Spells & Feats that grant an AC bonus?

I'm running into stacking problems with my AC bonuses. In particular, I was trying to use Mage Armor while wearing a chain shirt. Since they both provide +4 to AC and are both armor bonuses, they don't stack. Essentially, the Mage Armor is useless.

I know about Shield and Shield of Faith. But I'd like to learn about others. What spells & feats are available to bring my AC to a better number? I'm able to use core + Spell Compendium + PHB 2 + the "Complete" books. No other spat books, though.

Any ideas? How can I get my AC up?

Past a certain stage, I personally feel you are better off using "absolute" effects to ward off blows, rather than trying to raise your AC, which tends to accrue at a rate slower than monster's to-hit rating scales (and are thus useless. The dragon with attack rating of +50 won't care that your AC is a hefty 44, for instance).

For example, mirror image/greater mirror image means that you cannot be hit by physical attacks, regardless of how low your actual AC is (mix it up with miss chances such as displacement to double its efficacy). Abrupt jaunt (PHB2) lets you teleport 10ft as an immediate action, useful for escaping a foe's melee attack.

Still, if you want to improve your AC, consider entering the abjurant champion prc from complete mage, since it increases the AC bonus granted by your abjuration spells. Sadly, the only armour-granting spell that is abjuration comes from BOED (luminous armour/greater), so the only real benefit is to improve the AC granted by your shield spell (which to your credit, can be cast as a swift action later on). Of course, this is assuming that you are not already using a mithral buckler.

Reduce person makes you smaller, which typically nets you a +2 AC bonus (+1 from being smaller, another +1 from the +2dex bonus). However, depending on your build, it may or may not be suitable.

Alter self into an appropriate form can grant you a decent NA bonus [popular forms include the troglodyte(+6NA), tren(Serpent Kingdoms, +8NA) and lizardfolk(+5NA)]. And if you can somehow access outsider forms, there is the ravid(+15NA) and dwarven ancestor(MM4, +18NA). If you are a construct (such as a warforged), XPH has the astral construct.

What is your character? This can help determine the suitability of buffs. Else, the list can go on forever.

Runestar said:

What is your character? This can help determine the suitability of buffs. Else, the list can go on forever.

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Thanks for the awesome list already. I can't find Abrupt Jaunt, though.

I currently play a cleric. Another player is a sorcerer who might be willing to collude with me to do some mutual improvements to AC. I'll also load up on potions as needed.

Our campaigns rarely go past 12th level, so I honestly don't care if I do something to help the character short term that "breaks" him for long term. He'll never see level 16 or 20, so he doesn't need to be optimized for gaming at those levels.

My next character will be a bard. I'd love advice for either my current or future character.

Abrupt jaunt is that alternate wizard feature which replaces find familiar.

As a cleric, your AC should already be quite respectable. You can wear fullplate and carry a shield, so for most part, your AC should not be inferior to that of the fighter. Shield other lets you share damage with another PC, so the enemies cannot focus fire.

If you feel that enemies are still hitting you too easily, consider using debuffs to weaken them instead. Especially if you feel that it is becoming too prohibitively expensive to concentrate solely on improving your AC.

For example, wizards can cast glitterdust, which is considered one of the most potent lower lv spells in the game. You blind your enemies, which cause them to miss you 50% of the time (it is like casting displacement on the entire party!), and making them easier to hit (something AC buffs alone cannot accomplish).

Grease/tripping can render enemies prone, which imposes a -4 to-hit penalty on attack rolls (tantamount to getting +4AC, but watch out if they carry crossbows) while netting you an attack bonus as well.

Other conditions like shakened also have their own rammifications.

If a PC is particularly threatend by a certain foe, have the wizard use benign transposition to swap positions with him, simultaneously removing him from danger while moving yourself adjacent to the enemy, ripe for a whacking.

And if you can disable them altogether (eg: via hold person/cloud of bewilderment), even better - You don't need AC if the enemy can't attack you.

Its a small boost, but Cat's Grace boosts your Dex...which boosts your AC.

