In general I suggest just not permitting a character if you don't have a solid concept of how to handle it, but in the case of high AC the solutions are straightforward and well known (just use attacks that don't go against AC) so it doesn't seem too hard to handle.
Doing math for passive AC:
+3 plate (21), +3 shield (+5 = 26), defensive fighting style (+1), warforged (+1) = 28. You can also achieve this with a level 20 warforged barbarian wearing no armor.
Forge domain cleric (level 6) can increase this to 29.
Taking 10 levels of Artificer will let you attune an additional thing, such as a Staff of Defense to get up to 33.
If you drop the forge domain cleric and instead take 18 levels of artificer, you can use two additional magic items (34), though equippable bonus AC magic items get increasingly rare.
If you're willing to budge on totally passive, you can use a defender instead of one of the above +1 items, for an additional +2.
Sorry, failed to achieve a 35 entirely passive score. I tried. Perhaps someone can find an effect I missed.
First off, let them do it. If a player is willing to specialize so deeply into one aspect then by all means let them. Also have encounters here and there that really let them shine with it. A random encounter with 20 easy kills that the character just destroys solo without breaking a sweat, make them feel heroic. But for the BBEG fights or main story type things make sure you have casters with shatter, fireball, heat metal, slow, etc. that will challenge the character.
Too often I see DM's try to nerf down a player that wants their character to be a certain way that may be super OP in one area. If they want to put in the time and effort to super specialize one thing then let them shine at it and don't discourage it. Just prepare countermeasures so everything isn't a cake walk.
AC is great. Against physical attacks. You're player screwed up. He's probably and extremely vulnerable to magical attacks that don't use ac.
As mentioned earlier heat metal, an ooze that destroys not magical weapons and armor.
You can take him out of the game with a smart spell caster that can banish the player or maze them. A smart group of enemies especially spell casters know with a roll of the dice what the players are and are weilding to find the soft spots.
If an enemy sees that the melee enemy can't hit a player they'd get them off the field. Hold person, paralyze, stun that player and move to the softer ones. It's all strategy.
First, make sure their AC is correct. It sounds to me like they're probably stacking formulas, which is *not* how 5e works. For example, Monk, Tortle, and Draconic Sorcerers all have their own AC calculations, but they can only use one of them and some have restrictions on shields. Second, don't allow them to bully you into giving them specific magic items unless you're doing it for the whole party. If one of your players is breaking the campaign by making to hit requirements for monsters incredibly high (meaning that they either will never hit one character or will always hit the party, but can't be balanced) that's not necessarily the end of the world. However, you do need to recognize that if they're accomplishing this by breaking the rules, your players who do follow the rules are going to feel slighted. Check and make sure they're not using homebrew that hasn't been approved by you (it's well within your rights as a DM, even if you allow some homebrew, to restrict a specific homebrew) and that the math works and isn't abusing loopholes. If they've built on D&D Beyond, make sure they're not overriding the formula. If they haven't, have them make it on D&D Beyond and see if it works the same. I've built characters that can push 35 AC for a turn, but they have to consume a spell and a class feature to do so, limiting it to a few short turns of maxed out AC. Having a sustainable 35 AC probably means breaking something.
If the AC is legitimate or you don't want to fight with your player, just recognize that you don't have to check against AC to do damage or fight against the character. You can use spells that require saves or like Heat Metal that don't require saves or attack rolls, or simply have monsters use abilities that don't hit AC or saves at all- grapples are skill checks, and some creatures can eat things that they've grappled. If you want to have your player face a threat, that can work as an option. You can also have enemies that return damage, are immune or resistant to the player's damage type, or likewise. If the player can only hit that AC by burning spell slots or abilities, you can just make the player burn those resources each turn by attacking with one or two minions who are forcing them to use those abilities, while the rest of the party is engaged with monsters who can hit them.
