AC or damage?

[the Jester]

Go for damage.

In 3e, once you attain sufficiently high levels, your defenses are meaningful only in that they prevent even more of a power attack from the monsters, which often will miss only on a 1 (like a high-level fighter's first attack).

 

[Dandu]

Damage output. Mainly because that implies a high AB, which can be converted into AC with feats such as Combat Expertise.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Damage output. Mainly because that implies a high AB, which can be converted into AC with feats such as Combat Expertise.

And even when it reaches the point that, to increase your AB by 1 point, it would cost 2, 5, even 10x what it would to simply increase your actual AC by 1, you would STILL choose AB?

If you're at a point where offense or defense has about the same costs to upgrade further, I'd go offense, sure. But I don't value offense over defense that much.

 

[Dandu]

And even when it reaches the point that, to increase your AB by 1 point, it would cost 2, 5, even 10x what it would to simply increase your actual AC by 1, you would STILL choose AB?

If I'm still getting hit by the enemy rolling a 2 after increasing my AC by 5 points, I think I would rather invest those 5 points in offense.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If I'm still getting hit by the enemy rolling a 2 after increasing my AC by 5 points, I think I would rather invest those 5 points in offense.

I've never seen a game where increasing AC by 5 did absolutely nothing to help your chances of being missed. If you've completely neglected your AC and it's at like 12 at level 12, maybe. But why the hell would you do that? AC upgrades are cheap and plentiful.

 

[Dandu]

If you're a Barbarian, you might.

 

[Iku Rex]

Go for damage.

In 3e, once you attain sufficiently high levels, your defenses are meaningful only in that they prevent even more of a power attack from the monsters, which often will miss only on a 1 (like a high-level fighter's first attack).

I've been in a number of high level 3.x campaigns, and that's simply not true.