Factotum combat effectiveness

[Azernak0]

How are Factotum in combat? Can they hold their own or do they really suffer from lack of damage? Is IF enough to make up for the fact that they don't usually have a high strength?

[Zaq]

The three big combat options for a Factotum are Iaijutsu Focus, UMD, and tripping (yes, tripping: adding both STR and INT to trip checks makes a big difference). I imagine you could also do something fun with Handle Animal, if you wanted to go that route.

Knowledge Devotion is also an option explored by many a Factotum, but except at low levels (or in a very unoptimized group), it's rarely enough on its own.

[jywu98]

Factotums are pretty good in combat, and if you abuse Font of Inspiration, you can get multiple standard actions.

[MeeposFire]

There is also spamming powerful standard attack abilities. For instance you can do some nice archers using greater manyshot and use your ability to do extra standard actions to good effect.

[JaronK]

The three big combat options for a Factotum are Iaijutsu Focus, UMD, and tripping (yes, tripping: adding both STR and INT to trip checks makes a big difference). I imagine you could also do something fun with Handle Animal, if you wanted to go that route.

Often when combined with Swordsage they can be Dex and Int based trippers. Also, they make quite decent archers, generally using extra actions and Knowledge Devotion.

They can also use their spells in a variety of ways, from instant combos (Solid Fog + Cloudkill or Spectral Hand + Shivering Touch, using Cunning Surge to cast both at once) to long term effects (Minor Creation for endless Black Lotus Poison or Sinmaker's Surprise, or Animate Dead for minions).

JaronK

[gbprime]

I'm getting a lot of milage out of Swashbuckler 3 / Factotum 12 right now. With a +8 INT mod at this level due to equipment, getting it twice to damage is quite nice, and using a Courtblade with both Weapon Finesse and Power Attack doesn't hurt either. (Doesn't hurt ME, that is.)

[Vulaas]

I've only played a Factotum once, and that was in a two player city intrigue/hack&slash game. Level 8. I built for Archery, using the aforementioned Manyshot.

At the intrigue part, they were phenomenal.
At the Hack&Slash, the factotum was doing better than the fighter type, by having a mix of SLA used to give battlefield control while not sacrificing a single ounce of combat potential.

Simply put, they're a varied and amazingly fun class to play, and I've never seen one lag behind in any given situation.

[JaronK]

I've seen them lag, but only by newer players that just didn't know what to do with them. They're a bit like Artificers that way... they take some skill to use well, but when you go for it they really take off.

JaronK

[Person_Man]

It's a great class for forum wonks, but a lousy class for newbs. Most classes have a very strait forward mechanic that they can use to get by in combat. Rogues flank, full BAB classes use Power Attack feats, arcane casters blow things up, Druids summon and/or wildshape, etc. The strait forward mechanic is usually not the most optimal thing to do, but it gets the job done.

The Factotum has no such strait forward mechanic, and instead relies on a high level of game mastery. Specifically:

Skills & Cunning Knowlege: Knowing how to utilize Iaijutsu Focus, UMD, Sleight of Hand, and Skill Tricks.
Brains over Brawn: Like the Paladin, Hexblade, Monk, etc, the Factotum relies heavily on having at least 2 high attributes. If you have high Str and Int, then your opposed checks for Trip, Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, and Sunder are highly effective. You also want to use weapons and spells which boost these checks, and know how and when to use them appropriately (for example, Sundering an enemy's spell pouch or holy symbol and not bothering with weapons).
Arcane Dilettante: You must carefully select your spells. There are a number of different strategies that work well, but just knowing how to use Alter Self correctly will go a very long way.
Opportunistic Piety: There are a number of highly potent feats which run off of Turn Undead. But relying on this ability introduces even more MAD into your build.
Cunning Surge: This ability, when combined with a Familiar (who can act on your round to deliver a touch spell) when paired intelligently with Manyshot, spells, certain feats, etc, can win most combats on the first round.


And so on. You might want to look at Haberdash the Masked (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5266526) for ideas. But you get the point.

[mabriss lethe]

one of my favorite characters was a factotum 12. I used a mixture of Martial study/stance and maneuver granting items to give him a wide range of combat utility, and a good catchall collection of spells. (a blasty spell, a battlefield control spell, a buff spell and a wide purpose utility spell were the standard allotment, filling in whatever was needed behind them.) Combined with a a few Font of Inspirations and Knowledge devotion, he had a toy for nearly any situation and then could fall back on melee combat.

So yes, a player's system mastery determines how combat effective the factotum is, far more than most other classes

[MeeposFire]

one of my favorite characters was a factotum 12. I used a mixture of Martial study/stance and maneuver granting items to give him a wide range of combat utility, and a good catchall collection of spells. (a blasty spell, a battlefield control spell, a buff spell and a wide purpose utility spell were the standard allotment, filling in whatever was needed behind them.) Combined with a a few Font of Inspirations and Knowledge devotion, he had a toy for nearly any situation and then could fall back on melee combat.

So yes, a player's system mastery determines how combat effective the factotum is, far more than most other classes

I would say that is par the course for most 3.5 classes. Fighters need lots of work to be alright (along with most warrior type classes), rogues need help in order to not be boned at high levels, and wizards and the like need to make sure they pick some decent spells. There are very few "noob proof" classes out there.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

You can't go wrong with Iajutsu Focus skills ranks (extra damage for skill checks on Flat-footed opponents), or the Knowledge Devotion feat mixed with the Collector of Stories skill trick (bonus to attack and damage with a knowledge check). The Spot the Weakness skill trick can come in handy (treat a melee attack as a touch attack), but I like having a wand of Snake's Swiftness in a wandchamber for an extra attack every round.
Also, if you have the money, the lesser Sunswords from I think it's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (anyone know?) act as 1d10 damaging shortswords, so they work very well with Swash levels.
If you plan on a trip or disarm build, an extra feat can net you an extra 1d6 every attack (Deadly Defence from Complete Scoundrel).
TWF is a viable option for a Factotum seeking extra damage output. If you TWF, that's another wandchamber you can put another wand in (Wraithstrike, or one of the extra damage spells from Spell Compendium with a swift casting time).
Levels in Chameleon can give you some good swift/immediate casting time spells you may enjoy having in combat, or a +2/+4 to attack and damage, dependant on level.
Four FoI's might be a bit over the top. I've never needed really more than two or three, but those extra Inspiration point can come in handy.
Grabbing some cheese from ToB is a good decision with a Factoum.

[Cog]

...I like having a wand of Snake's Swiftness in a wandchamber for an extra attack every round.
Unless you have a pet using that wand on you, I don't see how this works. Snake's Swiftness is a standard action to cast.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

Unless you have a pet using that wand on you, I don't see how this works. Snake's Swiftness is a standard action to cast.

So it is. Thanks for pointing that out; somehow I completely missed that and thought it was swift action to cast. What I could have done with all that wand gold. *sigh*

EDIT: Trade it for a wand of Focusing Chant and give yourself a +1 to all attacks, ability checks and skills checks (for those Knowledge and Iajutsu focus checks mentioned in my previous post) for one minute.