Free template? It only takes a Con of 20 to start picking up DR/- (And other types of DR can be had even easier).

[faceroll]

An animated mithral tower shield is pretty nice.

The fighters should be in a mithral chain shirt, breastplate, or full plate, given their dex score. Mithral mechanus gear, from manual of the planes, is 10 AC and max dex 2. Pretty awesome stuff.

Defending armor spikes can boost their AC, though it's rather expensive if you don't have someone cast greater magic weapon on them. Only get them when you can't find another +1 AC for under 8,000 gp.

I would say between mithral armor, a ring of prot +1, and a total of +3 on their actual armor, you should see an increase of 5 to their AC.

[KillianHawkeye]

mechanus gear, from manual of the planes

Actually from Planar Handbook.

[faceroll]

Actually from Planar Handbook.

Oh, the other one. Is that the 3.5 one that is better?

[KillianHawkeye]

Oh, the other one. Is that the 3.5 one that is better?

Yes, that's the 3.5 one. I wouldn't say that it's better exactly. Manual of the Planes has more descriptions about various locations, etc. It's more of a DM's book, while Planar Handbook has a lot more content for players and less environmental info. As for the example at hand, Manual of the Planes has a couple races & prestige classes, but no equipment (unlike Planar Handbook).

[Machiavellian]

The sword and board guy should pick up Dwarven Mountain Plate which is from Races of Stone. Sure, you can only move 10ft/round, but its worth it.

[KillianHawkeye]

The sword and board guy should pick up Dwarven Mountain Plate which is from Races of Stone. Sure, you can only move 10ft/round, but its worth it.

Sounds good for a Dwarven Defender, who's not supposed to move anyway.

[lsfreak]

For the sword-and-board hitting people: Two of the easiest ways of getting decent +hit are a one-level dip in cleric, dropping the domains for Law Devotion and one other (Protection would fit the character, probably). A one-level dip in Crusader gets a stance, a few half-decent maneuvers, and the ability to use a Discipline weapon (+3hit, attune it to the discipline of whatever stance he chooses).

[Demons_eye]

Because how can you be unhappy with one of these?

[wick]

The TWF is out hitting the sword and board? How? the S&B guy must have a terrible build or very bad stats. The TWF guy can cut his penalties to hit to almost zero with 3 or 4 feats but a straight fighter can use those feats to add bonuses. Basically the TWF starts off with a deficit to hit or in the hole.

[Boci]

The TWF is out hitting the sword and board? How? the S&B guy must have a terrible build or very bad stats. The TWF guy can cut his penalties to hit to almost zero with 3 or 4 feats but a straight fighter can use those feats to add bonuses. Basically the TWF starts off with a deficit to hit or in the hole.

Crit fishing with a build that gets good stuff from crits? Like the feat that goves you a chance to make an enemy shaken. Plus the TWF may have a lower to hit, but he has more attack that do roughly equal damage to the S&B.

[Prodan]

Because how can you be unhappy with one of these?

Now fix a banner to your back and lead a charge "FOR THE EMPRAH!!!!!"

[Eldariel]

Mithril Mechanus Gear [PlH] is the best AC base armor for a low-Dex Fighter. That said, Ring of Blinking or Displacement [MiC] Armor works for the 50% miss chance against many opponents.

Easy AC boosts:
- Ring of Pro
- Amulet of NA
- Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone (5.5 for +1 Insight)
- Boots of Speed (12k for +1 Untyped when using Haste)

And of course, shield & armor enhancements (tho Cleric's Magic Vestment is infinitely more convenient and cheaper).

[Frosty]

Miss chance, miss chance, miss chance for the TW fighter. Expensive shield and armor for the SnB fighter. Also have him take feats like shield ward for extra goodies.

In order for the SnB fighter to hit stuff,make sure he has good strength I guess. Belt of giant strength? Someone needs to cast Greater Magic Weapon on his sword too. Inspire Courage would help if there's a bard in the group. If he wants to actually do damage, have him start taking Warblade or Crusader from now on.

[Andion Isurand]

You could also include artificers in your setting, and then have one of the PCs make a knowledge check to remember that they can withdraw the life force (experence) put into magic items (via retain essence) and craft others in their place.

