This started with trying to see what the highest Max Dex I could get on heavy armor (+12) but now I am wondering if a character can even make use of that. That is higher than an Elder Air Elemental. So what is the highest everyone can get a character's ability score up to? Dexterity is the main one I am wondering about but I am curious about the others too.
36. 20 at character creation, +5 from leveling, +5 inherent (there are a few exceptions here), and +6 enhancement. then there are temporary increases like size bonuses. also this is assuming you're using a +2 race.
edit: i'm pretty sure you can get higher with specific builds but i can't think of them right now.
Well, it would help if you tell us how you reached the +12.
Lets start with a 20 dex at level 1. +6 from belt of dex. +4 from tome for dex. Another +8 alchemical dex bonus from mutation warrior grand mutagen. That gets us up to +14 dex modifier. Of course, you give up armor training to get it which means that heavy armor dex limit is a problem.
36. 20 at character creation, +5 from leveling, +5 inherent (there are a few exceptions here), and +6 enhancement. then there are temporary increases like size bonuses. also this is assuming you're using a +2 race.
edit: i'm pretty sure you can get higher with specific builds but i can't think of them right now.
Hm. Orc with peak Str (22) + 20 levels of Barbarian (+5 from bonuses) + Strength manual (+5 inherent) + max Strength belt (+6 enhancement) + Enlarge Person (+2 size) = 40. And when those 20 levels turn into rage, +8 from Mighty Rage means Str 48.
+2 from Profane Gift via a Planar Binding/Planar Ally (or Simulacrum) Succubus, if you're really looking for the max.
You could also go Bloodrager dipping into Dragon Disciple for 4 levels and Improved Eldritch Heritage (Orc).
Advancement: +5 STR (actual increase)
Orc Bloodline: +6 STR (inherent bonus)
Belt of Strength: +6 STR (enhancement bonus)
Dragon Disciple Ability Boost: +4 STR (actual increase)
Greater Bloodrage: +6 STR (morale bonus)
Enlarge Person or Alter Self: +2 STR (size bonus)
Total bonus: 29 (or 51 STR for the above orc)
You could also go Bloodrager dipping into Dragon Disciple for 4 levels and Improved Eldritch Heritage (Orc).
Advancement: +5 STR (actual increase)
Orc Bloodline: +6 STR (inherent bonus)
Belt of Strength: +6 STR (enhancement bonus)
Dragon Disciple Ability Boost: +4 STR (actual increase)
Greater Bloodrage: +6 STR (morale bonus)
Enlarge Person or Alter Self: +2 STR (size bonus)
Total bonus: 29 (or 51 STR for the above orc)
You can get Righreous Might as a flat cost ability on your armor, +4 size bonus.
Synthesist can get a +16 size bonus.
Woah, missing something here.
Armor have set levels of maximum dexterity bonus towards Armor class you can benefit from. There are special materials, at least 1 trait, and probably feats that can raise that.
Armor doesnt prevent you from raising dexterity, but limits how much you can benefit from. It also give a penalty towards dexterity skill checks.
Heavy Armor has the worst caps on you dexterity AC bonus and the worst penalties towards skills. Generally speaking Medium armor is more reasonable. A common suggestion for Medium Armor is to have it made of Mithril to basically make it Light Armor. Youre penalties would be greatly reduced, Dexterity AC bonus cap would be raised, and you wouldnt haave your movement speed penalized.
I am thinking your have a Fighter with several tiers of Armor Training to raise the cap.
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Hm. Orc with peak Str (22) + 20 levels of Barbarian (+5 from bonuses) + Strength manual (+5 inherent) + max Strength belt (+6 enhancement) + Enlarge Person (+2 size) = 40. And when those 20 levels turn into rage, +8 from Mighty Rage means Str 48.36. 20 at character creation, +5 from leveling, +5 inherent (there are a few exceptions here), and +6 enhancement. then there are temporary increases like size bonuses. also this is assuming you're using a +2 race.
edit: i'm pretty sure you can get higher with specific builds but i can't think of them right now.
You could also go Bloodrager dipping into Dragon Disciple for 4 levels and Improved Eldritch Heritage (Orc).
Advancement: +5 STR (actual increase)
Orc Bloodline: +6 STR (inherent bonus)
Belt of Strength: +6 STR (enhancement bonus)
Dragon Disciple Ability Boost: +4 STR (actual increase)
Greater Bloodrage: +6 STR (morale bonus)
Enlarge Person or Alter Self: +2 STR (size bonus)
Total bonus: 29 (or 51 STR for the above orc)
Woah woah woah! People people people! We're doing dex here.
The initial post was talking about the dex cap on armor and how he could max it out.
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Dexterity is the main one I am wondering about but I am curious about the others too.
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Woah woah woah! People people people! We're doing dex here.
The initial post was talking about the dex cap on armor and how he could max it out.
I was mostly just replying to Qaianna, but most of what (s)he stated applies to dexterity as well.
Hm. Goblin with peak Dex (22) + 20 levels of Urban Barbarian (+5 from bonuses) + Dexterity manual (+5 inherent) + max Dexterity belt (+6 enhancement) + Alter Self (+2 size) = 40. And when those 20 levels turn into rage, +8 from Mighty Rage means Dex 48.
Edited so everything Strength was adjusted for Dexterity.
