D&D 3E/3.5 Best Way to Improve a Wizard's AC

[Olaf the Stout]

I am about to play an 8th level Wizard and I am wondering what the most effective way to improve his AC is. I have standard wealth (27,000gp) for an 8th level character to play with.

At the moment I am thinking that casting Greater Mage Armor (+6 Armor Bonus, Spell Compendium) coupled with a Ring of Protection +2 and the Ioun Stone that grants the insight bonus to AC might be the way to go. I am pretty green when it comes to playing Wizards though so I may be overlooking something obvious here.

Any other suggestions?

Olaf the Stout

 

[javcs]

Dex boosters.

Blur/displacement effects, and other effects that provide miss chances (such as blink) (not technically AC, but as good/better).

Natural Armor boosters, dodge bonuses (via feat or other means), etc.


Nothing incredibly specific, but it's all things you should look into.

 

[Rhun]

Don't overlook Alter Self and turning yourself into a Trog for +6 natural armor.


-

 

[RigaMortus2]

I will second going the blur/displacement route if you can.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

javcs, what other ways are their to get a dodge bonus other then a feat or fighting defensively ect? are their any magic items that give dodge boosts?

 

[javcs]

javcs, what other ways are their to get a dodge bonus other then a feat or fighting defensively ect? are their any magic items that give dodge boosts?

Haste gives a dodge bonus.
I seem to remember seeing some other ways, but I don't remember what or where they were.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

So spells are the best way to go rather than permanent magic items?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Fedifensor]

Greater mage armor is an excellent start. You can also memorize shield for a situational boost (cast it when you know combat is imminent). There's also haste for an in-combat boost that affects the entire party (and really helps melee characters). After that, it's time to look at magic items.

Some good, upgradable items to look at:
* Gloves of Dexterity (also improves initiative and ranged attacks)
* Ring of Protection (perhaps the best type of AC bonus in the game)
* Bracers of Armor (in case greater mage armor runs out or is dispelled)
* Amulet of Natural Armor (or, for a cheap one-time boost, a potion of barkskin)
* Defending weapon (or Parrying weapon, if you use psionic items)

 

[IanB]

Miss chances are great. Mirror image should probably be a bread-and-butter defensive spell for you as well, unless illusion is a prohibited school. It is almost (or maybe just is) too good for the level.

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

Invisibility and greater invisibility come to mind as well as blur/dispacement and mirror image...

I doubt you are attacking anything in melee, so a +1 quarterstaff of defending might be a good thing to check into. IDHMBIFOM, but if you use it as a double weapon and use the magic, that is two unnamed +1 bonuses to AC (they stack). Also, I don't know if that is a "melee combat only" bonus.

You also don't want to forget fly. Being 45 feet off the ground is absolutely wonderful when your opponents are less than 20 feet tall and lack ranged weapons

Really Fast:

Greater Mage Armor (+6 Armor) (no Spell Compendium... spell level??)
Alter self - Trog (+6 Natural Armor)
Ring of Protection (+2 deflection)
Gloves of Dexterity +2 (+1 AC at 4000 gp, a good buy, also improves initiative and ranged attacks)
Be an Elf (+2 racial mod on dex +1 AC)

With an Unmodified dex score of 14 going into your build for a +2 before race and gloves boost it to 18 (and this is your second most important statistic) the above combo yields AC 28, and requires only 1-2 rounds of buffing (don't know how long Greater Mage Armor lasts, so it might be 1 round.)

Throw Shield into that mix... and I highly doubt that you are going to get smacked around too much. Invisibility makes for a good "escape" plan, and if you prepare buff spells, remember that they can't hit what they can't see.

What Are your stats exactly?

Save your 3rd and 4th level spell slots for utility and attack options. You simply can't prepare "too many" fireball, dispel magic, haste, Black Tentacles or polymorph self spells.