Help me optimize my Tripping Factotum

[SciChronic]

So after many night of deliberation on how to create a good utility character for my next campaign, I have settled on making a Factotum who will be a skill monkey out of combat, and a tripper in combat, likely with a spiked chain for reach. We'll be starting the campaign at level 9, so i want my build to work for the most part by this point.

This is my current build:
{table]ECL|CL|Feats
1|Factotum 1|Combat Expertise[Human], Improved Trip[Flaw 1],EWP(spiked chain)[Flaw 2], Combat Reflexes[CL1]
2|Factotum 2|-
3|Factotum 3|Knockdown[CL3]
4|Factotum 4|-
5|Factotum 5|-
6|Factotum 6|Power Attack[CL6]
7|Factotum 7|-
8|Factotum 8|-
9|Factotum 8, Fighter 1|Dodge[CL9], Sidestep[Fighter 1][/table]
will probably pick up Deft Opportunist and then Karmic Strike. Flaws would be Shaky(-2 on ranged attacks) and Inattentive(-4 on Spot and Listen)

the SLAs i'd likely use would be Enlarge Person, Bull's Strength, Fox's Cunning, and other transmutation spells

Stat Priority:
Int>Str 13+>Dex>Con>Wis 10+>Cha(dump)

Starting Gear:
weapon: +2 Spiked Chain
Head:
Eyes/Face:
Thoat: hand of the mage
Shoulders: Traveler's Cloak
Torso: Cold Weather Outfit
Robe/Armor: +2 mithril chian shirt
Arms: Bracers of opportunity
Hands:
Ring 1:Ring of Lockpicking
Ring 2: ring of proteciton +1
Waist: Healing Belt (spare in haversack)
Feet:

inventory:
Heward's Handy Haversack
Aboleth Mucus
Animal Call
AntiToxin(4)
Auran Mask
Bitterleaf Oil(2)
Cablespool
Candle, Focusing
Candle, Insectbane(10)
Chaos Flask(2)
Clearwater Tablet
Defoliator
Earplugs
Expandable Pole
Fast Torch(3)
Flint and Steel
Flour Pouch(4)
Garlic(10)
Ghostblight
Hammer
Healing Salve
Heartfire
Hearthfire Lantern
Holy Water
Lasso
Magnet
Magnifying Glass
Manacles, Masterwork
Marbles(4)
Needle
Net
Oil
Piton(10)
Periscope, Hand
Quicksilver
Quickspark
Rope Climber
Rope, Silk
Rust Monster Wand
Sack(3)
Shapesand
Slippery Oil
Sparker(2)
Stonebreaker Acid
Suregrip
Tarpaulin, Honeyleather
Tanglefoot Bag(3)
Wick, Candle(5)
Magic Bedroll
Troll Gut Rope
Ioun Stone (continual flame)
Everfull Mug
climber's kit
Thieves Tools
Healing Belt
quarterstaff
Alchemist's Fire(5)
Thanks to Darrin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8235865#post8235865) for ideas for starting gear.

However, I feel I could optimize my build further like finding room to get Font of Inspiration 2-3 times and feat choice in general. So i'm hoping you guys could critique my build and offer me some advice.

atm, i'm considering dropping dodge, sidestep, and combat reflexes for 3x Font of Inspiration, then getting combat reflexes once i reach Fighter 2

[Gildedragon]

Swap out EWP for FoI. Use a guisarme for now
Ditto for Dodge
Get Kn. Devotion in there somewhere. Doing it well offsets the penalty for spiked chain non-proficiency and gives a bonus to damage.
Sidestep is cute but unnecessary: anklet of translocation. Swap it for PA and make room for a third FoI. Get a wand of Heroics for combat reflexes and their ilk.
If set on chain shirt get +1 light fortification. Crits will ignore that extra +1
Look into upgrading to mithril breastplate. Craft it yourself with fabricate
Same thing for the spiked chain. +1 sweeping gives you a bit more synergy

With the sand you can skip the expandable pole, the pitons, and a fair number of your mundane knicknacks
Iounstone renders the h.fire lantern redundant. Not the h.fire itself though.

[SciChronic]

something like this then?
{table]ECL|CL|Feats
1|Factotum 1|Combat Expertise[Human], Improved Trip[Flaw 1],Font of Inspiration[Flaw 2], Font of Inspiration[CL1]
2|Factotum 2|-
3|Factotum 3|Knockdown[CL3]
4|Factotum 4|-
5|Factotum 5|-
6|Factotum 6|Knowledge Devotion[CL6]
7|Factotum 7|-
8|Factotum 8|-
9|Factotum 8, Fighter 1|Font of Inspiration[CL9], Power Attack[Fighter 1][/table]
It looks like my stats will most likely be 16,14,12,16,10,8. We're using a rather high Point-buy system because the majority of our players lack experience.
I'll likely raise the int to 18, if not it'll be the Str.

As for the weapon i was considering changing the +2 into Collision for easy activation of Knockdown 2(min dmg of chain or guisarme)+4(str unless i round up?) +5 = 11, so free trip attempts gallore.

