I hate armor

[drothgery]

I'm not sure how he's accomplishing that with an 18th level single classed fighter- its probably multiclassed in some way. But there are a few other feats, like Heavy Armor Optimization and Greater Heavy Armor Optimization, that collectively provide +2 to AC and I believe -3 to armor check penalties.

Since you'd need an AC of at least 77 to pull off 'everything in the Monster Manual needs a 20 to hit' (rather than check the whole MM, I just looked at the Tarrasque and a Great Wyrm Red Dragon), I'm not sure how he pulls it off. I mean, just with the DMG I can figure up to AC 49 before feats, class abilities, and oddball magic items pretty quickly with by-the-book 18th level wealth.

Start as 20 dex small 18th level character, then improve your dex 4 times, to give a base AC of 18, and 440,000 gp. Buying a ring of protection +5, bracers of armor +8, gloves of dex +6, a heavy shield +5, a dusty rose ioun stone, an amulet of natural armor +5, and a manual of quickness of action +4 will get you an AC of 49 and 100,000 gp.

But that still means you need to find another 26 points of AC between oddball magic items that stack with all that, feats, and class abilities.

 

[Dimitri Mazieres]

The first problem I see here is that in the standard rules, AC doesn't scale with level as attacks and saves do. Here is a variant rule from Unearthed Arcana that remedies this: Defense Bonus :: d20srd.org

This, paired with the Armor as Damage Reduction alternative rule, could be a possible solution to your dilemma, without taking away from the importance of having armor available.

 

[EroGaki]

IIRC, Glamered Armor turns into a normal set of clothing and back again on command.

A glamered suit of armor retains all its normal qualities (including weight). So it doesn't really solve the problem.

 

[catsclaw227]

These are all good suggestions, but I understand the plight of the OP. I have often felt that it messed with my head that PCs would waltz around town, go to the pub, buy stuff and handle urban tasks in full battle dress. With the backpack. And a 10' pole.

Our DM, back in the day, had villages with laws about wearing armor and weapons. Or tavern's that didn't allow weapons. Stuff like that.

But it doesn't solve the OPs problem. It's an issue of what makes sense and what metagame knowledge one has.

 

[Theroc]

I don't think this is an actual solution to your problem, OP, but the Wheel of Time RPG has classes that are meant as 'tanks' and don't use armor, IIRC.

Going from the Wheel of Time books I read, most Swordmasters and Aiel(a culture that eschews swords and fight in the desert with spears) fight without armor, or with simple leather armor meant not to impede agility.

 

[Crothian]

I'm suprised this is an issue. I've seen plenty of fighter and combat types that had great AC using light or no armor. Just make a high dex character and concentrate on the many magical items that boost AC.

Or if you want to doesn't AU have an alternative rule of a class AC bonus?

 

[adwyn]

I allow fighters to straight up swap out their tower shield proficiency for Combat Expertise and their heavy and medium armor feats for any other 2 feats if they wish. This goes some of the way towards a no armor character.

Next I also have a house rule feat

Parry
Prerequisite: Dodge
When you have your dodge set against an opponent you may expend an attack of opportunity to parry his first hit by making an attack roll that exceeds the attackers. If either creature is large they get a +4 to their roll, and +2 for using a two handed weapon.

 

[Morrus]

Why don't you just "reskin" the fluff text of armour? Instead of calling it "chain mail", just call it "superior training" in your game and don't let folks simply buy it? The game doesn't really care why your AC is 28, just that it is.

 

[Oni]

Why don't you just "reskin" the fluff text of armour? Instead of calling it "chain mail", just call it "superior training" in your game and don't let folks simply buy it? The game doesn't really care why your AC is 28, just that it is.

I wish D&D would head in a direction that was a little more effects based to make such things a little mechanically smooth and just to give players permission to do this sort of thing, because frankly most people won't until they're given permission to by the rules text.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm suprised this is an issue. I've seen plenty of fighter and combat types that had great AC using light or no armor. Just make a high dex character and concentrate on the many magical items that boost AC.

...AND those boost Dex.

And then there is the multiclassing option. There are Base Classes and PrCls that address the issue as well. The Swashbuckler is one, the Monk is another. The OA Shaman is a lightly armored full divine caster who can buff himself about as well as a Cleric.

In addition, templates and race matters. Some races have ridiculously high Dex mods- Githzerai, Anthro Animals, etc.- and some have Natural Armor. Others have powers that grant temporary AC bonuses. My Githzerai Monk/PsyWar- then just an ECL 3 Monk- had an AC 24 of due to a high-Wiz, a +6Dex mod and a psionic-like ability to generate Inertial armor for another +4AC...and that was before he started taking levels in PsyWar for Expansion and Force Screens or owning any magic items boosting his AC or Dex.