Highest AC possible

[Hypersmurf]

Interestingly though, if the bracers were in the form of clothing, and the magic vestment spell cast upon it, the two would stack.

No, it wouldn't

You imbue a suit of armor or a shield with an enhancement bonus of +1 per four caster levels (maximum +5 at 20th level).

An outfit of regular clothing counts as armor that grants no AC bonus for the purpose of this spell.

Bracers in the form of clothing are neither a suit of armor nor a shield.

Even if you consider Bracers in the form of clothing to be "an outfit of regular clothing", then for the purpose of the spell, they count as armor that grants no AC bonus.

So the enhancement bonus would be applied to "no AC bonus" for the purpose of the spell, not to the Armor bonus imbued magically into the Bracers.

-Hyp.

 

[CyberSpyder]

^^-I'm not too sure about that...the implication of the second line is that the designation "armor" would include clothing. However, it would seem that by the letter of the spell, magic vestment wouldn't stack with a "+4 vest" or somesuch thing.

Consider the Quickstaff feat (from Complete Warrior), you get a +3 bonus on AC for each -1 penalty you take on your attack rolls. You can still get a decent Expertise-like bonus without losing too much on your attack roll.

I thought that sounded awfully high. Unfortunately, your AC bonus is only two higher than the penalty you take on attack rolls - so while you can get +3 AC for a -1 penalty, you only get +4 for a -2, +5 for a -3, and so forth.

 

[jabberwocky]

That sounds right.

But good luck finding anything that provides an enhancement bonus to AC

-Hyp.

XPH, Thicken Skin. It probably should be an enhancement to natural armor, but as written, it's simply an enhancement to AC.

 

[Crimson_Manticore]

monk1/wilder 24

gr. metamorphosed to Solar (going with 25HD rather than 50HD cap, otherwise: infernal, adult prismatic dragon, great wyrm gold, or whatever floats your boat)
natural armor +21, -1 size penalty, base dex 20
powers manifested: manifester level 31 w/wild surge
inertial armor +19 armor
force screen +11 shield
defensive precognition +11 insight
thicken skin +11 enhancement
mental barrier +10 deflection
attributes
wis base 18 +6 enhance+5 inherent+1level=30 +10
dex base 20 +6enhance+4inherent= 30 + 10
feats
haste +1
dodge +1
psionic dodge +1

Total AC: 115

this is leaving out combat expertise, and all items except stat booster.
I don't have my BoED in front of me, or this would be improved with the Vow of Poverty. a lot of these powers have short durations as well, but can be manifested immediately/swiftly if you need them.

Dang JW, color me impressed!

 

[Pax]

Hold onto that state of being impressed, Crimson - you're about to be floored:

Monk(2)/Cleric(3)/Mystic Wanderer(1)/Fighter(4)/Duellist(10). Specifically, a Winged Insectile Halfling, with Bracers of Armor (+10), five +5 daggers of defending, a +5 buckler, and a ring of protection (+5). This character is 20thlevel, at ECL 25.

• Monk(2): Wis bonus to AC. With a Monk's Belt, and the Monk's Tattoo's from Magic of Faerun, you also get the inherent AC bonus of a 10th level monk - which is +2.
• Cleric(3) is solely to satisfy the entry requirements for Mystic Wanderer
• Mystic Wanderer(1) gives you your Charisma modifier as a sacred or profane bonus to AC whenever not wearing armor
• Duellist(10), when fighting defensively and using Combat Expertise to the max, gives a 17-point Dodge bonus to AC - and your INT bonus to AC at all times
• the Insectile template gives two extra pairs of arms, with which to wield additional +5 daggers of defending;
• the "Winged" template gives a bit boost to Dexterity, and a decent bonus to Wisdom too;
• Halflings are Small, and get a +1 to AC for their size, and a +2 to dexterity as well.

Assuming three 16's and one 17, before racial modifiers ... you should (between books, levels, and +6 items) be able to get Dex(34, +12)/Int(30, +10)/Wis(30, +10)/Cha(30, +10). Thus yoru Armor Class is:

• 10 base
• +12 from Dex
• +10 from Int
• +10 from Wis
• +10 from Cha
• +2 from Monk
• +10 dodge, from Duellist
• +1 dodge, from the feat of the same name
• +2, fighting defensively
• +5, from combat expertise
• +10, from bracers
• +6, from buckler
• +25, from defending weapons
• +5, deflection
• +1 insight (ioun stone)
• +1 from being size Small

This totals to an AC of 120; Touch AC is all of 10 lower, for 110. Add in a Rune of Holy Star for +10 more, rune or potion of Barkskin (+5 more), and those become 135 and 120, respectively. And all this with only a -7 to hit! Heh.

