Going back to Factotum (skill based)

[Jeffrie]

Basically i'll be making an Int Fact. Skillmonkey, collector of artifacts, time traveler. He is from earth and has been transplanted from the 1700's (pre american revolution) and never figured out why. He was 15 when he arrived in DnD land and does not know how to build an engine or much of anything else from the 'modern' age. At age 25 he decides to become a professional adventurer.
His goal at first is to leave this world and return, but as he stays his life becomes this one and as he gains power he wonders if he shouldn't stay and help the friends that have given so much to him. And he gets a halfelven girlfriend and she's hot. She knows he's from another world, but most folks don't.
He spends his time mostly as a field representative for other good guys.

Human, Lawful Good?

Thinking of taking Jack of all Trades for the purpose of take 10 in all untrained feats (craft, perform, profession, knowledge, etc). I'm willing to retrain it later.

Might need Able Learner to qualify for Chameleon and it's a first level only feat/choice. I heard that it's barely worth it as far as spell level goes, but might be worth it if you need more spells, or disquises/etc.

I really wonder if Facto 19 isn't the way to go for me. I'm aware of UMD and Craft Wonderous Item, so with 7th level SLA spells do i really need anything Chameleon can offer?

I was thinking of a one level dip for something like . . .telepathy. . .Cloister Cleric .. . . Suggestion?

I might play with this for a few days or more, so i'm just asking about the basic framework stuff now.

I hope ya'll come back as i put it together and help me a bit.

 

[Dandu]

Font of Inspiration 3 or 4 times and the Knowledge Devotion feat, plus the Collector of Stories skill trick, will all help out enormously.

Don't go Chameleon, Chameleon is more for Rogues.

Since you can cast Charm Person, you can get into Mindbender from C. Arc which grants telepathy 100 ft.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

There is never any need to take Factotum to 19.

Take it to 18 Only if you plan to make effective use of level 7 arcane spells. Take it past level 13 only if you plan to make use of level 6 spells. Otherwise, go Factotum 13 and pick your PrC's.

A 2 level dip into Chameleon is good for a magic crafter Factotum for the rotating Bonus feat to apply to whatever magic crafting feat you want.

I second Dandu's mention of a single dip into Mindbender Prc, Look at the Mindsight feat in Lords of Madness to give yourself a better-than-blindsight ability based off the telepathy.

I single dip in Exemplar makes you an even better skillmonkey. If you are willing to give up some spellcasting progression to be a better skillmonkey, take more levels in Exemplar.

Urpriest would be a way to pickup Divine spells. Assuming you'd like to invest into the wisdom score, a Factotum 13/Urpriest 7 would have level 7 divine spells and still all the yummy goodness of the Factotum class.

A single dip into any ToB classes at high levels gives you a wide variety of maneuvers.

Skip Lawful Good unless it's really the fit you're looking for. Neutral Good allows you to play anything a Lawful Good character would, plus gives you flexibility to be mischievous or underhanded when then occasion arises.

There are multiple fun Factotum builds. My best suggestion for the character you've described, with a focus on skills and magical artifacts might be Factotum13/Chameleon2/Exemplar5. This will give you all the good Factotum abilities, the rotating bonus feat, and plenty of skill boosts.

 

[Jeffrie]

You like Mindbender? I was thinking telepathy was a good class feat for a one level dip.

Any other suggestions?


6+1x23= (161 +(7x23)=161)= 322

• Appraise 10 + Facto level
  
• Balance 5 Synergy
  
• Bluff 10
  
• Climb 5
  
• Concentration 1 Max or not needed for SLAs?
  
• Craft 0 T10 Untrained
  
• Decipher Script 5 Synergy UMD Scrolls
  
• Diplomacy 23 Max for opposed rolls
  
• Disable Device 10 Max for Worst Case???
  
