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by Sun Wukong » Tue Sep 11, 2018 4:11 am
If you get Duelist 7, the Elaborate Parry grants one point of Deflection AC for evey 6 ranks. Thus with Parry skill point investment of 30, you get +5 eeflection AC that does not stack with other sources of deflection. But eventually you do get +1 over what you can get from items, which means that your cloak slot is freed for that regeration cloak, your helmet can go for that +4 intelligence item, bracers can be held for +4 dexterity, belt can offer you +3 strength and constitution, while ring slots can boost your saves.
The Parry skill can block one attack per flurry. Thus against someone with 6 attacks per round; You have a chance to block the first, the third, and the fifth.
33 (Parry Skill)
+ 10 (Dexterity Modifier)
+ 10 (Duelist's Elaborate Parry)
+ 6 (Gloves of Sword Skill from random loot, are there even other items that boost Parry)
= 59
If you have a build that comes with a high naked AC, and if you can get your parry skill as high as possible in addition to it, you become somewhat tanky with the Parry Mode. Basically, you can block three attacks per round, and attacks that remain have lower chance of getting through your AC.
The reason why parry mode is not used that often or at all is because the more attacks the opponent has, the more attacks will be tested against your AC rather than Parry Skill. Thus Improved Combat Expertise might have the better effect over all, not to mention that your own attacks will be limited with the Parry mode. In other words, you are not killing things as fast as you could without the Parry mode.
As for tanking bosses, well, the AI has a tendency to attack the highest source of damage... Which in the case of Parry mode might not be you. Especially if there is a party.
But yeah, Parry skill point investment is still great if you go for at least Duelist 7.
" I am no longer here, the elves of the Sword Coast are just far too horrible... "
- Elminster, probably.
