Defensive swordsman options?

[Errant]

I'm playing in a new campaign soon, starting at 6th level, and I'm wondering what the best choice would be to make a hard-to-hit, high AC swordsman or similar. Can anyone offer any options or classes other than aiming for Duellist prestige class?

Edit: I can use the core rules, WOTC class books (Sword & Fist etc) or Expanded Psionics Handbook. ie WOTC options only...

 

[Shane_Leahy]

My wife is making a similar character and decided to go with 1 level of Swashbuckler (Complete Warrior) at first level and then all fighter. This helps with the skill points for the Duelist class and does not lose anything in terms of HP, BAB, or feats (They gain Weapon Finesse). At high levels she is looking at ACs in the 30's unarmored without much trouble.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Well, probably your best bet is a reasonably high Dex and mithril full plate, mithril or darkwood shield and a long or bastard sword. If you have Races of Stone, Heavy Armor Optimization [general] and Invest Armor [Psionic] are good. If you can use mountain plate or somesuch, you're set. Maybe mountain plate and an extreme shield? If you want little-to-no armor, use the feat from Eberron that lets you use a longsword as a monk weapon. It requires proficiency and focus in the longsword, so either a ftr 1 or 2/monk x or an elf monk would probably work best. If you don't want a shield, two-weapon defense and improved buckler defense (CW) might serve you well.

 

[blargney the second]

Blur and Displacement are your friends.
-blarg

 

[Shane_Leahy]

Sorry I missed read the not wanting duelist even though I think that is the best way to get your AC up there...

The heavy armor optimization feats are good, get your to hit bonus as high as you can so you can Combat Expertise as much as possible, as well as trying to get some tumble for the bonus when fighting defensively.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Devoted Defender is quite good for AC as well as the other suggestions.

At 6th level, mithral fullplate is probably out of reach but a few choices will yield good AC:

Fullplate+tower shield+12 or 13 dex
If you have Combat Expertise (and you should) a large shield is almost as good as a tower shield since you will not usually want to use combat expertise at max and you can get the same AC as the tower shield by pumping two more points into combat expertise.

Four levels of PsiWarrior is a great option for a fighter type and would give you access to Psionic Lion's Charge or Hustle (very useful options for melee characters) as well as a natural armor increasing power and one which grants an insight bonus to AC. Both of those are very valuable for cranking your AC.

 

[Scion]

psychic warrior all the way.

Pick up overchannel and talented.

Grab whatever defensive powers come up along the way.

Get a monks belt as soon as possible.

Keep your wisdom maxed out (start with 18 or better, go up from there).

Either pick up inertial armor or be a githzerai.

With metapsychical weapon, graft weapon and a few others you can be the master swordsman with a massive AC

 

[uzagi_akimbo]

Featwise, pick Combat Expertise (a no-brainer, basically ), Improved Combat Expertise (CW) and, if you consider sharing the benefits, take "Allied Defense" (FR-SS ). Heavy Armour (on a dwarf, if possible) with Heavy Armour Optimization (RoS) provides benefits for stationary defenders.

Some ranks in Tumble (5+) provide a nice synergy bonus for defensive fighting, too.

Another viable combo yielding a reasonable amounts of attacks with good AC would be picking the "two weapon attack" path in combination with "Imp Shield Bash" and "Imp Shield Charge" , turning your shield into a reasonably useful device besides its ability to save your hide.

A 10' reach weapon in combination with the "Combat Reflexes" and "Hold The Line" feats provides attacks (AoOs) on anyone trying to even approach you without care. Consider dishing in "Improved Trip" if you go down that road, the best opponents are those rolling around prone, unable to hit you.

Equipment wise - try investing into an adamantine heavy armour (may be out of your reach, financially ), while DR 3/- doesn't help much against giants and their 20+ points of damage blows, the three absorbed points really stack up against fast and light attacks.

Also, try to get your hands on items providing "blur" and/or even better, "displacement", probably the ultimate defense against high-strength driven attacks, because however hard they strikem, they still face the same miss chance as everyone. Also, these effects help very well against sneak attacks (including those from "feints" ) by providing concealment
If you can wriggle out access to "Use Magic Device", consider purchasing a wand of "mirror images", "blur" or similar

An Admantine wepaon - in combination with "Imp. Sunder" might resolve many drawn out fights more easily by proving very nice sundering power (admantine weapons ignore 20 points of hardness..... ) - no weapon = lesser or no attacks

"Smoking " ( from FR-LoD ) is a nice +1 weapon enchantment which provides 50% concealment plus some nifty side effects from a held weapon and is triggerable.

Not all of these strategies might be achievable at 6th level, but bear keeeping in mind for longer term development..

GL

 

[Errant]

Sorry I missed read the not wanting duelist even though I think that is the best way to get your AC up there...

I haven't ruled out Duelist, just trying to see if there are other options to make a frontline fighter that survives by wit & reflex instead of by being clad to the eyeballs in armor like the stereotypical tank. Plus Duellist requires ranks in Perform that I'm having trouble picturing in action & thus a waste of points for those classes where Perform is cross-classed...

Some great ideas though, thanks all. Keep em coming if anything new comes to mind!

PS - the campaign starts at 6th level so I'd like to have good AC & still have a good chance to hit something.

 

[Scion]

What point buy equivalency?

Also, is it more important to hit very well or do a lot of damage?