Factotum character

[CIDE]

Alright, campaign is currently level 13 (I'm jumping in late) and they wanted a Rogue-style character to jump on in.

I don't really have anything set at the moment except that I'd like to use Factotum and all 5 levels of Cabinet Trickster. Potentially a few levels of warshaper.

Any thoughts on all this?

Edit: On a side note would Tireless+Toughness+Troll Blooded be worth the three feats for an extra 22 hp at level 20, Regen 1, and Fatigue immunity?

[Slipperychicken]

Looks like a fun character, honestly. Shifting forms and reading thoughts sounds like a good time to me.


It looks like what you're getting out of Cabinet Trickster can be pretty easily replicated with items (namely a Hat of Disguise for 1800 and a custom Ring of Detect Thoughts for 12k). Additionally, the Face-Changer (complete mage) reserve feat may be useful for at-will disguising.


Be aware that Detect Thoughts is dependent on DM forethought/planning to be useful. Also keep in mind that (as far as I know) the Detect Thoughts class feature still has the verbal and somatic components, and you still have to concentrate on it (chanting and waving your arms around for someone to identify). I recommend getting your DM to waive that if you go with Cabinet Trickster.


Factotum8 is a great cutoff point, since you get Cunning Surge, which is pretty powerful if you allow it to give you multiple standard actions a round, basically giving you a "mini-nova" every combat. Just be sure you have enough feats invested in Font of Inspiration (usually 3-4, because that feat is like crack) to use it effectively.


Personally, I'd go with straight Factotum, the Face-Changer reserve feat, and a ring of detect thoughts. But Factotum8/CT5 looks very cool and fun. Just remember to dump some feats into Font of Inspiration!

[Phaederkiel]

yes, i can second that. My factotum put 4 out of 7 feat into fonts of inspiration (and would have put 5, if my int-score wasnt only 19...first character problems)

I did put one level in swordsage, and got


a maneuver which sets my abysmal will save at 17 (my concentration rank)
another for my just as abysmal fort save
a maneuver which makes me deal my concentration (plus 1d20) as damage (but i should tell you that NO other dmg applies)


and some other maneuvers for the last of your prepareable spots:

AC=sense motive (which you will probably have quite high, too
short range teleport
swift one round invisibility



so for the investment of a bunch of skill ranks in a completely useless skill (concentration is really bad for nonmages), you have now the best saves in the group. And concentration checks are easily pumped, for only 10 000 you can get plus 10 to them...


oh, and for the factotum, find out if your dm allows you to use cunning surge (for extra actions) and the sneak attack ability more than once per round. RAW, nothing says otherwise, but more than one action per round is somewhat powerful...

[Slipperychicken]

a maneuver which sets my abysmal will save at 17 (my concentration rank)
another for my just as abysmal fort save
a maneuver which makes me deal my concentration (plus 1d20) as damage (but i should tell you that NO other dmg applies)



It doesn't "set" your save as that, it takes an immediate action and expends the maneuver, needing refreshing to be used again. I mean, for the most part it does make saves quite easy, but it's not the same thing.

Concentration is... far from useless on a Factotum who actually casts and concentrates on spells (like Detect Thoughts, for example).

Of course, your saves should already be good since you're adding your Int to them most of the time. The feat Keen Intellect from Dragon 318 (I think) makes a number of wisdom-based skills Int-based, and adds Int to Will saves, pretty much allowing you to dump your Wisdom into oblivion.

Faerie Initiate (feat, Dragon 319). One of the options lets you use Int for hit points rather than Con, saving you a lot of ability points, and a lot of cash on Con-increasing items. But get permission from the DM first, as it's often seen as cheesy or unfair.

Of course, Factotums are usually quite feat starved from having 3-5 iterations of Font of Inspiration, so it feels hypocritical to suggest so many different feats. On that note, use Flaws to get more feats if they're allowed, since they're worth it if you pick your flaws well (like Vulnerable and Murky-Eyed, for example).

[Piggy Knowles]

Hmm... You could do Factotum 8/Mindspy 5/Cabinet Trickster 5/Warblade 2?

You should be able to hit Mindspy at level 5, since ardent dilettante gives you second level spells by then. That means you'll have Factotum 5/Mindspy 1 as your entry point to Cabinet Trickster, giving you the ability to maintain your detect thoughts as a free action, and the ability to use them as a sphere rather than a cone (way better option, especially in combat).

From there, I'd alternate out Mindspy and Cabinet Trickster levels as you see fit, with Mindspy letting you use detect thoughts faster and faster, and letting you effect more people with it, while Cabinet Trickster lets you stun those people that you have effected.

Warblade will give you some nice combat options, and the various Diamond Mind saving throw maneuvers, which is always good. Take these levels fairly late in your career, so you can get access to higher level maneuvers and stances.

It's not the most powerful character in the world - honestly, a straight Factotum would probably be better - but it's a fun way to play around with Cabinet Trickster...

[Acanous]

You will want the feat "Kung-Fu Genius" and a Monk's belt.

[Phaederkiel]

yes, i know that they do not really "set" them - I wrote unclear.

and I assumed dragon is out. I never seen a game where any dragon stuff was allowed.

[Lucid]

I don't have much to add, except that with a character like this it would be a crime not to take the Changeling Rogue substitution at first level, perhaps combined with feat Rogue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogue) if you don't care about sneak attack.