As for armor, i'm considering mithril breastplate, but the 3k price increase might make it an issue. If i were to make it, wouldn't i need the item creation feat to do so? so would i just create the armor using craft and then have someone enhance it?

and with the sweeping weapon, since my int bonus gets added to my trip checks, would that be overkill? worried about hitting at all with a 10/3 BAB+Str not even counting when i PA.

as for the Shapesand, i might have to drop it due to a low Wis score.

would dipping into warblade or swordsage be worth it?

also would i have to take up a cleric level to use Knowledge devotion since it's a domain feat?

[Flickerdart]

Go Azurin instead of Human, grab Cobalt Expertise for a boost to CE and tripping. I would also advise getting Monk in there for bonus Combat Expertise and Improved Trip, and Decisive Strike. Law Devotion is also nice if you're after a nice combat boost.

[Gildedragon]

On arms and armor: You craft it someone else enchants it. If you had room for item creation feats the price'd drop a fair bit. But you don't so it doesn't.
Still cutting down the price of the armor to 1/3 is handy. Going Darkleaf makes it cheaper, but less... flashy. All you need is a scroll or 1 charge wand of fabricate.

You can take 20 on the shapesand shaping checks. you can't shape a lot, but you can still use it.

If you're interested in item creation, chamaleon 2 is handy. But it requires you getting able learner at lvl 1...

Depending on how much cheese you want, you'll be buying shuriken.

[StreamOfTheSky]

My tripping Factotum was a Changeling that used a multiclass w/ the Changeling and martial rogue racial level / variants. Gave more skill points (10 + int x4 at 1st level) and feats (martial rogue, feats at 1, 2, 4, etc...). Then also went into Warshaper for 3 levels for the str/con buff, reach boost, and so forth. He was barely a Factotum, I guess (Rogue 3 / Factotum 3 / Warshaper 3 by the time the game ended, long term would have been Rogue 4 / Factotum 13 / Warshaper 3), but it worked quite well. Lots of reach, and supplemented with the Intimidating Strike and Imperious Command feats + Never Outnumbered skill trick to also be a cower-locker along with the reach tripping.

There's a fairly cheap special spiked chain in MIC called Living Chain, you should get that. It's a +1 Spiked Chain that gives +2 on str checks to trip and costs 4325 gp, so you're basically only paying a flat 2000 gp price for the trip bonus. And MIC explicitly lets you upgrade unique items with higher enhancements by taking [total price -price of its enhancement] to figure out what the special property costs. And then paying upgrade cost for further enhancing normally. So a +2 Living Chain would be 10,325 gp for example.
Brute Gauntlets are also a cheap boost. 500 gp for 3 charges/day, swift to use and get a 1 +[charges spent] bonus on str-based checks, skill checks, and melee damage for 1 round.

[SciChronic]

On arms and armor: You craft it someone else enchants it. If you had room for item creation feats the price'd drop a fair bit. But you don't so it doesn't.
Still cutting down the price of the armor to 1/3 is handy. Going Darkleaf makes it cheaper, but less... flashy. All you need is a scroll or 1 charge wand of fabricate.

so i could essentially create +2 mithril breastplate for 5400 rather than 8200? well worth the 5 skill points into craft armorsmithing i suppose. i can probably talk my DM into letting me do it prior to the actual campaign starting

how much would an eternal heroics wand cost? 2 or 3 charges per day should cover everything i think. though i'll also need points into UMD.


There's a fairly cheap special spiked chain in MIC called Living Chain, you should get that. It's a +1 Spiked Chain that gives +2 on str checks to trip and costs 4325 gp, so you're basically only paying a flat 2000 gp price for the trip bonus. And MIC explicitly lets you upgrade unique items with higher enhancements by taking [total price -price of its enhancement] to figure out what the special property costs. And then paying upgrade cost for further enhancing normally. So a +2 Living Chain would be 10,325 gp for example.
Brute Gauntlets are also a cheap boost. 500 gp for 3 charges/day, swift to use and get a 1 +[charges spent] bonus on str-based checks, skill checks, and melee damage for 1 round.
that chain is literally a +1 sweeping spiked chain lol. and somehow its like half the price

also, ideas on weapon crystals? i can never decide which ones to get, then again i only have a +2 weapons so i can only use least crystals.

Might drop PA and the fighter level and go for swordsage for the 3rd level maneuvers

Edit: was wrong about weapon crystals

[StreamOfTheSky]

+2 allows lesser crystals. Least requires masterwork, lesser a +1 and greater a +3, iirc.

I don't really know what crystal to get, there's lots of decent choices for weapon. I usually get lesser acid assault or lesser fiend slaying, myself. I wouldn't spend much on a weapon crystal until later on, though.

[Gildedragon]

Truedeath lesser is okay, though alchemical weapon capsules cover you in that front.

The witchlight reservoir is a cute one.

