Various questions about D&D3.5e RAW

[badreferences]

Is there anything else like VoP--that's to say, gives up a feature that is very dependent on the campaign (i.e., magic items when said items may or may not be available), for direct bonuses to the player?
Is there some dumb, RAW way to circumvent the VoP's restrictions? Yeah, a sane DM wouldn't necessarily allow it. I'm just wondering...
Is there an equally dumb, RAW way to grant a factotum20 level 9 spellcasting?
What are the cheesiest, bestest 1 level dips?
I want to increase the number of times I can use a class feature. Are there any general ways to do this?
You guys totally ban uncanny forethought, right? As sane DM's?

Don't worry, I'm not trying to optimize in a party that doesn't want it. :smallwink: I'm just curious about RAW and stuff.

[Eriaur]

There are at least 2 ways I can think of to get spellcasting as a factotum.

The first is to use cunning brilliance to duplicate the spellcasting class feature of , say, a sorcerer.

The other is to polymorph into any form that grants spellcasting. By RAW you gain the spellcasting.

[dextercorvia]

For a RAW legal way to give any character with one free level 9th level spells, check out the Versatile Domain Generalist in my sig. This probably makes it the best 1 level dip in the game (it also gives you everything you need to ascend to Pun Pun), but to really utilize it, you need a feat (perhaps 2).

[Mystify]

The other is to polymorph into any form that grants spellcasting. By RAW you gain the spellcasting.

We had this discussion a few days ago. Polymorph does not grant spellcasting. Spellcasting is a natural ability.
"Natural abilities are those not otherwise designated as extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like." Spellcasting is not designated as any of them, and hence is a natural ability.

Polymorph says
"This spell functions like alter self"
"It also gains all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form but does not gain the extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities."
spellcsating is not an extraordinary special attack, so polymorph does not get it.

Alter self says:
"You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

You do not gain any extraordinary special attacks or special qualities not noted above under physical qualities, such as darkvision, low-light vision, blindsense, blindsight, fast healing, regeneration, scent, and so forth.

You do not gain any supernatural special attacks, special qualities, or spell-like abilities of the new form. Your creature type and subtype (if any) remain the same regardless of your new form. You cannot take the form of any creature with a template, even if that template doesn’t change the creature type or subtype."

It says nothing about granting natural abilities.

By RAW, polymorph does not give you spellcasting.

[Hirax]

There are a few exceptions out there that do have spellcasting specifically labeled as EX or SU, I can't recall them off top of my head, but otherwise Mystify is spot on. You can't be a wizard and shapechange into a solar, for instance, and cast cleric spells. Even if shapechange did grant you a solar's spellcasting ability, it's still not as good as many think, because you'd still need to prepare the spells accordingly, waiting until the appropriate time of day to pray and be granted said spells, or resting for 8 hours if you're shapechanged into a chronotyryn, or something else that grants sorc/wizard casting. And in fact, shapechanging into something that grants wizard casting would be useless unless you have a spellbook with wizard spells. Even if you stick around long enough in one form under these theoretical circumstances to recover the spells of the form that grants them, you've also negated one of shapechange's biggest advantages, because you now are locked into that form. As soon as you change forms again, all the spells from your previous shapechange form go away, and don't come back even if you take the form of the same creature, because you can't assume the form of unique creatures, you're becoming a new thing each time you change. Either way, shapechange and polymorph are powerful enough on their own, no sane DM would allow you to twist the rules enough to get spellcasting from solars, chronotyryns, etc.

As for good 1 level dips, cleric is awesome for domain powers/devotion feats. 1 level of cloistered cleric can get you knowledge devotion (trade knowledge domain), extend spell (planning domain power), and spell focus in enchantment (domination domain power), for instance. It's a gold mine for feats, really. Travel devotion and weapon focus are another pair of feats that are commonly obtained via domain choices.

Uncanny forethought can be a huge pain in the neck, and it's totally reasonable to ban it, but I'd also comment that people overestimate how often a wizard needs immediate access to obscure spells. The prime time you need immediate access to spells (IE, you can't spend 15 minutes to prepare empty slots) is combat, and combat is one of the easiest things to prepare for. It's not like you need a different spell for each type of enemy.

What class features do you want to use more often? An amulet of second chances (Magic Item Compendium) will sort of let you get away with using abilities additional times per day. For instance, you could use a crusader's smite ability, but if the attack missed, activate your amulet of second chances and it restarts your turn, and gets you the smite use back.

[Eriaur]

By RAW, polymorph does not give you spellcasting.

You're probably right, I haven't ever discussed the topic, only heard hearsay.

[badreferences]

I'm wondering if I could get Brilliant Inspiration (Factotum) more often. Also, are there any dumb ways to get more feats for free (RAW), or amazing level template buy-offs?

EDIT

Oh, BTW, the "VoP" I mentioned in my OP is "Vow of Poverty". Is there anything else in official published material (minus dragon magazines) like it? You know, direct character bonuses for setbacks in material?

[dextercorvia]

I'm wondering if I could get Brilliant Inspiration (Factotum) more often. Also, are there any dumb ways to get more feats for free (RAW), or amazing level template buy-offs?


Moderate and Severe Taint grants you a bonus feat. There are several locations like Frog God's Fane, and Otyugh Hole that grant specific feats. Swearing to an Elder Evil gets you 5 free feats, which you can Embrace/Shun the Dark Chaos to get whatever you want.

The Spell Heroics gets you fighter bonus feats.

[badreferences]

As for good 1 level dips, cleric is awesome for domain powers/devotion feats. 1 level of cloistered cleric can get you knowledge devotion (trade knowledge domain), extend spell (planning domain power), and spell focus in enchantment (domination domain power), for instance. It's a gold mine for feats, really. Travel devotion and weapon focus are another pair of feats that are commonly obtained via domain choices.

1-level dip is not the best way to put it. Let's say we advance a factotum to level 20. He gains the xp required to get to 21. Since there's no epic factotum progression (and I don't want one), what class would he be best off taking from here?

EDIT


which you can Embrace/Shun the Dark Chaos to get whatever you want.

? I'm not sure what you mean by this.

[dextercorvia]

? I'm not sure what you mean by this.

They are spells from, IIRC, Fiendish Codex, that allow you to swap a feat for an abyssal heritor feat and back again, but you get to choose the new one, even if the one you traded away wasn't one you had full choice on.