SoD
2009-03-29, 11:48 PM
OK, I got thinking about how high you can shove a 1st level characters AC at first level.
My first thought was; 32 point buy. Just because. We'll be wanting high dexterity, so shove 16 points for 18 dex. At the moment, we're looking AC 14.
But what about race? We'll be wanting something with a bonus to dexterity; so elf, halfling, goblin or kobold. The clear advantage here is the kobold, with not only a bonus to dexterity, but also a size bonus and natural armour bonus to AC. So now we're looking at 17 AC, from 20 dex, small and kobold skin stuff.
Which leaves us trying to work out the class. My first thought was monk, but we all know where that thought leads. So; Unarmed Swordsage, for the wisdom to AC. Shove your other 16 points into wisdom, and we're already looking at AC 21.
Then, ages. Make your kobold old aged. This, tecnically, makes his strength 1, and reduces his dexterity as well. Unless...he's dragonwrought. AC 22 now, from an increased wisdom.
And, due to being an unarmed swordsage, by the rules exactly as written, you'll need armour. So grab yourself a chain shirt, for an extra +4 to your AC, making it 26. Apart from the fact it'll have max. dex. +4...unless it's mithrill, but if you can afford mithrill chain shirt, you should be able to get mithrill breastplate (but that's neither here nor there).
Anyhoo, your stats will be looking like this; Str 4 (owch), Dex 20 (woo!), Con 6 (even more owch!), Int 10 (meh), Wis 20 (yay!), Cha 10 (meh). Your HP; 4. And your AC; 25 (+4 armour, +4 dexterity, +1 natural armour, +1 size, +5 wisdom), with a touch AC of 20, and flat footed AC of 21. And if you take the Stone Bones stance, you'll also boast DR 5/adamantine.
And where should this theoretical build go from here? Something tells me that strength might be a bit of a bugger for a melee class (swordsage), until you get weapon finesse (which, under my houserules, doesn't need a BAB requirement), and the low con is even more of a bugger, for facing a warmage dealing 1d4+4 with a magic missile, taking you to -1 hp with it's minimum damage.
My first thought was; 32 point buy. Just because. We'll be wanting high dexterity, so shove 16 points for 18 dex. At the moment, we're looking AC 14.
But what about race? We'll be wanting something with a bonus to dexterity; so elf, halfling, goblin or kobold. The clear advantage here is the kobold, with not only a bonus to dexterity, but also a size bonus and natural armour bonus to AC. So now we're looking at 17 AC, from 20 dex, small and kobold skin stuff.
Which leaves us trying to work out the class. My first thought was monk, but we all know where that thought leads. So; Unarmed Swordsage, for the wisdom to AC. Shove your other 16 points into wisdom, and we're already looking at AC 21.
Then, ages. Make your kobold old aged. This, tecnically, makes his strength 1, and reduces his dexterity as well. Unless...he's dragonwrought. AC 22 now, from an increased wisdom.
And, due to being an unarmed swordsage, by the rules exactly as written, you'll need armour. So grab yourself a chain shirt, for an extra +4 to your AC, making it 26. Apart from the fact it'll have max. dex. +4...unless it's mithrill, but if you can afford mithrill chain shirt, you should be able to get mithrill breastplate (but that's neither here nor there).
Anyhoo, your stats will be looking like this; Str 4 (owch), Dex 20 (woo!), Con 6 (even more owch!), Int 10 (meh), Wis 20 (yay!), Cha 10 (meh). Your HP; 4. And your AC; 25 (+4 armour, +4 dexterity, +1 natural armour, +1 size, +5 wisdom), with a touch AC of 20, and flat footed AC of 21. And if you take the Stone Bones stance, you'll also boast DR 5/adamantine.
And where should this theoretical build go from here? Something tells me that strength might be a bit of a bugger for a melee class (swordsage), until you get weapon finesse (which, under my houserules, doesn't need a BAB requirement), and the low con is even more of a bugger, for facing a warmage dealing 1d4+4 with a magic missile, taking you to -1 hp with it's minimum damage.