Can you spare a poor fool some Factotum advice?

[(Un)Inspired]

Well I thought a Factotum8/Shiba Protector1/Warblade1/Chameleon10 would be fun to play. After all, 6th level spells plus good skills and interesting class features is enough to make bards useful.

I forgot that D and D is about the journey not just the destination and that I'd be getting those 6th level spells so late in the game that it would be irrelevant.

What would you guys plug into a factotum for it's later 12 levels? I'd like spell casting because spells are the jam but I'm open to other suggestions.

I can't use Ur Priest. It not banned or anything. It's just that Ur Priest can't be the solution to all my problems in life.

[Emperor Tippy]

If you want "spellcasting" then Factotum 11/ Ardent 9 is about your best bet.

Take the Magic Mantle and Practiced Manifester + Praticed Spellcaster (magic mantle lets you apply PS to Ardent) as early as possible (i.e. after Ardent 1, use Chaos Shuffle if necessary or just make your first level Ardent and then do Factotum before picking both of them up) as that ups your ML by 8 and thanks to how Ardent's get powers, lets you get 9th level powers.

If you really want to push your ML through the roof for a specific type of powers then throw on Praticed Spellcaster (Factotum) and Psiotheurgist to pick up a +15 ML for a given class of powers.

This is a short and simple build with the big things Factotum does being Cunning Surge for effectively free quicken multiple times in a round and Cunning Breach so that you can ignore PR/SR.

Using Overchannel you can get 9ths at ECL 17. With other PP reducers/ ML uppers you can push the 9ths earlier if desired.

This ends up with you are 3/4ths BAB as well. Oh yeah, and thanks to Spell to Power Erudite's and Psychic Chigurery you can pick up any spells or other powers that you want.

Throw in Midnight Augmentation + 1 more point of essentia and Bestow Power and you can always recharge your PP out of combat with a few minutes of down time.

The only issue is a bit of MAD as you need both Int and Wis.

[(Un)Inspired]

Oh man that is so cool. I've been wishing there was a way to combine factotum and psionics but I've only been looking at the psion for int synergy.

I don't really mind being int/ wis MAD (I was originally planning on going chameleon anyway).

As always Tippy your advice is a gift for me and a curse for my dm.

[Psyren]

Note that this reading of Magic Mantle is considered abusive (the intent is clearly for it just to enable regular transparency rather than the much more extensive uses we put it to) and your DM may object.

If he doesn't however, note that Psion and Erudite are both Int-based and both can get the Magic Mantle too. (Mantled Erudite, and True Healer Egoist, respectively.) The former can pick it up directly while the latter needs Tap/Don Mantle.

[Emperor Tippy]

Note that this reading of Magic Mantle is considered abusive (the intent is clearly for it just to enable regular transparency rather than the much more extensive uses we put it to) and your DM may object.

If he doesn't however, note that Psion and Erudite are both Int-based and both can get the Magic Mantle too. (Mantled Erudite, and True Healer Egoist, respectively.) The former can pick it up directly while the latter needs Tap/Don Mantle.

But the reason to play Ardent is to get the Ardent power gain mechanic which is based on manifester level and not class level. None of the other ways to pick up Magic Mantle get you that.

Honestly though, in most builds the one level dip into Ardent for Magic Mantle is better than the Psion or Erudite methods of getting it.

Psion 19/ Ardent 1 lets you play a Telepath and then grab Telepathy and Mindsight at 5th level. Effectively, the Ardent is just a better Mindbender in this case.

[Psyren]

Using Mind's Eye, Telepath can get Telepathy and mindsight without Ardent :smallbiggrin:

In fact, using the Mindbender adaptation, any psion can.

I do see your point about the manifesting though, only Ardent gets that.

[Emperor Tippy]

Using Mind's Eye, Telepath can get Telepathy and mindsight without Ardent :smallbiggrin:

In fact, using the Mindbender adaptation, any psion can.
That's my point. Psion (Telepath) gets telepathy and Mindsight without having to spend the Mindbender level. Replace that one level dip with Ardent and you are basically picking up Magic Mantle and one other mantle instead while only being behind one ML (and a number of other mantles have decent abilities, if nothing else you can pick up a feat to Chaos Shuffle).


I do see your point about the manifesting though, only Ardent gets that.
Yep, pretty much the only way to get early 9th level powers and as with everything else; Psionics does it better (needing only two Ardent levels to manage that).

Ardent 1/ Wizard 17/ Ardent 1 with Psiotheurgist is duel 9ths at ECL 19 for the cost of a single feat.

[(Un)Inspired]

The ardent steroids manifestation technique is really what I want from Tippy's example.

[Psyren]

All I'm saying is that "cursing your DM" may be a good way to get these goodies banned :smalltongue:

[(Un)Inspired]

Hehe very true. I'm gonna buy him some chocolate and act real charming. Quick! Somebody cast Glibness on me!

[Seer_of_Heart]

I can't use Ur Priest. It not banned or anything. It's just that Ur Priest can't be the solution to all my problems in life.

Come on, you know you want to. Embrace it

One of us One of us

[(Un)Inspired]

Come on, you know you want to. Embrace it

One of us One of us

Seducer! I love the class but I already play a red dragon ur priest in a long term on/off game with some friends. I don't want to become the ur priest guy.