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Amabel
06-05-2009, 08:29 PM
Okay, here is the challenge for you character builders. I want a bard with AC.

My main, Amabel, is a 1 barb/15 bard. I love her.

I'm now thinking of a virtuoso that can fascinate anything AND control the battlefield with intimidate/diplomacy. I'd like to get a high AC to go with that, because displacement doesn't always cut it.

How high can you reasonably get AC on a bard?

likuei
06-05-2009, 09:56 PM
You could do it, but it requires an effort and it doesn't leave you with alot of options on your remaining item slots. Someone else can add it all up.

Trinket ( )
Necklace ( )
Helm ( )
Gloves (Check)
Belt (Check)
Boots ( )
Goggles ( )
Armor (Check)
Shield (Check)
Wrist (Check)
Ring 1 (Check)
Ring 2 (Check)
Weapon ( )


(Very difficult - random drop)
Twilight Mithril Full Plate armor (only seen as high as +3)


Skyvault Shield (Gianthold Tor)
Twilight, Mithril
+4 Large Shield
0% Spellfail
OR

Fanion (Shield Fragment Turn-in)
+4 Large Shield
Twilight, Mithral
Magi
Greater False Life
0% Spellfail
(Grind)
Fanged Gloves (Liteny of the Dead)
+5 Dex
Lesser Arcane Casting Dexterity -5% spellfail
OR

(Grind)
Seven Fingered Gloves (Titan)
Disable Device +11
Open Lock +11
Use Magic Device +5
Arcane Casting Dexterity -10% spellfail

(Short Grind)
Ring of Balance (Invaders - requires 20 tokens)
Dismissal (CL:7, 3/rest)
Balance +13
Stability
Natural Armor Bonus +2
OR

(Grind)
Seal of the Earth (Zawabi's Revenge)
Stoneskin (CL:12, 3/rest)
Natural Armor Bonus +3
Acid Resistance

(Grind)
Chattering Ring (Titan)
Spot +13
Dodge Bonus +3
Move Silently -10

(Grind)
Ethereal Bracers (Ghosts of Perdition)
Etheral
Parrying (+1ac)

(Grind)
Dragontooth Belt
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery 2,
Constitution +3

Which leaves you with a +5 resistance item, +6 CHR item and a +5 Protection item ... threemore slots gone. Facor in your DEX bonus when you add it up ... shouldn't be to bad unbuffed. One of the bards in our guild has MOST of this stuff and it seems to work out well for him.

maddmatt70
06-05-2009, 10:02 PM
Okay, here is the challenge for you character builders. I want a bard with AC.

My main, Amabel, is a 1 barb/15 bard. I love her.

I'm now thinking of a virtuoso that can fascinate anything AND control the battlefield with intimidate/diplomacy. I'd like to get a high AC to go with that, because displacement doesn't always cut it.

How high can you reasonably get AC on a bard?

You are most definitely bored. You can get a fairly high ac especially since you can always count on IH. I would recommend a dwarven bard with a fairly decent dex. There is a post on an intimidate bard usually followed up with a lively discussion about once every 3-4 weeks in the bard forum here. My recommendation is dwarf for dwarven armor mastery and the potential of someday getting the stalwart defender prestige enhancement by being a dwarf. Hopefully the ability to qualify as a dwarf will come in mod 10 which will be relatively soonish.

oberon131313
06-05-2009, 10:04 PM
Fanion (Silver Flame Trinket Turn in)
+4 Large Shield
Twilight, Mithral
Magi
Greater False Life
0% Spellfail


fanion is a shield fragment turn in. Otherwise I'm with ya :P

maddmatt70
06-05-2009, 10:04 PM
You could do it, but it requires an effort and it doesn't leave you with alot of options on your remaining item slots

Trinket ( )
Necklace ( )
Helm ( )
Gloves (Check)
Belt (Check)
Boots ( )
Goggles ( )
Armor (Check)
Shield (Check)
Wrist (Check)
Ring 1 (Check)
Ring 2 (Check)
Weapon ( )


(Very difficult - random drop)
Twilight Mithril Full Plate armor (only seen as high as +3)


Skyvault Shield (Gianthold Tor)
Twilight, Mithril
+4 Large Shield
0% Spellfail
OR

