I am running a PFS Unchained Barbarian through Eyes of the Ten, and I am wanting to find alternate defensive strategies. I understand AC will not really be an option to make him unhittable, so I was wondering of ways to gain Mirror Image and/or some sort of miss chance. I understand I can get the party Sorcerer to cast Displacement, but I was hoping there is an item/potion that would give me some of these effects.
He does have Use Magic Device at about 15, so it may be possible to buy scrolls and use them?
physical defense is AC, HP, DR, miss-chance.
Lots of Barbs usually rely on HP and DR.
Barbs can have good AC to have HP and DR and AC.
There is a permanent blur cloak, but then you don't have a cloak of resistances.
But for miss-chance you're looking at needing to get magic involved. Blur is probably better than displacement since it lasts longer so potentially can be pre-buffed with it. potions of blur exist.
Not a very party-friendly tactic, unless they also buy them, but having Fog-cutting Lenses within any sort of smoke or fog is a good way to gain concealment.
Spirit totem can get you miss chance beyond 5', but you'd have to skip beast totem.
Wand of mirror image maybe.
Barbarian Rage Powers can be your friends in regards to reducing the chance of you taking fatal damage.
-Clear Mind (8)
-Eater of Magic (10)
-Energy Resistance, Energy Absorption (12th)
-Flesh Wound (10)
-Ghostrager (6)
-Good for What Ails You
-Groundbreaker (6) -Greater Groundbreaker (8)
-Guarded Life, Greater (6)
-Guarded Stance
-Increased Damage Reduction (8)
-Internal Fortitude (8)
-Knockdown Stance
-Liquid Courage
-Protect Vitals (8)
-Reflexive Dodge (6)
-Regenerative Stance (4)
-Renewed Vigor (4)
-Superstition
+The majority of totem lines have one (or 3) defensive abilities
The real question is exactly what type of defense you want. If you plan on getting hit because of your low AC you can compensate with healing, extra health, Damage Reduction, or bonuses towards when you are knocked unconscious. If you plan on being an anti-mage you can focus on saving throws. If you are facing a particular type of energy constantly then Energy Resistance is not a bad grab. Groundbreaker and Knockdown stance can greatly boost your defenses by driving your melee opponents to the ground, making them easy prey and forcing them on the defensive.
Basically, the best defenses are already in your kit. Just burn feats for extra rage powers and take defensive powers along with offensive powers.
Part of his deal is he's already lv12. So his options are either spending gold or MAYBE retraining at this point.
Effective magical defenses like concealment would be more a plan-from-the-start thing, unfortunately, unless you're just looking at UMDing a wand of something (though that's typically either really crappy duration, or a very pricey wand).
A Barbarian can run with some surprisingly high AC if they work at it; something like mithral heavy armor, Shield Focus -> Unhindering Shield, Beast Totem, Crane Style would be pretty stacked AC indeed. But that's a lot of planning.
Especially unchained.
lv12 snapshot
getting the armored hulk archetype
rage -2
full plate +9
dex +1
beast totem +4
guarded stance +4
that's 26 AC while raging before magic items.
Even without guarded stance it's 22AC before magic while raging.
throw in +3 armor and +1 ring and amulet and you're at 31/27. Fairly solid AC with really no investment.