Changling factotum

[maniacalmojo]

So i am making a character for an amnesia based game and asked someone what they wanted to do and they said they wanted to do a bit of everything so... I decided to give them more then they ask for.

Its a level 4 starting game
28 point buy base eight. (max 18 as per usual)
Thinking changeling for flavor and neat abilities.

How would you buld the charecter? would be helpful to have skills you invested ranks in and feats you put (as i have no idea what feats would be helpful)

[Toliudar]

To fit the 'a little of everything theme' (and because it's not such a bad mechanical choice for a factotum), I'd start with a single point in as many of the skills as I could, especially those that are trained only.

If you don't go with two 'fonts of inspiration' as the character's feats, then Knowledge Devotion (Complete Champion) is immediately useful to give them a little more punch in combat, and remains useful throughout the game.

[Kennisiou]

If you want to do everything I'd suggest changeling Factotum with the goal of PRCing into Chameleon, since it covers the casting part of "doing everything" better than Factotum does and the casting part of "doing everything" is the part that does everything the hardest.

For feats... just take able learner level one, grab some font of inspirations, then after 8 factotum levels start going Chameleon. You're kind of feat starved since multiple Font of Inspiration is almost necessary for Factotum, but you're also kind of not feat starved since you don't really need anything extra to function as a factotum beyond their class features. For skills make sure you have enough disguise and bluff to qualify for chameleon. After that max Use Magic Device (because of course), and then from there what skills you may want to max depend on the campaign and how the rest of the party is building.

If the party tends to get separated a lot (either as a result of the DM forcing party splits or the party splitting to accomplish different objectives), then you'll want skills that let you function autonomously. These skills are also important if there's nobody else in the party to carry them. For autonomous functioning you'll want hide, move silently, spot, listen, disable device, search, and open lock. Dipomacy and Sense Motive are also very useful for autonomous functioning and at least Dipomacy should be maxed in general (not as important if you have a bard or crusader or paladin filling the party face role and aren't likely to get separated from them). Party Face skills are less important in dungeon crawl heavy campaigns where you aren't likely to run into other characters often. Beyond that you generally just want to put one skill point in every skill except for truly useless ones like appraise or ones that you just flat out aren't going to use (like perform on most builds, craft if the campaign doesn't have downtime for crafting, or Iaijutsu Focus if you're looking to be an archer rather than a melee attacker).

[Gemini476]

Changeling, huh? Factotum with Able Learner is an obvious choice, although if you aren't planning on multiclassing out of Factotum then you don't need it.

Consider having your first level be a level in Changeling Rogue to get 4*(10+Int) skill points at first level.

Int is 18, feats are Font of Inspiration. Maybe grab proficiency in a Gnomish Quickrazor if you want to go the Iajutsu Focus route.

[Rejusu]

Second the recommendation for the Changeling Rogue substitution level, it's the reason many Factotums go for Changeling. Part of it is the increased skill points, but you also give up trapfinding (which you gain with your first level of Factotum so you're not losing anything) for the rather neat Social intuition ability. Of course it's less useful if you don't expect to encounter any social situations.

[gorfnab]

Start here: Factotum Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2720.0)

Maybe consider a build like Changeling Rogue (with racial sub) 1/ Factotum 8/ Warblade (for Iron Heart Surge) 1/ Chameleon 10
1. Able Learner
3. Knowledge Devotion
6. Font of Inspiration
9. Font of Inspiration
12. Open feat
15. Open feat
18. Open feat

[Kalaska'Agathas]

I'd start with a single point in as many of the skills as I could, especially those that are trained only.

Jack of All Trades (Complete Adventurer, pg. 110) is a rather more efficient way of doing this. If only it worked with Bardic Knack...

And I'll also throw in a recommendation for Changling Rogue at first level - skills and the wonderful Social Intuition ability are great.

