How useful is this character?

[Thomas Long 175]

So I'm making a character dedicated to one thing. Racing the AC of my party. I've already got him fully built and statted out.

I reached the ability to grant everyone standing next to me a +17 to AC where shield was the only thing that would overwrite another character's stat in AC. Everything else stacked. With bodyguard I could pop their AC by 21 and I had a few uses of bastion of good at level 20.

My question is, how useful is this really at level 20? I can halve damage from attacks from a single foe AOE buff for +17 AC, raise the dead with lay on hands, and grant bonuses versus fear and to attack, as well as healing ability score damage.

How useful is this guy?

[SoulGambit]

At level 20? It varies. Saves and improved evasion / fortitude become more important at that level, defensively. Note, however, that this is only at extremely high levels. At lower levels ,and against certain enemies, you'd make your party immune to them.

That said, in practicality, because your numbers make the result so binary (you make anything but a natural 20 an auto-miss) you're going to force the GM to contrive situations and opponents that minimize your advantage to challenge the party. This means you'll wind up facing a whole lot of save-based enemies or movement restrictions that demand you all not be adjacent. Just a forewarning.

[calagnar]

General AC bench marks.
1-5 High AC 20-25
6-10 High AC 30-35
11+ High AC 45+
So unless for some unknown reason you can really get there AC to top tire. The bonus dose not matter. If your playing with a fixed group. And there is one other player that has a good AC to start. If no it will do you no good.

[Thomas Long 175]

I think I can reliably push everyone's AC above 45 pretty easily by level 20 Calagnar.

The unknown reason is Halfling Viking/Sacred shield/MOMS.

How I got my numbers:

• Fighting Defensively + Cautious Fighter + Acrobatics + Crane Wing

  +3 Aoe Dodge Bonus when fighting Defensively

• Viking (lvl 8) + Shield Focus + Greater Shield Focus + +5 Mithral Tower Shield

  13 Shield Bonus

• Sacred Shield + Warrior of the holy Light

  Everyone adjacent gets shield bonus and +1 to AC in 30 foot radius

  +17

• Halfling Helpful trait + Bodyguard

  Aid another for +4

  up to +21

I can provide a static bonus large enough to drive a 28 AC (which really shouldn't be at all hard at level 20) to your high AC mark at level 20 and higher if I aid.

Does that answer how I'm pushing it up that much?

[Chengar Qordath]

SoulGambit wrote:

At level 20? It varies. Saves and improved evasion / fortitude become more important at that level, defensively. Note, however, that this is only at extremely high levels. At lower levels ,and against certain enemies, you'd make your party immune to them.

That said, in practicality, because your numbers make the result so binary (you make anything but a natural 20 an auto-miss) you're going to force the GM to contrive situations and opponents that minimize your advantage to challenge the party. This means you'll wind up facing a whole lot of save-based enemies or movement restrictions that demand you all not be adjacent. Just a forewarning.

Not to mention that having the party all stay adjacent will make them very vulnerable to any sort of AoE attack, which are pretty common at higher levels.

[calagnar]

Devil, Pit Fiend
CR 20 low threat level for a level 20 group.
LE Large outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +33
Defense
AC 38, touch 18, flat-footed 29 (+9 Dex, +20 natural, –1 size)
hp 350 (20d10+240); regeneration 5 (good weapons, good spells)
Fort +24, Ref +21, Will +18
DR 15/good and silver; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10; SR 31
Offense
Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee 2 claws +32 (2d8+13), 2 wings +30 (2d6+6), bite +32 (4d6+13 plus poison and disease), tail slap +30 (2d8+6 plus grab)
Special Attacks constrict 2d8+19, devil shaping
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th)
At will mass hold monster (DC 27
3/day—quickened fireball (DC 21)
1/day—meteor swarm, summon (level 9, any 1 CR 19 or lower devil, 100%)

The real question is can you do that. And hit him for enough damage to count?

The best way to find out if the character in question is any good look at something you might fight at that level.

[DM Carpe]

Not very IMO, mobility is very important at high levels and to get your money's worth from your build you need to shackle the party. Many builds will find you no help whatsoever, at best you will be situationally awesome, probably very rarely.

[Thomas Long 175]

I'm slightly saddened by the fact I won't be that useful, but I'm slightly less worried than I thought. I don't think we'll make it through anyways.

Rise of the Runelords with 2 other people, one of them deciding to go universalist wizard, the other wanting to be DPR so he chose the unarmed fighter archetype. :P

Pretty sure we're not going to make it. :P

[calagnar]

Go full paladin if you don't like multiclassing. If you don't mind multiclassing I recommend Paladin3/Rogue3/Fighter14. This will set you up for high level play with some key ability's that come up. For now you will need some one that can use a cure wand with out UMD.