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View Full Version : [D&D 3.5] Input on a Pyrokineticist/Factotum/Warblade



Lateral
2011-01-18, 08:15 PM
Would such a build be viable? How many levels of Factotum and Warblade should I use?

Darwin
2011-01-18, 08:27 PM
I could easily see it work in a tier 3 environment.

Factotum 8 is an excellent breakoff point for Factotum. Cunning Surge is really quite something. Pick up Able Learner to keep all skills as class skills after you multiclass.

Pick up Wild Talent to qualify for Pyrokineticist, no reason to spend class levels on that.

Pick up counters and boosts with your Warblade levels (Iron Heart Surge is an old favorite). You want to spend your standard actions as a Pyrokineticist anyway, might as well make the most of your actions by filling out your swift and immediate actions with Warblade stuff.

Lateral
2011-01-18, 08:31 PM
Okay, so Factotum 8/ Pyrokineticist 5/ Warblade 7, Factotum 8/ Pyro 8/ Warblade 4, or Factotum 8/ Pyro 10/ Warblade 2 (not necessarily in that order), I'm not sure which. Probably the middle one. I'll probably take Hidden Talent with a long-duration power.

Darwin
2011-01-18, 08:39 PM
Depends on what sort of character you want. If you're looking for blasty blasty with fire, go with Factotum 8/ Pyro 10/ Warblade 2. If you're looking for more options and are leaning more towards melee than blasting go with Factotum 8/ Pyrokineticist 5/ Warblade 7.

Lateral
2011-01-18, 08:47 PM
I'm trying to build a skillmonkey arsonist who's still good in a fight. I would've done Swordsage, but adding Wisdom to the requirements would make the character a bit too MAD. The Warblade's Int-focus helps.

...I guess a Swordsage doesn't really need Wis that much, and would fit better.

faceroll
2011-01-18, 08:50 PM
What's starting/ending level?

A level 20 build that gets played from 1 to 20 and hinges on 3 different sets of abilities may take some to come online.

Psion (or spells-to-powers erudite if you like cheese)3/factotum2/pyro1/factotum1/warblade X.

Pick up practiced manifester to up the level you can manifest, make int your primary stat, use a psi crystal & the feat leech power to borrow feats from your psi crystal (essentially spend a power known to gain fighter bonus feats temporarily), and use int to dex & str checks to trip everyone with your fire lash. Spend a feat to pick up expansion if you like +4 to strength trips, if you have the feats to spend.

Use warblade to do warblade-y things.

I would take more levels of a manifester class instead of levels of pyro.

avr
2011-01-18, 08:51 PM
Straight Swordsage using Desert Wind needs very little Wisdom; it's a bonus to AC, that's about all. Whether it needs Int depends on your definition of skillmonkey, which skills did you want? Cha is a dumpstat, so you mostly need the physical stats like any other physical character.

Lateral
2011-01-18, 08:57 PM
CHA's only a dumpstat if I'm taking 8 or less Pyro levels, but I doubt I'm taking levels 9 and 10.

DM just e-mailed me to say that he's decided that the game's Gestalt (:smallbiggrin:), so that changes things a bit. I'm taking Psion on one side of the build, obviously, so that removes the need for Hidden Talent. This way, I can go Psion 20//Factotum 8/Pyro X/ Swordsage X. Just need to decide what X is.

Darwin
2011-01-18, 09:02 PM
CHA's only a dumpstat if I'm taking 8 or less Pyro levels, but I doubt I'm taking levels 9 and 10.

DM just e-mailed me to say that he's decided that the game's Gestalt (:smallbiggrin:), so that changes things a bit. I'm taking Psion on one side of the build, obviously, so that removes the need for Hidden Talent. This way, I can go Psion 20//Factotum 8/Pyro X/ Swordsage X. Just need to decide what X is.

And the need to waste levels on Pyrokineticist. Pure Psion does blasting a whole lot better :smallwink: I'm currently playing a Factotum//Warblade in a 3 man gestalt game to quite a good degree of success. I'd suggest Factotum 8/Warblade X//Psion 20.

avr
2011-01-18, 09:09 PM
Hmm. I'd suggest Educated Wilder 20 // Rogue & rogueish stuff, maybe a dash of swordsage on the other.