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Hm. Orc with peak Str (22) + 20 levels of Barbarian (+5 from bonuses) + Strength manual (+5 inherent) + max Strength belt (+6 enhancement) + Enlarge Person (+2 size) = 40. And when those 20 levels turn into rage, +8 from Mighty Rage means Str 48.36. 20 at character creation, +5 from leveling, +5 inherent (there are a few exceptions here), and +6 enhancement. then there are temporary increases like size bonuses. also this is assuming you're using a +2 race.
edit: i'm pretty sure you can get higher with specific builds but i can't think of them right now.
i was only pointing out that 36 is the highest any race with a +2 in any one stat can get as any class. 36 is the baseline for a maxed stat (what you'll wake up with most days because i definitely mentioned there were temporary bonuses like size). i also pointed out that with specific builds you could surpass that to various degrees depending on the ability you're maxing but i was at work so i didn't have time to think about them.
You could also go Bloodrager dipping into Dragon Disciple for 4 levels and Improved Eldritch Heritage (Orc).
Advancement: +5 STR (actual increase)
Orc Bloodline: +6 STR (inherent bonus)
Belt of Strength: +6 STR (enhancement bonus)
Dragon Disciple Ability Boost: +4 STR (actual increase)
Greater Bloodrage: +6 STR (morale bonus)
Enlarge Person or Alter Self: +2 STR (size bonus)
Total bonus: 29 (or 51 STR for the above orc)
is improved eldritch heritage worth it for 1 more STR over a manual/wish when it's not getting you to an even number? and couldn't you get more (+4 or more alchemical) by also dipping a level of alchemist and drinking a mutagen (possibly someone else's that's more better)?
also @some other people,
So what is the highest everyone can get a character's ability score up to? Dexterity is the main one I am wondering about but I am curious about the others too.
this is clearly not just about dex.
@OP the answer is, yes, a character can make use of that +12 max dex bonus heavy armor you're talking about. but out of curiosity, how are you getting that max dex bonus up to +12? lots of materials will take you from +1 to +3 and then armor training will get you to +7. what else am i missing for the other +5?
This started with trying to see what the highest Max Dex I could get on heavy armor (+12) but now I am wondering if a character can even make use of that. That is higher than an Elder Air Elemental. So what is the highest everyone can get a character's ability score up to? Dexterity is the main one I am wondering about but I am curious about the others too.
Here's a character I built for someone who asked about TWF.
I tried to max dex for all its various uses (AC/to hit and dmg bonuses/ref save/initiative) so no armor at all. I think it works pretty well, but this not a fully optimized build.
Edit: the build makes use of mutagens to improve its 34 dex to 40 or 42 (depends if your GM is willing to allow for you to get grand mutagen waiting a level or not). It started with dex 18 because I wanted to boost other stats besides dex and ideally this character should be useful at any level of play (so swashbuckler instead of knife master to get proficiency with kukri from lvl 1), but you could do as high as 36/44 dex if you max dex from the beginning, more if non core races are allowed.
I don't know if TC would consider it but I believe mythic levels give plenty of stat bonuses as well.
is improved eldritch heritage worth it for 1 more STR over a manual/wish when it's not getting you to an even number? and couldn't you get more (+4 or more alchemical) by also dipping a level of alchemist and drinking a mutagen (possibly someone else's that's more better)?
There's a fair point about the Alchemist dip. And no, Improved Eldritch Heritage is not worth it in this case (especially since it means dumping stats to get 17 CHA, as an Orc.)
It was purely a thought exercise.
only need CHA 15 to get the +6 STR at 19, but now that i think about it, getting the 17 CHA might be worth it because Power of Giants is a +6 size bonus to STR.
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Well, it would help if you tell us how you reached the +12.
I did 8 levels of Gunslinger(Gun Tank) and 8 levels of Hellknight and then took Swift Iron Style. That gives you effectively 6 levels of armor training so when wearing Celestial Plate it gives you a max dex bonus of +12 (+6 from the armor, +2 from Gun Tank, +3 from Hellknight, and +1 from Swift Iron).
This thread is actually a lot more interesting thought experiment than I thought it would be. :)
Tread lightly, for down this path you can gain Free Wishes.
Well, it would help if you tell us how you reached the +12.I did 8 levels of Gunslinger(Gun Tank) and 8 levels of Hellknight and then took Swift Iron Style. That gives you effectively 6 levels of armor training so when wearing Celestial Plate it gives you a max dex bonus of +12 (+6 from the armor, +2 from Gun Tank, +3 from Hellknight, and +1 from Swift Iron).
This thread is actually a lot more interesting thought experiment than I thought it would be. :)
Actually if you add three levels of Fighter you would get another +1 at which point standard issue Hellknight Plate would be on par with Celestial Armor.
Third party content is not particularly useful for determining the limitations of how high one can get their Dexterity. In general, most discussions tend to rely on first party material.
That's absolutely fine, but third party cannot be taken as the rule when determining what's going to be available.
It's something of a slippery slope, too; if you start allowing third party content, you have to find where the line exists between "reliable third party source" and "hey, guys, I made this custom feat for my home group that gives a +4 sacred bonus to Dexterity".
While limiting to Paizo content means the baseline for determining what's on the table is known to everyone.
I saw a build where a Barbarian had a STR of 53 or something. It involved an animal companion and Amplified Rage, but more than that I can't remember.
If you got the cash, Enhancement is NOT limited to +6.
/cevah