What AC is good for ~14th level?

[Caliban]

My 6th level dwarven fighter has an AC of 24, 25 against a single target (dodge), 28 or 29 when moving.

When using Expertise: 29 AC, 30 against a single target (dodge), 34 when moving.

Add another +4 when fighting giants, because he's a dwarf.

AC breakdown: 10 +1 (Dex), +9 ( +1 plate mail), +3 (+1 large steel shield), +1 (Ring of Protection +1)

Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Expertise, Toughness, Weapon Focus, Specializaton, and Power Attack.

Value of equipment: 8, 220 gp (+1 full plate =2,650 gp, +1 steel shield = 1,170 gp, +1 ring protection = 2,000 gp, +1 silvered battleaxe 2,400 gp)

Plus he has about 1,000 gp worth of potions, alchemical items, and extra weapons.

Next level he's switching to wizard. When he casts shield (if it makes it past the arcane spell failure) he will have another +7 on AC, and at level 9 he will be taking the Still Spell feat.

By the time he's level 14, I expect to have his AC in the 45-50 range, after a few item upgrades.

 

[Oskar]

Ac is easy

This is of the top of my head, I dont have the Rule books in front of me.

You can do this with an 11th level caster or 11th level outsider, play a planetouched or get a PrC that gives you outsider template. Or just play a shifter

Outsider polymorphed to deva
Ac 32(Dex + Natural)
+9(+5 Chain Shirt)
+7 (Potion of Shield[or equivalent])
+2 (Amulet of continous Protection from Evil[or equivalent])

AC 50
This is a relatively cheap approach.

Add cat's grace (maybe get a mithril chain shirt) and the Expertise feat.

Throw in some more expensive items,like an enchanted shield, and you'll be doing fine against those evil Kobolds.

 

[dcollins]

Of course, you can consult the DMG sample "Elite NPCs" on in Chapter 2 for a base estimate. Just looking there, for 14th-level characters:

Cleric -- AC 24
Fighter -- AC 27
Rogue -- AC 22
Wizard -- AC 19

Looking at the common above-mentioned protection spells, probably any such characters would have access to:
- Mage Armor (no help to cleric or fighter, +2 AC to rogue, +1 AC to wizard for 14 hours)
- Magic Vestment (possibly applying to armor/shield for each character, maximum +3/+3 to cleric, +2/+3 to fighter, +2/+2 to rogue, +1/0 to wizard for 14 hours -- note that it's no help alongside mage armor)
- Haste (+4 AC to anyone for basically one combat)
- Shield (+7 to wizard-type only, from one direction, for 14 minutes)

So if I've got that worked out right, these NPCs, when properly buffed for a 14 hour span during the day, could routinely have:
Cleric -- AC 30
Fighter -- AC 32
Rogue -- AC 26
Wizard -- AC 20
At a cost of 6 3rd-level cleric spells and 1 1st-level wizard spell.

In one given fight, this could be improved to:
Cleric -- AC 34
Fighter -- AC 36
Rogue -- AC 30
Wizard -- AC 31 (in one direction)
If everyone gets haste and the wizard shield,
at a cost of another 4 3rd-level wizard spells and 1 1st-level.

(Dodge is only an option for the fighter (+1 vs. a single foe); none of these NPCs have Expertise or anything similar that I can see.)

My analysis: buffed ACs in the 30-36 range are pretty appropriate at 14th level.

 

[RogueJK]

Keep in mind that these NPCs use the NPC Gear Value table to figure out the value of their items. A PC of the same level will have significantly more gold, so their AC would be even higher due to their more powerful magic items.

For example, a 14th level NPC has 45,000 gp worth of items, while a 14th level PC has ~150,000 gp worth of items.

 

[Gromm]

Your ACs are about right, maybe a little higher end, but normal for that level.
Depends how hard you work at it, if you spend time and XP making/buying great armor and shields you'll have a great AC. Most players tend to go offensively and spend time and money on weapons and other offensive things so they tend to have lower ACs than might be possible.

Right now at level 12 my cleric has an AC of 29 without heavy armor (high dex, good armor, shield, ring of prot). My AC is the highest in the party, but we tend towards lighter armors so its hard to say.
My level 11 fighter had around 32-5 with his boots of speed going.

 

[Forrester]

Send a forsaker with adamantine armor and weapons at them. Have the spellcaster slap an anitmagic field on an item and sneak it into the forsakers backpack. When he charges in no more magic armor.

Except for the fact that you can't put an AM Field on an item. Whups! Silly rules.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Except for the fact that you can't put an AM Field on an item. Whups! Silly rules.

The archetypical situation is a pixie with antimagic field int he backpack.