Factotum Feat Qeustion

[GutterFace]

Here is the skinny: Human Factotum Level 5, no dips.
Int 18 (+4)

Would it be better to get all 3 feats of Font of Inspiration

or would it be better/ and or equal to get

2 feats of Font of Inspiration and Knowledge Devotion?

[bokodasu]

I think it depends on how else you build out your character - are you going to be fighting in such a way that KD will be consistently useful to you? If not, 3x FoI.

That said, I took it and found it pretty helpful even just for rays and crossbows, so I don't think you can say it's a bad choice, even if it's maybe not the best one.

[GutterFace]

thanks! i was going to try and stick with bows/wands for this Factotum build.

[Lonely Tylenol]

How many Knowledge skills are you maxing?

Font of Inspiration should only ever be dropped for things better than "INT to more of everything", but of all your options, Knowledge Devotion is one of the best (assuming, of course, that you are investing in high Knowledge checks). I mean, if you were maxing all the Knowledges, you could basically be a full-BAB character (with damage bonuses) at the cost of one feat... And no matter how low your check, you still get a +1 bonus, so even investing 1 rank in every knowledge and simply using your Cunning Knowledge for a 1/day boost to a creature of each type in combat is still worthwhile (your INT will soon be at a point where, with double your INT to a Knowledge Devotion check, you're pretty much guaranteed a check result higher than 15, for the +2 bonus).

I'm going to say if you invest max ranks in all the Knowledges, then "definite yes". If you invest only one rank in each of the Knowledges, or just enough for synergies, then "tentatively yes", because a +2 to-hit and damage to everything is still nothing to sneeze at.

[Bloodgruve]

I would go with Knowledge Devotion. I always want more Inspiration but its not worth much if you can't make use of it effectively.

Blood~

[Chronos]

With the way that Font of Inspiration gives you more the more times you take it, you generally want to either take nothing but it, or take it not at all. Personally, I'd rather be able to do more different things than be able to do the same things I already do more often, so I prefer the none at all approach. But that's a minority position.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If you can use flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) then you can have FoI x3 and Knowledge Devotion and one more feat (FoI again maybe, but I wouldn't take it more than four times). If you do get Knowledge Devotion, be sure to have the Collector of Stories skill trick (CS).

[Philistine]

FONT OF INSPIRATION
You have unearthed of well of inspiration from within your soul.
PREREQUISITE: Int 15, Must have Inspiration as a class feature.
BENEFITS: When you take this feat for the first time, you gain 1 inspiration point.
SPECIAL: You can take this multiple times. Each time you take this feat after the first time, the number of inspiration points you gain increases by 1 (for example, you gain 2 inspiration points if you take the feat a second time). The maximum number of times you can take this feat is equal to your Intelligence modifier.

18 Int, so he couldn't take it more than four times. Not yet, anyway.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

18 Int, so he couldn't take it more than four times. Not yet, anyway.

I meant I wouldn't take it more than four times ever, no use having more points than you can use in a given encounter.

[Dairuga]

I meant I wouldn't take it more than four times ever, no use having more points than you can use in a given encounter.

Well, What -defines- an encounter? I have always wondered that. I suppose, for me, an encounter means a battle. An encounter with a monster... But Surely, you retain your inspiration points -after- an encounter, if such is the case. It would do little good to add your Factotum level to, say, Pick lock, if you cannot do it out of combat.

So no, the more inspiration points you have, the better; I would say. There are -always- things to spend your points at, even if just wanting that +10 to pickpocket to get yourself a few extra gold on the side.

Just saying.

[Fable Wright]

Honestly? After a certain point, I don't know if there is too much Font of Inspiration. Between boosting attack rolls, damage rolls, AC, and getting another action to cast another spell ignoring SR and auto-success on your concentration check, you just spend (3-6) + (1-3)+4+1+2+1, or about 14 IP in one round of novaing. More Font of Inspiration = more nova. There is no upper bounds on the amount of IP you can get rid of in combat.

Also, out of curiosity, what are feats the feats that a factotum would want to take over more FoI? I can think of Quick Draw (Iajutsu focus), Imperious Command, and Knowledge Devotion, but not much else...

[Roguenewb]

Flaws for all 4 fonts at level 1 is probably a pretty cool way to get started. Then you have 10+however many level 5 gives you (4 I think?), which means for most if not all of your adventuring career you can just go whole hog on factotum abilities each and every fight. You never have to worry about insipiration. I don't know about you, but that sounds very exciting to me.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Also, out of curiosity, what are feats the feats that a factotum would want to take over more FoI? I can think of Quick Draw (Iajutsu focus), Imperious Command, and Knowledge Devotion, but not much else...