A heroics eternal wand: 4,420 gp as a standard 2nd level wand

Armor: essentially. +1,125 gp for the scroll
Making it out of darkleaf requires a craft alch 25 to make but costs a base
2,750 or 916.67 to craft yourself (plus the cost of the scroll). Total cost for a +2 version: 6,042gp


You only reduce the armor costs, not the

[SciChronic]

yeah i was planning on getting a weapon capsule retainer for my weapon (how would those work on chains? lol) hmm. if you get a triple retainer, do you have to use all 3 at once? or can you selectively use them? you can use them selectively

for the eternal wand, how many charges does that get per day?

which book is the darkleaf material in?

[Gildedragon]

2 charges a day
It's "elven darkleaf" to be precise. It is from the Arms and Equipment Guide (19-20)

[SciChronic]

thanks a lot.

i'm considering dropping the Power Attack feat since with a collision weapon my minimum damage will exceed the requirement for knockdown to work, and that was my main reason for getting it.

and if i drop the feat, i might just drop the fighter line in general unless i do get that chain.

but if i drop fighter i'm considering going warblade or sword sage, what's your opinion on the matter?

[Gildedragon]

Swordsage has more tricks. And if you do swordsage two you might be able to convince your DM to let Kung-fu genius to work with swordsage wis-ac. Int to AC is great.

Warblade has int-synergy. And if you're doing 7 levels I would recommend it. The bonus to reflex saves or crit confirming isn't all that much. It does, however, have a better recovery maneuver...

[SciChronic]

i might just go fighter for the living chain, and then transition into warblade. that way i save some money and can maybe pick up another wondrous item

I know its terrible, but i kind of want to get a glove of the master strategist, if only for the flair lol

i suppose the question is, at level 10 should i go into warblade, or should i get another feat via fighter level 2?

[SciChronic]

So this is what my current build projection looks like:
{table]ECL|CL|Feats
1|Factotum 1|Combat Expertise[Human], Improved Trip[Flaw 1],Font of Inspiration[Flaw 2], Font of Inspiration[CL1]
2|Factotum 2|-
3|Factotum 3|Knockdown[CL3]
4|Factotum 4|-
5|Factotum 5|-
6|Factotum 6|Knowledge Devotion[CL6]
7|Factotum 7|-
8|Factotum 8|-
9|Factotum 8, Fighter 1|Font of Inspiration[CL9], EWP(spiked chain)[Fighter 1][/table]
Next level: fighter 2 for combat reflexes, or warblade 1

Stats:
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 8

weapon: Living Chain (+1 sweeping) - 4325
Head:
Eyes/Face:
Thoat:
Shoulders: Traveler's Cloak - 1200
Torso: Cold Weather Outfit - 8
Robe/Armor: +2 Elven Darkweave Breastplate - 6042
Arms: Bracers of opportunity - 2300
Hands: Glove of the Master Strategist - 3600
Ring 1:Ring of Lockpicking - 4500
Ring 2:
Waist: Healing Belt - 750
Feet:

inventory:
{table]Item|Price(GP)|Weight(lb)
Heward's Handy Haversack|2k|5
Aboleth Mucus|20|1
Animal Call|20|--
AntiToxin(4)|50(200)|--
Auran Mask |60|--
Bitterleaf Oil(2)|25(50)|--
Cablespool|175|6
Candle, Focusing| 100|1
Candle, Insectbane(10)|.1(1GP)|--
Chaos Flask(2)|100(200)|.5(1)
Clearwater Tablet |1|1
Defoliator|20|1
Earplugs|.3|--
Expandable Pole|5|1
Fast Torch(3)|5(15)|1.5
Flint and Steel|1| --
Flour Pouch(4)|.1(.4)|--
Garlic(10)|.01(.1)|--
Ghostblight(3)|300|--
Hammer|.5 |--
Healing Salve|50| --
Heartfire|10|2
Holy Water|25|1
Gut MItes|50|1
Lasso |1|3
Magnet|20| 2
Magnifying Glass|100|--
Manacles, Masterwork|50--
Marbles(4)|.2(.8)|8
Needle|.5|--
Net|20|6
Oil|.1|1
Piton(10)|.1(1)|5
Periscope, Hand|50|2
Quicksilver(3)|150|--
Quickspark(3)|75|--
Rope Climber|15|3
Rope, Silk|10|5
Rust Monster Wand|160|2
Sack(3)|.1(.3)|1.5
Shapesand| 100|12
Slippery Oil|50|--
Sparker(2)|2(4)|--
Stonebreaker Acid|20| 1
Suregrip|20|--
Tarpaulin, Honeyleather|40|1
Tanglefoot Bag(3)|50(150)|12
Wick, Candle(5)|.2(1)|--
Magic Bedroll|500|6
Troll Gut Rope|500|7
Ioun Stone (flame)|135|--
Everfull Mug|200| --
climber's kit |80|5
Thieves Tools|30|1
Healing Belt |750| 1
quarterstaff |--|4
Alchemist's Fire(5)|20(100)|1(5)
Eternal Wand Of Heroics|4420|1
Triple weapon capsule container|450|--
Artisan's Tools|5|5[/table]