Fanion (Silver Flame Trinket Turn in)
+4 Large Shield
Twilight, Mithral
Magi
Greater False Life
0% Spellfail
(Grind)
Fanged Gloves (Liteny of the Dead)
+5 Dex
Lesser Arcane Casting Dexterity -5% spellfail
OR

(Grind)
Seven Fingered Gloves (Titan)
Disable Device +11
Open Lock +11
Use Magic Device +5
Arcane Casting Dexterity -10% spellfail

(Short Grind)
Ring of Balance (Invaders - requires 20 tokens)
Dismissal (CL:7, 3/rest)
Balance +13
Stability
Natural Armor Bonus +2
OR

(Grind)
Seal of the Earth (Zawabi's Revenge)
Stoneskin (CL:12, 3/rest)
Natural Armor Bonus +3
Acid Resistance

(Grind)
Chattering Ring (Titan)
Spot +13
Dodge Bonus +3
Move Silently -10

(Grind)
Ethereal Bracers (Ghosts of Perdition)
Etheral
Parrying (+1ac)

(Grind)
Dragontooth Belt
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery 2,
Constitution +3

Which leaves you with a +5 resistance item, +6 CHR item and a +5 Protection item ... threemore slots gone. Facor in your DEX bonus when you add it up ... shouldn't be to bad unbuffed.

In alot of previous bard ac threads people actually had an ac mode where they throw on tower shields or what have and just put up with the arcane spell failure after buffing everybody.

likuei
06-05-2009, 10:07 PM
DOH! Edited.

Freeman
06-06-2009, 11:27 PM
Why not just go with an easy-to-get +5 Light Mithril Shield? It would give you the same AC as a +4 Heavy Shield with 0 spell failure, with no grinding required.

valorik
06-06-2009, 11:52 PM
Why not just go with an easy-to-get +5 Light Mithril Shield? It would give you the same AC as a +4 Heavy Shield with 0 spell failure, with no grinding required.

blocking dr would be my guess.

Freeman
06-07-2009, 02:27 AM
blocking dr would be my guess.

I'm not 100% sure of the blocking DR formula, but I think the + to the shield is included, which would make a +5 Light shield the same as a +4 Heavy shield.

InfidelofHaLL
06-07-2009, 02:58 AM
i got a ac intim bard on the way up at lvl 13 he is at 45 ac i think i will have to check ingame later

jhawk
06-07-2009, 03:23 AM
goodluck unless u multi class

Xyfiel
06-07-2009, 03:55 AM
I have one, its Drow because it was the first character on a 2nd account and don't have 32's unlocked yet. It is on the bard forums from 4 months back or so. It is very hard to play due to constantly swapping armor/shield(due to spell failure with haste) every 3 minutes but doable.

Dwarf is the best option, as is planning for defender and using dt full plate and leviks set imho. Just be prepared to remove armor/shield when u need to haste. Warchanter works best, and gets +2 intimidate too.

Lifespawn
06-07-2009, 10:02 AM
well make it simple use the cleric shield from the hound that with the gloves gives my wf intimisorc 5% failure and that rarely happens and the blocking dr is much better.

Make sure you get good con and max out concentration tho if you go the intimi route heal scrolls with scroll mastery can really make some good healing and personally i'd go human for human imp recovery and the extra feat.(if going to be intimibard)

Emili
06-07-2009, 03:29 PM
I just took a look at Rosewood... My bard, probably the gimpiest on Khyber at that:) but... with her AC song she sits at 46 ac... Now mind you that's on very low side but she never was designed to have AC of any sorts.

Seeing this though I can speculate it would be very easy to have a functional tanking bard without any real problems... Rose has enough int so CE would be doable for another 5 ac... thus 51 with just current items ... add in a chat ring and other ac items I can see it approching 60 and after buffs well beyond. My viewpoint then - Is it's very possible for a fully functional intimidating bard to tank. The saves are great, the Intimidate can be extrodinary and the AC is reachable into the higher areas probably along the lines of a fighter class tank should you plan it. Look towards Cha, Dex, Con and enough Int to capture CE with a tome. Flat line Str and dump Wis. I'm thinking possible fitting Icy's and maximizing stackable dodge bonus' along with ac bracers and a +5 mith light or large shield would probably lend to the highest base and then buffable beyond the tops.

