With the soon-to-come removal of evasion for us knights (as I understood at least) we'll be taking a lot more damage from traps and stuff thrown at us (giant/troll boulders etc), though I already take plenty from these.
I'll try to update this post when/if people have advice.
The best way to stay alive is of course AC, damage reduction and spell resistance to some extend.
Useful items:
Boots of the gargoyle (1 x stoneskin per rest)
Pearly White Ioun stone, and lesser version (2/3 x vigor per rest)
Regeneration cloak (1 reg)
Shimmer cloak (32? spell resistance) - Because useless when you increase in level
Ring of the fire brigade: The 10 fire resistance from this ring helps against the many fire spells used by mobs.
Boots of haste,
Cloak of displacement,
Bow with mighty to wound enemies before going melee,
Amulets of elemental resistances, (Swap between them)
Vampiric weapon (HP per hit)
I try to keep multiple of each, but they can be diffiult to find and/or expensive to buy.Wands/Potions (for no UMD) that can really help melee characters:
Improved Mage Armor - +6 Armor AC for a long duration (that is +2 AC even if you have +4 Armor)
Shield - +4 AC for 5 minutes if you don't have a +4 Shield or are playing a great weapon fighter
Barkskin/Spider Skin - +4 Natural AC if you don't have an amulet and/or need to switch out energy resistance amulets!
DeathWard - If you have low Will Saves or low Fort Saves or *shudder* both. Decent duration, protects against so many issues such as poison and disease, alongside save or x spells.
Energy Buffer/Prot from Energy/Energy Resistance - Like stoneskins, but for energy... If you get hit with a trap that does acid, then a trap that does electrical you might still have some protection left... Even if it gets stripped on the first trap, Endure Elements is a level 1 spell and can be purchased pretty cheap to reduce the damage a bit.
Feats - Fighters get a lot of friggin feats... If you use a Great Weapon, take Monkey Grip (or buy the Tower Shield that includes the feat if you can afford it). Being able to get your AC to ~50+ will reduce your damage intake a ton. Even in Nashkel Mines where the mobs can hit a 45 AC with relative consistency a 50 AC with mirror images and occasional displacement (when surrounded) will be nearly untouchable.
Also, consider potions of Deez's Repulsive Shadow Barrier... For some reason they are capped at CL15, but that is 15 minutes of +4 AC, 15% Concealment. If uncapped at CL16 it would be 20% concealment, I imagine that was considered OP on a minute per level potion.
Greater Magic Weapon can also be put on potions up to CL19 so you can make any weapon +4 for a long duration. Thus if you find a weapon with +3 Vamp Regen and/or 1d4 bonus damage you can make it in to +4 by using a CL16 potion of GMW.
Tactics
Trolls and giants: If you take a lot of damage from the boulders thrown at you, it sometimes help if you force the mobs into combat, so they switch to melee and put away the boulders.
Skill points
Search (for spotting those traps),
Disable device
Build related
- Build to be capable of sustaining AC as close to 50 (or higher) as possible. Even if you build to be optimized toward a lower AC, such as with a Great Weapon, have some way to hit 50 or better when solo/in dangerous areas.
- Build for capability of doing at least ~35 damage / hit, more is better.
- AB should be at least ~41 after all modifiers. If you are building to use ICE or IPA you should try to reach ~47 AB or as close as possible.
- Try to reach saves of 25+ for Fort and Will if possible. Steadfast is a plus.
- If dipping for Evasion/Expose Weakness build for DEX 14 using +4 bracers or 15 using +3 bracers and wear Mithral Chainmail. You lose 1 AC over mithral full plate, but retain evasion.
- If your Reflex Saving throw is lower than ~20, or especially if it is below 15 there is no reason to build for evasion since it only helps when you make your saving throw. May as well save the DEX points and build for heavy/medium armor.
Anyone have any advice for us knightly types that don't have heal spells and damage reduction spells?
(and soon despair, after the evasion nerf 
)
