What is the highest AC you can possibly have under the SRD rules?

[CleverNickName]

Well, it depends. First, you build whatever AC monster you can. 107 looks like a good starting point. Then you suspend them in mid-air, with an attacker sufficiently smaller that it can be in the same square (makes it easier to figure out threatened areas). Then you have as many allies as you can figure out how to have them reach your space take the aid another action, giving you a stackable +2 bonus to AC (assume they all hit AC 10). At a minimum, using only medium sized creatures (8 on the same level, 9 above, 9 below, 16 on the same level with reach weapons, 32 above and below with reach weapons, 50 2 squares up and 2 squares down with reach weapons) and not figuring out how many larger creatures (with longer reach) one can fit into the 3-D space around the you and your opponent, you'd get 124 assists, for +248 AC. Your ac 107 character is now AC 355, at least against the first attack. With longer reach from larger creatures, I could see this getting really, really high.

I think new monsters would fall under the "house rule" category. That aside, I don't understand what's going on here. The goal was to create a high-AC character, and this seems like a high AC custom monster build.

 

[CleverNickName]

Maximum AC (fighting defensively, combat expertise, and fully buffed): 107, ...

A hundred and seven...nice. I knew that psionics was great for this sort of thing, but I'm not that familiar with it. So I just grabbed what I am used to. I can't believe you almost doubled my "high" AC.

 

[Sejs]

10 (base)
+8 Armor (bracers of armor +8)
+13 Dex (Dex 36; halfling, starting dex 18, +5 lvl adv, +5 dex book, +6 dex enh.)
+9 Wis (Monk's Belt. Wis 28; starting wis 18, +5 wis book, +6 wis enh.)
+9 Int (Canny Defense ability. Int 28; starting 18, +5 int book, +6 int enh.)
+1 Monk (Monk's Belt)
+2 Size (halfing, reduced)
+5 Deflection (ring of prot +5)
+5 Natural (amulet of nat. armor +5)
+4 Shield (shield spell; via umd'd wand, etc)
+10 Unnamed (two +5 defending weapons)
+5 Dodge (Combat Expertise)
+3 Dodge (fighting defensively, 5+ ranks in tumble)
+1 Dodge (dodge feat)
+1 Dodge (Haste)
+10 Dodge (Elaborate Parry ability)

Just SRD, without psionics or shape-changing.

AC 96.

 

[moritheil]

Wait, you can take cover in this scenario? Why not just take full cover? You can't even get a high enough AC to beat that.

Anyway, the trick is getting to AC 56 by 6th level.

Hahaha. I can't do that core, so good luck.

(Though I agree with Jemal that it shouldn't be too hard to get AC ~100 at 20th, core. You might sacrifice your ability to do anything else, though, if you aren't using shapechange.)

 

[Jemal]

10 (base)
+8 Armor (bracers of armor +8)
+13 Dex (Dex 36; halfling, starting dex 18, +5 lvl adv, +5 dex book, +6 dex enh.)
+9 Wis (Monk's Belt. Wis 28; starting wis 18, +5 wis book, +6 wis enh.)
+9 Int (Canny Defense ability. Int 28; starting 18, +5 int book, +6 int enh.)
+1 Monk (Monk's Belt)
+2 Size (halfing, reduced)
+5 Deflection (ring of prot +5)
+5 Natural (amulet of nat. armor +5)
+4 Shield (shield spell; via umd'd wand, etc)
+10 Unnamed (two +5 defending weapons)
+5 Dodge (Combat Expertise)
+3 Dodge (fighting defensively, 5+ ranks in tumble)
+1 Dodge (dodge feat)
+1 Dodge (Haste)
+10 Dodge (Elaborate Parry ability)

Just SRD, without psionics or shape-changing.

AC 96.

Hmm, that's pretty much exactly my build, except you added Haste, reduce, and Shield. I was trying to do it w/o spells...

BTW, I can increase that by TWO more.
First, Drop 2 from your dex (Level adjustments), and add 1 each to your Wis and Int. That'll raise them each to a 30 (with +5 books), and get your dex/wis/int to 12/10/10, total=32. Instead of 13/9/9(Total=31).
Then, remember to add the +2 dex from reduce, increasing your dex back to a +13.

Ah, now we get to the fun part where we keep bumping by 1.

I'm trying to remember, I had a halfling over 100 core without spells, can't remember exactly how, but this one's sitting at 98 right now.

 

[Jemal]

BTW, regardless of whether it's SRD, and what Wizards says, I will NEVER consider Psionics core.


Hmm... I'm gonna have to send someone over here... The guy who taught me to twink would love this.

To quote the dark lord of the Sith : "I am but the apprentice. HE is the master."

 

[pawsplay]

Two defending weapons should not, IMO, stack. They stack with all other bonuses, but like all other bonuses, not with themselves unless specified otherwise.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Then you have as many allies as you can figure out how to have them reach your space take the aid another action, giving you a stackable +2 bonus to AC (assume they all hit AC 10).

If I'm not mistaken, the Aid Another action gives you a Deflection bonus to AC, does it not?

 

[moritheil]

If I'm not mistaken, the Aid Another action gives you a Deflection bonus to AC, does it not?

I don't think so. There is no mention of deflection in the SRD.

 

[Jemal]

The problem with the "100 allies aiding another" is that the only legal way to get it is Leadership, and the main problem is they die to a pair of fireballs or a great cleave/Whirlwind attack fighter. Then it's back to just you. (Though on the plus side, you bought yourself a round. Might as well have had contingent teleport).

BUT, if you wanna go like that, then read this.

[sblock=Core Infinity]
OK, it's cheap, situational, and all that, but here goes:
Create Greater Undead - Shadow.
Command Undead.
Go into a town and 1 by 1 have your shadow kill everybody, turning them into shadows under his command. Order your shadow (Cha check) to tell all of HIS shadows to follow your orders.

Once you have 1billion shadows, have them all occupy the same space (Incorporeal) and aid another you in ANYTHING you do. Assuming they have a 50/50 chance of getting the DC 10 check (by rolling a 10), that means that on avg, Half of them (1/2 billion) give you +2 each, for +1 billion to anything you decide to do. (Including AC)

This is based off of the original concept of the "nanobot" character, though he used millions of Diminuitive, Intelligent parasites living in his blood and constantly Aiding Another on skill checks.
This version requires you to kill X+1 people, where X = the bonus you desire to all your skills, AC, and Attack rolls.
[/sblock]
That's why I don't like stuff like that.