So I have this character: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1126513
I'm leveling up to 8, and the plan was to take heavy armor prof or SOMETHING to fix my absolutely horrible AC. I'm the only melee in the group aside from a monk, and I can't be getting smacked around as much as I do. I got really intensely unlucky on all my HD rolls: I only have as much HP as I do because we have a house rule where if you roll less than half your HD, you take half. So I'm at about half the HP I could've had (and meant to have making the character). I was never meant to be uber-tank, obviously, since I'm a silly performance combat fighter who passes out shaken like it's nothing, but this campaign is difficult and I'm pretty bad off with only a 22 AC.
So I have a really difficult choice right now. Improved Crit is available. I could be critting on 17s and we're auto-confirming crits in this game, so that's a WHOLE lot of damage output I stand to gain.
My AC is still only 22. I could take heavy armor proficiency, but full plate doesn't boost my AC. Mithral full plate (which is monetarily out of the question) only boosts it by 2 until I start getting it enchanted. Getting better rings and amulets is really all I can rely on and that's gonna be expensive and slow, because I'm either paying a lot more buying new ones or I'm paying less and waiting potentially long periods of time to have stuff improved. Better armor enchants on my current armor are possible too, but same problem, and no one in the party can do that, unlike the amulet (no rings though). Could also pick up a ring of force shield, but that's expensive too. And I plan on continuing to improve my physical perfection belt, which is pricey even though I have a buddy in the party who can enhance it for me for half price.
I could maybe just keep taking toughness, but even then, if I'm getting hit that often all that HP isn't gonna save me.
I could take Dodge, but lol.
My only other option is to tax the sorcerer by having them buff me all the time with mirror image and / or shield.
So, any suggestions to help me overcome my crappy HD rolling luck and make this character survivable? And improved crit now, or hold off a level?
Jingasa of the Fortunate Soldier
Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone in a Wayfinder
As far as your game goes, are you strong enough offensively that you could take a hit to it or are you just keeping up? As much as I hate the feat on principle due to its being a prerequisite for like 50% of the combat feats in the game that it has nothing to do with, you could consider Combat Expertise to net yourself a +3 AC at the cost of a -3 to hit. If you really needed to you could put 3 ranks in acrobatics to boost fighting defensively so it gives -4 hit for +3 AC. You could also use both of those options together for a combined -7 hit, +6 AC, but oh wow that -7.
Beyond that AC costs money. If you don't got it then you're screwed.
Completely off topic/the wall, but OP, but do you happen to live in Western PA?
So I have this character: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1126513
I'm leveling up to 8, and the plan was to take heavy armor prof or SOMETHING to fix my absolutely horrible AC. I'm the only melee in the group aside from a monk, and I can't be getting smacked around as much as I do. I got really intensely unlucky on all my HD rolls: I only have as much HP as I do because we have a house rule where if you roll less than half your HD, you take half. So I'm at about half the HP I could've had (and meant to have making the character). I was never meant to be uber-tank, obviously, since I'm a silly performance combat fighter who passes out shaken like it's nothing, but this campaign is difficult and I'm pretty bad off with only a 22 AC.
So I have a really difficult choice right now. Improved Crit is available. I could be critting on 17s and we're auto-confirming crits in this game, so that's a WHOLE lot of damage output I stand to gain.
My AC is still only 22. I could take heavy armor proficiency, but full plate doesn't boost my AC. Mithral full plate (which is monetarily out of the question) only boosts it by 2 until I start getting it enchanted. Getting better rings and amulets is really all I can rely on and that's gonna be expensive and slow, because I'm either paying a lot more buying new ones or I'm paying less and waiting potentially long periods of time to have stuff improved. Better armor enchants on my current armor are possible too, but same problem, and no one in the party can do that, unlike the amulet (no rings though). Could also pick up a ring of force shield, but that's expensive too. And I plan on continuing to improve my physical perfection belt, which is pricey even though I have a buddy in the party who can enhance it for me for half price.
I could maybe just keep taking toughness, but even then, if I'm getting hit that often all that HP isn't gonna save me.
...
You need another combatant on the front line to help you out, and you need for your casters to buff you unless they are going to use more direct methods of taking out the enemies.
You mentioned a monk, and a sorcerer. Who is the other combatant?Your hit points are not bad. You should also pick up heavy armor proficiency, and go to full plate eventually. Then get mithral full-plate. Do not go after the mithral breastplate. If you had a shield, which you can't use, it would be ok.
Advice for the here and now:
Take Lunge to hit the bad guys from 15 feet away. When they move in they should provoke unless the GM is using large monsters. The fortuitous enhancement gives you a second attack of opportunity at a -5 every time you should get one. Since this give free attacks putting it on your weapon is not a bad idea.
Two-handed fighters tend to go with full plate, and they are generally designed to kill things fast enough that they don't take a lot of damage.
Even with power attack you are only doing +14 points of damage.
You should pick up weapon focus and weapon specialization. If you had that chain done you would be doing +18 points of damage.
If you can get the sorcerer to haste you and/or drop some summons to eat some of those attacks you will be better off.
PS: If it is allowed I would retrain hero's display which you have on your character sheet as heroic display. You can pick it up again later once you are in less danger of dying. The same goes for intimidating prowess.
i already have weapon focus, and i can't retrain heroic display because it's a prereq for performing combatant. (my only performance feat). took that particular feat chain because with shatter defenses, that means i can dish out a whole lot of shaken pretty reliably, and that also means a whole lot of flat-footed to me. plus, that condition helps my survivability a little by dishing out -2s to enemy attack rolls, though that's more of a perk and not the intent of the feat chain. intimidating prowess is important, too: ensures shaken goes off, and increases the odds of it lasting multiple turns, keeping the enemies locked down and susceptible to the sorcerer worsening their fear.
weapon specialization is a priority, but not an immediate one. i could be taking improved critical right now, and auto-critting every time i roll 17 or higher. no confirmation in this campaign (much to my chagrin, but also benefit in this case).
my money's on the character sheet: i'm pretty broke. i can just about afford to have the friendly party wondrous item crafter make me the jingasa, though, and every point helps. not like i'm using my head slot for anything.
i already pointed out mithril fullplate is my best bet for increasing my AC, but it's just not a financially possible option right now. or any time in the near future, really. even if i took proficiency now, it'd be about a level before i could pay for that.
the other combatants in the party are a gunslinger (pistolero, using revolvers for some pretty good damage) and i believe the other is a cleric, though he might be an oracle.
the problem with getting buffed is the sorcerer is really gung-ho on "i want to be an enchanter" and packs mostly social spells and blasts, much to my chagrin. they're a tattooed sorcerer, and they're passing out shield via that tattoo. the few buffs and battlefield control spells they have they took at my suggestion. i don't know if they have haste, but they did just take mirror image (because having mirror image available to me via his temporary tattoo ability is a great way to stay alive). they don't have any summons: they think summons are a waste of time.
every conjuration specialist i've ever played would beg to differ, but i digress.