AC of your 10th lvl character?

[Rystil Arden]

It is interesting to see that people who had AC above my listed value either:

1) used highly controversial official material (Vow of Poverty)
2) had more wealth than what is recommended by the DMG (significantly more, in some cases)
3) invested a disproportionate amount of wealth into defensive items
4) used homebrew rules and equipment

AC, like all other things, greatly varies depending on the type of campaign. However, going out of one's way to create an invincible (AC-wise) character does nothing except irk the DM and force him to metagame to be able to challenge one character without completely obliterating the rest of the party.

Some of the ones who had higher did, but some didn't. That would be the same wherever you draw the cutoff (especially when you consider non-core feats and items to be 'homebrew', a definition with which I don't quite agree).

A 10th-level character is expected to have 49,000 gold worth of equipment. Let's say they spend less than half of it (22,000) on defense, of which one purchase is a +2 cloak of resistance (for 4,000), so that doesn't even raise AC. That leaves 18,000 for my Dex 12 halfling fighter in +3 full plate (~10000 GP), +2 tower shield (~4000 GP), +1 Amulet of Natural Armour (2000 GP), +1 Ring of Protection (2000 GP). That's 31 AC. Totally reasonable (in my opinion at least), completely core, and leaving the majority, 27,000 GP for the rest (with the 4,000 for the +2 cloak already deducted because those cloaks are useful), which can even afford a +2 weapon and a +4 stat item or a +3 weapon, 2 +2 stat items, and leftovers.

 

[Sammael]

I don't think I've ever seen a halfling fighter in full-plate and with a tower shield. By the time he gets to melee, the combat is long over. It's a highly sub-optimal character (low speed, -2 Str penalty), so while you didn't spend an unreasonable amount of money on defense, the character is fairly useless. Nobody will be able to hit him, but I seriously doubt anybody would even bother to. If you drop the tower shield and use a ranged weapon, it gets better, but then there goes that beautiful +6 bonus...

 

[shilsen]

I don't think I've ever seen a halfling fighter in full-plate and with a tower shield. By the time he gets to melee, the combat is long over. It's a highly sub-optimal character (low speed, -2 Str penalty), so while you didn't spend an unreasonable amount of money on defense, the character is fairly useless. Nobody will be able to hit him, but I seriously doubt anybody would even bother to. If you drop the tower shield and use a ranged weapon, it gets better, but then there goes that beautiful +6 bonus...

Actually a 31 AC will still get hit a lot at 10th lvl. Consider one of the more melee-oriented CR 10 creatures, like a fire giant (+20/15/10 to hit) or a tough CR 9 like a greater earth elemental (2 slams at +23 to hit). An NPC fighter or barbarian will have similar attack bonuses, esp. when buffed.

 

[Pinotage]

Hmm. Let's see. I have a 10th level Rogue/Cleric with an AC of 17, excluding Dodge. She normally uses Protection from Evil for the extra +2 boost. She has a shield, but since she's an archer it rarely gets used.

Then there's the 11th level Paladin-type with an AC of 27. Standard fare - full plate, heavy shield, ring of protection, amulet of natural armor, helm of insight, dex.

I had a halfling fighter once that was also around AC 27. With combat expertise she pushed it to 32. That made all the difference in a lot of battles where she couldn't afford to get hit.

Pinotage

 

[Li Shenron]

It is interesting to see that people who had AC above my listed value either:

1) used highly controversial official material (Vow of Poverty)
2) had more wealth than what is recommended by the DMG (significantly more, in some cases)
3) invested a disproportionate amount of wealth into defensive items
4) used homebrew rules and equipment

AC, like all other things, greatly varies depending on the type of campaign. However, going out of one's way to create an invincible (AC-wise) character does nothing except irk the DM and force him to metagame to be able to challenge one character without completely obliterating the rest of the party.

Yeah, I thought the purpose of the thread was more "check the average adventurer's AC at level 10" not a challenge about making the highest AC possible...

Because you know, if you really want to be un-hittable, don't play the game at all, and no one will ever hit your AC

 

[Bagpuss]

My Scout7/Fighter2 has 24 at best. But then it's a lowish magic IK setting (not much above +1 enhancement).

10
+4 = Dex bonus
+5 = +1 Serricsteel Chain Shirt
+1 = +1 Ring of Protection
+1 = +1 Natural Armour
+2 = Skirmish Ability
+1 = Dodge

24

 

[Errant]

You forgot a tower shield, which is why I said low 30s. Also Mithral Full Plate and Dex 16 can help too, but I didn't include that.

At high levels, AC is to avoid Power Attack and iteratives.

Actually I didn't forget, I just have a really hard idea imagining someone wandering around with a barn door strapped to their arm. I don't see it practical for general use (limited use yes). Its a personal taste thing.

Likewise the getting hit every round. I understand the "AC at higher levels is for avoiding power attacks and iterative attacks" theory, I just don't like it. It seems you've either got to completely dedicate your character build to high AC or expect to get hit every round. Just doesn't sound very heroic to me.

Note - I don't want to see untouchable PCs, damn hard to DM that, just an improvement on the current system.

 

[Darmanicus]

+9 - Mithral full plate +1
+5 - Animated tower shield +1
+1 - Dex 12
+1 - Gloves of Dex +2
+1 - Haste from armour 10rnds/day
+4 - Divine shield, about 5nds per use.

AC 31 total.

 

[Aluvial]

Yeah, I thought the purpose of the thread was more "check the average adventurer's AC at level 10" not a challenge about making the highest AC possible...

Because you know, if you really want to be un-hittable, don't play the game at all, and no one will ever hit your AC

I'm taking the same road as this poster. My 8 characters at 20th level have AC's that are 29 to 43. Hitting a 43 is nigh impossible for the average encounter (which is a 10 to 11 CR critter in my world). I really didn't record their AC's at 10th, and my other group has just now reached 4th (AC's between 16 and 20).

What I originally wanted to post about was the fact that there was a LOT of Mithral being reported in the thread. I must apoligize that this is slightly off the topic. I think the prevelence of Mithral in this thread, especially for 10th level characters is way too much. I don't believe that 1/4 to 13 of the posters should have Mithral armor, it should not be that prevelent, and seems to be only being used by the Min-Maxer. I would expect that in a group of 100 PC's, with an appropriate racial break-down, say 8% elves, that only half of them should have Mithral anything. That's 4 out of 100. To allow Mithral to become so prevelent in the game universe is a mistake, especially for mid-level PC's. Same holds true of Adamantine and other 'special' materials.

Although I like the concept of templated materials A LOT, I don't think that they should be frequently used at all in the average campaign world.

Aluvial

 

[drothgery]

Given how good mithril armor is, if it's available for sale and cheaper than improving a +1 item to +2, adventurers that wear armor are almost always going to have it when they can afford it. This doesn't mean it's all that common, just that it's concentrated in the hands of mid-level and higher adventurers.