Fortune's Friend

[Heliomance]

Is it actually possible to make a decent build with it? The flavour is very fun, but the mechanics seem really quite weak.

[Gan The Grey]

It actually makes for a pretty cool sorcerer/rogue. Especially if you are going through the Tomb of Horrors.

[Quirp]

I really like the fortune´s friend (and luck feats in general). I think it heavily depends on the luck feats you choose. Lucky start can be nice, as are (in my opinion) Dumb/Survivor´s Luck and Unbelievable Luck. The class itself with those caster improvements (2/5 progression) always needs a cloistered cleric dip for domains, wand usage and some spells. A build I once made was rouge rogue 1/cloistered cleric 1/rouge rogue 3/mountebank 8/fortunes friend 4/uncanny trickster 3(->progressing mountebank)

[Person_Man]

I personally think that the Luck feats suck rocks unless your DM only runs 1-2 combats per game day. They should have worked like Skill Tricks or ToB maneuvers, giving you 1 Luck re-reroll per encounter for each given situation.

[BenTheJester]

I really like the fortune´s friend (and luck feats in general). I think it heavily depends on the luck feats you choose. Lucky start can be nice, as are (in my opinion) Dumb/Survivor´s Luck and Unbelievable Luck. The class itself with those caster improvements (2/5 progression) always needs a cloistered cleric dip for domains, wand usage and some spells. A build I once made was rouge 1/cloistered cleric 1/rouge 3/mountebank 8/fortunes friend 4/uncanny trickster 3(->progressing mountebank)

rogue

rabblerabblerabble

[Everyman]

I've found Luck feats to be a lot of fun, but the limited pool you get (even with FF) does limit their impact on an encounter. FF is basicallly a class that allows you to better say "No" to a couple bad situations, not a class that allows you to live by luck.

That said, I've enjoyed my FF a lot. I did the unspeakable, though. I went in as a full cleric and took all five levels of FF.
...
That's right. I traded away three whole caster levels. Oddly enough, I had no regrets. I did have to rely on buffs in combat, though.

FF works a WHOLE lot better when you combine it with the Cleric spells that make them work as Fighters (Divine Power, etc). In hindsight, a cloistered cleric with the Luck domain would have worked a whole lot better (more skill points, same tactics), but hindsight is always 20/20.

EDIT: Oh, and if you want to be a FF, make sure you grab all the lovely Luck items in Comp. Scoundrel. Especially the...bracelet I believe, that gives you more Luck rolls.

[TheCountAlucard]

I personally think that the Luck feats suck rocks unless your DM only runs 1-2 combats per game day....or if your DM took the time to print out fumble tables... (shudders)

Though per-encounter still would've been better, but when your DM tells you that if the group's low-Int Paladin uses his Amulet of the Planes (and only your group's low-Int Paladin can use it) and rolls a 1, it'll result in a TPK, you either defenestrate the DM, or you buy up luck feats. Luck feats for everyone!

[CockroachTeaParty]

Would making the Luck feat mechanics work per-encounter be that unbalancing? It looks like you'd be approaching the factotum's level of power at that point...

[Zom B]

rogue

Maybe he means this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7967533&postcount=26)?

[Quirp]

@zom b
oh, man I never saw that, but it would fit with the mountebank and the fortune´s friend. nice class (if a bit weird, but a nice sneak and something that would drive any dm crazy)

[Glimbur]

Would making the Luck feat mechanics work per-encounter be that unbalancing? It looks like you'd be approaching the factotum's level of power at that point...

It seems like a decent house-rule to me. You might keep the one that lets you go to -9 instead of dying as a 1/day use, but the rest of them are just rerolls on a subset of things. Rerolls are nice, but feats are expensive.

[LichPrinceAlim]

Would making the Luck feat mechanics work per-encounter be that unbalancing? It looks like you'd be approaching the factotum's level of power at that point...

Well...

My buddy ran a Spawn of Olidamara Lucky Bastard/Cleric of Lady Luck/Fortune's Friend/Wild Mage who basically could reroll anything "infinitely", plues Rerolls respawned at the end of every other encounter.

We were facing a Bodak Cryohydra (TY, ***hole DM) who used its gaze attack on him. After 12 consecutive Natural 1's, he couldn't roll above a 2.

So even with rerolls respawning at encounter's end, you could just have hellacious luck...

[Starscream]

One of my favorite builds of all time was a gestalt character with Rogue on one side, and Factotum/Fortune's Friend on the other. I called him "Gladstone", and anyone who spots the reference is my new best friend.

I like the PrC, but I think it might be a little frustrating for the DM. If you really focus on luck feats, you will get so many re-rolls in so many situations that making anything bad happen to you and actually stick is quite difficult.


After 12 consecutive Natural 1's, he couldn't roll above a 2.

:smalleek: The odds of 12 consecutive natural ones are 1 in 4096000000000000. So in an strange sense he was quite lucky. It was just the wrong sort of luck.

[TheCountAlucard]

After 12 consecutive Natural 1's, he couldn't roll above a 2.And that's why you go with the Luck feat that lets you treat a nat 1 as a nat 20. :smalltongue:

[Eloel]

:smalleek: The odds of 12 consecutive natural ones are 1 in 4096000000000000. So in an strange sense he was quite lucky. It was just the wrong sort of luck.