[Rubik]

Start here: Factotum Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2720.0)

Maybe consider a build like Changeling Rogue (with racial sub) 1/ Factotum 8/ Warblade (for Iron Heart Surge) 1/ Chameleon 10
1. Able Learner
3. Knowledge Devotion
6. Font of Inspiration
9. Font of Inspiration
12. Open feat
15. Open feat
18. Open featAgreed with the changeling rogue sub level. At some point, nab Craven to add your character level to sneak attacks (or sub sneak attack out for something else, such as using the martial rogue from Unearthed Arcana to exchange that for a fighter feat). Then sub out trap sense and trapfinding for other alternative class features, since trap sense is nigh useless, and you gain trapfinding in factotum anyway.

[Bloodgruve]

I ran a Dark Creature templated Whisper Gnome Iaijutsu Focus Factotum. He was quite awesome. A dip into Swordsage for some help with HiPS. Was averaging 9d6 IF damage per attack at lvl 12. This was a bit much though and had almost too many options. I don't suggest IF though, you have to dedicate your build fully to it.

The class is amazing but you need a reliable way to do damage. Ask your DM if you could qualify for Craven with your Sneak Attack. This with Knowledge Devotion will give you steady damage with two feats. 3x Font of Inspiration was great for me. Chameleon at 9th level. Full rank your 6 knowledge's and put 1 rank in each other skill.

lvl - feat
1 - Able Learner, FoI (Flaw), TWF
3 - Knowledge Devotion, Collector of Stories (Skill Trick)
6 - Craven
9 - FoI
12 - FoI

Blood~

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Also of note, Able Learner (Races of Destiny, pg. 150) has been suggested a couple of times here, but it technically requires Human or Doppelganger. Now, it is entirely reasonable to make this available to Changelings* (since their racial heritage is Human and Doppelganger) but it is a house rule you'll have to request from the DM.

*In point of fact, there's nothing particularly troubling about making Able Learner not a [RACIAL] feat in the first place - a lot of individuals of all races have "...a great aptitude for learning." - but as written that's how it is.

[bekeleven]

Jack of All Trades (Complete Adventurer, pg. 110) is a rather more efficient way of doing this. If only it worked with Bardic Knack...

Jack of all Trades grants fewer ranks than factotum abilities require, sadly.

Also, as a factotum/Chameleon, I tend to find myself feat-starved at most op levels.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Jack of all Trades grants fewer ranks than factotum abilities require, sadly.

Also, as a factotum/Chameleon, I tend to find myself feat-starved at most op levels.

You know, having reinspected carefully, I find you're absolutely right. Same problem as with Bardic Knack. Never mind that recommendation, then.

[Kennisiou]

Also of note, Able Learner (Races of Destiny, pg. 150) has been suggested a couple of times here, but it technically requires Human or Doppelganger. Now, it is entirely reasonable to make this available to Changelings* (since their racial heritage is Human and Doppelganger) but it is a house rule you'll have to request from the DM.

*In point of fact, there's nothing particularly troubling about making Able Learner not a [RACIAL] feat in the first place - a lot of individuals of all races have "...a great aptitude for learning." - but as written that's how it is.

The reason it's not listed is Changelings are Eberron campaign setting exclusive race and races of destiny was a book that wasn't written for the Eberron setting. In the description for the PrC Chameleon, it suggests that in the Eberron setting Changeling should get access to the Able Learner feat and entry to the Chameleon PrC. It's essentially written in the book that, for Eberron (and by extension any setting that uses Eberron races), Changeling qualifies for Chameleon and Able Learner.

Edit: As for being feat starved...

