Posted November 07, 2011
A way to figure out if your armor class is good enough is to take a look at the THAC0 of the best fighter in your party. If your best fighter will have problems hitting AC 0, then AC 0 is a pretty good armor class. If your best fighter could slice and dice AC 0, then there's a good bet that creatures at your level can do the same.
You don't have to obsess over armor class for every single character. In most cases, you have one, occasionally two characters in your party to act as a "tank." Their combat role is to rush into combat first to draw the attacks of all the enemy. You want to load your tank with the best defensive equipment and spells available- not just in terms of AC, but resisting missile attacks and special attacks and elemental attacks and magical attacks.
If your tank can do melee damage, then that's an added bonus, but ability to do damage is secondary to ability to survive damage. It's up to your other party members to deal the damage, whether it's from range, or whether it's wading into melee after your enemies have already chosen your tank as a target. (So even if clerics aren't the best fighters in terms of dealing damage, their ability to wear heavy armor does makes them candidates to be a tank- particularly with high Dex or Con, which may be more important stats to a cleric than Str.)
There are situations in which you will get ambushed and your other characters will be exposed to attacks from your enemies, so for everyone, better AC is desirable. But it's a secondary consideration after you maximize them for their primary roles.
When worse comes to worst, the best thing for your squishiest, most vulnerable characters to do is gulp down a potion of invisibility or speed, move away from the enemies until they focus on your tank, then re-join the battle. I've come to prefer that option for mages, for example, rather than use up their spell slots with a lot of personal defensive spells.
You don't have to obsess over armor class for every single character. In most cases, you have one, occasionally two characters in your party to act as a "tank." Their combat role is to rush into combat first to draw the attacks of all the enemy. You want to load your tank with the best defensive equipment and spells available- not just in terms of AC, but resisting missile attacks and special attacks and elemental attacks and magical attacks.
If your tank can do melee damage, then that's an added bonus, but ability to do damage is secondary to ability to survive damage. It's up to your other party members to deal the damage, whether it's from range, or whether it's wading into melee after your enemies have already chosen your tank as a target. (So even if clerics aren't the best fighters in terms of dealing damage, their ability to wear heavy armor does makes them candidates to be a tank- particularly with high Dex or Con, which may be more important stats to a cleric than Str.)
There are situations in which you will get ambushed and your other characters will be exposed to attacks from your enemies, so for everyone, better AC is desirable. But it's a secondary consideration after you maximize them for their primary roles.
When worse comes to worst, the best thing for your squishiest, most vulnerable characters to do is gulp down a potion of invisibility or speed, move away from the enemies until they focus on your tank, then re-join the battle. I've come to prefer that option for mages, for example, rather than use up their spell slots with a lot of personal defensive spells.
Post edited November 07, 2011 by bjbrown
