I don't know what your party make-up is like, or what role your character is in, but it has been my experience in most games that maximizing a defender's AC such that they are very difficult to hit in combat generally has one of the two following effects:
1. The GM ramps up the attacks of the NPCs and monsters such that they can hit the high AC character, meaning they mow down the rest of the party.
2. The GM has his NPCs or monsters realize they can't hit the high AC character and they just ignore him going after squishier targets.
So I'd be careful...
I would like to make my AC and damage negation the highest it can be. is stalwart/improved stalwart a good way to go about this? I know many times I won't be initially in melee to be able to use combat expertise. I'm mainly looking for non magical ideas. Thanks in advance.
Depends on your build. If you're going the option that allows a Free Hand, the Crane Style would help you out in negating Vital Strikes, and give you additional bonuses and attacks. Fighting Defensively or Total Defense actions in conjunction with this can increase to a +4/+6 to your AC.
Getting items such as an Amulet of Natural Armor or a Ring of Protection will aid your AC. Purchasing Adamantine armor will grant you a minor amount of DR. If you have a Shield, getting Shield Focus (and Shield Specialization if you are a fighter, as well as their upgrades) will help out in your overall AC (and CMD, also granting you the ability to negate a single critical hit per day).
There are probably a couple more things I can suggest to you, but I'd need to know more on your current class and playstyle/build to suggest anything else.
I totally forgot about the style feats, thanks. Also, I'm the only PC in an upcoming campaign.I would like to make my AC and damage negation the highest it can be. is stalwart/improved stalwart a good way to go about this? I know many times I won't be initially in melee to be able to use combat expertise. I'm mainly looking for non magical ideas. Thanks in advance.Depends on your build. If you're going the option that allows a Free Hand, the Crane Style would help you out in negating Vital Strikes, and give you additional bonuses and attacks. Fighting Defensively or Total Defense actions in conjunction with this can increase to a +4/+6 to your AC.
Getting items such as an Amulet of Natural Armor or a Ring of Protection will aid your AC. Purchasing Adamantine armor will grant you a minor amount of DR. If you have a Shield, getting Shield Focus (and Shield Specialization if you are a fighter, as well as their upgrades) will help out in your overall AC (and CMD, also granting you the ability to negate a single critical hit per day).
There are probably a couple more things I can suggest to you, but I'd need to know more on your current class and playstyle/build to suggest anything else.
Still need to know what class and playstyle you plan to follow through with, such as primary weapon usage, way you want to play the character/class, etc.
Personally, I like having a shield with the shield slam feat and being able to knock people away from me instead of taking full attacks from them. Trip also works (though less dependably it seems, lots of hard to trip creatures). Barbarians with knockback and unexpected strike are even better here. Crane Wing in combination with some knockback can pretty much negate an enemies entire round, every round (assuming you hit).
Miss chance.
Elf hexcrafter is an awesome do.it all class for a one PC game.
Infernal Healing is your CLW.
Obscuring Mist, Blur, Displacement, Gtr Invis stop you being hit.
If you want stalwart go:
Blindfight
Combat Expertise
Moonlight Stalker (+2 to hit/damage when you have concealment)
High miss chance+Med/Heavy Armor is generally enough.
If you REALLY wanna tank use Combat Expertise for +5 AC or take Stalwart and Turn it into DR5/-
Whack a Montrous Physique spell for more Str and Nat armor.
If you start at higher levels, I'd go with a fighter 1/ wizard 5/ eldritch knight X. Mirror image, Mage armour, shield spell, etc. leads to opponents missing quite a bit. You need time to buff, ( a rod of lesser extend is highly recommended) and you need to select your spells carefully. If you manage it correctly though, you'll have a very hard to hit, versatile character.