EWP: Gnome Quickrazor is far better than Quick Draw for that.

Tactile Trapsmith switches your Search and Disable Device skills to Dex-based, and Brains Over Brawn adds your Int bonus back into them. You can say you bested the Iron Wyrm Vault in CS to get that for 3,000 gp without even having to spend a feat on it.

[Fable Wright]

EWP: Gnome Quickrazor is far better than Quick Draw for that.

Debatable. Based off of D&D Tools' description (http://dndtools.eu/skills/iaijutsu-focus/), which likely includes errata and whatnot, Iajutsu Focus applies only to flatfooted opponents. And Quickdraw opens up the Flick of the Wrist skill trick that lets you draw as a move action to make your opponents flatfooted for the round, autoenabling Iajutsu Focus, whereas Quickrazor would work on the first round of combat only.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Debatable. Based off of D&D Tools' description (http://dndtools.eu/skills/iaijutsu-focus/), which likely includes errata and whatnot, Iajutsu Focus applies only to flatfooted opponents. And Quickdraw opens up the Flick of the Wrist skill trick that lets you draw as a move action to make your opponents flatfooted for the round, autoenabling Iajutsu Focus, whereas Quickrazor would work on the first round of combat only.

Grease, Ice Slick, or marbles will make them flat-footed if they don't have 5+ ranks in Balance, which very few monsters do. Flick of the Wrist is a feat in CW, Hidden Blade is the skill trick you're thinking of, but both require Quick Draw and both can only be used 1/encounter, so both are useful to have if you're going all-in for IF. You can ready a pouch of marbles as a weaponlike object, quick-draw it, and drop it into an adjacent square as a free action then full attack with your Quickrazor. Or you could just Cunning Surge a (Wand of) Grease and full attack with the Quickrazor without Quick Draw, but it's still good to have it for those other two tricks in case your DM starts giving opponents Balance ranks.

[2xMachina]

Get a wand of unseen servant to hold marbles (or the collar or perpetual attendance). Tell it to drop marbles at opponents' feet.

You can also try stun locking flatfooted opponents. They can't act, they stay flatfooted.

Surprising Riposte (DotU) can be ok, provided you get a method to feint as a free action/swift (feint once, flatfooted the whole round). (Invisible Blade does that IIRC, but the weapon list doesn't include Quickrazors)

[Fable Wright]

So, what methods are there to make someone flatfooted without relying on opponent's lack of balance ranks? Aside from winning initiative...

[GutterFace]

amazing responses all. lol once again Iajutusu focus always comes up for Facto's but i am going to stay away from melee as much as possible. we are playing a heroes of horror campaign and i dont need to stack up on Taint.

ha!

so i will use my crossbow/wands for this adventure.

and yes with the above post....how do i make someone flatfooted if i dont have to rely on their balance checks

[Bloodgruve]

I would like to change my response to 3x FoI instead of Knowledge Devotion if you are not going into melee.

For Flat Footed I rely mainly on Hide and Hide in Plain Sight using different ways to get concealment like Greater Invisibility and Veil of Shadows.

GL
Blood~

[2xMachina]

Actually, Flat footed is very specific. Denying Dex is not enough. Other than the normal method of not letting them act before you do (stun keeps them from acting) you need to use a method that actually mentions Flat Foot.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186283 has a list. Not all are flat footed tho.

[Zaq]

Actually, Flat footed is very specific. Denying Dex is not enough. Other than the normal method of not letting them act before you do (stun keeps them from acting) you need to use a method that actually mentions Flat Foot.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186283 has a list. Not all are flat footed tho.

Well, hiding (at least, the Sneak Up From Hiding action) does actually let you count someone as flat-footed, as per RC pg. 92. I'm not sure that's 100% intentional, but it's there.

Also, while this is limited to melee, you can mix Invisible Blade (feint as a free action) with Surprising Riposte (enemies you hit after feinting are specifically flat-footed for a round), but that's obviously not so hot if you're staying out of melee.

[Chronos]

So, what methods are there to make someone flatfooted without relying on opponent's lack of balance ranks? Aside from winning initiative...Keep in mind that Brains over Brawn applies to initiative (it's a Dex check), so you should always be winning initiative anyway.

And for other feats you might take instead of Font of Inspiration, there's also Craven (if your DM lets Cunning Strike count), Obtain Familiar (if your caster level for Arcane Dilettante counts), and Darkstalker. Nymph's Kiss is also good, if you can qualify for it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Considering Brains Over Brawn adding to Initiative, you should pick up a Ring of Anticipation found in Drow of the Underdark. For 6k it gives you +2 to Listen and Spot, and every time you roll initiative you get to roll twice and use the better of the two.