Later on after getting any randomly rolled treasure, the group can seek out an artificer who uses Retain Essence as a form of business and have the magic drained form items they don't want and put into the creation of new items they they do want, paying gold for materials and labor... minus the cost that the mundane leavings of the old item provide.

[ericgrau]

Miss chance is generally superior to extra AC at level 10 (cloak of concealment I think its called?), but using the MiC rules for combining magical affects can help boost your AC by paying a small amount of gold for a multiple +1's. Alternativly embrace your low AC and take robilar gambit in two levels, but you might not want to do that with your fighter.

Cloak of minor displacement gives you 20% for almost half your WBL. Armor gives you 75% for about the same or a little less. Too lazy to do the math on mithril right now, but it's probably more expensive than magical enhancements at his level or even in the near future.

[Prodan]

Cloak protects you better from Enervation than AC boosts.

[ericgrau]

And death ward is better than that measly 20%, but who cares. Touch AC gives almost as much and isn't just for a corner case. You can't afford to blow half your wealth on each of 50 corner cases just to get a couple percent boost versus a more general approach.

[Boci]

Death ward protects you better than a cloak, probably other magic items too. But who really cares about either? We're talking about getting a 20% less than 5% of the time. And the normal boost to touch AC gives you over 15%. So we're talking a 2-4% boost for a corner case. Whoop-dee-doo. You can't afford to blow half your wealth on each of the 50 other things you might face instead, especially for a piddly bonus.

Okay I get 20% because that is the miss chance for a cloak, but where are you getting all the other numbers?

[ericgrau]

5% per +1 touch AC. But the original ray doesn't hit 100% of the time. Maybe 90%. So 15% is 16-17% of the actual hits.

[Machiavellian]

If this fighter's a dwarf, I have the ULTIMATE floating wall:

Clockwork Mountain Plate
dual wield Tower Shields
Ride a magic carpet
be a Dwarven Defender

with the magic carpet, he can move whilst in the defensive stance. No really.

[Boci]

5% per +1 touch AC. But the original ray doesn't hit 100% of the time. Maybe 90%. So 15% is 16-17% of the actual hits.

Well a cloak is 24k. What is the maximum amount of AC you can get with that? 12, assuming you can find 12 items that each grant +1 to AC (highly unlikely, and even then not 75% but 65% using your maths, which I must admit I do not get)). I will ignore the slots issue since I am pretty sure the combination rules in MiC render that a non-issue, so the only real questions are how many items can you find that grant +1 AC, and how of that will also apply to flatfooted and (more importantly) touch AC?

[Eldariel]

Clockwork Mountain Plate

Mechanus Gear tends to be better, Mithril grants the highest AC bonus.

dual wield Tower Shields

Shield-bonuses don't stack. Defending weapons, on the other hand, do by apparent RAW so look there.

Ride a magic carpet
be a Dwarven Defender

with the magic carpet, he can move whilst in the defensive stance. No really.

Still don't find it makes Defender worth it.

[Andion Isurand]

I would recommend the Broadblade Shortsword (Complete Adventurer) if you are using weapon groups in your campaign and the fighter goes for exotic light blades and does any kind of defensive fighting. Grants +2 AC when you fight defensively or take a -2 penalty for Combat Expertise.

The sword and board guy should pick up Dwarven Mountain Plate which is from Races of Stone. Sure, you can only move 10ft/round, but its worth it.

Heh, well, you could try this and move at normal heavy armor speed...

Thaalud Stone Armor: heavy armor; 2,800 gp;
armor bonus +12; max Dex +0; check penalty
–8; AF 40%; 180 lb.

from Anauroch the Empire of Shade

[Machiavellian]

Mechanus Gear tends to be better, Mithril grants the highest AC bonus.



Shield-bonuses don't stack. Defending weapons, on the other hand, do by apparent RAW so look there.



Still don't find it makes Defender worth it.

1. I picked Mountain Plate because it's Exotic Armor and has an insane AC bonus

2. it's for the look. wcs, have an animated shield and a defending weapon, as well as the tower shield

3. So being able to block attacks at will isn't worth it? and being able to thumb your nose at the RAW?