Hey everyone,
I was just wondering if I could get some advice in regards to a Fighter that I have in one of my campaigns?
As it stands we are starting at level 5 and have been going at a fair pace with equipment and cash flowing at a reasonable pace. The one fighter in my game (I am acting GM) has recently come to me with a query about his AC and how to optimize it so that he can be more durable in fights (outside of his massive freaking health pool). His kit is as such right now:
+1 Mithral Full Plate
Ring of Protection +1
Amulet of Natural Armor +1
DEX score of 14 (+2 modifier)
This make for a grand total of 24 (10+10+2+1+1)
I did some math and ran down the list of things that stand outright to assist his AC score and came to the conclusion:
+5 Mithral (properties here) Full Plate
Ring of Protection +5
Amulet of Natural Armor +5
DEX score of 14 (+2 modifier)
Dodge
This makes for a grand total of 39 (10+16+2+5+5+1)
I have been humming and hawing about whether or not this would be enough by the time we hit around the level 16 mark... considering that a lot of things around that point (at least those things hitting with melee or ranged) will be hitting with AT LEAST +20-25 (with BAB, STR/DEX modifiers, weapon enhancement, and whatever else might end up as bonuses on enemies).
Is there any way, outside of the above listed gear, to raise his AC any higher without impeding his ability to smash things?
He is officially of the Two-Handed arch-type for the smashy smashy fun times.
I immediately thought of ioun stones as soon as I hit the submit button. The Hat would do the trick for a +1 and negation of crits (every so often).
As for defender, I'll have to check if he's ok with taking it as a feat along side dodge. I know he wants AC but I also know that he doesn't want to sacrifice any of his ten trillion feats that make him kill things better :/
Yeah I wanted the difficulty to ramp up fairly quickly so I gave everyone a little bit more cash with a few limitations. He chose to take the mithral full plate cause "it suits his character".
I also know for a fact that he will be buying a belt of physical perfection as soon as he can (not too soon though as the cash has been scaled down drastically from the beginning [plot stuff and all]) so he will eventually have at least 18 DEX giving him +4 total to fill out that +4 MAX DEX on the mithral armor. I suppose I should have thought of that too! too many variables, lol. His base 39 would go to base 41.
Ioun stone
Jingasa
would bump this up to 43, the Defender feat would be 44. I think these numbers are a little more secure for the most part.
I'll let him know about the shield though (I knew about it, but didn't even think of that), 4 rounds of an extra 3+ AC.
A ring of foe focus gives 2 to ac an 1 to saves, but only to one enemy, so give or take.
I think your +5 Mithral Full Plate still has a max dex bonus of only +3 (so at 16 Dex).
Assuming he's got some way to keep Haste up at high levels (he really should), this gives another +1 Dodge bonus to AC.
He could also add the Defending special ability onto his (+5) 2H weapon at high level, if he's really concerned about it.
Recalculating your math, a +5 Mithril Full Plate gives +14 Armor, not +16. However, by the time he's reached those levels, he ought to have a Belt of Physical Perfection +4 or +6, meaning it could result in a base of 40.
Throw in some Fighting Defensively (3 ranks in Acrobatics makes this a +3 instead of +2), Jingasa + Dusty Prism Ioun Stone, Shield of Swings, Dodge, and he can rack it up to 50 AC. An average unaugmented attack at 20th level (20 BAB + ~10 Strength + 5 Weapon) still results in the enemy needing a 15 or higher to hit. However, he has -4 to attack rolls, and only deals half damage on any hits he does secure, so this isn't something he can or should do constantly without risking the fight dragging on for too long.
And to be fair, D10 + Con in hit points, assuming we go by average, isn't really that much, and since a Two-Handed Fighter doesn't really have that much of an incentive to increase Constitution (by rights, he could dump his Dexterity to 10 to increase Constitution, but his Will Saves will end up lacking), he won't even come close to Barbarian-level hit points, something which Dragons can share quite easily.
I'd be more worried about the damage he can deal over the damage he can possibly prevent. Two-Handed Fighters are glass cannons through and through; only one archetype could possibly fit a tank that uses Two-Handed Weapons, and that's the Thunderstriker; too bad it's a heavily feat-intensive archetype that doesn't really get on board with his job until the mid to late game.
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Don't forget about potions! As a fighter, he probably doesn't have much going on in the way of pre-combat buffs. Swigging a Potion of Shield is an easy way to get a whole +4 AC, and 1000 GP buys 20 of them. (Or 10 regular potions and 5 double-duration ones for hard combats.)There is no spotion of shield, as that is self-only spell.
