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View Full Version : Need Help filling in some details on my Chameleon build



AustontheGreat1
2010-10-26, 06:32 AM
Like the title says, I'm looking for some suggestions for good feats that I can utilize with the Chameleon's changeable bonus feat. So far the best things I can think of are Reserve Feats and Item Creation Feats. I'm not very combat oriented so I'll probably find little use for combat oriented feats. My characters concept is basically adaptability and utility. Leaving combat and serious casting to the other members.

Anyway, anyone know of any interesting feats or tricks to help me better utilize the ability?

Rogue 1/Factotum 9/Chameleon 10 NG Changeling

Ingus
2010-10-26, 06:54 AM
The bonus floating feat choice largely depends on who you're impersoning.
Remember that the Chameleon has to mask his powers in order to keep the organization in shadows.

If you stick on this, you should consider some wand-friend feat, or sudden metamagic, or fighter feat, or multiclass feat. Or Craven, for example.

If you're not interested in strict adherence, go with your idea: reserve feats and item creation, in this exact order

kestrel404
2010-10-26, 07:25 AM
Look for feats that have 'one time benefits' - is in, they're useable once and then there's no real point in having the feat anymore. Examples:

The Extra Spell feat from Complete Arcane. This gets you a new spell you can write in your spellbook every day.

The Shape Soulmeld feat from Magic of Incarnum. If you have never taken a level in an incarnum class, you are only limited in the number of soulmelds you can shape by your Con score. Choose the ones that are good without having to put essentia in them - like Impulse boots (which gives you Uncanny dodge for free). Since you only lose soulmelds if you deliberately unshape them, you only need to take the feat once and the benefits last effectively forever!

There are a lot of 'ritual' feats that allow you to do a ritual act to gain some benefit. Some of these benefits are permanent (although the only one I can think of right now is kobold specific). Stuff like that is also awesome.

Jack_Simth
2010-10-26, 07:31 AM
Like the title says, I'm looking for some suggestions for good feats that I can utilize with the Chameleon's changeable bonus feat. So far the best things I can think of are Reserve Feats and Item Creation Feats. I'm not very combat oriented so I'll probably find little use for combat oriented feats. My characters concept is basically adaptability and utility. Leaving combat and serious casting to the other members.

Anyway, anyone know of any interesting feats or tricks to help me better utilize the ability?

Rogue 1/Factotum 9/Chameleon 10 NG Changeling
1) Why the Rogue level?
2) Chameleon is a PrC class that goes well earlier. You actually want something more along the lines of Factotum-5/Chameleon-10/Factotum+5 in most cases. Well, unless you're planning on abusing extra actions from Factotum-8.
3) Practiced Spellcaster makes a good normal feat - as you have to qualify for the feat you take with your floating feat without your chameleon focus - so the +4 caster level to your Factotum casting gives you access to Craft Staff and Forge Ring, which you otherwise couldn't reach.

Yuki Akuma
2010-10-26, 07:33 AM
Does Factotum give you the ability to take item creation or reserve feats? Because Chameleon emphatically does not.

This is why I usually go Bard 5/Chameleon 10/X 5.

AustontheGreat1
2010-10-26, 08:39 AM
Rogue 1 because I used the Changeling Rogue Substitution level allowing to take 10 on a bunch of social skills and some other tricks as well as 10 + Int mod skills at that level.


Does Factotum give you the ability to take item creation or reserve feats? Because Chameleon emphatically does not.


I don't understand. I prepare spells and have a caster level, why can't I craft and use reserve feats?

Yuki Akuma
2010-10-26, 08:42 AM
I don't understand. I prepare spells and have a caster level, why can't I craft and use reserve feats?

Because,


You can't use any abilities gained from your aptitude focus, ability boon, or mimic class feature abilities to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other option. You can use your bonus feat to qualify for such options, but if you change the feat, you suffer the normal drawbacks for no longer meeting a prerequisite or requirement.

Mkay? (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20041210b)

Now, I know nothing about Factotums, so I don't know if their ability to fake spellcasting lets them qualify.

kestrel404
2010-10-26, 09:22 AM
From factotum's Arcane Dilitente class feature:

Your caster level equals your level in this character class.

Since there's nothing in there saying he can't use this to qualify for feats, he has a caster level from a non-chameleon class. The only gotcha is that the factotum doesn't prepare SPELLS. It prepares Spell-like-abilities (just as if they were preparing spells). So any feat that checks for prepared (or spontaneous) spellcasting is going to fail. If it checks for caster level (like item creation), he can still take it.

Yuki Akuma
2010-10-26, 09:26 AM
From factotum's Arcane Dilitente class feature:


Since there's nothing in there saying he can't use this to qualify for feats, he has a caster level from a non-chameleon class. The only gotcha is that the factotum doesn't prepare SPELLS. It prepares Spell-like-abilities (just as if they were preparing spells). So any feat that checks for prepared (or spontaneous) spellcasting is going to fail. If it checks for caster level (like item creation), he can still take it.

Seems about right. Mkay, a Factotum/Chameleon can take item creation feats, but not reserve feats.

AustontheGreat1
2010-10-26, 09:31 AM
Sorry, missed that bit. Thanks for straitening me out on that. I apologize.