Technically, rolling any set of 12 rolls has 1/(4096000000000000) chance.
Even stuff like;
1-3-7-11-12-5-3-14-15-20-1-18-....

[Starscream]

Technically, rolling any set of 12 rolls has 1/(4096000000000000) chance.
Even stuff like;
1-3-7-11-12-5-3-14-15-20-1-18-....

Well, yeah, anyone who can call what the next 12 die rolls are going to be should give up D&D and go to Vegas.:smallbiggrin:

Edit:
Oh, and has anyone ever played a lucky character in M&M. There's a power in one of the supplements which lets you treat your rank in that power as the minimum result of any die roll once per round.

So, yeah, get yourself 20 ranks in that power and basically declare "I win".

[Person_Man]

Would making the Luck feat mechanics work per-encounter be that unbalancing? It looks like you'd be approaching the factotum's level of power at that point...

I think that Lucky Start (reroll Initiative), Survivor's Luck (reroll any Save), Magical Fortune (reroll spell damage or caster level check), Make Your Own Luck (reroll any Skill check), and Psychic Luck (reroll psionic power damage or manifester check) might then become too powerful.

Instead of Luck feats, it might just be better to have a Luck based homebrew class. Maybe something like:

The Haply Warrior

3/4 BAB, All Skills as Class Skills, 6 Skill Points per level, d6 hit die, Strong Ref and Will Saves.

Level 1:
Better Lucky then Good (Ex): You gain a pool of Luck points equal to your Haply Warrior class level. As an Immediate Action you may expend one Luck point to re-roll any roll, such as a Skill check, opposed check, attack roll, damage roll, caster level check, etc. If a roll includes multiple dice (such as a damage roll) you may reroll all of the dice for that roll by expending a single Luck point. Your pool of Luck points are replenished after 10 minutes of not making any rolls.

Level 2:
Lucky Miss (Ex): You gain a continuous Miss Chance equal to your 5% times your Fortune's Friend level (max 25% at 5th level). This Miss Chance overlaps with the Miss Chance from any other source (such as a Cloak of Displacement, Blur, etc). In addition, as an Immediate Action you may expend a Luck point to double the Miss Chance provided by Lucky Miss until the start of your next turn.

It's a Trap! (Ex): You add your Haply Warrior class level as a bonus to your AC and Saving Throws against any trap, and against any attacks made against you during the Surprise Round. The benefits of this ability stacks with the benefits of Trapsense provided by any other class.

Level 3:
I Like My Odds (Ex): Whenever you initiate the use of an magic or psionic item that requires a random effect, such as a Deck of Many Things or a Bag of Tricks, as an Immediate Action you may expend a Luck point to roll one additional time to determine the effects of the item. You may choose the results of either or both rolls, at your option. In addition, whenever you play a game of chance (cards, dice, roulette, drawing straws, etc) as an Immediate Action you may expend a Luck point to reroll, redraw, or redo any roll, card, or turn, and choose either result. Your DM may expand this ability to include similar situations involving a degree of luck, such as guessing games, answering riddles, etc.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): You gain the Uncanny Dodge ability. If you already have Uncanny Dodge, you instead gain Improved Uncanny Dodge and your Haply Warrior level stack to determine the minimum Rogue level needed to Flank you.

Level 4:
Damn Your Fool's Luck (Ex): As an Immediate Action you may expend one Luck point to force an opponent to reroll any roll that targets you. This may include an attack roll, such as a Skill check, opposed check, attack roll, damage roll, caster level check, etc. If a roll includes multiple dice (such as a damage roll) you may reroll all of the dice for that roll by expending a single Luck point.

Level 5:
Fated Destiny (Ex): If you are ever reduced to below -10 hit points or otherwise killed by any effect, you may expend all of your remaining Luck Points to instead be reduced to exactly -10 hit points and be Stabilized. You must have at least one Luck Point available in order to use this ability. Using this ability is a Free Action, and may be done during anyone's turn, even if you are Flat Footed. Enemies assume that you are dead unless they choose to example your body and make a successful Sense Motive check (DC = 15 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier) to determine otherwise. The DM may adjust this Save DC based on the circumstances of your death. For example, if you are not turned to dust by a Disintigrate spell, the opponent who cast the spell is likely to recognize this (though other opponents may not, depending on their knowledge of Spellcraft). Conversely, if you fall down the Spikey Pit of Despair but survive the impact due to this ability, opponents are more far more likely to conclude that you are dead.

[tonberrian]

One of my favorite builds of all time was a gestalt character with Rogue on one side, and Factotum/Fortune's Friend on the other. I called him "Gladstone", and anyone who spots the reference is my new best friend.

He was quite the lucky duck gander, huh?

[Starscream]

He was quite the lucky duck gander, huh?

Yay! Last time I mentioned that, no one got it.

[Heliomance]

One of my favorite builds of all time was a gestalt character with Rogue on one side, and Factotum/Fortune's Friend on the other. I called him "Gladstone", and anyone who spots the reference is my new best friend.

I like the PrC, but I think it might be a little frustrating for the DM. If you really focus on luck feats, you will get so many re-rolls in so many situations that making anything bad happen to you and actually stick is quite difficult.



:smalleek: The odds of 12 consecutive natural ones are 1 in 4096000000000000. So in an strange sense he was quite lucky. It was just the wrong sort of luck.
That's the kind of coincidence best represented by the universe itself literally conspiring to kill the character IC.