Character help please!

[Lyrad8791]

Awesome advice! Thanks, I will have to look up the Chameleon PrC now.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Awesome advice! Thanks, I will have to look up the Chameleon PrC now.

Races of Destiny, page 111. It's a fantastic class for versatility, and a natural progression for what the Factotum does, however you need to decide if you want to give up the Factotum's higher level abilities to take more levels in Chameleon for it's super-fantastic abilities.

IMHO, the important levels to take Factotum to, when considering multiclassing, are Level 8 for the ability to take an extra Standard action in a turn, Level 13 to ignore damage that would kill you from one source, and level 18 for access to level 7 arcane spells.

Chameleon grants you adjustable stat bonuses, various class features from other classes, and access to ALL spells up to level 6. It is worded to include Any Arcane and Divine spell lists, so Assassin spells, Hexblade spells, Druid spells, as well as the sor/wiz and cleric spell lists become available to you. Which will aid our ability to manufacture magical items.

However, Factotum up to level 18 gets access to arcane level 7 spells. My understanding is that Artificer can emulate a spell list up to level 9 spells, so the access to another level of spells might not mean as much to you.

You have multiple good options. Enjoy!

Edit: Oh, a useful application of the rotating feat is to emulate the coveted "Craft Construct" feat, since Artificer doesn't naturally get that. Build your own army for extra Pwnage.
Another creative application is the "Craft Portal" feat, if you have 100 days and 100,000gp to spend, you can create permanent doorways across reality. Much fun.

other useful PrC dips for the Factotum are:
-Mindbender, 1 level dip, to gain Telepathy and than take the Mindsight feat, to "see" every creature with an Int of at least 1, know it's intelligence score and it's creature type. And telepathically talk to people.
-Exemplar, one or more levels, to gain amazing increases to your skill checks. For a single level dip, you gain a +4 to one skill you have at least 13 ranks in (UMD!), and select a number of skills equal to 1+your Int Mod (which should be high) to be able to take 10's in skill checks regardless of conditions.

Factotum Handbook
Another Factotum Handbook

 

[Lyrad8791]

Awesome ideas, the only problem I see with Chameleon PrC is that I will be wasting one feat in order to get a changeable one. As a Factotum, all skills are class skills which makes the feat required (Able Learner) useless. You literally get nothing from the feat since it has to do with cross class skills.

Also, the character isn't multiclass but gestalt. They take both Artificer AND Factotum classes at the same time, getting the best of all overlapping features. Best HP, best fortitude progression, reflex progression, ALL class abilities from both classes, et cetera.

So, this character has HUGE potential in the area of manufacturing magical items. The increased spell lists would be nice, since if I don't have access then I "emulate" the spell using a DC as you mentioned.

Also, every fourth level I believe it was, I get a bonus feat. One of the listed feats I can choose from IS Craft Construct. I also get Craft Humonculus at 4th or 5th level on top of that, and have a large list of choices to choose from for this, including the Dedicated Wright.

Now, as a gestalt, I take two classes at once. Sadly I cannot take two PrC's at the same time as this would be against the DM's rules. This also makes sense in logical way. Thinking of PrC's as a specialization makes this rule obvious. I like the ability to take 10 on a certain amount of skill checks as well. Once I get to a certain level in Artificer, I gain the ability to take 10 on all UMD checks no matter the situation. It also says that this ability bypasses all rules that regard taking 10 on, no exceptions (I love that).

Now, where do I find this Craft Portal feat? That looks interesting, VERY interesting.

Oh yes, I am looking to take all 20 levels of Artificer and at least 10+ levels in Factotum. For Artificer this should be an obvious choice. While Factotum is mostly for the massive skill point gain.

Also, my current Int is an 18. Our DM had us do several sets of 5D6 drop the lowest two and reroll 1's and 2's.. a VERY generous stat system. On the other hand, we are working in a campaign of dragons.. as in, we work FOR dragons and AGAINST other dragons.. So we need these stats high to begin with.