Bracers of armor provide an armor bonus, not an enhancement armor bonus. The Shield spell provides a cover bonus to AC, not an enhancement or armor bonus. So they all do stack.

Shield provides a +4 shield bonus - welcome to 3.5E D&D.

And Magic Vestment produces an Enhancement bonus to the unerlaying armor value. Cast on normal clothes, the clothes go from a +0 armor bonus to a +5 armor bonus. The +5 armor bonus form yoru shirt will not stack with the +10 armor bonus from your Bracers of Armor.

"Enhancement bonus to armor" is not synonymous with "enhancement bonus to AC".

 

[Hypersmurf]

^^-I'm not too sure about that...the implication of the second line is that the designation "armor" would include clothing.

It does... but the spell treats clothing as though it has no Armor bonus.

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

XPH, Thicken Skin. It probably should be an enhancement to natural armor, but as written, it's simply an enhancement to AC.

Nice - so it stacks with Barkskin, at present?

Cool

-Hyp.

 

[da_deadman]

I don't think you can fight defensively and use combat expertise in the same round.

Hold onto that state of being impressed, Crimson - you're about to be floored:

Monk(2)/Cleric(3)/Mystic Wanderer(1)/Fighter(4)/Duellist(10). Specifically, a Winged Insectile Halfling, with Bracers of Armor (+10), five +5 daggers of defending, a +5 buckler, and a ring of protection (+5). This character is 20thlevel, at ECL 25.

• Monk(2): Wis bonus to AC. With a Monk's Belt, and the Monk's Tattoo's from Magic of Faerun, you also get the inherent AC bonus of a 10th level monk - which is +2.
• Cleric(3) is solely to satisfy the entry requirements for Mystic Wanderer
• Mystic Wanderer(1) gives you your Charisma modifier as a sacred or profane bonus to AC whenever not wearing armor
• Duellist(10), when fighting defensively and using Combat Expertise to the max, gives a 17-point Dodge bonus to AC - and your INT bonus to AC at all times
• the Insectile template gives two extra pairs of arms, with which to wield additional +5 daggers of defending;
• the "Winged" template gives a bit boost to Dexterity, and a decent bonus to Wisdom too;
• Halflings are Small, and get a +1 to AC for their size, and a +2 to dexterity as well.

Assuming three 16's and one 17, before racial modifiers ... you should (between books, levels, and +6 items) be able to get Dex(34, +12)/Int(30, +10)/Wis(30, +10)/Cha(30, +10). Thus yoru Armor Class is:

• 10 base
• +12 from Dex
• +10 from Int
• +10 from Wis
• +10 from Cha
• +2 from Monk
• +10 dodge, from Duellist
• +1 dodge, from the feat of the same name
• +2, fighting defensively
• +5, from combat expertise
• +10, from bracers
• +6, from buckler
• +25, from defending weapons
• +5, deflection
• +1 insight (ioun stone)
• +1 from being size Small

This totals to an AC of 120; Touch AC is all of 10 lower, for 110. Add in a Rune of Holy Star for +10 more, rune or potion of Barkskin (+5 more), and those become 135 and 120, respectively. And all this with only a -7 to hit! Heh.


Shield provides a +4 shield bonus - welcome to 3.5E D&D.

And Magic Vestment produces an Enhancement bonus to the unerlaying armor value. Cast on normal clothes, the clothes go from a +0 armor bonus to a +5 armor bonus. The +5 armor bonus form yoru shirt will not stack with the +10 armor bonus from your Bracers of Armor.

"Enhancement bonus to armor" is not synonymous with "enhancement bonus to AC".

 

[Deset Gled]

I don't think you can fight defensively and use combat expertise in the same round.

Inituitivly, it would seem that this is the case. But if you read the text of both, there's actually nothing to imply using one stops you from using the other. They both just require you to take an unamed penalty to attack rolls. These penalties, of course, are cumulative.

In 3.0, I'm pretty sure this was spelled out in a FAQ entry. I don't think it is for 3.5, but the reasoning is the same.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I don't think you can fight defensively and use combat expertise in the same round.

PHB p140.

"You can choose to fight defensively when attacking. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round. This bonus stacks with the AC bonus granted by the Combat Expertise feat (page 92)."

-Hyp.