Dungeonscape Answers

[Nightfall]

Shadow,

Let me know what you think of Factotum.

 

[Shadowslayer]

Shadow,

Let me know what you think of Factotum.

Absolutely, but I'll get back to you tomorrow. I only skimmed that part so far, as the dungeon stuff was what I was drawn to first.

It's late. Going to bed now.

 

[Nightfall]

Shadow,

yeah I didn't expect an answer NOW but maybe soonish.

 

[Shadowslayer]

Ok Nightfall: The Factotum. Its a neat concept. What jumps out first at me is that this is a great class for whan all the bases aren't being covered. Say you have 4 players, but 2 want to play Fighters and one guy is going Sorceror...you have one player who's undecided, and there's not a cleric, rogue, or ranger in sight. The Factotum fills in some of the blanks rather nicely.

I like the idea of inspiration points and that they go by encounter rather than by day. That's neat. However, at first glance, there seems to be an awful lot of daily bookkeeping with this class. You can use 1 inspiraton point per round for combat till your points run out, but then you can use one for a particular skill, but only once per day per skill. (So if you're playing an Indiana J. type character in a musty old tomb with lots of heiroglyphs on the walls, you blow your load for the day after trying to read the first one.) You can use points to mimic basic cleric abilities, but only 3+your wisdom bonus times per day. I had to go over the inspiration-point-using-abilities 3 or 4 times to make sure I had it right...so I think I'd call this a strike against.

I like the Brains over Brawn ability, in that you can use your int bonus for tasks that usually use str and dex. I like that they have trapfinding...makes sense. Cunning Surge is cool...it takes 3 points and I think that keeps a lid on potential abuse. A d8 for hit dice makes them a little tougher than a rogue...that's nice too.

In all, it sounds reasonably fun. I'm not a splatbook junkie so I don't really know how the class compares to other non-PHB base classes. I'd try playing one...but I'd call it something different. If the name of your base classes are sending people to find a dictionary, you maybe should be calling it something different.

Hell, they should have just gave it exotic proficiency-whip and some kind of language reading special talent and just called it the Archeologist.

SO, there's your review...mixed as it is.

 

[Ranes]

As I come to the end of the book, I'm impressed. The advice on designing encounters and encounter traps was first class. Everything else in the book was very good, too. Despite my disdain for PrCs, I read and might even use the Dungeonlord PrC.

I have only one complaint. There were too many typos for my liking (the word 'Gauntlet' twice appears as 'Gantlet' in the space of just a couple of pages - and both times the word is set in bold). Many of the other errors were less obvious but no less annoying. As a former editor once told me, "Every typographical error is an insult to the intelligence of your readers."

Ultimately, I'm really happy to have added this volume to my collection. Nice one, Wizards.

 

[pawsplay]

So apparently WotC saw a void for a "spontaneous Chameleon" and filled it.

 

[drdevoid]

My favorite part of the Factotum, having played it at DDXP this weekend, is the ability that lets one replace a Str or Dex check with their Int mod. This allowed me to make a pretty effective tripping and bullrushing character with intelligence. I grabbed my whip and had at it. I'm thinking of multiclassing with Swashbuckler as that could be a lot of fun.

What I am most curious to see is how well some of the conceptually similar Prestige/New Core classes dovetail if at all. The Swashbuckler really nicely synergized with Duelist for example. Will the 2 new trap related PrCls interrelate from Dungeonscape and Complete Scoundrel? Will parts of Beast Heart Adept and Beastmaster work in conjunction? Will Factotum work with Chameleon, is what some people were wondering when we were looking at the "Journeyman" blurbs in the preview.

 

[Videssian]

Arcane Dilettante (Sp): At 2nd level, you acquire a vague understanding of magic. You know that with a few weird hand gestures and an array of grunts and bizzare words, you can conjure up something that looks like a spell. By spending 1 inspiration point, you can mimic a spell as a spell-like ability.

At the start of each day, choose a number of spells from the sorceror/wizard list based on your factotum level (1 spell at 2nd level, 2 at 4th, 3 at 7th, 4 at 9th, 5 at 12th level, 6 at 14th, 7 at 17th, and 8 at 20th level). The maximum spell level you can use, according to your class level, is also shown on the table (0 level spells at 2nd, 1st level spells at 3rd, 2nd level at 5th, 3rd level at 8th, 4th level at 10th, 5th level at 13th, 6th level at15th, and 7th level at 18th). You can select any sor/wiz spell up to that level, but you can prepare only one spell of your maximum level. Your caster level equals your factotum level. The DC is 10 + spell level + Intelligence modifier.

Once you have used a spell, you cannot prepare again until rested for 8 hours. After this time, you can choose new spells and lose unused spells from previous day. Cannot prepare same spell multiple times to use it more than once in the same day. Cannot use spells that have an XP cost and must provide for material components of the spell. You can enhance spells with metamagic feats but you must be capable of using a spell of the modified spell's level.

I've bolded the relevant bits. Doesn't this mean that even though you get 2 spells @ 4th, you can't use one of them, because the maximum level is still 1st @ 4th?

WOTC really ought to proofread their stuff better.. I'd think it wouldn't cost them anything, as I expect they could get many eager volunteers

 

[Perun]

I've bolded the relevant bits. Doesn't this mean that even though you get 2 spells @ 4th, you can't use one of them, because the maximum level is still 1st @ 4th?

You've still got 0-level spells, if I'm reading it right. So two spells, one 0-level, one 1st-level.

Regards.

 

[Videssian]

You've still got 0-level spells, if I'm reading it right. So two spells, one 0-level, one 1st-level.
Regards.

Oops! Yes, you're right of course. I missed that.