Hello everyone I'm starting a new adventure with some friends and i want a very good defensive class. we are starting at 4th lvl and my rolls landed as follows (note i did not place stats yet)
18, 18, 16, 14, 11, 11
I just want a very defensive class that can hold its own any help would be awesome. I'm leaning toward stalwart defender if there is a way to spec into this please let me know thanks.
Nice stats! With those stats, I would go for a monk. Take the Crane Style feats for amazing defensive ability.
With 18 STR, 16 DEX, 14 CON, 11 INT, 18 WIS, and 11 CHA you will have an awesome AC (touch AC at that,) and still be able to deal a hefty dose of damage with your great strength. The main problem with monks is their MADness, and you got around that with your lucky rolls, so go wild!
Other options for defensive characters would be a Sacred Shield paladin or and Armor Master fighter.
i was thinking armor master as well never heard of the crane style monk i'll have to look into it
If you want the most strong defenses possible, play either a Hobgoblin Monk with the Ironskin archetype (hobgoblins gets +2 to Dex and Con and Ironskins gets natural armor and DR) or any race with the Monk of the Sacred Mountain archetype (Advanced PlayerS Guide. They gain defensive benefits when they don't move much on their turn).
If you don't want a Monk, Paladin is the next best bet. They have all the armor and hp of a fighter, but the bonuses they get to their saving throws guarantees resistance to magic.
Barbarians and Fighters are also great. Barbarians get the most hitpoints with their d12 hit die and bonus hp, while fighters can use any type of shield and loads of bonus feats to improve on using them.
Go Master of Many Styles Monk and combine the Crane Style feats with the Snapping Turtle Style feats. Add Ki Mystic to let you or your allies reroll saving throws.
Stalwart Defenders are a decent option for any full BAB class (fighters, paladins, barbarians, cavaliers, or rangers) that wants to focus on defense. Since it requires a BAB of +7, you'll have to wait until you hit 8th level to take it.
i was looking into hobgoblin as well but they look at every other race as a slave race and dont get along to well with others.
Basically: You have lots of options, whichever one sounds the most cool to you.
Hobgoblin is hands down the best races for super-defensive strategy, though. +2 to the two defensive ability scores with no penalty to anything else, plus the option of swapping their darkvision out for a natural armor bonus.
i was looking into hobgoblin as well but they look at every other race as a slave race and dont get along to well with others.
If you look at the proceeding section of ARG, you'll notice Paizo says that any PCs of these races will probably be an exceptio nto the general rule, and there's no reason they can't be. Maybe your Hobgoblin is an escaped slave who has decided that institution is unethical, and he's been living on his own for awhile, deciding that many other perceptions of his race are probably wrong, and is willing to work with humans, elves, and other folk to see how they really are.
The possibilities are limited only by what you can imagine and what your GM allows.
Also, because Hobgoblins are LE, it's plausible that even a normal hobgoblin would work with the core races toward a common goal, such as an evil dragon that threatens all life, regardless of race or nationality.
Honor Guard Cavalier is a great defensive class.
An Oath of Loyalty paladin is an interesting alternative to the Sacred Shield archetype, as well.
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Race-
Human
When leveling u will need to up con to at least 17 to get Draconic Defender. Otherwise pump Dex as high as it can go.
-Classes-
Fighter (Lore Warden) 14/ Monk (Monk of the Four Winds / Monk of the Sacred Mountain) 2/ Ranger (Weapon and Shield) 2/ Rogue 2
ac 47 (+5 combat expertise)(+3 fighting defensively) = 55
touch 24 (+5 combat expertise)(+3 fighting defensively) = 32
flat-footed 29
to hit with unarmed attacks with weapon finesse 26 (-4 combat expertise)(-1 fighting defensively) = 21
-Traits-
Threatening Defender
-Feat / Level Progression-
Ra01) Combat Reflexes, Stand Still
Ra02) Shield Focus
M 03) Elemental Fist, Dodge, Crane Style
M 04) Toughness, Deflect Arrows
F 05) Weapon Focus Unarmed Strike, Missile Shield
F 06) Combat Expertise, Weapon Finesse
F 07) Crane Wing
F 08) Saving Shield
F 09) Bodyguard
F 10) Crane Riposte
F 11) Draconic Defender
F 12) Greater Shield Focus
F 13) Disruptive
F 14) Spellbreaker
F 15) Pin Down
F 16) Ray Shield
F 17) Mobility
F 18) Spring Attack
Ro19) Whirlwind Attack
Ro20) Talent - Combat Trick (Weapon Specialization Unarmed Strike)
-Magic Gear-
Bracers of Armor(+8)
Mithril Heavy Shield (+5 Arrow Catching, Arrow Deflection)
Ring of Protection (+5)
Ring of Regeneration
Amulet of Natural Armor(+5)
Belt of Physical Might (+6 str / +6 dex)
Cloak of Resistance (+5)
-Tanking Method-
Fight with caster standing behind u since any thing that enters ur threaten area will not be able to exit ur threaten are via Stand Still and Pin Down as well all incoming missile attacks would veer towards u via Arrow Catching. When making an attack action fight defensively and use combat expertise to up personal ac and grant 1 adjacent party member a natural armor bonus equal to the dodge bonus from combat expertise and fighting defensively via Draconic Defender. Use AoO to grant aid another ac to an adjacent party member via Bodyguard and an immediate action grant shield bonus via Saving Shield. Negate 1 melee attack, 1 ranged spell attack, and 3 ranged missile attacks a round via Crane Wing, Ray Shield, Deflect Arrows, Missile Shield, and Arrow Deflection.
psion how would you set up the stats i rolled?
ok cool i'll see what our GM thinks about it oh btw im going to have an ogre "slave" as well person in our party wants to be an ogre and i think you suggested that he let a party member act like they are his master when in towns so this character is already going to have so many pluses ^^
I'd play a sword-and-board paladin with those stats: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 18. Put your +2 into Str or Cha, or both if you take the "Dual Talent" alternative racial trait. Get some mithral full plate as soon as possible, and you'll be golden.
Is the Ogre gonna be a primitive barbarian? If so i think i was checking out the post he had up earlier.
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2peez?Ogre-Player-Character#1
One and the same brother.