Help me Improve my Tank


Advice


I am currently playing in a Rise of the Runelords Campaign. We are currently level 14 about halfway thru the 5th book.

I am looking for way to improve upon my heroes defenses especially vs touch attacks. My DM allows anything from Paizo published books.

Here is my character so far.

Vorn the Stonelord
Male dwarf fighter (phalanx soldier) 3/paladin (stonelord) 11
LG Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +14
Aura courage (10 ft.), resolve (10 ft.)
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Defense
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AC 44, touch 17, flat-footed 41 (+13 armor, +4 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural, +9 shield)
hp 145 (14d10+53)
Fort +17, Ref +12 (+1 bonus vs. Trample attacks), Will +13; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities
Defensive Abilities defensive training, fortification 50%, stoneblood; DR 5/adamantine; Immune charm, fear, petrification
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +2 advancing keen adamantine fauchard +23/+18/+13 (1d10+11/15-20) or
. . cold iron warhammer +21/+16/+11 (1d8+9/×3) or
. . mwk cold iron dwarven waraxe +22/+17/+12 (1d10+9/×3)
Ranged throwing axe +14 (1d6+6)
Special Attacks phalanx fighting, stonestrike
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 0th; concentration +0)
. . At will—detect evil
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Statistics
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Str 22, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +14; CMB +26 (+32 trip); CMD 40 (45 vs. bull rush, 41 vs. drag, 41 vs. overrun, 47 vs. trip)
Feats Antagonize[UM], Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Elemental Channel, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (fauchard), Greater Trip, Improved Trip, Missile Shield[APG], Shield Focus, Toughness
Traits grounded, seeker
Skills Acrobatics -8 (-6 on balance-related checks), Appraise +1 (+3 to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones), Climb +7, Diplomacy +9, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Perception +14 (+16 to notice unusual stonework), Sense Motive +4, Survival +0 (+2 to track vs. humanoids of the Giant subtype), Swim +10; Racial Modifiers +2 Appraise to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones, +2 Perception to notice unusual stonework
Languages Common, Dwarven, Giant
SQ defensive power (clear mind), defensive stance, giant hunter, hero points, lay on hands 5/day (5d6), mercy (fatigued), stand firm +1, stone servant
Combat Gear potion of enlarge person; Other Gear +4 buoyant mithral full plate, +4 buoyant paueliel tower shield, +2 advancing keen adamantine fauchard, cold iron warhammer, mwk cold iron dwarven waraxe, throwing axe (3), amulet of natural armor +2, bag of holding i, belt of giant strength +4, boots of striding and springing, cloak of resistance +5, gauntlet of the skilled maneuver (trip), ring of protection +4, ring of sustenance, bedroll, blanket, dwarven trail rations (10), masterwork backpack, silk rope (200 ft.), tindertwig, weapon cord, 12,656 gp, 8 sp
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Special Abilities
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Antagonize Use Diplomacy or Intimidate to goad creatures
Aura of Courage +4 (10 ft.) (Su) Allies in aura gain a morale bonus to saves vs. fear.
Aura of Resolve +4 (10 ft.) (Su) Allies in aura gain a morale bonus to saves vs. charm.
Clear Mind (1/defensive stance) (Ex) Immediate action in defensive stance, reroll a Will save but must take new result.
Combat Expertise +/-4 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Combat Reflexes (3 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Damage Reduction (5/adamantine) You have Damage Reduction against all except Adamantine attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Defensive Stance (26 rounds/day) (Ex) +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 to Will saves, +2 to AC when defending, but may not move.
Defensive Training +4 Gain a dodge bonus to AC vs monsters of the Giant subtype.
Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell).
Elemental Channel (Earth) Channel Energy can affect a chosen elemental subtype of outsiders.
Fortification 50% You have a chance to negate critical hits on attacks.
Giant Hunter +1 to attack/+2 to tracking Gain a bonus to attack and tracking vs. Giants.
Greater Trip Foes you trip provoke AoO when they are knocked prone.
Greed +2 to Appraise to determine price of nonmagic goods with precious metals or gemstones.
Grounded +2 trait bonus on balance-related Acrobatics checks.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Immunity to Charm You are immune to charm effects.
Immunity to Fear (Ex) You are immune to all fear effects.
Immunity to Petrification You are immune to Petrification.
Improved Trip You don't provoke attacks of opportunity when tripping.
Lay on Hands (5d6 hit points, 5/day) (Su) As a standard action (swift on self), touch channels positive energy and applies mercies.
Mercy (Fatigued) (Su) When you use your lay on hands ability, it also removes the fatigued condition.
Missile Shield (1/round) 1/round, when hit by a ranged weapon, take no damage.
Phalanx Fighting (Ex) Polearms and spears are one-handed if wielded along with a shield.
Potion of enlarge person Add this item to create a potion of a chosen spell.
Ring of sustenance Immune to hunger and thirst, and only sleep two hours a night.
Shield Focus +1 Shield AC
Stand Firm +1 (Ex) +1 to CMD vs. Bull Rush, Overrun, Push, Pull, Trip, and saves vs. trample.
Stone Servant (Large, 3/day) (Su) Summon an earth elemental to fight beside you.
Stoneblood (50% fortification, +11 to stabilize) (Ex) 50% fortification, +11 to stabilize.
Stonecunning +2 +2 bonus to Perception vs. unusual stonework. Free check within 10 feet.
Stonestrike +3 (11 rounds/day) (Su) Gain bonus to att/dam/CMB, ignore 22 hardness & if on earth/stone add to CMD.
Weapon cord Attached weapon can be recovered as a swift action.