Pyro. is not the most impressive PrC IMO, even in gestalt.

faceroll
2011-01-18, 09:10 PM
psion20//factotum5/pyro1/fact3/warblade 11

Some cool tricks:
The knockdown feat lets you get free trip attempts with maneuvers, which you normally can't get when using a maneuver, due to ToB rules. 15 foot reach with your whip is great for tripping things.

8 levels of factotum make you pretty darn int SAD, and gets you the ability to take extra actions. Also gets you some nifty skills, at least for the first 9 levels. Try iujitsu focus for getting sweet bonus damage.


20 levels of psion nets you some bonus feats and cool ways to break the action economy. I recommend a psi crystal, for a few reasons:
Your psi crystal gets HD, which means it gets feats. You can use these feats with the feat leech power.

You can pass your psi crystal concentration powers with a power known. This means you can manifest control body on yourself, give the power to your psi crystal, and get an extra move and standard action, for physical things.

From control body:
"If you force the subject to engage in combat, its attack bonus is equal to your base attack bonus + your Intelligence bonus, and its bonus on damage rolls is equal to your Intelligence bonus. A subject of this power cannot make attacks of opportunity. The subject gains no benefit to Armor Class from its Dexterity, but it does gain a bonus to its AC equal to your Intelligence bonus."

In a round, you can move, move again, use a maneuver (unless DM nixes it, which is likely, in which case you get a full attack or basic attack, depending on how much moving you do), manifest a power, then spend inspiration points to manifest another power. Pretty cool!

Lateral
2011-01-18, 09:11 PM
Factotum/Swordsage. Fits flavor better.

It's kind of got to have Pyrokineticist in it, or else I'll have to reflavor the whole build. Four levels would be enough, so I might as well just go for it, I guess. It'd be nice if there were something like a Pyrokineticist that advanced manifesting, but...

...Actually, I might as well go search for such a homebrew.

Darwin
2011-01-18, 09:17 PM
Or you could just advance Pyrokineticist on the Factotum/Swordsage side? :smallwink:

Lateral
2011-01-18, 09:19 PM
Well, that's what I've been doing, but if I can find a homebrewed one that's balanced and progresses manifesting I can take four levels of swordsage instead. If it progresses, it'd be more worth it.

faceroll
2011-01-18, 09:22 PM
One level of pyro gets you fire lash, the class's signature ability. Kineticist gets you superior blasting, and proper power selection nets you stuff like control fire and matter agitation (start a fire with your mind).

Lateral
2011-01-18, 09:26 PM
Hey, I found this. (http://www.montecook.com/images/Psi_prestige2.pdf) Does it look worth it for 4 levels? I can't tell.

Darwin
2011-01-18, 09:32 PM
Losing 2 ML for the benefits of 4 levels of Pyrokineticist? No. never. It's still very playable not, but I'd take 4 levels of Psion instead.

Lateral
2011-01-18, 09:34 PM
Fair enough. I guess I'll just go with the original plan, then.

faceroll
2011-01-18, 09:35 PM
Hey, I found this. (http://www.montecook.com/images/Psi_prestige2.pdf) Does it look worth it for 4 levels? I can't tell.

It looks worth it for all 10, actually. Scales very nicely, and with gestalt, you can maintain full manifesting and pick up levels of factotum. Nimbus gives you a flat +4 to int at all times that stacks with everything. Nifty.

Lateral
2011-01-18, 09:37 PM
Can I take the prestige class on the other side? If I can then it's just a pure improvement over regular Pyro, but I thought that it had to be on the same side as the Psion because it advanced manifesting.

faceroll
2011-01-18, 09:42 PM
Can I take the prestige class on the other side? If I can then it's just a pure improvement over regular Pyro, but I thought that it had to be on the same side as the Psion because it advanced manifesting.

There are no rules about which side you have to keep things on, just that you can't use dual progression prestige classes in gestalt. Whether or not that pyro prc counts as a dual progression class is a question for your DM.

Lateral
2011-01-18, 09:45 PM
Cool, then I'm definitely taking that version over the XPH one. That one looks like I'd want 7 or 9 levels of it. Probably 7; 9 is a bit much.