Raising AC without Armor?

[Oryan77]

Are there any fighter-type classes that don't use armor but can still boost their AC similar to how a Monk does?

Or, is there any way for a class to learn the Mage Armor spell if the character is not a Wizard or Sorcerer? I thought about buying scrolls, but that gets expensive.

I'll have a 3rd lvl Monk that will be leveling into a new class at 4th level. I'm just trying to figure out a way to keep a decent AC without needing armor so the Monk abilities will not go to waste.

I would like to be able to play some sort of caster/fighter type (mostly fighter type) that can still benefit from 3 levels of Monk. These Monk levels are mandatory for this game.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Duelist adds Int bonus to Dex bonus for AC, with the amount of Int capped by Duelist class level.

But Duelist is a horrible class, and since this is an already existing Monk, I'd be shocked if he happened to have a high int, and even then he'd need BAB +6 and three feats (1 decent, 1 awful, and 1 that would be decent if he were using a reach weapon instead of unarmed).

Is buying a pearl of power for the party wizard not possible?

What are your monk's mental stats? There are other casters that get mage armor. IIRC Bards do, I know Summoner gets it (and if you did a Synthesist Summoner dip for a few levels you wouldn't even lose any BAB and would gain the ability to pounce, which would obviously be helpful with your flurry of blows), Magus probably does, too...

EDIT: If wis is his only positive mental score and you were hoping for a way to get Mage Armor on the Cleric, Inquisitor, or some other wis-based caster's spell list that you were planning on multiclassing into...

1) There's a Sorcerer bloodline that makes them a wis-based caster, I can try to find the name if you want.

2) The Pathfinder Savant prestige class allows you to add spells to your class list from other classes' lists.

[sblock]Esoteric Magic (Ex)
At each class level beyond 1st, the Pathfinder savant chooses a spell from any class’s spell list and thereafter treats it as if it were on the spell list of his base spellcasting classes; if his base class could not normally cast that spell, it is treated as 1 level higher. The spell’s type (arcane or divine) and save DCs function as normal for his base spellcasting class. All other restrictions of his normal spellcasting class apply. This ability does not allow other spellcasters to prepare, cast, or use spell trigger or spell completion items of esoteric spells (such as a sorcerer using a cure light wounds scroll).[/sblock]

 

[Donal Graeme]

Stream of the Sky has the right idea with the Sorcerer suggestion. The bloodline is from Ultimate Magic, and is the Empyreal Wildblooded Archetype for the Celestial Bloodline. That lets you use your wisdom modifier instead of your charisma modifier for spells.

Even one level of Sorcerer (from that bloodlines) has huge benefits for a monk. You can grab Mage Armor and the Shield spell as the two 1st level spells you learn, which gives you a means of increasing your AC by +8, in addition to your Dexterity and Wisdom bonuses, plus most other magic items you would be wearing. Not to mention you would be able to use scrolls and wands of spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard Spell list.

 

[Ramaster]

You know, I was about to suggest Mithril Buckler, but then I re-read the monk weapon and armor proficiencies and realized it doesn't work.

Mithril Buckers are stupid good. They only cost 1k gp and give you +1 to you AC and you can further enchant them and they lack arcane spell failure or check penalty (and are super light). Mind you, armor enchantments are the cheapest of the game.

It seems really unfair that wizards and sorcerers can use them no problem, but monks loose all of their (crapy) class features if they so much as touch one of them...

Anyway, get a wand of shield for only 750 gp and perhaps some bracelets of armor/ring of deflection/amulet of natural armor/ioun stones.

 

[Oryan77]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll try branching off into Summoner. I have this idea to make a fighter type build this way and the Summoner seems to have a pretty good BAB (same as Monk).

I don't currently have my stats worked out. I'm thinking that I would like to get Str as high as I can in order to use this PC as a front line fighter. I'm not worried about min/maxing him. I'm more interested in trying something quirky but not quirky enough where it will be crippling. So if I lose a bit on summoning, that's fine. I think the only reason I would be raising Wis is for the Monk AC (I'm using the Weapon Adept Monk).

 

[milo]

Will your DM let you use the martial artist archetype for the monk levels(no alignment restriction)? If so you could go with the savage barbarian, they get a dodge bonus to AC in place of trap sense and Nat armor in place of DR. Both when wearing no armor and you would get the full base attack and D12 HD.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Stream of the Sky already mentioned the Duelist, but I'd have to disagree with him on it sucking.

I have seen a Monk/Duelist pulled off pretty well by one of my players, personally. It was something he planned to do from the start, and built his character for, and he was arguably the strongest member of the party (on par with the druid, certainly stronger than the paladin and magus).