A 3 word sentence ("An escort quest") and it does everything you need. Big Boy's 35 AC or what have you is not going to help the AC 10, 5 hp NPC he has to protect... ;)
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Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Just run them through the Storm King's Thunder. As a pretty high AC Fighter in that campaign, I can tell you that the giants will mess you up. Even if you get hit 1 out of 10 times for 30 points on average, that's gonna hurt.
Attack everyone else. The PC's aren't going to attack a 30 AC guy while there's a squishy mage in the back. Anything with an intelligence of more than 5 will not try to hit him over another creature. I have a player with an AC of 25 and sentinel feat. It can kind of be a problem but he's fighting creatures with +14 to hit that hit hard.
First, if your player wants to tank, let them tank as long as they aren't cheating. A good example of this: In my group there is a guy and his younger brother. Once, the guy decided to play a cleric with AC 19. This was perfectly legal because he was a life domain cleric (proficiency with heavy armor) wearing half plate armor, which he was proficient with, and carrying a shield. I let him be basically invulnerable because he followed the rules. His brother, on the other hand, used DDB's custom AC feature to override his AC with 100. I made him redo his character because he was breaking the rules.
Second, when you need to knock your player down a few notches, throw a spellcaster (like a mage or priest) at them. Most spellcasters have a reasonably high intelligence/wisdom, which allows them to make tactical decisions, and a good number of spells that require saving throws. Have the spellcaster try to hit your tank with an attack roll, and when that fails, switch over to pelting them with saving throw spells. Example: Joe the Fighter/Forge Domain Cleric has AC 20. He's up against an archmage. The archmage tries fire bolt, and when that bounces off Joe's plate armor, he decides to hit him with a fireball. Since Joe has a +0 to Dexterity saves, he'll most likely take the full brunt of the fireball
Third, the rust monster is the DM's nuclear option when something like this happens. Low level player? A single rust monster can end their tank-ing. High level player? Just throw in a swarm of 10-15 rust monsters. Will your player rage-quit? Yes. Will it be satisfying? Yes.
Another problem that many tanks have is actually dealing damage. I have a level 5 warforged artificer (Armorer) with a great AC and I can cast shield. I have spells like absorb elements to protect me, but it all come down to my one big problem, dealing damage. Sure, let them have their 24 AC fighter, and watch as the paladin with a greatsword comes in with 50 something damage while are hitting each turn for about 15 damage. Even if they get plenty of things to help round out their weak points, there is always going to be a crack in the armor. No one character can do everything for a party.
Another problem that many tanks have is actually dealing damage.
Low damage would be a manageable problem if the character was actually capable of tanking (in the MMO sense), there aren't a lot of ways to do that in 5e.
At level 7, I play an Eldritch Knight wearing plate, with a shield, and Defence fighting style for a solid 21 AC and the Shield spell to boost me to 26 when I need it. Yes, I'm really damn hard to hit, and it's supplemented with Heavy Armour Master (which I wouldn't take again these days, but it's what I took as a variant human). My DM doesn't play needing a free hand to cast Shield because of the rules loop that makes it all time consuming (and implausible) silliness.
Yes, my PC is really hard to hit. He's a tank, it's his job. He can make 2 attacks with +8 to hit, for d8+5 damage on his turn.
Wanna see what my friend's Greatweapon Master battlemaster fighter does to enemies? He cuts a bloody path through everything in his way. When our paladin goes Smite Happy with a Frostbrand he regularly deals 100 damage in a turn. A bear totem barbarian tanks just as well if not better.
If you build for huge AC, you don't get the damage of other melee classes. That's a player choice, and as others have said, you shouldn't punish a player for wanting to play a specific way. There's just no way to get to 30+ AC without you giving them a load of stuff, and by the time they can multiclass and item up to that kind of level, they're likely taking huge breath weapon hits from dragons, or facing enemies with +15 or more to hit them anyway.
TLDR: Don't worry about it, let them be super armoured, they are sacrificing some of their damage options for more defence, and you can't get 30+ AC until the monsters are capable of hitting it.
