Damage Reduction

[Surreal]

I think the best you can do at low-mid levels is a natural lycanthrope with 5 levels of Black Blood Hunter (PgtF 177), which gives you DR 15/silver. You could have that at ECL 11, possibly earlier if you've been buying off LA.

[Sohala]

And blow your feats on Thick-skinned for another 2/silver per.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

...and then be stabbed to death with a fork by grandma...

[Surreal]

Which just tells you... next time grandma tells you to eat your vegetables, you eat your damn vegetables.

[Empirate]

Another way to get some good DR relatively early on is going Warlock with the Fey Heritage feat line. Human/Strongheart Halfling and flaws let you accomplish decent amounts of DR/cold iron quite nicely by, say, 8th level. Warlocks aren't totally fragile, and some of your Invocations will require you to be at least close to the front lines. Paired with DR 7/cold iron, you'll survive most things that could hit you - while you're exploiting Fell Flight to be safe from charger builds.

DR of any kind is best paired with two other things: a) the ability to endure at least a little HP damage now and then (like not being a Con 8 Sorcerer), and b) the ability to avoid the most HP damaging kinds of attacks, like charges (flight works wonders here). If these conditions are met, even mediocre amounts of DR can be worth it: you'll avoid the really big hits, and the small ones won't bother you at all.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

Another way to get some good DR relatively early on is going Warlock with the Fey Heritage feat line. Human/Strongheart Halfling and flaws let you accomplish decent amounts of DR/cold iron quite nicely by, say, 8th level. Warlocks aren't totally fragile, and some of your Invocations will require you to be at least close to the front lines. Paired with DR 7/cold iron, you'll survive most things that could hit you - while you're exploiting Fell Flight to be safe from charger builds.

Unless it's a crazy Hood...

DR of any kind is best paired with two other things: a) the ability to endure at least a little HP damage now and then (like not being a Con 8 Sorcerer), and b) the ability to avoid the most HP damaging kinds of attacks, like charges (flight works wonders here). If these conditions are met, even mediocre amounts of DR can be worth it: you'll avoid the really big hits, and the small ones won't bother you at all.

IU know the LA sucks, but take everything you just said with the Fey Heritage Feats and apply them to an Invisible Flying Eldritch Blast (Hellfire?) spewing Warlock Build...

[juton]

If your character has Heavy Armour proficiency you can get DR 10\- with just money. Adamantine full plate + augment crystal + scroll/wand of Heroics to get the feat heavy armour specialization. I did this in a campaign I played through, if your DM likes melee monsters it is actually worth doing.

[Surreal]

If your character has Heavy Armour proficiency you can get DR 10\- with just money. Adamantine full plate + augment crystal + scroll/wand of Heroics to get the feat heavy armour specialization. I did this in a campaign I played through, if your DM likes melee monsters it is actually worth doing.

Get the 4 earth elemental grafts (Magic of Eberron) and you bump that up to DR 13/- plus you also gain a burrow speed, fortification, improved NA, and tremorsense.

[McPoyo]

Which just tells you... next time grandma tells you to eat your vegetables, you eat your damn vegetables.

Win.