Comfortably
06-07-2009, 03:31 PM
You don't need Ac on a bard, just use Displacement and stone skin.

Samadhi
06-07-2009, 03:50 PM
You don't need Ac on a bard, just use Displacement and stone skin.

Why not have them all???

Samadhi
06-07-2009, 03:58 PM
How high can you reasonably get AC on a bard?

10 base
10 mithBP
5 dex
6 shield (higher if you are not worried about spell failure and dont mind swapping around a bit)
5 protection
2 alchemical
3 dodge
4 insight
2 CG
4 song = 51 versus beholder

56 with CE

I made a dwarf intimi-bard that uses higher dex and dwarf enhancements to get even higher. It is a very doable build.

Samadhi
06-07-2009, 03:59 PM
goodluck unless u multi class

This doesn't even make sense...

maddmatt70
06-07-2009, 04:24 PM
10 base
10 mithBP
5 dex
6 shield (higher if you are not worried about spell failure and dont mind swapping around a bit)
5 protection
2 alchemical
3 dodge
4 insight
2 CG
4 song = 51 versus beholder

56 with CE

I made a dwarf intimi-bard that uses higher dex and dwarf enhancements to get even higher. It is a very doable build.

59 With barkskin pot
61 Barkskin spell
65 pally aura
67 recitation
You can hit about 70+ ac with dwarven armor mastery and tower shield from hound.

The problem is that will only be good enough to tank Sulu on normal and that is with all sorts of gear. The other S&B builds will get a nice ac upgrade with mod 9 and monk splash already blow this guy out of the water. It really will only become a viable/strong build when they make stalwart defender available to dwarves.

kodiak974
06-10-2009, 12:57 PM
Why is everyone trying to make each class have such high armor class? You only need one person in group with good AC and even then its not really needed. If everyone has high AC, then who is going to kill the mobs? If your only swinging one weapon then your dps is much lower than two weapons or a two hander. If you can get High AC while still maxing out damage then do so but other than that leave it to the classes that normally have high AC. If your just doing it for fun then thats cool.

I have had my same bard ever since drow became available and I gained my 400 favor. I did start out using sword and board but after the level 16 cap changed him to two weapon fighting. I found that my dps was lacking with just one weapon. I now use two GS Rapiers, Power attack and 298HP with no minos helm or GS hit point item yet. Lets just say its nice to be able to do damage again and I never rerolled him for better stats.

Stats now are

Str 26
Dex 22
Con 20
Int 10
Wis 18
Cha 30


Anyway its just my opinion that having DPS on the support characters help more than AC does.

Noctus
06-10-2009, 01:04 PM
You don't need Ac on a bard, just use Displacement and stone skin.



Yeah.
So much investment, for such little gain.

Not worth aiming for good AC on a Bard. As he already has something equivalent, and which can be reached without massive effort and bending your build.

maddmatt70
06-10-2009, 01:58 PM
Yeah.
So much investment, for such little gain.

Not worth aiming for good AC on a Bard. As he already has something equivalent, and which can be reached without massive effort and bending your build.

I agree when it really comes down to it these builds are not currently worth it. Someday they might be, but they currently are not.

Amabel
06-11-2009, 01:50 AM
Why is everyone trying to make each class have such high armor class? You only need one person in group with good AC and even then its not really needed. If everyone has high AC, then who is going to kill the mobs? If your only swinging one weapon then your dps is much lower than two weapons or a two hander. If you can get High AC while still maxing out damage then do so but other than that leave it to the classes that normally have high AC. If your just doing it for fun then thats cool.

I have had my same bard ever since drow became available and I gained my 400 favor. I did start out using sword and board but after the level 16 cap changed him to two weapon fighting. I found that my dps was lacking with just one weapon. I now use two GS Rapiers, Power attack and 298HP with no minos helm or GS hit point item yet. Lets just say its nice to be able to do damage again and I never rerolled him for better stats.

Stats now are

Str 26
Dex 22
Con 20
Int 10
Wis 18
Cha 30


Anyway its just my opinion that having DPS on the support characters help more than AC does.

I think you're right. But check my sig. Those characters are capped or close to it (except Ginger). Matt is right - I am bored. :)