am i the jerk or is my friend?

[krupintupple]

pretext - he claims he's discovered a supercool way to get something like +18 or better natural armour from a form of alter self. i obviously don't know what this is, and he won't tell me. annoying, but oh well.

current - i DM a game he's in and he naturally explained that his 5th level wizard has an AC in the high 30's. i naturally explained to him that unless i can verify the form that he's choosing (ie: see hiw math/work), he's not getting the bonus. he claims i'm only being a jerk because i secretly want to know what his 'hard work' turned up. i countered by saying that, as DM, if someone makes a claim about their character and they cannot back it up, and refuse to show me their character sheet, i simply ignore said claim and rule against them.

although we're not going to get in a fight over it, he is my brother, so it does perhaps border on sibling rivalry, but i digress - who is at fault?

and p.s. +18 natural armour at level 5? when did i miss that meeting?!?

 

[stonegod]

For the rules question: +8 is the best I can find (here), assuming you start humanoid.

For the "jerk" question: If you can't back up your math, you're afraid of something in my mind. Trust but verify.

 

[Darkwolf71]

as DM, if someone makes a claim about their character and they cannot back it up, and refuse to show me their character sheet, i simply ignore said claim and rule against them.

This is a correct statment. Sorry, but if you can't show why you get some bonus, you don't. It's that simple.

Of course if it is somehow legit, I'd quickly nix that as well.

 

[Khuxan]

You're definitely in the right, especially since everyone should be able to see what he's turned into by looking at him.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

This is a correct statment. Sorry, but if you can't show why you get some bonus, you don't. It's that simple.

Of course if it is somehow legit, I'd quickly nix that as well.

Agreed.

Not much to add, the "other side" doesn't have much of a case here.

 

[evilgenius8000]

It is possible, yet unlikely to last for every encounter: Assuming +4 (18 Dex) + 18 NA (he's an outsider who alters self into a dwarf ancestor) +4 armor (mage armor, last 5 hrs for him) +4 shield (shield, which only lasts 5 minutes for him) +5 monk AC (18 Wis & monk's belt, an 13,000gp item typically beyond the price range of 5th level characters) + 10 base = 45 AC. Even if he was a humanoid, he could alter himself into a crucian and still have 35 AC when fully buffed. Of course, this means his ability scores must be off the wall. Just hit him with a couple of dispel magics and you should be fine. Oh, things that don't target AC will work too.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

pretext - he claims he's discovered a supercool way to get something like +18 or better natural armour from a form of alter self. i obviously don't know what this is, and he won't tell me. annoying, but oh well.

The short answer here is, if the DM (you) is not aware of a creature, then it doesn't exist. Also, if the DM doesn't approve of a monster, then it doesn't exist. The form upon which he is basing his claim... doesn't exist.

You might also want to consider something like houseruling the maximum bonus gained from a polymorphing type spell to equal some number (like twice the spell's level, or 3+the spell's level).

 

[Nimloth]

The DM should have the right to know about everything in the game, except what characters are planning, and maybe even that (telepathy/divinations...). If anybody says they do something, but won't tell you what, you have a problem. You're brothers, so I will assume a level of rivalry. But this goes beyond that. This seems like he doesn't trust you. I recall a thread about a player who wouldn't tell his DM what his readied action was because he thought the DM would use it against him (they ended up with the player writing it on a note). Have you ever given your brother any reason not to trust you? But that is an issue between the 2 of you and it doesn't change the fact that you are correct. If he won't tell you what creature he is turning into, he can't turn into it, period!

 

[Runestar]

This is fairly common knowledge on the CO boards.

The trick involves you starting out as an outsider (typically planetouched, or using the otherworldly feat from PGTF), then using alter self to transform yourself into the dwarf ancestor from MM4.

It is available for free previewing on the wotc site.
Monster Manual IV -- More Excerpts

The next best alternative is the Ravid from MM, which boasts +15NA.

Edit: curses, beaten to the punch.

 

[blargney the second]

In case it isn't the dwarf ancestor mentioned above, remember that you can't polymorph into a templated version of a monster.
-blarg