Factotums outside of encounters

[Jeff the Green]

Factotums get a number of inspiration points each encounter. While most of the ways to spend them are only useful in encounters, some can be useful outside of them. How does this work?

[hamishspence]

Possibly via a "one encounter = five minutes" presumption- outside of an encounter, one can use an encounter power once every 5 minutes.

Assuming I'm remembering correctly.

[Eldariel]

Factotums get a number of inspiration points each encounter. While most of the ways to spend them are only useful in encounters, some can be useful outside of them. How does this work?

Honestly, they can more or less use them freely; anything that requires a number of things they could use inspiration in short order tends to be an encounter anyways. But as hamispence says, per encounter-abilities recover about every 5 mins so you could go with that.

[Draz74]

I've seen some rules lawyers who are very good at arguing that pretty much anywhere you'd want to use a Factotum ability can qualify as an "encounter." What are you thinking of specifically? (I suppose I'd have a hard time justifying that a week-long Craft check is an "encounter.")

Personally, if I'm DMing, I'd allow free use of Inspiration abilities in noncombat (non-timing-sensitive-to-the-second) situations. I feel like the ones that could be abusive all have per-day limits on them anyway.

[Lord Il Palazzo]

I've seen some rules lawyers who are very good at arguing that pretty much anywhere you'd want to use a Factotum ability can qualify as an "encounter." What are you thinking of specifically? (I suppose I'd have a hard time justifying that a week-long Craft check is an "encounter.")

Personally, if I'm DMing, I'd allow free use of Inspiration abilities in noncombat (non-timing-sensitive-to-the-second) situations. I feel like the ones that could be abusive all have per-day limits on them anyway.I don't know if this is even rules lawyer-ing. If there's an obstacle that needs to be overcome such that you'd want to use a Factotum's skills or abilities, that sounds like an encounter. (We've all seen and heard terms like "social encounters", after all.)

In the end, I'm with Eldariel and Draz74. An "encounter" can be defined so loosely that outside of combat and other similar time-sensitive events and set-pieces ("You're in a room where the walls are closing in to crush you" or "The palace guards are chasing you; find a way to escape or evade them" or whatever), I wouldn't even bother keeping track of how many inspiration points had been used.

[The Viscount]

Skill tricks, which are usually usable once per encounter, can be used once per minute out of combat. Perhaps the same can apply to inspiration points.

[Talionis]

I've seen some rules lawyers who are very good at arguing that pretty much anywhere you'd want to use a Factotum ability can qualify as an "encounter." What are you thinking of specifically? (I suppose I'd have a hard time justifying that a week-long Craft check is an "encounter.")

Personally, if I'm DMing, I'd allow free use of Inspiration abilities in noncombat (non-timing-sensitive-to-the-second) situations. I feel like the ones that could be abusive all have per-day limits on them anyway.

Factotums should be able to use Inspiration Points on Craft checks. Presumably, whether you spent 5 minutes crafting or 12 hours crafting you would get one check for the encounter and the Factotum should be able to use his points once during the encounter.

I like to think that the points are spent at the very end when the Factotum is double checking that he's done everything right. That's when he needs his "inspiration".

But I think crafting is a crucial part of being a Factotum and it would be cruel to not allow the Factotum to get bonus from inspiration in crafting.

[JaronK]

Any time the players have time to stop and rest, it's a new encounter. Any obstacle or difficulty is a new encounter. Basically, Factotums have unlimited inspiration points any time there's no time constraint. Then again, virtually ever ability you'd want to use outside of combat has some other restriction, like used up spell slots or once per day use of skills.

And yes, crafting would be a fine use of it.

JaronK

[Slipperychicken]

The 1 encounter = 1 minute also has precedent in Tome of Battle (page 40, End of the Encounter), in which an Initiator who spends a minute outside of combat (not attacked, not attacking, not using any maneuvers) is considered to have recovered his maneuvers without needing to take any action. Additionally, almost any event worth mentioning in an adventurer's life is considered an encounter.

The Factotum is engaged in combat of any sort? Combat encounter.

The Factotum talks to someone? Roleplay encounter.

The Factotum uses his skills to bypass an obstacle or otherwise achieve his goals? Skill encounter.

The Factotum needs to get past a trap? Trap encounter (there are even CRs attached to traps).


Even if you adhere strictly to the rules for what does and doesn't constitute an encounter, there are very few times a Factotum will be without his Inspiration points. And I don't see many ways for Inspiration points to be abusive outside combat, since all of his abilities which have out-of-combat utility have strict per-day limitations anyway.

[Curmudgeon]

You'll have to ask your DM. There are rules in the DMG for when an encounter starts, but none for when it ends (other than when a new encounter begins, obviously). Some DMs will call it an encounter when you face a trap or other obstacle, and some won't. At a minimum, you've got the IPs left over from your last combat, and you'll get more when you next roll initiative.

[Lord Il Palazzo]

You'll have to ask your DM. There are rules in the DMG for when an encounter starts, but none for when it ends (other than when a new encounter begins, obviously). Some DMs will call it an encounter when you face a trap or other obstacle, and some won't. At a minimum, you've got the IPs left over from your last combat, and you'll get more when you next roll initiative.Factotum to party wizard: Quick, take a swing at me! I need more inspiration for this sword I'm forging!

[Slipperychicken]

Factotum to party wizard: Quick, take a swing at me! I need more inspiration for this sword I'm forging!

Factotum: [Lie, Bluff check, initiates social encounter] Hey Wizard! I know exactly how I'm going to build this new sword! [regains inspiration points]

Wizard: [Fails Sense Motive check] what's that?

[Factotum spends an Inspiration point to realize it]

Factotum: [proceeds to explain what he just thought up the moment before]

[The Viscount]

If you really need a combat encounter, just walk outside and begin one against a random toad or rat in the woods. Start one against the beetles and other insects scurrying around everywhere. Just use the stats for hairy spider.