Hmm, you make a convincing argument. Guess we've been playing that one wrong for a while.
Nonetheless, a few potions of Blur (300GP) or Displacement (750GP) could be a good investment. Just make sure the enemy doesn't have True Seeing.
Don't forget about potions! As a fighter, he probably doesn't have much going on in the way of pre-combat buffs. Swigging a Potion of Shield is an easy way to get a whole +4 AC, and 1000 GP buys 20 of them. (Or 10 regular potions and 5 double-duration ones for hard combats.)There is no spotion of shield, as that is self-only spell.
I'm not sure as to how it's impossible. Reviewing the Potion description:
A potion is a magic liquid that produces its effect when imbibed. Potions vary incredibly in appearance. Magic oils are similar to potions, except that oils are applied externally rather than imbibed. A potion or oil can be used only once. It can duplicate the effect of a spell of up to 3rd level that has a casting time of less than 1 minute and targets one or more creatures or objects. The price of a potion is equal to the level of the spell × the creator's caster level × 50 gp. If the potion has a material component cost, it is added to the base price and cost to create. Table: Potions gives sample prices for potions created at the lowest possible caster level for each spellcasting class. Note that some spells appear at different levels for different casters. The level of such spells depends on the caster brewing the potion.
Potions are like spells cast upon the imbiber. The character taking the potion doesn't get to make any decisions about the effect—the caster who brewed the potion has already done so. The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect (though the potion indicates the caster level, the drinker still controls the effect).
The person applying an oil is the effective caster, but the object is the target.
There are two bolded parts that disprove your claim.
Firstly, the restrictions are that the potion has a less than 1 minute casting time, is a spell level of 3rd or lower, and targets one or more creatures or objects. Targeting yourself still targets one creature, so that part of the restriction is not violated.
Secondly, the following paragraph states that you are both the caster of the spell used in the potion and the recipient of the effect granted by the spell, meaning the effects of a potion actually adjust the normal target/caster administration to the prospect like that of personal spells (or spells that target only yourself), so saying that personal spells cannot be used, when potions alter the paradigm to function like that of personal spells, is not only counter-intuitive, but also defeats the purpose of making potions in the first place.
Spells with a range of personal cannot be made into potions.
...Well, that's perhaps the most stupid and inconsistent rule I've ever seen in regards to crafting. You create a potion, and that says you are both the target and the caster of the spell stored into the potion, but you can't make potions with a range of personal that normally mimic those same mechanics, when a potion works the same exact way?
I don't know how to respond to that with nothing other than foul detestment, so I will simply leave it be...
Also, potion of true strike would become a thing, which isn't something the devs wanted fighters to do.
The imbiber is the person that drinks it and is then the target and caster. The crafter is only the guy that makes it.
This rule is in place to stop personal spells that are generally than spells able to be cast on others at there equivalent level to be used on others that can't cast them.
50 gold for a one minute +4 shield bonus that blocks magic missiles is too powerful and would become a staple of 2 handed combatants diets.
We can go on and on about how certain lower powerful spells can be turned into consumables that are extremely cheap in creation, but let's face it; you won't always get the chance to apply these effects, especially during combat, and several spells, unless you pay out of pocket to make them into anything really useful by the endgame, won't be a viable application.
Your arguments outside of "That's what the RAW says" doesn't add up in terms of RAI. A Potion is designed to imbibe the effects of a spell into your person, using yourself as both the caster and the target; the fact that you can't use a spell that makes you both the caster and the target. Personal spells follow the same mechanics, except they don't have a choice for the target or caster, and as it sits, neither do potions. It absolutely makes no sense to me as to why spells with a range of personal cannot be affected when potions essentially force spells that target one or more creatures/objects to follow those same exact parameters.
A wand of Shield should also work, as well. Unless there's a statement in the PRD that means wands cannot be loaded with personal spells as well.
Furthermore, if you're looking to increase your damage after picking up an animated shield, ask your DM if you can have someone turn it into a Belligerent Shield down the road. With this, you can shield bash, retain your two-handed weapons with no penalty, and retain your AC bonus.
Wands can indeed be loaded with personal spells, but they can only affect the wandcaster.A wand of Shield should also work, as well. Unless there's a statement in the PRD that means wands cannot be loaded with personal spells as well.
Which is why UMD is the most awesome skill in the game!