Highest possible bonuses

[richardgobble]

Hi guys,

I am re-working some of the D&D rules to better suit myself and my players. I am trying to keep things well balanced and such which leads to my question.

For argument's sake, let's assume core only for this discussion.

Assuming that a character has access to any magic items that he/she needs, what is the highest possible attack bonus and the highest possible AC? Let's say for a fighter type character.

It would be super useful if we could categorize the types of bonuses and how they stack.

With great appreciation,
Richard

 

[AnonymousOne]

What level character?

Core only has a bit of a different pricing system than the MIC lays out.

 

[richardgobble]

Oh sorry,

20th level...not epic.

 

[Aestolia]

Well for AC, using only the base 3 books (limiting all the new special materials out there)

+5 Mithral Full Plate (13 Armour Bonus)
+5 Mithral Tower Shield (9 Shield Bonus)
+3 Dex bonus (max allowed by mithral Full plate)

other armour combinations using Mithral only allow for a max of 10 AC in a dex / armour combination , full plate allows for an 11 (8 armour, 3 dex)

Amulet of Natural Armour +5 (5 Natural armour)
Ring of Deflection +5 (5 Deflection bonus)

This puts the person at: 10 + 3Dex + 13A + 9S + 5N +5Def = 45 AC

This is NOT counting:
Feats of any sort (Dodge, Mobility, Improved Shield Use etc)
In combat situations (Calling total defense)
Dusty Rose Ioun Stones

Dodge Bonuses (such as Dodge, Combat Expertiese) stack.
Insight Bonuses (suce ash Ioun Stones) stack.
Luck Bonuses (Some feats / spells, class features) stack.

Armour, Shield, Natural, and Deflection bonuses do not stack, unless otherwise specified.

Given that Ioun stones do not take up an item slot, and there's no listed maximum... there's nothing preventing you from saying - I have 10 dusty rose Ioun stones, adding another 10 AC.

Before stackable bonuses and feats; 45 is the Number I'm offering up

~Aestolia Silverfalls

 

[richardgobble]

Thanks for the reply. Good info.

My intention in this is to reduce/remove the number of +x items in my campaign. I am reworking the way BAB functions and want to make sure that when I am done that players can still take on high CR monsters.

Another way opf looking at this might be:

How strong would a fighter at twentieth level be expected to be through feats/items/bonuses in order to take on (as part of a group) some of the high CR monsters in the MM?

 

[Aestolia]

Well I was looking to try to maximize it, so i wouldn't necessarily take that as what all fighters have, but an idea of higher end.

as for + to hit...

20 base attack
+5 weapon
+5 attribute bonus

Before feats / Combat situations I'd say 30 is a good base line. Keep in mind though, if they're there with a Belt of Giant Strength, and read a Manual of Gainful Exercise, that attribute bonus could be up to +10 or 11.

in terms of stacking, pretty much anything that adds to hit stacks. be mindful of "bonus to Hit" and "Bonus to Base Attack" I'm sure I've seen an item or spell somewhere that added to base attack (can't recall) if it adds to the Base Attack, it can grant extra attacks. (though they'll usually mention this in the description as a reminder)

 

[blargney the second]

Good attacks are usually above 2x level. Good AC is above 20+ level.

 

[eamon]

Dodge Bonuses (such as Dodge, Combat Expertiese) stack.
Insight Bonuses (suce ash Ioun Stones) stack.
Luck Bonuses (Some feats / spells, class features) stack.

I'm sure you mean, they stack with the basic AC you calculated. Of the three, only dodge bonuses stack with other dodge bonuses.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#bonusTypes

The important aspect of bonus types is that two bonuses of the same type don’t generally stack. With the exception of dodge bonuses, most circumstance bonuses, and racial bonuses, only the better bonus works (see Combining Magical Effects, below). The same principle applies to penalties—a character taking two or more penalties of the same type applies only the worst one.

 

[Aestolia]

I'm sure you mean, they stack with the basic AC you calculated. Of the three, only dodge bonuses stack with other dodge bonuses.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#bonusTypes

Thanks for the correction, I had meant with themselves (as i specified otherwise with the other ones). For some reason i thought Luck and Insight self stacked as well.

 

[Gaiden]

Well for AC, using only the base 3 books (limiting all the new special materials out there)

+5 Mithral Full Plate (13 Armour Bonus)
+5 Mithral Tower Shield (9 Shield Bonus)
+3 Dex bonus (max allowed by mithral Full plate)

other armour combinations using Mithral only allow for a max of 10 AC in a dex / armour combination , full plate allows for an 11 (8 armour, 3 dex)

Amulet of Natural Armour +5 (5 Natural armour)
Ring of Deflection +5 (5 Deflection bonus)

This puts the person at: 10 + 3Dex + 13A + 9S + 5N +5Def = 45 AC

This is NOT counting:
Feats of any sort (Dodge, Mobility, Improved Shield Use etc)
In combat situations (Calling total defense)
Dusty Rose Ioun Stones

Dodge Bonuses (such as Dodge, Combat Expertiese) stack.
Insight Bonuses (suce ash Ioun Stones) stack.
Luck Bonuses (Some feats / spells, class features) stack.

Armour, Shield, Natural, and Deflection bonuses do not stack, unless otherwise specified.

Given that Ioun stones do not take up an item slot, and there's no listed maximum... there's nothing preventing you from saying - I have 10 dusty rose Ioun stones, adding another 10 AC.

Before stackable bonuses and feats; 45 is the Number I'm offering up

~Aestolia Silverfalls

I actually think the highest possible AC comes from the Monk.

As long as his wisdom is over 20, the combination of the unarmored AC bonus from wisdom stacked with bracers of armor +8 is better than full plate.

With core only and assuming maxed stats:

Halfling Monk 20 with Monk's belt (effective 24th level)

Dex 18 (base) +2 (race) +6 (enhancement) +5 (inherent) +1 (level) = 32

Wis 18 (base) +6 (enhancement) +5 (inherent) +4 level) = 34

AC = 10 (base) +8 (armor: bracers of armor) + 11 (dex) + 12 (wis) +5 (monk) +5 (natural armor) +10 (defense - two +5 kamas of defense or some other monk weapon) +1 (size) = 62

This doesn't include feats or any other special items and isn't even really all that tweaked. I had a 20th level character with an AC near 90 without using combat expertise.

Similarly I was able to get my attack bonuses with that same character to well over 100 including the die roll. Granted with both of these values, I was using non-core. However, even core should be able to get MASSIVE to hit bonuses and what's sick is that the wizard will actually get the best to hit values:

Use limited wish for divine might to equilibrate BAB with a fighter, use polymorph (or shapechange) to transform into the strongest creature possible, take a 1 level dip into barbarian for rage and get a +6 enhancement item made for whatever creature you will transform into. After all that then use righteous might. At 20th level you'll have:

20 (BAB) +5 (weapon enhancement) +6 (luck from divine favor easy enough to get one way or another) + (I'll say a 40 strength creature should be reasonable enough to find at 20th level, so +20 from str including enhancement and rage) +4 (morale from heroism) and +20 (insight from quickened true strikes) = +75 to hit This is just core!