Factotum//Swashbuckler - Adapting to PF

[Grynning]

My friend wants to play a gnome version of Indiana Jones in my upcoming gestalt/Eberron/Pathfinder/homebrewed wackiness game. I've suggested factotum for one side of her progression, and I was thinking of a Daring Outlaw build on the other, though she may decide on Swordsage instead. She's not terribly interested in optimizing or mechanics, so it'll mostly be me and her husband building the character, but she's a good player, so I want her build to be fun.

So, I've noticed a couple things about Factotum. One, I don't think they get enough inspiration points. I know the Font of Inspiration feat was kind of the stealth fix for that but it only gives one point per feat slot, and right now the character won't have a ton of feats. Would it be unbalancing to give the factotum an extra inspiration point or two for free? Or maybe even more, like letting them add their Int mod to their pool of points?

Also, the Swashbuckler is pretty cool with Daring Outlaw and Rogue levels, but I'd like to fill in the dead levels to make it more in line with the PF classes. Or maybe let the PF Duelist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/duelist) stack with Rogue for Daring Outlaw. Thoughts?

Edit: Btw, they are going to be level 6. Pathfinder and 3.5 material are allowed, though pathfinder versions of feats and skills generally override the 3.5 version. It is gestalt, as I mentioned. Most players should be around Tier 3.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

First of all, Font of Inspiration (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070606) gives one point the first time you take it, two more points the second time, three more points the third time, etc. Take it three times, and it gives six points; four times and it gives ten points but that's probably more than you'll ever need. Keep in mind that those points are per encounter, not per day, so there's absolutely no reason to conserve them. If you can take flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) then it makes Font of Inspiration a lot easier to stack up.

I'd recommend something like Swashbuckler 3/ (unarmed) Swordsage 2/ Chameleon 2 or 10/ Swordsage 5 or 13, and if possible use either Carmendine Monk or Kung-Fu Genius to switch the Wisdom bonus for Int bonus to AC. A Factotum can use the Chameleon's floating feat to do item creation during downtime, or use it to get a necessary combat feat until you get your next permanent feat. As a Human with two flaws, you can go Able Learner (1), Font of Inspiration x3 (1), Weapon Finesse (1), Carmendine Monk (3), Shadow Blade (6), Adaptive Style (9), TWF (12), ITWF (15), GTWF (18). With that floating feat you can pick up TWF earlier, or get EWP: Gnome Quickrazor for Iaijutsu Focus tricks with Grease spells and bags of marbles. Maybe get TWF at 1st level and use that floating feat for the third Font of Inspiration in case you keep finding yourself with extra points after every encounter. You'll get your Str, Dex, and Int bonus to damage, though Str may as well be a dump stat. Say you visited the Iron Wyrm Vault detailed in Complete Scoundrel to get Tactile Trapsmith for 3,000 gp without spending a feat on it, and Factotum will add your Int bonus to those skills again anyway.

[Gametime]

If she isn't all that interested in optimizing, I'd suggest Warblade to pair with Factotum. You get the intelligence synergy, which is handy, and Warblades get less maneuvers than Swordsage (which means less bookkeeping) while retaining cool stuff to do (which means less full attacking every turn). Plus, ToB + extra standard actions = fun times.

As for the Factotum, they don't get all that many points, but unless you're spamming extra actions or damage it shouldn't be that big of a deal. You shouldn't really have to cast more than one or two spells per encounters, which still leaves you with several points to add to an attack or something.

If she wants to stick with Daring Outlaw, then letting the Pathfinder Duelist stack for sneak attack should be fine. Most of its abilities aren't that great, but the immediate action parrying is pretty nifty.

[Grynning]

First of all, Font of Inspiration (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070606) gives one point the first time you take it, two more points the second time, three more points the third time, etc. Take it three times, and it gives six points; four times and it gives ten points but that's probably more than you'll ever need. Keep in mind that those points are per encounter, not per day, so there's absolutely no reason to conserve them. If you can take flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) then it makes Font of Inspiration a lot easier to stack up.

