Not everyone gets magic items thrown at them like that. It can't be counted on, and it limits other magic items you might want to use.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
So I'm playing as a Red Dragonborn, Red Dragon Ancestry Sorcerer. Good strength, good Dex, the latter being the important one.
Combine Dragon Sorcerer AC with Bracers of Defence, staff of power, and if you're really high level, Robe of the Archmagi.
You'll need to either multiclass or, if your DM knows what they're doing, spend downtime gaining proficiency with shields, and then you can get a shield+.
After making a high level copy of my flamey boi, if I get the items I want by end campaign, I can get 28AC, and that's not maxing out Dex. It's also before adding a reaction casting of Shield.
So yeah, you can make a pretty beefy Sorcerer capable of rivaling the front line capabilities of a Paladin.
Robe of the Archmagi does NOT stack with Dragon Sorcerer AC. It is a one or the other thing, not both. Either 13+Dex or 15+dex.
Bracers of Defense does NOT work with a shield, but does work with Robe and Draconic AC.
Staff of Power stack with everything.
The Max AC you can get using these ideas is:
Robe of Archmagi = 15 (Attunement slot)
+ Maxed out Dex = +5
+3 Shield = +5
Staff of Power = +2 (Attunement slot)
Throw in a +1 ring of Protection (Attunement Slot)
Total of 28, assuming you have a maxed out Dex, two very rare magic items, a Legendary Magic Item and all of your 3 attunement slots. Shield spell will boost that up to 33.
A good Eldritch Fighter build can get:
+3 Plate = 21
+3 Shield = +5
+1 Fighting Style (Defense)
+1 ring of Protection
+1 Cloak of Protection
+1 ioun Stone of Protection
AC 30, plus a Shield spell to = 35.
Also, your Plate and Shield could have additional properties, such as Resistance to Fire, etc.
Forget those lazy multiclassing and race-changing ideas and let’s make it work for your existing idea - pure Sorcerer Tiefling.
Start with Draconic Soul Sorcerer, Dispater Tiefling, Dex 15, Con 15, Cha 15.
You get five feats:
1) +2 Dexterity
2) +2 Charisma
3) Infernal Constitution, +1 Con
4) Flames of Phlegethos, +1 Cha
5) Defensive Duelist OR Fire Elemental Adept
At level 20 you’ll have 162 HP (avg 8.05 per level), with res fire, cold, and poison.
Your AC will be 17, 22 with a Shield Reaction, or 23 with a Defensive Duelist Reaction. Add Mirror Images, maybe Blur and you’ll have some decent durability. Just make sure to punish anyone that gets close :)
Take cantrips like Thunderclap and Sword Burst - you can use Careful Spell meta magic to avoid hitting allies, or Distant Spell to literally get attacks on up to 24 enemies at the same time...
Necro'd this as I haven't see this much, but for front-lining like OP asked and also keeping the same feel to the char and not selling your soul (or just wanting some more utility):-
1 lvl of bard gives you Light armor, or starting with bard and also give you hand crossbow/rapier/short-sword (Dex weapons) and is still a Charisma based full spell-slot caster (You don't lose any spell slots). Goto to lvl 3 Valor/Swords for more weapon/armor options (Though that means lvl 4 for the asi).
1 lvl of bard also gives you 4 more lvl 1 spells and two more cantrips (Include Blade Ward so you can quicken it for Barb-like raging when needed). You also get ritual casting so on your bard level pick Comprehend Languages+Identify+Detect Magic if that's what you want, or heal spells, or heroism, or faerie fire, whatever you want, they're all known spells you can chose and will all be charisma based. Your group will like the the song of rest if you go 3/4, plus skilly goodness.
And it all comes from you baby, no patron, no gods, just you, your tunes and your incredible charm, plus the occasional fireball.
Not everyone gets magic items thrown at them like that. It can't be counted on, and it limits other magic items you might want to use.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
So I'm playing as a Red Dragonborn, Red Dragon Ancestry Sorcerer. Good strength, good Dex, the latter being the important one.
Combine Dragon Sorcerer AC with Bracers of Defence, staff of power, and if you're really high level, Robe of the Archmagi.
