Appropriate PC AC by Level

[dontpunkme]

They're are an abundancy of feats that can also boost ac. It really depends on the 2 characters. In example, in a game I was once in the party barbarian complained incessantly of him having the lowest AC of the front line warriors, mind you this character was completely worked up towards offense. Meanwhile the dex-based fighter had at least 10 points of AC on the barbarian because he was suited to utilizing high ac and lower damage potential. The platemail wearing paladin was actually towards the middle of the spectrum.
Long story short, AC is relative to the character build. It all depends on what the individual players want to focus on in terms of designing their characters.

 

[Wish]

Marimmar@home has a great point. At high levels, you're going to get hit. You might as well just get used to it. But suppose you get yourself into a bad tactical situation and take a full attack from a dragon with +35 to hit after he's had a few rounds to get your measure. The difference between being AC 33 and AC 23 is going to be 10 points of power attack, or about 70 points of damage. It's the difference between the party cleric busting out the heal spell or the ressurection spell.

AC per level is going to vary so widely that your question really can't be answered directly, which is why we're all giving roundabout answers on the general topic of armor class. In the campaigns I play in, one group ranges in AC from 14 to 33, before buffing spells, at around 16th level. The guy with the AC 14 doesn't even get buffing spells. His AC is so bad it's written off as a lost cause. In another group, they range from 21 to 29, at 15th level, a much less extreme range (and it's 26-29 without the wizard). My third group runs from 24 (recently up from 21) to 30, at level 14.

 

[Torx]

I certainly realize that it's not a perfect question, and that it is based on individual character focus. I suppose what my original question was driving at was wondering what a decent AC would be for any particular level. I got that answer from Marimmar and Pyrex with the idea of 13 + level being fairly appropriate.

The rest of my question was intended to focus on the most reasonable way for an average character to achieve that AC. Many of you have been very helpful at answering that, thank you.

My players seem to always focus on AC at character creation, getting the number to low 20s on average, but then none of them go any further with it, and by mid-levels (5-8), every opponent seems to hit on every hit. I was asking these questions to come up with a way I could best address this with my players. I want them to have a fighting chance without them having to focus all wealth or feats on AC. I think I've gotten some great information, so thanks again everyone.

 

[Timely Drought]

As said earlier, AC is very wealth-dependent. Cunning PCs with the appropriate magic item creation feats can make themselves some custom items, like slotless ioun stones that can give insight and luck bonuses and raise their AC through the roof.

For example: Base AC 10, +13 plate, +7 shield, +5 deflection, +5 luck, +5 natural armor, +5 insight, +1 dex, +1 dodge = 52 AC. Though those +5 items are going to chew on gp. More reasonnable for a 20th level tank would be AC 35+, I'd say.

Thats for core stuff anyway, the only thing I use.

 

[Xael]

AC is very class and priority dependant. I've played 15th level drow wizard (thus, ECL 17) with AC of 11 (without spells of course). It just didn't make any sense to spend money on magic items to raise it, since everybody would have hit him anyway.

We also had a 10th level drow rogue Vampire with AC 40+. Nobody hit him.