Improving Touch AC

[EarthDragon]

Currently, as a DM, I am building a though temple guardian in fullplate armor with around 8 levels of paladin (or 8 minus some melee ortiented levels).
In my design he deals damage with a bastard sword and has just a reasonable strength. In his other hand he has a towershield.

The goal of this challenge is a war of attrition in which the PCs have to obtain either the respect of the guardian or defeat him in melee or talk him out of defending the one and only entrance to the temple.

His damage output is low compared to the healing capacity of the party. The guardians melee AC is based on fullplate, tower shield, dexterity and dodge feat, shield focus feat, missile shield, and a minor ring of deflection and minor natural armor amulet. In melee the party suffers from low chances to hit high AC. Theire best melee character is a dex based ranger.

To further annoy my spell casting PCs I want to make him nearly immune to magic via high saves and have a stupidly high touch AC.
With levels in paladin and high wis and dex and con and cha (Divine Grace) a near magic immunity is no problem.

Well, lost of fluff text. Now my question:
How can I improve with a prestige class, unusual magic item or a feat the touch AC of this guardian in a drastic manner?
(In a manner that does not feel like cheating on the palyers.)

Preferably by letting count his shield bonus or armor bonus with his touch AC. Also, I do not want the party to have loot which makes them invincible in upcoming encounters, so preferably a prestige class or feat. I am willing to drop levels of paladin in exchange for a suggested prestige class.

Thanks for responding.

[Evil Space Mantis]

A CL 18 shield of faith potion will grant a +5 deflection bonus to AC for 18 minutes. Its only a 900 gp item if the PCs manage to get it, and with that long of a duration the guardian could easily drink it before the fight. Keep in mind that this bonus overlaps and does not stack with a ring of protection, so you could possibly cut the ring from the guardians gear. Or instead replace the cost of the ring with 3 or 4 of these potions, so that the party can see one afterwards as loot. As a consumable they shouldn't be too unbalancing for the party to have a couple.

The Holy Vindicator PRC will also allow the guardian to fill his tower shield with positive energy, which provides a +4 sacred bonus to AC until he is struck. You'll only need a single level of Holy Vindicator to get this bonus.

Heres a link to the Holy Vindicator.

[thepuregamer]

well I am unsure which direction to push you in. I do not know the exact vibe you are going for but I am guessing that being a full plate wearing guardian is the important part.

This is a lvl 8 character. I do agree that 2 lvls of paladin is a bare minimum. But where to go beyond that is difficult.

I could push you to take 1 lvl of oracle and grab the sidestep which allows you to add your charisma mod to ac and reflex saves instead of your dex but that only simplifies your stats and does not necessarily help your ac.

If wearing armor wasn't important, than I would say 2 paladin/1 oracle(sidestep)/x monk but I am thinking that is not the way to go.

If you want to remain a heavily armored unhurtable target, I suggest go dwarf, 2 paladin/7 Aldori sword lord.

Pick up the threatening defender trait, pick up the combat expertise feat, and atleast 3 ranks in acrobatics.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/combat-traits/threatening-defender

This way in combat, you can gain a +5 dodge bonus at -2 to hit with fighting defensively.

Combat expertise will give you +3 for a -2 to hit.

Thus while wearing mithral full plate and a buckler,

You will have a regular AC of 10+8+3dex+1shield=22(without magical stuff)/27(while fighting defensively)/30(while fighting defensively and using combat expertise and you are only at -4 to hit)

Your touch AC will be 10+3 dex+5 fighting defensively+3expertise=21(before any deflection bonuses)

The aldori duelist is not entirely necessary, but the 7th lvl ability is the one that makes fighting defensively a powerful source of AC.

If you want to push his hit bonus up, then make his second trait heirloom weapon and he be alittle better off.

[Carpjay]

You could also go the story route. I don't know how you will be describing it, but perhaps there is a force field (i.e., whatever strength Deflection or Sacred or Luck bonus you feel is fair) that shimmers when it helps stop a touch attack. have this effect tied to the story or conversation, to the degree that you want the PCs to realize that they need to focus on that conversation as much as the combat.

Truly, as the DM, do you want them to be able to defeat the guy if they don't get the questions right? Take the storyline by the horns, and let the dungeon itself provide the bonus.

Just a thought...again, not sure of your style, the story, etc., the point being that you don't need to do it by the book as long as it feels fair in the end.

[Thanael]

Stalwart Defender 1 gives a +1 dodge bonus to AC and another +2 dodge bonus to AC in a defensive stance.

At CL8 your looking at Paladin 7/ Stalwart Defender 1 which is not that good a build.

Paladin5/Holy Vindicator3 is probably a better build. Vindicator’s Shield gives you +4 sacred/profane bonus to AC for 24 hours or until the vindicator is struck in combat, whichever comes first. The Stigmata ability available at Holy Vindicator 2 can also provide an +1 AC sacred/profane bonus. The third level of the PrC boosts his healing abilities.

Or combine them both for Paladin 5/Holy Vindicator 2/Stalwart Defender 1. But qualifying for Defender is feat intensive and cripples your divine abilities.

[EarthDragon]

Thank you all for responding!

I will keep in mind:
- the potion of shield of faith (+3 deflection bonus but at CL 6)
- fighting on holy ground (+1 sacred bonus)
- take improved dodge feat (+2 AC)
- Defensive stance
- Shield other spell (more HP, saves and non-stacking deflection bonus) by fellow cleric
- Greater Magic Weapon with Defending, by fellow mage at CL 5
- amulet with Luck Bonus +1
- dex 14

Total touch AC around 21 which is very nice.

This Guardian will hold the temple entrance but the people inside will first buff him.

So the loot will not be that big and I did not cheat, just prepared well as a temple guardian should do.

[james maissen]

EarthDragon wrote:

Preferably by letting count his shield bonus or armor bonus with his touch AC.

There were 3.5 feats that allowed this, as well as turn based feats that would augment shields. Depends on what you want to allow in your world in that regard.

I would suggest Paladin4/X1/Fighter1/HolyVindicator2 where X is either a fighter or paladin level depending upon what you need. You don't need HV3 as you won't need to empower any curing, and at best it will give you another spell for increasing the bleed from your stigmata. The fighter level gives you a feat and tower shield proficiency (which you said you wanted). Another fighter level would give you another feat, some bravery variant and a FORT save while a paladin level would give you divine bond, better lay on hands/channeling, little better smite and a favored class bonus.

You'll want to count out his feats to make sure that you can do everything that you want with him.. more likely you'll want paladin5/ftr1/HV2 for the breakdown.

You'll want shield focus(the old shield specialization), shield ward (or parrying shield, both from 3.5), divine shield (3.5), EWP bastard sword, power attack (or combat expertise if you can afford the 13INT), and dodge. You might also consider improved disarm, but that's your call.

Lastly is it obvious when a paladin smites evil in your world? (Most don't, but figured I'd ask)

-James