Also, if you could list resources and names.. I would love a list of spells for scrolls and wands.. later on I will get the Minor Schema feat and create both Schema and Eternal wands for endless utility spells. Eternal wands for both utility and battle spells.

While on the note of spells.. Can anyone tell me the specifics you can and can't do with an unseen servant? I am wondering this for two reasons.

#1 I want to know if I can equip an unseen servant with a sword or dagger and other such items. Seeing as this is just a force I am thinking that its unlikely it would do well in combat. HOWEVER, what if said items were intelligent items? Unopposed to being used this way?

#2 Is there a way, if this is possible, to make or find Ethereal weapons with ghost touch so they can hit non ethereal beings? This would be quite nice as a backup plan or a perfect guard instead of a summoned monster that goes away. Especially if I have permanent unseen servants with said items.

Final thing, thanks for these links on the Factotum. I will look at these now while I wait for a reply!

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

the Create Portal feat exists in 2 different versions in 2 different places.

Stronghold Builders Guide, p.50 has the feat and details of Portal creation. It's a 3.0 book, requires the Gate or Teleport Without Error spells. Teleport Without Error does not exist in 3.5, replaced by Greater Teleport. You also must be a caster level 17.

Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, p.34, has a Create Portal feat. That version requires a Teleport, Teleport Without Error (Greater Teleport), Teleportation Circle or Gate spell. There appears to be no caster level requirement for this version, and since Teleport is a level 5 spell, it allows you to be creating portals much earlier in your adventuing career. I'm pretty sure this is a 3.0 book as well, citing Teleport Without Error as a spell.

I believe both versions require you to have Craft Wondrous Item as a feat, but I don't expect that to be a problem for you.

Both versions require you to spend 100 days and 50,000gp to create the most basic of portals, so not really practical in the middle of one's adventuring career.

Portals can be created across Planes.

It's not explicitly stated, but if you are creating a 2 way portal, (2 portals at two different locations that are linked to each other) you'll likely need to be able to travel back and forth between the two locations during the 100 days of the creation. If that requires you to be regularly using Teleport or Plane Shift, be prepared to do so.

Not sure if there is a more updated, 3.5 version of this feat anywhere.

As for Chameleon, see if your DM will allow you to waive the Able Learner feat since you are a Factotum, or substitute another feat. Otherwise, think of it as spending a feat to gain an 'Anyfeat' in 2 levels. still not a bad exchange.

The Stronghold Builders Guide has a variant application of the Craft Wondrous Item feat called "Craft Wondrous Architecture. This allows you to place perminent effects into rooms, floor spaces and furniture. Having a floor panel that casts Heal endlessly every time you step on it, or Raise Dead on a stone table everytime you place a dead body and a diamond upon it, Spiderclimb all the walls, Levitate wells that act like elevator shafts, permenent Unseen Servant tending to a particular room, Speak With Animals in a stable... the list goes on.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Some more tips:

Master creative uses of the Handle Animal skill. Have 3 Loyal Fleshraker pets that follow you everywhere you go. Ride a BattleTitan.

And um... Rust Monsters.

Combine the Craft Wondrous Architecture 'Stable of Understanding' (Permenent Speak With Animals within a specific room) with your training of your animals so they can report verbally to you.

Consider maximizing your ranks in Perform (String Instruments) and use all the Magic Item Compendium magical instruments, the one's that allow you to cast a number of spells per day. Than, manufacture these devices for others. One prereq for making these instruments is being a Bard, but if I remember correctly, Artificer can emulate specific requirements like these with skill checks.

Even a Fighter with a few ranks in Perform (String Instruments) can use these items to cast spells. If you do not have the minimum ranks in the Perform skill, it will penalize you with a negative level.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Maximize ranks in Iaijutsu Focus skill. You've now made Rogues completely obsolete be taking over their most basic class skill, since you've got double Trapfinding and all the skillmonkey abilities you can shake a stick at already.