You'll need to either multiclass or, if your DM knows what they're doing, spend downtime gaining proficiency with shields, and then you can get a shield+.
After making a high level copy of my flamey boi, if I get the items I want by end campaign, I can get 28AC, and that's not maxing out Dex. It's also before adding a reaction casting of Shield.
So yeah, you can make a pretty beefy Sorcerer capable of rivaling the front line capabilities of a Paladin.
Robe of the Archmagi does NOT stack with Dragon Sorcerer AC. It is a one or the other thing, not both. Either 13+Dex or 15+dex.
Bracers of Defense does NOT work with a shield, but does work with Robe and Draconic AC.
Staff of Power stack with everything.
The Max AC you can get using these ideas is:
Total of 28, assuming you have a maxed out Dex, two very rare magic items, a Legendary Magic Item and all of your 3 attunement slots. Shield spell will boost that up to 33.
A good Eldritch Fighter build can get:
AC 30, plus a Shield spell to = 35.
Also, your Plate and Shield could have additional properties, such as Resistance to Fire, etc.
Forget those lazy multiclassing and race-changing ideas and let’s make it work for your existing idea - pure Sorcerer Tiefling.
Start with Draconic Soul Sorcerer, Dispater Tiefling, Dex 15, Con 15, Cha 15.
You get five feats:
1) +2 Dexterity
2) +2 Charisma
3) Infernal Constitution, +1 Con
4) Flames of Phlegethos, +1 Cha
5) Defensive Duelist OR Fire Elemental Adept
At level 20 you’ll have 162 HP (avg 8.05 per level), with res fire, cold, and poison.
Your AC will be 17, 22 with a Shield Reaction, or 23 with a Defensive Duelist Reaction. Add Mirror Images, maybe Blur and you’ll have some decent durability. Just make sure to punish anyone that gets close :)
Take cantrips like Thunderclap and Sword Burst - you can use Careful Spell meta magic to avoid hitting allies, or Distant Spell to literally get attacks on up to 24 enemies at the same time...
Oh wow I forgot about this thread.
Tiefling (Mephistopheles)
2 lore wiz/1 wu Jen mystic (fire)/2 hexblade/15 draconic sorc
Change any spell dmg except bludgeon/pierce/slash/psychic to fire, add 2 to all instances of fire dmg.
Fire elemental adept (feat) ignore resistance, 1s count as 2s for fire dmg
Flames of Phlegethos (feat) reroll 1s.
Elemental Affinity: Cha to fire dmg.
Empower/Quicken metamagic
------------
Flame Blade or Flaming greatsword w/ fire hex.
Melee attack:
Flame Blade: 3d6+dex+cha+2
Flaming Greatsword&Hex: 4d6+cha+1d6+cha+4
Booming Blade (Fire elemental):
Flame Blade: 3d6+_d8+dex+cha+4 (+_d8+2+cha) when they move
Flaming Greatsword: 5d6+_d8+cha+cha+6 (+_d8+1d6+cha+4) when they move
-------
Eldritch Blast ----> fire elemental
1d10+cha+cha(x1)+2
These are just base calculations for cantrips. Magic missiles can be used to great effect.
stone sorcerer gives alot of resilence. +1 hp per lvl and ac=13+conmod and on top of that shield proficiency
Necro'd this as I haven't see this much, but for front-lining like OP asked and also keeping the same feel to the char and not selling your soul (or just wanting some more utility):-
1 lvl of bard gives you Light armor, or starting with bard and also give you hand crossbow/rapier/short-sword (Dex weapons) and is still a Charisma based full spell-slot caster (You don't lose any spell slots). Goto to lvl 3 Valor/Swords for more weapon/armor options (Though that means lvl 4 for the asi).
1 lvl of bard also gives you 4 more lvl 1 spells and two more cantrips (Include Blade Ward so you can quicken it for Barb-like raging when needed). You also get ritual casting so on your bard level pick Comprehend Languages+Identify+Detect Magic if that's what you want, or heal spells, or heroism, or faerie fire, whatever you want, they're all known spells you can chose and will all be charisma based. Your group will like the the song of rest if you go 3/4, plus skilly goodness.
And it all comes from you baby, no patron, no gods, just you, your tunes and your incredible charm, plus the occasional fireball.