At level 7, I play an Eldritch Knight wearing plate, with a shield, and Defence fighting style for a solid 21 AC and the Shield spell to boost me to 26 when I need it. Yes, I'm really damn hard to hit, and it's supplemented with Heavy Armour Master (which I wouldn't take again these days, but it's what I took as a variant human). My DM doesn't play needing a free hand to cast Shield because of the rules loop that makes it all time consuming (and implausible) silliness.
Mostly, the rules for somatic components (whether shield spell or something else) just heavily encourage eldritch knights to use two-handed weapons -- they only require two hands to attack, so when casting spells you just hold it with one hand while using the other for somatic or material components.
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An escort quest.
*evil grin*
In general I suggest just not permitting a character if you don't have a solid concept of how to handle it, but in the case of high AC the solutions are straightforward and well known (just use attacks that don't go against AC) so it doesn't seem too hard to handle.
Doing math for passive AC:
Sorry, failed to achieve a 35 entirely passive score. I tried. Perhaps someone can find an effect I missed.
Do exactly this.
I am an average mathematics enjoyer.
>Extended Signature<
I added an umber hulk who pulled a Hulk/Loki type manuever. He grabbed up the high AC character and then proceded to use him as a melee weapon.
AC is great. Against physical attacks. You're player screwed up. He's probably and extremely vulnerable to magical attacks that don't use ac.
As mentioned earlier heat metal, an ooze that destroys not magical weapons and armor.
You can take him out of the game with a smart spell caster that can banish the player or maze them. A smart group of enemies especially spell casters know with a roll of the dice what the players are and are weilding to find the soft spots.
If an enemy sees that the melee enemy can't hit a player they'd get them off the field. Hold person, paralyze, stun that player and move to the softer ones. It's all strategy.
MUH-hahaha. I love it.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
That you have to move through Hoop infested territory =)
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
First, make sure their AC is correct. It sounds to me like they're probably stacking formulas, which is *not* how 5e works. For example, Monk, Tortle, and Draconic Sorcerers all have their own AC calculations, but they can only use one of them and some have restrictions on shields. Second, don't allow them to bully you into giving them specific magic items unless you're doing it for the whole party. If one of your players is breaking the campaign by making to hit requirements for monsters incredibly high (meaning that they either will never hit one character or will always hit the party, but can't be balanced) that's not necessarily the end of the world. However, you do need to recognize that if they're accomplishing this by breaking the rules, your players who do follow the rules are going to feel slighted. Check and make sure they're not using homebrew that hasn't been approved by you (it's well within your rights as a DM, even if you allow some homebrew, to restrict a specific homebrew) and that the math works and isn't abusing loopholes. If they've built on D&D Beyond, make sure they're not overriding the formula. If they haven't, have them make it on D&D Beyond and see if it works the same. I've built characters that can push 35 AC for a turn, but they have to consume a spell and a class feature to do so, limiting it to a few short turns of maxed out AC. Having a sustainable 35 AC probably means breaking something.
If the AC is legitimate or you don't want to fight with your player, just recognize that you don't have to check against AC to do damage or fight against the character. You can use spells that require saves or like Heat Metal that don't require saves or attack rolls, or simply have monsters use abilities that don't hit AC or saves at all- grapples are skill checks, and some creatures can eat things that they've grappled. If you want to have your player face a threat, that can work as an option. You can also have enemies that return damage, are immune or resistant to the player's damage type, or likewise. If the player can only hit that AC by burning spell slots or abilities, you can just make the player burn those resources each turn by attacking with one or two minions who are forcing them to use those abilities, while the rest of the party is engaged with monsters who can hit them.
That’s so sadistic. And it probably makes me happier than it should.
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A 3 word sentence ("An escort quest") and it does everything you need. Big Boy's 35 AC or what have you is not going to help the AC 10, 5 hp NPC he has to protect... ;)
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Just run them through the Storm King's Thunder. As a pretty high AC Fighter in that campaign, I can tell you that the giants will mess you up. Even if you get hit 1 out of 10 times for 30 points on average, that's gonna hurt.
