How useful is armor in PFS?

[Undone]

Artanthos wrote:

1. 1 or 2 encounters in a scenario.

2. Not often, but I've seen TPK's.
3. High enough AC turns non-caster BBEG's into mooks.

A character with high AC can solo most non-caster encounters without resource expenditure. With high saves and evasion, encounters with casters are equally trivial.

Could you define high saves? For example I'd have a +1-3 item, +2 heroism +1 con/dex +4 wis and as a cleric good fort/will +2 ref from traits. so for example 5th level

Fort +8 (1 con 4 base 2 heroism 1 item)
Ref +7 (+1 trait +1 racial +2 heroism +1 item +1 dex + 1 base)
Will +11 (4 wis 2 heroism 1 item 4 base)

They don't feel very high but definitely not low. The real question is should I work something like lightning reflexes into my build to further improve my durability.

[Artanthos]

The saves are decent for a 5th level character. You're not going to get much better without serious resource expenditure. I usually start looking for a +2 cloak around 5th or 6th level.

[Luthril]

Luthril wrote:

--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 38, touch 24, flat-footed 34 (+12 armor, +8 shield, +3 Dex, +2 natural, +1 deflection, +1 dodge)
hp 136 (12d10+60)
Fort +11, Ref +7 (+3 vs burst spells and effects while using a tower shield, +1 vs burst spells and effects while using a tower shield, +1 vs burst spells and effects while using a tower shield), Will +8; +2 bonus vs. mind-affecting effects and poison
Defensive Abilities burst barrier +3, tower shield defense
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 Adamantine Terbutje, steel +20/+15/+10 (1d8+10/17-20/x2)
--------------------

You want a cleric, I'll build a test cleric and post if for you, but for a regular old face smasher, this guy is tops.... plenty of damage, hps, and great AC... he could easily tank anything I've seen in 7-11 scenarios

[Fromper]

Artanthos wrote:

1. 1 or 2 encounters in a scenario.

2. Not often, but I've seen TPK's.
3. High enough AC turns non-caster BBEG's into mooks.

A character with high AC can solo most non-caster encounters without resource expenditure. With high saves and evasion, encounters with casters are equally trivial.

It should be noted, PFS likes 5' wide corridors, limiting the number of PC's that can engage. Low AC character can go down very quickly even against even CR encounters when focus fired upon in such situations.

You see 5 ft halls here and there, but I think you're seriously overstating how common they are. I'd say the majority of combats take place in open areas, but with terrain features that you have to work around being fairly common.

Actually, I'd say the biggest source of bottlenecks for melee are probably doors. But if you play tactically smart, you can use that to your advantage just as often as it works against groups that have too many melee guys.

Speaking of high saves, I have a halfling "mostly rogue" with +13 reflex and evasion at level 4. But his will and fort saves are only +4 and +5.

[Undone]

Luthril wrote:

Luthril wrote:

--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 38, touch 24, flat-footed 34 (+12 armor, +8 shield, +3 Dex, +2 natural, +1 deflection, +1 dodge)
hp 136 (12d10+60)
Fort +11, Ref +7 (+3 vs burst spells and effects while using a tower shield, +1 vs burst spells and effects while using a tower shield, +1 vs burst spells and effects while using a tower shield), Will +8; +2 bonus vs. mind-affecting effects and poison
Defensive Abilities burst barrier +3, tower shield defense
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 Adamantine Terbutje, steel +20/+15/+10 (1d8+10/17-20/x2)
--------------------

You want a cleric, I'll build a test cleric and post if for you, but for a regular old face smasher, this guy is tops.... plenty of damage, hps, and great AC... he could easily tank anything I've seen in 7-11 scenarios

Thank you. What I've got is rather straight forward so far.

Human Cleric of Cayden Cailean
+2 to strength
STR: 18 DEX: 12 CON: 12 INT: 7 WIS: 16 CHA: 10
Required to take skills for favored class
ac +1 ref.
H: Tower sheild prof
1: EWP Falcata
3: Heavy armor prof
5: Power attack
7: Toughness
9: Extend spell (Possibly altered to heighten?)
11: Improved critical falcata

Domains
Charm -> Subdomain love
Travel

Traits/Alternative features
Heart of the street +1 racial ref +1 ac
Deft dodger +1 trait ref
Birthmark +2 vs charm/compulsion and acts as a holy symbol allowing you to drop weapon cast and weapon cord back.

10 base 10 +1 full plate 5 +1 tower shield 1 dex 1 trait 27 AC unbuffed 29 self buffed
Add two more levels and I get +2 more ac off items. I could drop toughness and extend spell for shield specialization and GSS for more AC but that doesn't seem to help my touch AC on ray attacks and I can't drop the other stats lower so I'm stuck without dodge. The falcata could be rapier but that's a huge damage loss.

[Luthril]

Consider this build. I used Abadar... for the Defense Domain, along with Travel(best domain in the game)

I actually used Medium armor, a Mithral Breastplate... but hear me out.

