[3.5] Character Help: The Party's Man - Factotum1?/Dfire Adept2

[balistafreak]

So, here's yet another "I'm too lazy to fully build my own character!" thread. Waaaaa, sorry, Playgrounders! :smallfrown: You don't mind... do you? I'm such a hassle... always asking for help... never giving it out...

*smack*

Ahem. :smallsigh: Dropping the theatrics, let's get to business. :smallannoyed:

I'm entering a PbP which has, quite frankly, very vague gameplay guidelines. As stupid as this may sound, the DM seems quite accomplished and in control - he just hasn't really outlined the style of play, although he's described the setting and such.

We're ECL 3. No templates, no traits/flaws... he seems to have a handle on the biggest sources of cheese and power, and has specifically said that world-breaking builds will never see the light of day.

As such, I'm of a mind to build a sort of skillmonkey/partyface that's tough and always able to contribute.

After peeling through some Handbooks, I decided on a Human SkillMonkey1/Dragonfire Adept2, taking Able Learner. With a rolled statline of 14/16/17/16/14/14 (nice!) I'll be getting lots of skillpoints - enough for the social skills, the perception skills, trapfinding, and the ever-brokenrequired UMD.

Question1: I believe Factotum is the best skillmonkey class I can dip into. Correct?

Question2: Does a Dragonfire Adept really need the Concentration skill? It seems that there are very few invocations that I'd need to use in combat.

Question3: As such, the ASF chance from wearing light armor and carrying a shield (proficiencies from Factotum) is irrelevant in most cases, right?

Question4: Since I'm not using offensive invocations, the 14 in Charisma should not be swapped with the 16 in Dexterity, right?

Question5: Are there any major skill-archetypes I'm missing? No skilltricks.

Next up, feats. Any DFA worth their salt takes Entangling Exhalation, and I need Able Learner. I still have my 3rd level feat, though. As much as I want to simply take Ability Focus: Breath Weapon and be done with it, I'm wondering if there's a better feat I could be taking here.

Question6: It's an unknown style of gameplay and I have one 3rd level feat to spend. What do you recommend?

Finally, I get "one +1 item or equivalent (aka up to 2300 gold on a single item) and 1700 to be spent at will". I'm thinking an Eternal Wand of Lesser Vigor for heals and the ever-awesome Healing Belt to fill up my 1700, but the +1 item? I mean, I'll be toting a longspear to poke people with, but I don't need a +1 weapon or armor.

Question7: What single item costing up to 2.3K would one recommend for a DFA?

Thanks in advance! I love you all!

In a totally non-homoerotic way, I mean. Have I mentioned I am heterosexual today? :smallwink:

[Aldgar]

Dragon Spirit Cincture from MIC costs 2000gp and adds +1 dice to your breath weapon damage.

If you wield a weapon that deals elemental damage of the same type as your breath weapon(easily possible by buying a 600gp weapon augment crystal of energy assault, least - add it to a mwk weapon), the save dc against the breath weapon goes up by 1 as well.

[PId6]

1. For a single level dip, it depends. Rogue or Scout gets you 8 more skill points and more useful class features (potentially), but Factotum has all skills as class skills. It depends on what you really want it for.

2. Not really. In fact, DFAs are often advised to wear full plate, just because they don't care about ACP or ASF much. Most of their invocations aren't good in combat anyway.

3. Yep, except wear heavy armor, since you don't make attack rolls.

4. Depends. Max Con, second in Int. The rest depends on what you want out of it, and don't even matter all that much.

5. Knowledge-monkey

6. No idea. Check handbook.