Armor and Physical Resistance Rating

Update 14 introduced changes in how Armor Class is calculated. This is good news for Monks as you can make more informed tweaks to your protections for better survival.

Prior to Update 14, there was not really a hard-and-fast rule to how much AC you will require, especially at high-levels. With the new calculations of damage mitigated, in addition to other protections, you should have a much better way to see where your armoring falls short as you continue your training.

Armor Class changes

• Size Bonus: A Halfling gets +1 AC because they're smaller and hard to hit.
• Wisdom AC Bonus: For every 2 WIS, you gain 1 AC.
• AC Percentage Bonus (not shown): When using Defensive Fighting, you gain an overall 5% AC bonus (that is, your entire AC is boosted by that percentage). Combat Expertise adds 10%. While Defensive Fighting and Combat Expertise are mutually exclusive, both bonuses stack with Ultimate Mountain Stance's 20% AC boost for a 25 to 30% overall AC pick-me-up.

All these numbers will calculate a Defense Chance at Level, which gives you a stronger indication of your overall protection based on your training. In this example, Teacher Syncletica (buffed and in Ultimate Mountain Stance) shows a 58% chance to avoid damage at level with 75 AC.

Dodge

Update 14 broke out Dodge as an AC bonus and redefined it as a percentage chance to avoid damage, up to 25%. This Dodge cap can be increased through Ninja Spy enhancements permanently, augmented by guild ship buffs, untyped Dodge bonuses, or Epic feats and destinies.

Dodge can be just as important, if not more so than AC and PRR, for all Monks. For more on the importance of Evasion, Dodge, Concealment and Incorporeality, see the next chapter.

There are still items that form a Dodge-as-AC bonus, but these items are not designed for pure Monks.

Physical Resistance Rating (PRR) and Magical Resistance Rating (MRR)

The Physical Resistance Rating also gives a percentage chance to mitigate damage from bludgeoning, slashing and piercing weapons. Even a small amount of PRR may leave you less likely to be injured.

PRR is designed for heavily armored and shielded melee fighters since their weight of armor limits their mobility--specifically, dexterity, and their AC bonus from that stat. As such, Monks will never see the higher PRR as these fighters--or will they?

With Update 17, the addition of a new Augment slot ability has been added to many, many new items that allows the insertion of Augment crystals that can boost PRR (among other things) to very respectable levels, without compromising other effects you may have from named gear (much of which has also been revised with slots). Green, Purple or Blue Augment slots accept the PRR gems that range from +2 to +14 PRR.

PRR stacks with itself in most cases and sources except when defined otherwise, such as enhancement bonuses from augment gems and the Cloak of the Bear. Only one gem with the higher number will be counted.

Any PRR is better than none to reduce damage that gets by your innate Dodge, Concealment, Evasion and/or Incorporeality.

• Earth Stance offers increases in PRR as training improves, 3/8/12/15 PRR as you move from Discipleship to Grandmaster.
• The Iron Skin tier 2 Shintao ability adds up to 15 PRR while in Earth Stance. (It's not clear if this is stacking properly with Earth Stance's PRR bonus.)
• The epic destiny Grandmaster of Flowers offers "Standing with Stone," which adds (over 3 ranks) 15 PRR, but only when in Mountain Stance.
• The Iron, Mithral and Adamantine Cloak of the Bear, from the Eveningstar Challenges, offer the Sheltering property with level 16, 20 and 24 items that add 3/6/9 PRR as an enhancement bonus.
• Augment gems add +2 to +14 PRR as an enhancement bonus.
  • Caution: These gems have minimum level requirements. Adding a +10 PRR gem to a Level 1 cloak, for instance, will raise the minimum level of that cloak to match that of the augment gem. Gems cannot stack with themselves; only the one with the highest number will stack with the untyped PRR.
  • Don't despair over the ridiculous Auction House prices for gems you find there. You can get a +10 gem from the DDO Store for 150 Turbine Points.
• You may find the ability to add PRR using Twists of Fate with other epic destinies such as Legendary Dreadnaught's Improved Combat Expertise.
• The hardest PRR upgrade is getting the Antipode handwraps, 3 Commendations of Heroism (very rare drop rate) and a Planar Focus of Prowess, upgrading the handwraps to activate the Planar Conflux ability.

Magical Resistance Rating helps more melee characters to shrug off magical damage. As a Monk, your innate Spell Resistance gained through feats will help more than MRR, but you can gain some MRR through items with the Sheltering property that often adds PRR and MRR bonuses.

Update 29 added Insightful properties to random loot that give stacking bonuses to PRR. In addition, Epic Destiny abilities give stacking PRR bonuses if you have other feats or have trained sufficiently in the destiny. These options can add 100 PRR or more to a Monk. Combine this with miss-chance, AC and fortification and the Monk can survive longer than many other armored classes.

Considerations for your Armor

• Take advantage of the new outfits that include Armor Bonuses if you've tried playing prior to Update 14, especially the updated outfits and robes with augment slots.
• DEX and WIS generate substantial AC but also improve your overall difficulty checks, to-hit chances and better Reflex and Will saves, respectively.
• Seek out exotic armor bonuses. Clickies that give Shield Bonuses may help in a pinch.
• Combat Expertise is expensive in terms of INT required but gives a significant AC boost. You can use the granted feat Defensive Fighting for a smaller AC boost of 5%.
• Watch your armor bonus summary. Items you equip may add points to one bonus but take away from others.
• Careful in your favor of Fire and Wind Stances, for they may deteriorate from your AC. Earth Stance is a tanking stance that not only adds to AC but to PRR as well--at the price of movement speed and increasing your Threat level, making you a more attractive target. Ocean Stance greatly improves WIS, saves and Dodge, with average attack damage but greater chance to succeed at special WIS-based attacks such as Stunning Fist.
• Remember: A Monk's saves are their true armor. In addition to high percentages in Dodge, Concealment, Evasion and/or Incorporeality for miss chance effects, you'll be able to shake off attempts to hold, charm or otherwise damage you only if your Fortitude, Reflex and Will saves are as high as you can make them. AC and PRR can supplement but not replace these abilities. Don't confuse yourself with armored sword-and-board fighters. You have better tricks in your mystical arsenal.