War forged AC again! Using as is but bad guys need some help!

[smbakeresq]

It's not that hard to achieve if you build around maximising AC. My Eldritch Knight had an AC of 21/26 with Shield at level 3 (the party pooled funds to buy the full plate).

It's best to assume that there will be one party member with a stupid-high AC, and design encounters accordingly. One reason I don't go in for "hordes of goblins" when designing low level encounters.

Also, remember at level 3 you can go up to CR 7, so you could have something like a hill giant - CR 5, +8 attack. Owlbears are CR 3 and +7 attack. You could throw a couple of those at the party.

The horde rules work ok, I just have half the horde use help action to help the other half.

To tank you have to make yourself a target. As a player when I play a tank I play a barbarian or play a sentinel build where if they don’t attack me I attack them.

 

[Satyrn]

Your example highlights a common problem with group dynamics. As a tank you want to take hits for others with less HP and armor, but if you make your high AC obvious to any intelligent creature they don’t attack you at all, they attack softies. You just end up dying last. It’s a dilemma.

You could just always ignore them and then attack others and just tell players “They see your obvious heavy armor so ignore you to go after others.”

I was gonna say the same sort of thing.

I'd start by focusing on the other PCs, then if the warforged wants to stop that and make himself the target he'll have to work at interposing himself.

Ideally, this would give him even more satisfaction as a tank because he'll have earned it by both his character building choices and his choices during play.

 

[Blue]

It starts high but doesn't stay high when players can afford plate and start getting magic armor.

Though it looks like you have a player that really wants to make AC their primary focus so are stacking as much as they can. That's not really a problem with warforged, they just grant it a few levels earlier. If you don't like all of that stacking on AC, talk to the player.

The problem is ultimately self correcting - the other character's base ACs will catch up, and any mid level or higher cleric who uses their Concentration slot for Shield of Faith is paying a very high opportunity cost in terms of the spells they carn't spending concentration on. In which case they are say "this is the important part of my character and I'm happy to be sub-optimal in other ways to get it". In that case, let them.

 

[Mort]

It starts high but doesn't stay high when players can afford plate and start getting magic armor.

Can any other race (or class) add their proficiency bonus to AC?

Magic armor will, at absolute best, keep pace with the Warforged, and only if the DM is extremely generous with it.

Not that I actually have a problem with the high AC. There are plenty of ways around it, and it seems like a fun flavourful ability.

 

[Eis]

difficult terrain! swamps, webs, thickets, ice, heavy mud.....then enemies that can disengage and kite.....flying enemies may also help....and like it has already been stated the enemies will generally try not testing that heavy AC

nothing more frustrating lol "I've made myself into a rock and now nobody wants to punch me!"

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

Can any other race (or class) add their proficiency bonus to AC?

Yeah, what's up with that?

 

[Eis]

Can any other race (or class) add their proficiency bonus to AC?

defensive dualist feat allows you to add your proficiency bonus to your AC on one melee attack against you....the best part is that you can decide after you see if it hits or not...finesse weapon only....limitations and restrictions apply

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A Warforged Defensive Dualist would add their proficiency bonus TWICE!

Defense fighting style (+1 AC) isn't available to Warforged though.

 

[Mort]

defensive dualist feat allows you to add your proficiency bonus to your AC on one melee attack against you....the best part is that you can decide after you see if it hits or not...finesse weapon only....limitations and restrictions apply

Against one attack and at the cost of your reaction.

Very useful, but a far cry from always adding it in!

 

[Mort]

Defense fighting style (+1 AC) isn't available to Warforged though.

Has there been any official word on this?

Both composite and heavy plating are listed as armor and the Warforged is technically wearing it, he can to swap it in and out.

I've already seen at least one DM allow it.