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Hey all!
I'm building a character who would benefit greatly if fighting defensively's bonus reached 5!
Limits:
All classes and archetypes are allowed. Highest level is 6!
All magic items all allowed!
All Traits are allowed!
All Feats are allowed!*
But everything which is 3rd published is NOT allowed!
*"Mythic" feats are NOT allowed!
All new input on the subject is good input!
Mobility adds a +4 when moving and a good armor + shield (tower?) will provide a nice bonus as well and make sure your extra armor from dexterity is present as well.
Dodge provides 1 point.
The cooperative feat of shield wall will provide your neibors with a bonus and their shield will provide you with a bonus.
The combination of towershield and mobility provides your character with a similar bonus whether standing still or on the move.
So a Full plate +9 and a dexterity of 14 (as long as you aren't flatfooted) will provide a +2 if you have at least 3 fighter levels.
Add a tower shield and mobility and a minimum of +4 is added.
+4 if standing still and not taking full cover from towershield
+4 from tower and +4 from mobility if moving.
And cover if standing still and choosing that option, but it will only function from a certain side. This tactic will combine very nicely with shield wall though (or a narrow corridor).
Add +1 from dodge (as long as you aren't flatfooted)
If you then have 3 ranks in acrobatics and fight defensively you add +3 to armor or you could add +6 if you go for total defence.
Spells that provide concealment provide a miss chance in case someone manages to hit you.
Or an invisibility and total defence will function nicely as well. Remember that total defence is a standard action so you can take total defence and then start moving gaining a +4 from total def (+6 if 3 ranks in acrobatics) and a +4 from mobility. You could use the heavily protected move to provide flanking for your teammates. And yes someone employing total defence provides a flanking bonus to a friend at the right spot, but is unable to use the bonus him/herself that round.
Remember that gaining full cover of a tower shield will not combine with fighting defensively or total defence! (all three are standard actions!)
Don't forget that using a towershield has an attack penalty of -2, unless you have the towershield proficiency.
So I would immagine a fighter with a dexterity of 14 using a full plate and a tower shield.
Base AC of 25 , flatfooted AC of 23.
Dodge will add +1 ac to base. Base AC of 26 , flatfooted AC of 23.
Mobility will add +4 for an AC 0f 30 when moving. and can be combined with fighting defensively or total defence (I assume you took 3 ranks in acrobatics). Base AC of 28 with fighting defensively and Base AC of 31 when taking total defence.
And if you move after using fighting defensively or total defence another +4 is added. Base AC of 32 with fighting defensively + moving and Base AC of 35 when taking total defence + moving.
When standing still you could use the towershield to get total cover from a side or let a friend (both the friend and you have shield wall) provide you with extra AC from his/her shield and provide him/her with a bonus of +2.
If both shield wall partners are adjacent, have tower shields and use this to provide total cover for themselves, their partners will gain the benefits from total cover from their partners side providing total cover as well.
So ultimately I would have a fighter with 3 levels of fighter 3 ranks in acrobatics, dodge and the cooperative shield wall feat (together with another frontliner)
As equipment i'd take a full plate and a tower shield.
If possible let a party member provide you with magic vestments, invisibility (improved), Blur or fight from an obscuring mist.
Any other magic is most likely best used to enhance your attack as it is likely to suffer a bit from the defensive positions.
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Snowleopart, that is quite a remarkable AC build. There are many magic items that will supplement it further making it advance level wise. Or feats such as "Combat expertise". However I'm only looking into the "fighting defensively" action - and how it can be further modified, as I'm trying to use the feat "Stalwart" to maximize its output to DR, if it's possible.
Stalwart:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/stalwart
I'm trying to avoid using Combat Expertise as -4 + (-2) to Aim simply gets rediculous!
(-4) = Fight defensively, (-2) = Combat Exp (if BAB =>4)