• Disguise 23 Max for opposed rolls
• Escape Artist 5 Synergy
  
• Forgery 1 + Facto level
• Gather Information 15 + Facto level
  
• Handle Animal 5 Synergy
  
• Heal 1 + Facto level
• Hide 20
  
• Intimidate 1 + Facto level
• Jump 5 Synergy
  
• Knowledge 10 (1ea+Facto level
  
• Listen 20
  
• Move Silently 20
  
• Open Lock 1 + Facto level
• Perform 2 (1ea+Facto Acting, Oratory, or Untrained
• Profession 0 T10 JoaT
• Ride 5
  
• Search 5 Synergy tracks
  
• Sense Motive 23
  
• Sleight Of Hand 1 + Facto level
• Speak Language 10 Love it
  
• Spellcraft 10 Synergy UMD
  
• Spot 20
  
• Survival5 Synergy Know nature
  
• Swim 1 + Facto level
• Tumble 10
  
• Use Magic Device 23 Max
  
• Use Rope 5

`````````````total`````322

Well you can see what i'm trying to do; what doesn't work?

Do i really need Jack of all Trades just for Take10 on all Profession? Is it worth it (I could see using it)? Or is it better to find 10 points and put one in each?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

You don't need Jack of All Trades. And keep in mind Mindbender requires you to be non-good.

I like the idea of going into Warblade (some Int synergy, though not much until you get several levels in) or Swordsage (Int on all str and dex checks + Setting Sun Throws!) late in your career.

I'm not sure going to Factotum 13 is worth it just for the 1/day tell death to shove it. Then again, I play in games where the Close Wounds and Delay Death spells exist. If you are going to 13, I would stick it out to 16 for Int to AC all the time. After that you can hop into a ToB class the last 4 levels and have a starting initiator level of 9 (level 5 or lower maneuvers).

 

[Jeffrie]

Thanks. Please keep it comin'.

Lawful good is in. I have never played lawful good, and suddenly this character seemed so.

Facto6 / Chameleon3/ Facto10/ Swordsage or ToB suggestion?


I really like the Chameleons fast spell progression of 3/3 and the 'off any list' feature. The evasion once a day is really cool too. And of course the Craft Item/floating feat is almost intrinsic to the build.

I thought hard about Exemplar, especially the Lend Talent ability, which i want bad because it sounds fun; Spend 1 point and lend 19 points of Sense Motive or Diplomacy to an ally from behind the curtain? or 12 points to an ally's balance or hide after i've crossed the obstacle? that sounds way skill monkey.
```But is it worth the 3rd level Chameleon to go Exemplar? If not I'll just go 1 level dip somewhere else, i think.

Please share your opinions or ideas?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If you're gonna be Lawful Good, you may as well get a crapton of skill points and other random bonuses out of the deal. The implied flavor behind the feat is hardly a drawback, either.

 

[Jeffrie]

Terribly tempting to trade in my half elf girlfriend for a nymph. Still there are only 8 feats. . . I'll need Able Learner for Chameleon, but if i take nymphs kiss i won't need JoaT.

What i need now is the right spell list for the Facto, and it needs to take into account the Chameleon Spells. Wait. . . . . !

Double Aptitude (Ex): At 7th level, you can adopt two
aptitude focuses in the same amount of time it previously
took for you to adopt one.
For example, you could adopt both the combat focus and
the wild focus to mimic a ranger, or the divine focus and
arcane focus to mimic a mystic theurge.

So at 7th level you gain 24 spells? Off any list? Well that's tempting....

I think i'll have to go for that, what do you think? I guess that's why the break is 13/7.

Seven levels of 2 less skills is 14, but i get 21 from Nymphs Kiss, and that's enough to pay for Chameleon and keep my current skill list, plus lose JoaT and still put one point in each Craft and perform.

OH, but that will lessen my Facto to skill bonus. . . . Still 10 levels of MT(from ANY list) by going Cham from 3 to 7 that's a big power boost.. .


I gotta go to the restaurant. Bye.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Chameleon spells are literally Every spell list.
Arcane = the Sor/Wiz list, AND Hexblade, Bard, Assassin, and so on.
Divine = Cleric AND Druid spells.

The only limit for your Factotum Spell list is what you can acquire into a spellbook, and what's on the Sor/Wiz list.

IF your saying you'll need to decide which spells are wise to prepare each day, that's your choice based on the circumstances of the day, but if your asking what spells you should choose to know... you don't have to choose. You can access every spell ever.

Up to level 6 spells. And that is what keeps this balanced.