Barkskin and other spells can boost your Natural AC.

aboyd said:

I'm running into stacking problems with my AC bonuses. In particular, I was trying to use Mage Armor while wearing a chain shirt. Since they both provide +4 to AC and are both armor bonuses, they don't stack. Essentially, the Mage Armor is useless.

I know about Shield and Shield of Faith. But I'd like to learn about others. What spells & feats are available to bring my AC to a better number? I'm able to use core + Spell Compendium + PHB 2 + the "Complete" books. No other spat books, though.

Any ideas? How can I get my AC up?

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Greater Mage armor has +6 armor bonus: same as a +2 Chain Shirt. An awesome trick, +1 Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt with as many special abilities as you can.
Add in Greater Mage armor and now you have good AC and good armor abilities.
But anyhoo.

Wanmt an unnamed/untyped bonus?
Spell Comprendruim: Foundation of Stone 1st level spell.
Every round you don't move you gain +2 untyped AC bonus. Dur: 1 rd/level.
Targets multiple players so whole party benefits.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I have to admit, Abrupt Jaunt is so good that I'd almost consider playing a wizard just for the benefit.

I have to agree, looking only at how to increase AC is a bit myopic. I certainly should consider spells stop the bad guys from swinging at all. There are a lot of disabling spells that would help. That's food for thought.

Thanks again!

Starbuck_II said:

Greater Mage armor has +6 armor bonus: same as a +2 Chain Shirt. An awesome trick, +1 Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt with as many special abilities as you can.
Add in Greater Mage armor and now you have good AC and good armor abilities.

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Uh... unless I'm completely missing the point, I don't see why on earth you'd do this. +1 Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt grants a +5 Armor bonus. Greater Mage Armor grants +6 Armor bonus as well, meaning they don't stack. Am I going to waste a 3rd-level slot for a spell that nets me +1 to my Armor class? I don't think so. While I'm at it, I'm better off casting Magic Vestment on my Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt. The enhancement bonus overlaps with the existing +1, but at higher levels it would actually be worth it.

Sure, it can be better, assuming the spellcasters in your party are willing to commit. If they are willing to expend spell slots buffing your party with greater magic weapon/magic vestments at the start of each day, then clearly there is little point in enchanting your eq past +1.

But do watch out for dispel magic (since magic gear will merely be suppressed for 1d4 rounds, unlike buffs, which are gone forever). Also, you can add armour properties to your twillight mithral chain shirt and buckler, such as fortification (or whatever catches your fancy), but not with buffs. So armour might be more versatile at higher lvs if you are interested in additional benefits beyond simple AC increases (and have the gold to spare).

Really depends on how far they are willing to go to optimize their selection of eq. No one best combination here.

aboyd said:

I'm running into stacking problems with my AC bonuses. In particular, I was trying to use Mage Armor while wearing a chain shirt. Since they both provide +4 to AC and are both armor bonuses, they don't stack. Essentially, the Mage Armor is useless.

I know about Shield and Shield of Faith. But I'd like to learn about others. What spells & feats are available to bring my AC to a better number? I'm able to use core + Spell Compendium + PHB 2 + the "Complete" books. No other spat books, though.

Any ideas? How can I get my AC up?

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While Mage Armor won't stack with any form of armor it does carry one great benefit. Being it is a Force Effect it will count the bonus of Mage Armor vs Incorporeal attacks. Something your armor and shield won't provide.

Permanent Magic Items

Magic Shield
Magic Armor
Gloves of Dexterity
Amulet of Natural Armor
Ring of Protection
Monk's Belt (IIRC)

Temporary Magic Items

Potion of Cat's Grace
Potion of Barkskin
Potion of Shield of Faith
Potion of Mage Armor

Feats

Dodge
Mobility
PHB2 Shield Feats
PHB2 Armor Feats

I hope this helps you. But to be honest if you are really wanting to be that hard to hit the best bet is probably play a combination fighter/cleric and go for the defensive still of fighting.