I'd recommend something like Swashbuckler 3/ (unarmed) Swordsage 2/ Chameleon 2 or 10/ Swordsage 5 or 13, and if possible use either Carmendine Monk or Kung-Fu Genius to switch the Wisdom bonus for Int bonus to AC. A Factotum can use the Chameleon's floating feat to do item creation during downtime, or use it to get a necessary combat feat until you get your next permanent feat. As a Human with two flaws, you can go Able Learner (1), Font of Inspiration x3 (1), Weapon Finesse (1), Carmendine Monk (3), Shadow Blade (6), Adaptive Style (9), TWF (12), ITWF (15), GTWF (18). With that floating feat you can pick up TWF earlier, or get EWP: Gnome Quickrazor for Iaijutsu Focus tricks with Grease spells and bags of marbles. Maybe get TWF at 1st level and use that floating feat for the third Font of Inspiration in case you keep finding yourself with extra points after every encounter. You'll get your Str, Dex, and Int bonus to damage, though Str may as well be a dump stat. Say you visited the Iron Wyrm Vault detailed in Complete Scoundrel to get Tactile Trapsmith for 3,000 gp without spending a feat on it, and Factotum will add your Int bonus to those skills again anyway.

Flaws will not be allowed, I've never liked them. Also, she really wants to be a gnome from Zilargo, so human bonus feat is out, though it does mean she can have the quickrazor if she wants without taking a feat, since PF rules for weapon familiarity make all weapons with "gnome" in the name martial. Able learner is unnecessary with factotum gestalt, too. I'm thinking that just having FoI scale up automatically somehow will work. Unarmed swordsage is probably a good idea, since knowing her she'll want to punch people out like Indy, and I'll let Kung Fu genius work for that. I'll probably modify their recovery mechanic to work like Warblade's so taking Adaptive Style won't be mandatory, or maybe let her spend Inspiration to recover her maneuvers or something.

The game is unlikely to go past level 12, as far as I have planned, but who knows. Planning for the future isn't bad. In PF you get a feat every odd level, so she'll end up with a couple more than normal as it is.

So, for starting at level 6, Factotum 6//Swash 3/SS 3. Future levels can be in Swordsage.

Feats as I see it go like this: 1 FoI, Weapon Finesse, 3 Kung Fu Genius, 5 Shadow Blade, 7 Snap Kick, 9 Superior Unarmed Strike.

[Rixx]

A Swashbuckler in Pathfinder is a rogue, according to the APG:


Swashbuckler
A paragon of mobile swordplay, the swashbuckler is a rogue who focuses almost exclusively on honing her skill at arms and perfecting daring acrobatic moves and elaborate flourishes that border on performance.

Martial Training (Ex): At 1st level, the swashbuckler may select one martial weapon to add to her list of weapon proficiencies. In addition, she may take the combat trick rogue talent up to two times. This ability replaces trapfinding.

Daring (Ex): At 3rd level, a swashbuckler gains a +1 morale bonus on Acrobatics checks and saving throws against fear. This bonus increases by +1 for every 3 levels beyond 3rd. This ability replaces trap sense.

Rogue Talents: The following rogue talents complement the swashbuckler archetype: offensive defense, positioning attack, powerful sneak, and weapon training*.
Advanced Talents: The following advanced rogue talents complement the swashbuckler archetype: crippling strike*, entanglement of blades, and redirect attack.


If you just take this single-classed, the wealth of neat combat tricks and multitude of skills should give you a wonderful Indiana Jones type. You can also easily qualify for Duelist at around level 8, which will give you a full BAB, your intelligence to AC, the ability to parry, and a respectable amount of other skills.

[The Shadowmind]

If you are concerned about the number of IP at the lower levels make a feat that gives +Int. mod to total IP. +4 or +5 IP isn't that much, but would help with the low number, while not enabling shenanigans like 8 standard actions in 1 round.

FoI gives very little until you take it 3+ times, then it quickly becomes a huge number of IP.

[Mongoose87]

...or maybe let her spend Inspiration to recover her maneuvers or something.


Now, there's an idea for a PrC