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

[javcs]

I wouldnt allow using a shield unproficiently without a proficiency penalty.

There is one. It's the armor check penalty, when non-proficient it applies to a lot of things that it doesn't for proficient use, including attacks (don't remember what else off the top of my head).

However, with the mithral buckler the armor check penalty is 0, which makes it a very popular option, the armor check penalty reduction of mithral is one of the primary reasons that people get mithral armor/shields, with armor the category drop is also a primary reason.

 

[Sigurd]

Does anyone know a magic item that allows 'Alter Self' for an extended duration.

Or something like a belt of Troglodyte form?

My Guess is 18000 gp (Alter Self(2) x 3rd Level x 2000 "Use-activated or continuous") X 1.5 for 10min/level

A reptile skin belt of fine workmanship. Vaguely smelly when closely examined it is nevertheless very strong and detects of transmutation magic.

Moderate Transmution; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, Alter Self: Price 18,000 gp

(Note that Trog is only one of the possible Alter Self Uses - this only allows one form and is trying not to abuse the spell.)​

Sigurd

(Thanks to Tarkin on the WOTC boards for correcting the cost equation.)

 

[TYPO5478]

+1 Twilight mithral chain shirt is a +5 armor bonus (no ACP, no ASFC) for 5,250 gp. Much cheaper than equivalent Bracers of Armor.

 

[Darklone]

Does anyone know a magic item that allows 'Alter Self' for an extended duration.

Didn't that DMG hat do something similar?

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I'd actually suggest you ditch the idea of spending ANY gold on AC boosting and rely instead on spells and other things.

With good tactics and good spells (Greater Invisibility as a simple example) your AC becomes meaningless because nothing is going to target you. A Cloak of Displacement will save more damage in the long run than getting +15 to your AC through other means.

My current brainstorm for the "unkillable" sorcerer. Take 10 levels of Elemental Savant. Become an earth elemental. Take Moble Spellcasting. Pop out of the ground, shoot my spell, and duck back under the ground again so I can't be hit.

DS

 

[pallandrome]

I agree with the idea to not focus on AC. Improved Invisibility + Fly = Never having to say you're sorry.

 

[Nail]

My current brainstorm for the "unkillable" sorcerer. Take 10 levels of Elemental Savant. Become an earth elemental. Take Moble Spellcasting. Pop out of the ground, shoot my spell, and duck back under the ground again so I can't be hit.

DS

Nice!

There's another PrC that gets Earth Glide sooner....

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Nice!

There's another PrC that gets Earth Glide sooner....

He used to be a warmage but died one too many times in the span of a week so he sold his soul to the Elemental Earth God to be able to come back and finish up this business with stopping Kyuss.

He now is an all-acid-all-the-time fiendish monstrosity.

The REAL abusive combination would be to take the PrC that gives you the ability to see through 30' of stone/rock and then just cast spells without any chance whatsoever of being targeted (except by tremorsense). I wouldn't go that far to tee off the GM.

DS

 

[moritheil]

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

Abyssal eviscerator for +14 to natural armor. Of course, you have to be an outsider to do that.

 

[Datboi]

Take 1 level of wizard, plate armour, defense fighting style for +1 ac, that’s a 19 ac right there, plus your dex mod, if you take 2 levels of rogue you can get cunning action to disengage at the end of turns AND sneak attack for melee attacks, and you can STILL get 9th level spells at the end of it all.

Fighter 1, plate armour, defense fighting style
Rogue 2, cunning action
Wizard 17, 9th level spells
And a shield

If you have +3 dex then your ac will be 24