I know this is kind of a broad topic with a lot of variables and conditionals, but I did some searches here, other forums and google in general and the data was hard to group up.
I was just wondering: any thoughts, or any place I can find preexisting data/discussion on a good rule of thumb by level for what a standard attack bonus should be for martial characters? I figure there must have been a lot of discussion leading to some benchmarks for characters as to what to aspire to as a minimum and I just don't know enough about how the game scales past mid-level. Maybe a better question is how does target AC scale by CR on average?
Sorry if this is a silly question.
I know this is kind of a broad topic with a lot of variables and conditionals, but I did some searches here, other forums and google in general and the data was hard to group up.
I was just wondering: any thoughts, or any place I can find preexisting data/discussion on a good rule of thumb by level for what a standard attack bonus should be for martial characters? I figure there must have been a lot of discussion leading to some benchmarks for characters as to what to aspire to as a minimum and I just don't know enough about how the game scales past mid-level. Maybe a better question is how does target AC scale by CR on average?
Sorry if this is a silly question.
It's not at all a silly question. I'm sure there's someone out there who actually ran the numbers based on a spreadsheet of monsters by CR and AC,.... but that person's not me.
My general rule of thumb is that a martial type wants to be able to achieve an AC of just under 20+level, and an attack bonus of at least her level beyond her natural full BaB progression. This doesn't need to be sustainable; you can burn resources to hit it (potion of barkskin) and doesn't even need to be achievable through you only (if you are willing to trust that you will always have your mage buddy around to cast Mage Armor on you). These are also "wants," not needs.
There's also a certain amount of balance, of course. The cockroach wants an AC of 22+ level or higher, and the glass cannon wants an even better attack bonus, and if you can achieve miss chances through other ways than AC then you don't need to rock AC, et cetera, et cetera.
You might like this table. Monster Creation
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under monster creation there is a general guide to AC.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/monster-creation
My experience is that you should be able to hit You level+10 consistently, I generally aim for an attack bonus of my level + 10 by level 5 for a martial focused character before buffs. That means getting buffed buts me in the sweet spot.
Edit: NINJA DEATH!!!
If you are looking for a formula, try this.
Your attack bonus should be no worse than (4+ (your character level plus one third)).
This produces a spread where a 'level appropriate average CR' takes a six seven or eight to hit on a D20, average AC for Epic encounters require about a ten.
Your "high strength, full BAB" fighter/barbarian will eclipse this formula, but this could allow a focused 3/4 BAB class to have a respectable benchmark to achieve.
Just my random sampling, but, for a quick eyeball test, it can work.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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If you are looking for a formula, try this.
Your attack bonus should be no worse than (4+ (your character level plus one third)).
Interesting...
So let's see: an 8th-level PC (rounding up on the one-third) would then want an attack bonus of (4+(8+3))=(4+11)=15.
Now to compare my 8th-level PFS cleric...
BAB +6
STR +4
Wpn +1
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+11 total, though he pretty much always has heroism up to take that to +13. If I spend the first round casting divine favor (as I often do), then that puts me at the prescribed +15 to hit. Sweet! :D
But I guess by 9th I'd better take Weapon Focus and/or get another +1 from gear...
Thanks so much, guys! Gives me some stuff to mull over and compare when I look at BAB, build progression and attempt to consider viability.
Thats actually a pretty great formula. One that is easy for Full BAB classes to keep up with and doable for any 3/4 bab class using class features and magic items. Except the rogue, poor guy. lets all take a moment to pity him.
My 6th-level PFS ninja has +11 to hit, or +13 while flanking, and he doesn't get any to-hit boosts that a rogue wouldn't also have. Seems like he'll be able to easily keep up with that formula as well up to level 12 when PFS stops having scenarios (if I play him that high)--every 4 levels, you need to find a +3 to hit aside from your BAB alone. For him, level 8 stat boost, increasing Dex item, and a menacing weapon is already +4 (+5 for second Dex item increase) even if he never increases pure weapon enhancement.
I came up with my own chart, and surprisingly I came up with numbers higher than most of what was said so far. Usually I would be arguing you can get away with less, and you probably can if you are bringing something else to the party.
The number on my list are for melee combatants, without short term buffs. So this is the number you would have sitting on your character sheet before things like Flanking, Haste or Bard song (or whatever). You can use the Attack Bonus for ranged characters as well, but they can get away with less AC.
Lvl:AB/AC
1:+4/17
2:+5/19
3:+7/20
4:+9/22
5:+10/23
6:+12/24
7:+14/25
8:+15/26
9:+17/28
10:+19/29
11:+20/30
12:+22/32
13:+23/33
14:+25/34
15:+27/35
16:+28/36
17:+30/37
18:+32/38
19:+33/39
20:+35/40