Dealing with the AC/low magic/high attack bonus problem

[reason]

One of the annoying problems going forward with D&D3/3.5 is the way in which the standard ruleset really requires magic to keep your AC high enough not to be a punching bag in combat. This becomes a problem when you're working with low-magic settings.

My house solution is expressed in the latter half of this doc (under "Defending in Melee"):

http://www.twilightminds.com/soras/pdf/SORAS_d20_Combat_and_Injury.pdf

(part of the Spirits of Rock and Sky thing at http://www.twilightminds.com/sorasfull.html, but I've used varients on this rule for quite the while).

Allowing people to devote their attack bonus to defense against specific foes solves a lot of problems relating to high level play in low-magic settings, I find. Anyone have any comments, similar systems or refinements?

Reason
http://www.exratio.com

 

[Spatula]

A class bonus to AC (found in many d20 games, like Modern, Star Wars, Wheel of Time) is another solution to the problem.

Although I would think that in a low-magic world, attack bonuses wouldn't be amazingly high. Magic weapon would be rare, stat enhancing magic & items not as common, and big monsters with outrageous bonuses to hit would not be seen too often. Fighter-types would have a lot of bonus to spare, but that just means that Power Attack and Combat Expertise (and fighting defensively) become more useful.

 

[Gothmog]

My solution was to give 1/2 the character's Reflex save bonus as an expertise AC bonus. Seems to balance out well over all levels.