Unbuffed AC 29:

Test AC Cleric
Human (Garundi) Cleric 12
N Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +24
Aura deflection aura (12 rounds) (1/day)
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 29, touch 16, flat-footed 25 (+8 armor, +5 shield, +3 Dex, +1 deflection, +1 dodge)
hp 99 (12d8+36)
Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +15; +2 trait bonus vs. charm and compulson
Defensive Abilities aura of protection (12 rounds/day)
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft., dimensional hop (120/day)
Melee Heavy Shield Bash +9/+4 (1d4+4/x2) and
+1 Adamantine Falcata +14/+9 (1d8+5/17-20/x3)
Special Attacks agile feet (7/day)
Spell-Like Abilities Dimensional Hop (120/day)
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 12):
6 (2/day) Banishment (DC 20), Heal, Antimagic Field
5 (3/day) Breath of Life (DC 19), Teleport, Raise Dead, Flame Strike (DC 19)
4 (4/day) Spell Immunity, Dimension Door, Divine Power, Freedom of Movement, Restoration
3 (5/day) Protection from Energy, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Searing Light, Invisibility Purge, Dispel Magic, Fly
2 (5/day) Restoration, Lesser, Resist Energy, Barkskin, Aid, Blessing of Courage and Life (DC 16), Effortless Armor
1 (5/day) Shield of Faith, Longstrider, Protection from Evil, Bless, Sanctuary (DC 15), Liberating Command
0 (at will) Read Magic, Detect Magic, Guidance, Light
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 18, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 10
Base Atk +9; CMB +13; CMD 29
Feats Alertness, Dimensional Agility, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Falcata), Improved Critical (Falcata), Shield Focus, Toughness +12
Traits Birthmark, Tomb Raider (Perception)
Skills Acrobatics +1 (+5 jump), Climb +2, Escape Artist +1, Fly +1, Heal +9, Knowledge (religion) +10, Perception +24, Ride +1, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +1, Swim +2
Languages Common, Osiriani
SQ aura, cleric channel positive energy 6d6 (3/day) (dc 16), domains (defense, travel), spontaneous casting
Other Gear +2 Mithral Breastplate, +2 Heavy steel shield, +1 Adamantine Falcata, Belt of incredible dexterity +2, Cloak of resistance +2, Ioun stone (dusty rose prism), Ring of feather falling, Ring of protection +1

and

Buffed AC 37:

Test AC Cleric
Human (Garundi) Cleric 12
N Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +24
Aura deflection aura (12 rounds) (1/day)
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 37, touch 19, flat-footed 33 (+8 armor, +5 shield, +3 Dex, +5 natural, +4 deflection, +1 dodge)
hp 99 (12d8+36)
Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +15; +2 trait bonus vs. charm and compulson
Defensive Abilities aura of protection (12 rounds/day)
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 50 ft., dimensional hop (120/day)
Melee Heavy Shield Bash +13/+8 (1d4+8/x2) and
+1 Adamantine Falcata +18/+13 (1d8+9/17-20/x3)
Special Attacks agile feet (7/day)
Spell-Like Abilities Dimensional Hop (120/day)
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 12):
6 (2/day) Banishment (DC 20), Heal, Antimagic Field
5 (3/day) Breath of Life (DC 19), Teleport, Raise Dead, Flame Strike (DC 19)
4 (4/day) Spell Immunity, Dimension Door, Divine Power, Freedom of Movement, Restoration
3 (5/day) Protection from Energy, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Searing Light, Invisibility Purge, Dispel Magic, Fly
2 (5/day) Restoration, Lesser, Resist Energy, Barkskin, Aid, Blessing of Courage and Life (DC 16), Effortless Armor
1 (5/day) Shield of Faith, Longstrider, Protection from Evil, Bless, Sanctuary (DC 15), Liberating Command
0 (at will) Read Magic, Detect Magic, Guidance, Light
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 18, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 10
Base Atk +9; CMB +17; CMD 32
Feats Alertness, Dimensional Agility, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Falcata), Improved Critical (Falcata), Shield Focus, Toughness +12
Traits Birthmark, Tomb Raider (Perception)
Skills Acrobatics +1 (+9 jump), Climb +6, Escape Artist +1, Fly +1, Heal +9, Knowledge (religion) +10, Perception +24, Ride +1, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +1, Swim +6
Languages Common, Osiriani
SQ aura, cleric channel positive energy 6d6 (3/day) (dc 16), domains (defense, travel), spontaneous casting
Other Gear +2 Mithral Breastplate, +2 Heavy steel shield, +1 Adamantine Falcata, Belt of incredible dexterity +2, Cloak of resistance +2, Ioun stone (dusty rose prism), Ring of feather falling, Ring of protection +1

The buffs are Barkskin, Shield of Faith, PoE(purely for better saves), Longstrider, and Divine Power.

You could get your AC higher, but with this build you get the best of both worlds... MOBILITY which is better than AC, and AC, and hitting power.

Cost of Equipment is $34k, which is a bit, but this guy can play up with out fear so getting this much gold is very doable by level 12.