what is the best armor in soa and tob?

[Jim]

The Gorgon Plate +4 from SoA grants the best slashing resistance of any armour in SoA or ToB. -1 base AC and a slashing AC modifier of -6 gives -7 AC against slashing weapons. Take a suite of full plate +3 - base AC -2, -4 modifier against slashing = -6 versus slashing weapons i.e. still can't beat it and thats for full plate versus plate!

I'll agree that the white dragon scale is the best for thieves and archers, with the best tank armour probably being Enkuidus full plate.

[Dundee Slaytern]

Welcome back, Jim. Out of curiosity, how does the Gorgan Plate fare against a Full Plate Mail +3 when it comes to piercing and crushing weapons? Just to see whether it is worth it to earn one bonus point of AC against slashing weapons.

Illumina Drathiran'ar has mentioned a noteworthy armour, the Grandmaster Armour. With this armour on, you can replace your Boots of Speed with something else, like the Boots of Avoidance, or the Gargoyle Boots. It is highly suitable for backline party members who rarely get hit, like Archers.

[Jim]

Originally posted by Dundee Slaytern: Welcome back, Jim.

Thanks! Good to see you. Been around for a few days now, mostly been playing neverwinter nights (oh dear another good rpg and then there's IW2 in august and i'm supposed to be finding a job) but since I finished uni i've lost my lovely 512k/bit cable connection, so unfortunately I've sunk to the low levels of standard dial up Must get broadband again when I can afford it!

Originally posted by Dundee Slaytern: Out of curiosity, how does the Gorgan Plate fare against a Full Plate Mail +3 when it comes to piercing and crushing weapons? Just to see whether it is worth it to earn one bonus point of AC against slashing weapons.

Well, unfortunately its classed as plate mail for all other AC modifiers (I'm a bit rusty on this but I think that plate mail only has a slashing modifier, so 0 for piercing and crushing), so full plate is superior in those respects, it's just interesting that this armour found in SoA has the best shashing resistance out of any of the other armours (except drow +5 of course), and with its elemental resistances, its useful against the hordes of fire giants in ToB (who mainly use slashing weapons in the form of axes). So, its not the best armour overall, but is useful to keep within reach right through the game.

[deverece]

By the way, its probably a bug, but Cernd who supposedly can't wear armor can wear the Elven chain +5 made by the imp, making him a lot more powerful.

[SixOfSpades]

Originally posted by deverece: By the way, its probably a bug, but Cernd who supposedly can't wear armor can wear the Elven chain +5 made by the imp, making him a lot more powerful.

Yep, that's a big-ass bug. It might be remedied in the BaldurDash Fixpacks, though....have you downloaded the ToB one?

I, and several other people I've heard voice their opinions on this board, share the view that the Shapeshifter kit is worthless, just about as bad as the Beast Master. You can either be a naked Druid casting spells, or a middling-poor Wolfwere that can't cast spells. What IF: We alter the Shapeshifter kit so that the Druid has permanent Barkskin while in Human form. This would give them a base AC bonus, and the bonus would increase by 1 every 4 levels, something like a cross between a Kensai and a watered-down Monk. Your thoughts?

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Would it stack with the dex bonus, or just use whichever one grants the best AC?

[SixOfSpades]

It would stack, just as the Monk's AC and Dex stack. Compensation for not having armor.

Or, as an alternate route, how about a whole new kit?
WILD MAN
Advantages:
40% Resistance to all elemental damage (Fire, Cold, Electricity, Acid, Poison)
Wolfwere Familiar (Wolfweres regenerate, right?)
Permanent Barkskin
Can place up to 2 stars in any allowed weapon, 3 in Staff
Disadvantages:
-8 to INT
Cannot wear armor
Cannot wear Boots (must maintain close contact with Nature)
Cannot use Daggers or Scimitars, all other Druid weapons OK

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Hm.. It's balanced, but each arm of the scale has too much piled on. You can have a pound of salt on each tray of a scale and it will be balanced, or you can have three grains on each.. either way it's balanced. But I think you have several pounds of salt on each tray.. It's too much. But that's just my opinion.

[Lord Lothar]

White Dragon Scale Rocks!
My Swashbuckler had around -15 with it! Add the Helm of Balduran and Tzu-Zan's Bracer's and it was -17!!!
Swashbucklers are the best!