Convince your DM to allow you to use the Lucid Dreaming skill from Manual of the Planes.

Communicate with anyone, anywhere through their dreams. Kill people in their sleep. Terrify your enemies by altering their dreams into nightmares.

It's a skill, not a spell or power. Be the envy of Psions and Wizards everywhere, because they can't get this as a class skill and you can.

Scroll down to see info on Lucid Dreaming Here. *Note: The entry regarding "Harness the Dreamheart" is not located in the Manual of the Planes and to my knowledge is not canonical in any of the offical books. that may be homebrewed info. More complete information is located in the actual book entry.

 

[Lyrad8791]

Maximize ranks in Iaijutsu Focus skill. You've now made Rogues completely obsolete be taking over their most basic class skill, since you've got double Trapfinding and all the skillmonkey abilities you can shake a stick at already.

Convince your DM to allow you to use the Lucid Dreaming skill from Manual of the Planes.

Communicate with anyone, anywhere through their dreams. Kill people in their sleep. Terrify your enemies by altering their dreams into nightmares.

It's a skill, not a spell or power. Be the envy of Psions and Wizards everywhere, because they can't get this as a class skill and you can.

Scroll down to see info on Lucid Dreaming Here. *Note: The entry regarding "Harness the Dreamheart" is not located in the Manual of the Planes and to my knowledge is not canonical in any of the offical books. that may be homebrewed info. More complete information is located in the actual book entry.

Interesting, I might take that focus feat. On the other hand I am not sure if I even can since it is feat that requires training with a specific class ability. Yet, since Factotum gets all skills as class skills... Who knows?

Lucid Dreaming sounds nice, but I don't think we have the Realm of Dreams to deal with. A good idea to get nonetheless.

 

[Lyrad8791]

Nice idea on that Architecture feat. I like the sound of that one and it would work well around the campaign plot. We work for dragons and we are all raised knowing dragons rule.. so my character has a sort of "OCD" that makes him want to hoard items.. I'm not sure what type of items yet, so that's not a problem. But I can see making portals and using this feat to guard the place I keep my hoard.

I like the idea on using handle animal skill checks to get loyal animal guards and the like. And a Rust Monster? Really? If I did that I would only be making stuff out of wood *Laughs* to keep my Rust Monster from eating all of my stuff. Looks like I would need a Portable hole or something similar to keep all of my money in as well.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Interesting, I might take that focus feat. On the other hand I am not sure if I even can since it is feat that requires training with a specific class ability. Yet, since Factotum gets all skills as class skills... Who knows?

Lucid Dreaming sounds nice, but I don't think we have the Realm of Dreams to deal with. A good idea to get nonetheless.

Iaijutsu Focus is not a feat, it's a skill. It's in Oriental Adventures. It's simply a Cross-class skill for nearly everyone. Same with Lucid Dreaming.
Anyone can invest skillpoints into these skills, it's just not practical for most anyone to do so, because it's a cross-class skill (and most people simply don't know they exist). However, since you are a Factotum, all skills are Class skills for you.

Autohypnosis is another useful skill that's typically only accessable to psionic characters. with this skill you can Stabilize while dying, resist fear, make checks agains thte effects of poison, and a number of other useful benefits. Once again, as a Factotum, this is a class skill for you, while being a cross class for most others.

 

[Lyrad8791]

Ah, I didn't realize you said it was a skill. That makes it that much easier. Only problem I see is getting my skills high enough in my basic skills (Craft, Profession, Knowledge (many), UMD, and Spellcraft). After those though I can definitely max out these other ones. Before I put any points into Lucid Dreaming I am going to ask my DM if there even is a Realm of Dreams connected to his campaign. But he did say "any material from the source books" therefore I think I am allowed to do it. And if it turns out there is no use for the skill, then I will make a use for it or see about Retro training out those skill points.