Newbie avenger questions

[Destil]

Armor of faith is fine, since avengers use cloth. It's just free leather. Improved armor of faith (the feat) is quite good, too.

For a while (while it was usable with leather/hide) you could argue it was broken, as it let avengers get very high AC. Then it was eratted to not work with anything but cloth. There's people who see that as necessary for balance (both having the high AC and not allowing the high AC) and those that just don't think it was a big deal.

There's a new feat in PHB3 that may or may not put them back at the top of the AC chart, depending on the text...

NOTE: All avengers either use Dex or Int as a secondary stat, and would be expected to increase that every chance they get, along with Wis. 16 is a pretty good assumption for the starting score.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Yeah, I'm one of those who doesn't think it's broken. A high AC is certainly nice and helpful, but a lot of the things an avenger will draw attacks from scoff at AC.

Brad

 

[Samir]

Was looking over the PHB 2 last night and was thinking the Avenger looks really cool. I was also thinking of playing one and had a question of my own. It's about the class feature Armor of Faith.

Let's say I rolled an Avenger with a Dex of 16, took the Dex mod +3 to AC defense and added that to the Armor of Faith +3 to AC defense plus the base 10 I get AC 16. That seems really good at 1st level for a "clothie". You don't really need a high Dex as an Avenger (except for Censure of Pursuit powers). Just a high Wisdom. But if I made a pursuit Avenger, I would go with a 16 for that stat I think.

So I'm asking, is Armor of Faith pretty well balanced? Again, it seems really good and definately caught my eye...

Avengers wear cloth armor for the sake of flavor. Armor of Faith is intended to put their AC at a respectable level for a melee striker. Compare to a melee Ranger with 16 dex (+3) wearing Hide armor (+3) = 16.

I'd say since an Avenger is depending on his dex or int for AC, a high dex/int is nearly as important as a high wisdom.

That said, with the proper feats (Improved Armor of Faith and Unarmored Agility) and a good dex or int score, Avengers have some of the highest striker ACs in the game later on, tied with Barbarians.

 

[TarionzCousin]

There's a new feat in PHB3 that may or may not put them back at the top of the AC chart, depending on the text...

Unarmored Agility for the win!

Spoiler Alert:

Spoiler

+2 to AC while wearing cloth or no armor.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Take Student of Caiphon or Radiant Servant for your Paragon Path.

Which Dragon Magazine is the Student of Caiphon in? In the DDI it now merely says it is in the first Dragon Annual.

 

[Obryn]

Which Dragon Magazine is the Student of Caiphon in? In the DDI it now merely says it is in the first Dragon Annual.

Student of Caiphon has been updated since this thread. It now only works on Warlock (and Student of Caiphon) powers.

-O

 

[TarionzCousin]

Student of Caiphon has been updated since this thread. It now only works on Warlock (and Student of Caiphon) powers.

That sucks so very, very much.

So what is left that improves my avenger's chances of getting a critical hit? Jagged Weapon at Level 12. Can I still take the Cleric Paragon Path from PHB1 that enables Radiant attacks to crit on a 19-20?

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

That sucks so very, very much.

So what is left that improves my avenger's chances of getting a critical hit? Jagged Weapon at Level 12. Can I still take the Cleric Paragon Path from PHB1 that enables Radiant attacks to crit on a 19-20?

There's Ardent Champion from DP, which lets you crit when both your Oath dice are the same result...and this was recently errataed to specify that it's a hit, too.

Beyond that...don't worry about it too much. I rarely crit, even on 2 dice with a 19-20 threat range, and Jagged kind of blows.

Brad

 

[Samir]

That sucks so very, very much.

So what is left that improves my avenger's chances of getting a critical hit? Jagged Weapon at Level 12. Can I still take the Cleric Paragon Path from PHB1 that enables Radiant attacks to crit on a 19-20?

There's an epic-tier feat (Hand of Divine Guidance) in D382 that gives you 19-20 against your oath target.

 

[Destil]

Unarmored Agility for the win!

Spoiler Alert:

Spoiler

+2 to AC while wearing cloth or no armor.

Yeah. It depended on how it was worded, we know know it's a feat bonus and therefore stacks with improved Armor of Faith.