Maximum AC a blade can attain!?

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I think blades are really cool chars and probably on the border of powerplaying With tenser's transformation they are virtually unstoppable.

ok, AC for a high level bard that has use any item, greater evasion etc..

Well, these items are just to find the max AC attainable not that they're the best options.:

-4 (dex), -10 (upgraded bladesinger), -10 (defensive spin), -6 (greater evasion), -1 (a helmet, helm of balduran for ex.), -1 (zerth blade - also cool extra spells), -2 (ring of gaxx), -3 (blur), -1 (ring of earth control), -2 (defensive harmony cast by a priest), -1 (a potion that gives at least 21 dex), -1 (cloak of sewers), -5 (saving grace +4 or smthing like that.. a shield after you get use any item although this wouldn't be used i suppose since dual wielding is what a blade is born to do )

hmm hehe what else... can't think of anything else. Tenser's trans. also gives -4 AC but i don't really know in the spell desc it says the AC won't get better than -10 so probably this'll just set the AC to -10. I didn't count it.

Also maybe there's an amulet that gives ac bonus that i do not know of.

ok based on the above, the AC iiis..... -37 !!!!

Isn't this a ridiculously low AC !? Maybe there's something I'm overlooking ? Say the greater evasion and defensive spin can not be both activated and such... Or maybe there's a limit as to what your max AC can be ?
for I haven't really tried this my blade is about lev 12 only.

Another thing that is nice about blades is that since as a rogue they gain levels fast and a lot, their spell casting level is much higher than wizards earlier in the game. I suppose after lev 20, the spell powers do not improve.

Anything wrong with what i've said ? Or is the blade really incredible ?

<EDIT> Ok, searched through the necklaces through shadowkeeper and found the amulet of the master harper. -3 AC, though i don't know where or how you can get this.

also for bracers, I found this item: tsu-zan's bracers -1 AC, i don't know about this one either. Also wondrous gloves -1 AC.

Anyways with these the AC could get as low as -41 !? </EDIT>

[This message has been edited by Invoker (edited September 16, 2001).]

 

I'd say drop the swords and equip a bow, so you could attack someone while standing pretty in open fire. No matter how much armor class you got I can see those magic missiles hit you just fine

I think you missed an armor bonus, the elven chain +4 could add some nice AC bonus as well

[This message has been edited by Lokken (edited September 16, 2001).]

 

AC isnt that important for a support character when its magic which is doing the most damage to him/her

 

Who said he was using his Blade as a support character?

If you're going to go to all that trouble of lowing his AC like that then you may as well put him somewhere where he'll be a target.

 

heh well yeah he's not a support char but AC is not that important (after -20) of course. I just wanted to see how low you could drop the AC in this game

 

Don't forget, when a bard is playing the improved bardsong, they get a further -10AC, too.

Oh, and if they do manage to get hit (probably on a crit), their stoneskin will stop it, anyway.

Remember also that you can use a ring of free action (or just have the cleric cast the spell, I suppose) so you can move about while using defensive spin. You can't use the song and attack at the same time, though (which doesn't really matter, as if you need an AC of -20 or better to not get hit, you're probably not going to touch your opponent with your pitiful thief THAC0).

 

Ring of free action allows blades to move around during defensive spin?
I've never played a bard before but the new high level bard abilities are making me reconsider. I always thought of the hybrid classes as being somewhat subpar when it comes to power. But now I don't know.

 

Arek, you should consider a bard mostly if you have a party. Their bard song gives benifits to all members and the boni in ToB improved bardsong are so great that having him sing is often worth more than having a 6th character around.

 

In reply to Lokken:

I seriously doubt that "... bardsong are so great that having him sing is often worth more than having a 6th character around."

It is obvious that the protagonist as a Bard is far from being among the best choices. In fact the impression I have gotten from several forums is that most players who choose to play a Bard do so based on the "roleplaying" aspect. They accept that it's a weaker character.

But that's not the point I'm making here. In which case is a Bard's song better than a good character?

The only NPC choice is Haer'Dalis.

 

The improved bardsong is not bad.
Haer D'alis is a blade which is decent (I recently found out on this board that a ring of free action will allow him to move even when he does his defensive spin.

 

ok Earl, I'll tell you and the class of the Bard doesn't matter

You missed the important part.

Improved Bardsong (replaces current bard song):
Bard boni:
10 to AC
10% to magic resistance
Party Boni:
5% to magic resistance
4 to hit
4 to damage
4 to AC
Immunity to:
normal weapons
fear
stun
confusion

Personally I tihnk these additions more important than a 6th character. I have all the characters I need with all the equipment I need, and a bard fits perfectly in giving them a boost to nearly undefeatable stats.

and again, Haer'Dalis is cool as hell

[This message has been edited by Lokken (edited September 21, 2001).]