Dark Archive

There's honestly not much you can do to help your touch. Deep Red Sphere Ioun stone for +2 DEX, bumping that ring up to +5. Your GM might allow the insight bonus of a Duty Rose Prism Ioun stone to add to touch.

Grand Lodge

Argus The Slayer wrote:
There's honestly not much you can do to help your touch. Deep Red Sphere Ioun stone for +2 DEX, bumping that ring up to +5. Your GM might allow the insight bonus of a Duty Rose Prism Ioun stone to add to touch.

Uh, it does add to touch by default. Touch is your AC from all sources except armor, shield, and natural armor.

Grand Lodge

Where's the +5 Natural armor bonus coming from? Your gear says you only have a +2 Amulet of Natural Armor.

And one of these will help.

Grand Lodge

Oncoming_Storm wrote:

Where's the +5 Natural armor bonus coming from? Your gear says you only have a +2 Amulet of Natural Armor.

And one of these will help.

Stonelord Paladins get a bonus to natural armor at 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18. Since he has 11 levels, that's a base of +3 NA that the Amulet boosts to +5.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber
Jeff Merola wrote:
Oncoming_Storm wrote:

Where's the +5 Natural armor bonus coming from? Your gear says you only have a +2 Amulet of Natural Armor.

And one of these will help.

Stonelord Paladins get a bonus to natural armor at 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18. Since he has 11 levels, that's a base of +3 NA that the Amulet boosts to +5.

I don't believe natural armor stacks (unless one of them is an enhancement bonus, and i don't remember what a amulet gives).

edit: just checked, yeah they stack. herp derp.


The only feat I had found that would help is Ray Shield but it is impossible for me to get with out having 10 levels of fighter.


Is there possible anyway to fuse a rod of absorption with gear? or some way to technically be consider to be holding it?


Mithral Full Plate lets you enjoy up to a +3 AC due to your AC. Your 14 Dex is only getting you a +2. You stand to benefit some from a Cat's Grace Spell. There is the Effortless Armor Spell that might raise the limit, too.

You can always use your Tower Shield to give you Total Cover instead of the normal AC bonus. That works even better than Touch AC sometimes in some ways.

There is the Stunning (&Greater) Barrier Paladin Spell. That improves your Touch AC.

The Paladin spells Angelic Aspect and Deadly Juggernaut will give you DR. Not quite the same as touch AC, but helpful.

You could take Blind Fighting and carry Smokesticks. Smoke, Obscuring Mist, and Fog Cloud all give Concealment to everyone inside, a 20% miss chance, but Blind Fighting lets you reroll your miss chance, effectively reducing your miss chance from 20% to 4%. You are a Dwarf. You have Darkvision. If you get a way to create Darkness, you can achieve something similar. Once again, a miss chance is not exactly something that improves your Touch AC, but it helps. For your character to operate in more Total Concealment such as an Eversmoking Bottle or Pyrotechnics Spell, you would need something like Scent, Tremorsense, or a wicked high Perception score. Dwarves can get Tremorsense as a Feat, but there is a prerequisite.

Along similar lines of concealment, your character has a high Fort Save. I bet that means if the party Wizard Cast Stinking Cloud or a Cloudkill right on you, you wouldn't even need to hold your nose. But a lot of your opponents would succumb.

Or you could just have Blur cast on yourself.

This is a little off-topic, but the Fury's Fall Feat would give you a +2 (your Dex mod) bonus to tripping. Making more opponents Prone sort of improves your touch AC by giving them a -4 on their attack rolls.

This is more off-topic, but I noticed you have Antagonize. It occurs to me you might use Antagonize to finesse an opponent into charging you. You are a Dwarf; can you take the Feat Let them Come? You'd turn your fauchard into a Brace Weapon and do Double Damage.


Thanks for the suggestion I will look into them see how well they can work out for me


Ok new question is there a way to make it so I can attack a creature with in 5ft of me with fauchard since it is a reach weapon. I remember in 3.5 there was a feat called like choak up which let you do so.


Easiest way is to just 5' step back. Barring that, Armor Spikes are the best option.

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