Questions, Flat Footed, Factotum/IF build.

[Bloodgruve]

Hello PG'rs

I have a couple questions regarding a Factotum build. I want to take advantage of the Iaijutsu Focus but Flat Footed is seeming to be tricky to achieve. A build I'm looking at for 9th lvl is Factotum1/Swordsage1/Factotum7. Looking to use Hide/Invis, Gloom Razor and Sapphire Nightmare Blade to achieve FF>IF damage. I want Hide in Plain Sight and I came across the Dark Creature LA+1 template which grants it in all but full daylight and daylight spells.

Questions for the build.

1. Can you ready the same maneuver multiple times, for example could I have Sapphire Nightmare Blade readied 4 times with with Swordsage?

2. Its not listed as a dagger but how many DM's would count Gnomish Quickrazor (RoS p154) as a dagger or a Shadow Hand weapon for use with Shadow Blade? Opinions welcome.

3. Would Child of Shadow (ToB p76) stance help with Hide in Plain Sight ability of the Dark Creature (ToM p161) template even in daylight?

4. Would Sapphire Nightmare Blade (ToB p65) allow for FF/IF if the concentration check succeeded using Gnomish Quickblade?

5. Is Shadow Blade (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-2556-shadow-blade.html)>Gloom Razor (http://dnd.savannahsoft.eu/feat-1232-gloom-razor.html) worth it to in a Factotum/IF build or would Font of Inspirations be better?

TYVM
Blood~

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

1. No, a maneuver is either readied or it is not, it cannot be readied multiple times. This was given as an official answer from WotC, I'm sure someone has a link.

2. Races of Stone was published in 2004, it and previous books (CW) contain weapons which could conceivably be considered equivalent to other weapons for purposes of feats. Some such weapons were reprinted in other books (Elven swords from CW in RotW) and this feature was added to them. It would not be unreasonable to apply similar allowances to the Quickrazor, but it would be entirely up to your DM.

3. Child of Shadow specifically says that it cannot be used to aid you in hiding in plain sight.

4. Yes, because they would be considered flat-footed for that attack.

5. Font of Inspiration.


A few more tips:
The Grease spell makes an opponent flat-footed if they have less than 5 ranks in the Balance skill, as per the Balance skill. Marbles from the Arms and Equipment Guide have the same effect. You can prepare Grease as a Factotum spell, or just get a wand of it, and resort to Ruby Nightmare Blade if an enemy has enough Balance ranks. You can get a bunch of marbles, store them in a folded cloth, and have them readied as a weaponlike object, then quick-draw it, drop it into an adjacent square as a free action, and full attack the flat-footed opponent.

See if you can prepare metamagic versions of spells via Factotum, namely Heightened Deeper Darkness. Otherwise just hire an NPC spellcaster to cast it (extended) before an adventure. It would take a light spell of equal spell level to cancel it, or of higher spell level to overpower it, so even a Daylight spell would need to be heightened to beat it. Given the days/level duration, you wouldn't even need to set it up very often. Cast it on a bead that you wear on a string around your neck, and hold the bead in your mouth to block the darkness effect. You can 'drop' it as a free action by spitting it out, and it will return to its place hanging around your neck and plunge the area into darkness. A completely silly trick is a 9th level Everburning Torch (Heightened Continual Flame), which completely obliterates any darkness spell of 8th level and lower and cancels a 9th level darkness effect one-for-one.

There's a skill trick in Complete Scoundrel called Hidden Blade which causes an opponent to be flat-footed for one attack. Skill tricks are only usable 1/encounter, but maybe see if you can use inspiration points to use them more often. Otherwise the Uncanny Trickster prestige class from that same book could be useful, though it only increases it to 2/encounter. There's the feat Flick of the Wrist in CW which has the same benefit and the same prerequisites, which is usable once per opponent per encounter. Both are probably worth taking if you think your DM will start giving opponents Balance ranks.

[Bloodgruve]

3. Child of Shadow specifically says that it cannot be used to aid you in hiding in plain sight.

TYVM for the great input.

On Child of Shadow, its printed as 'You also gain the benefits of concealment, but you cannot use this stance to hide in plain sight'

I read that as you can not use the concealment from the shadows to make a hide check to hide in plain sight. I would be using the Hide in Plain Sight from the Dark Creature template. To clairify my question, would the 'This energy flows around you like a concealing robe' work in conjunction with 'Hide in plain sight, except for natural daylight, the area of a daylight spell, or similar effect', meaning while in your shadowy stance would you still be 'in daylight' or would you be 'in shadows'?

Is this covered in RAW, which effect takes precedence? Or is this a ruling for the DM?

Also, TY for the tips.

TY
Blood~

[hex0]

Play a Neraph (Planar Handbook)

[Bloodgruve]

Play a Neraph (Planar Handbook)

The race looks interesting but it doesn't state that they are Flat Footed vs the charge. Isn't there a difference between FF and just losing dex to AC?

TY
Blood~

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Dex to AC and flat-footed are completely different, and neither is inclusive of the other. For example, a character with Uncanny Dodge keeps his Dex to AC when flat-footed, but you can still use Iaijutsu Focus against him because whether or not he gets his Dex bonus is completely irrelevant.

[hex0]

Dex to AC and flat-footed are completely different, and neither is inclusive of the other. For example, a character with Uncanny Dodge keeps his Dex to AC when flat-footed, but you can still use Iaijutsu Focus against him because whether or not he gets his Dex bonus is completely irrelevant.

Which is also why you don't auto-sneak attack dudes with 10 Dex. :smalltongue:

[Bloodgruve]

The race looks interesting but it doesn't state that they are Flat Footed vs the charge. Isn't there a difference between FF and just losing dex to AC?

TY
Blood~

I missed the part where it states that SA and the like can be applied w/o it stating that the target is specifically FF.

Neraph would be fun but I think I've talked myself into the Dark Whisper Gnome..

TY
Blood~