Attack everyone else. The PC's aren't going to attack a 30 AC guy while there's a squishy mage in the back. Anything with an intelligence of more than 5 will not try to hit him over another creature. I have a player with an AC of 25 and sentinel feat. It can kind of be a problem but he's fighting creatures with +14 to hit that hit hard.
Three pieces of advice on this one.
First, if your player wants to tank, let them tank as long as they aren't cheating. A good example of this: In my group there is a guy and his younger brother. Once, the guy decided to play a cleric with AC 19. This was perfectly legal because he was a life domain cleric (proficiency with heavy armor) wearing half plate armor, which he was proficient with, and carrying a shield. I let him be basically invulnerable because he followed the rules. His brother, on the other hand, used DDB's custom AC feature to override his AC with 100. I made him redo his character because he was breaking the rules.
Second, when you need to knock your player down a few notches, throw a spellcaster (like a mage or priest) at them. Most spellcasters have a reasonably high intelligence/wisdom, which allows them to make tactical decisions, and a good number of spells that require saving throws. Have the spellcaster try to hit your tank with an attack roll, and when that fails, switch over to pelting them with saving throw spells. Example: Joe the Fighter/Forge Domain Cleric has AC 20. He's up against an archmage. The archmage tries fire bolt, and when that bounces off Joe's plate armor, he decides to hit him with a fireball. Since Joe has a +0 to Dexterity saves, he'll most likely take the full brunt of the fireball
Third, the rust monster is the DM's nuclear option when something like this happens. Low level player? A single rust monster can end their tank-ing. High level player? Just throw in a swarm of 10-15 rust monsters. Will your player rage-quit? Yes. Will it be satisfying? Yes.
DM of many adventures, player of even more
WHY THE HECK IS THAT SWAN BREATHING FIRE?!
Another problem that many tanks have is actually dealing damage. I have a level 5 warforged artificer (Armorer) with a great AC and I can cast shield. I have spells like absorb elements to protect me, but it all come down to my one big problem, dealing damage. Sure, let them have their 24 AC fighter, and watch as the paladin with a greatsword comes in with 50 something damage while are hitting each turn for about 15 damage. Even if they get plenty of things to help round out their weak points, there is always going to be a crack in the armor. No one character can do everything for a party.
When the DM smiles, it is already to late.
Low damage would be a manageable problem if the character was actually capable of tanking (in the MMO sense), there aren't a lot of ways to do that in 5e.
At level 7, I play an Eldritch Knight wearing plate, with a shield, and Defence fighting style for a solid 21 AC and the Shield spell to boost me to 26 when I need it. Yes, I'm really damn hard to hit, and it's supplemented with Heavy Armour Master (which I wouldn't take again these days, but it's what I took as a variant human). My DM doesn't play needing a free hand to cast Shield because of the rules loop that makes it all time consuming (and implausible) silliness.
Yes, my PC is really hard to hit. He's a tank, it's his job. He can make 2 attacks with +8 to hit, for d8+5 damage on his turn.
Wanna see what my friend's Greatweapon Master battlemaster fighter does to enemies? He cuts a bloody path through everything in his way. When our paladin goes Smite Happy with a Frostbrand he regularly deals 100 damage in a turn. A bear totem barbarian tanks just as well if not better.
If you build for huge AC, you don't get the damage of other melee classes. That's a player choice, and as others have said, you shouldn't punish a player for wanting to play a specific way. There's just no way to get to 30+ AC without you giving them a load of stuff, and by the time they can multiclass and item up to that kind of level, they're likely taking huge breath weapon hits from dragons, or facing enemies with +15 or more to hit them anyway.
TLDR: Don't worry about it, let them be super armoured, they are sacrificing some of their damage options for more defence, and you can't get 30+ AC until the monsters are capable of hitting it.
Mostly, the rules for somatic components (whether shield spell or something else) just heavily encourage eldritch knights to use two-handed weapons -- they only require two hands to attack, so when casting spells you just hold it with one hand while using the other for somatic or material components.