It really depends how good at "everything" you really want to be. In general, factotum is "taxed" 3-4 feats for font of inspiration, so let's take them out. Even going with 4 FoI, you wind up with three feats remaining plus one floating bonus feat you can change daily. To become even just baseline competent at archery basically requires 2 feats (point blank shot and precise shot), and that's not including the fact that you probably need to have something that brings your damage up off of the floor of 1d8 + 0 from weapon damage (knowledge devotion, craven + 1 rogue level). But just being a competent meleer? Knowledge devotion, craven + 1 rogue level. Bam! Competent melee. You've got a feat and the floating bonus feat left over, which you can use to do whatever. Maybe nab metamagic feats to improve your casting. Maybe nab martial study with the floating feat to grab useful maneuvers as needed. Maybe you use the two feats to enhance skill usage with darkstalker or similar feats. The world is open to you and you've got a free changeable bonus feat at chameleon level two. Sure you aren't going to be a solid archer, but in general being both an archer and a melee combatant is a pretty rough way to play since you wind up having to pay for two weapons. Instead it's better to just try to stay mobile enough that you should never have to resort to archery, and spells from chameleon and factotum can help you do that (or could be used to nab some emergency ranged damage dealing just in case).

[Kalaska'Agathas]

The reason it's not listed is Changelings are Eberron campaign setting exclusive race and races of destiny was a book that wasn't written for the Eberron setting. In the description for the PrC Chameleon, it suggests that in the Eberron setting Changeling should get access to the Able Learner feat and entry to the Chameleon PrC. It's essentially written in the book that, for Eberron (and by extension any setting that uses Eberron races), Changeling qualifies for Chameleon and Able Learner.

Why so it does. Man, I really need a refresher on 3.5, don't I? (Incidentally, Changelings were released into the mainline (i.e. non-Eberron) 3.5 canon with their inclusion in Monster Manual III)

[bekeleven]

It really depends how good at "everything" you really want to be. In general, factotum is "taxed" 3-4 feats for font of inspiration, so let's take them out. Even going with 4 FoI, you wind up with three feats remaining plus one floating bonus feat you can change daily. To become even just baseline competent at archery basically requires 2 feats (point blank shot and precise shot), and that's not including the fact that you probably need to have something that brings your damage up off of the floor of 1d8 + 0 from weapon damage (knowledge devotion, craven + 1 rogue level). But just being a competent meleer? Knowledge devotion, craven + 1 rogue level. Bam! Competent melee. You've got a feat and the floating bonus feat left over, which you can use to do whatever. Maybe nab metamagic feats to improve your casting. Maybe nab martial study with the floating feat to grab useful maneuvers as needed. Maybe you use the two feats to enhance skill usage with darkstalker or similar feats. The world is open to you and you've got a free changeable bonus feat at chameleon level two. Sure you aren't going to be a solid archer, but in general being both an archer and a melee combatant is a pretty rough way to play since you wind up having to pay for two weapons. Instead it's better to just try to stay mobile enough that you should never have to resort to archery, and spells from chameleon and factotum can help you do that (or could be used to nab some emergency ranged damage dealing just in case).
Sure. At low-mid op levels you'll be spending feats on Able Learner, FOI and Archery feats. Alternatively, on Able Learner, FOI, Craven, Quick Draw, and Martial Study.
At higher levels you're spending feats on Able Learner, FOI, Planar Touchstone, and Extra Spell Slot.

There are few factotum/chameleon builds with room for extra feats. Any extra feat space you have should probably be taken by Keen Intellect, Kung-Fu Genius, Faerie Mysteries Initiate, Academic Priest if you can swing Dragonlance, Darkstalker, Knowledge Devotion, and metamagic or item creations.

So a sample build might look like Able Learner (Flaw), Font of Inspiration (Flaw), Font of Inspiration (1), Font of Inspiration (3), Keen Intellect (6), Kung-Fu Genius (9), Planar Touchstone (12), Extra Spell Slot (15), Extra Spell Slot (18). That gets you 8th level Chameleon Casting; getting 9th level requires, depending on cheese level, between 2 and 3 more.

Of course, you can exchange Planar Touchstone for Heighten Spell + Earth Spell. Larger feat investment up front but you'll grab 9s faster by the end. But since I'm the one arguing that the build needs feat space, of course I'd shave it. Can also use Sanctum Spell, but you still need more feats due to Extra Spell Slot's wording.

[SinsI]

Grab a couple levels in Totemist (or, maybe, Incarnate). By switching the soulmelds you shape in the morning, you can get a good bonus to many skills, as well as some useful abilities.

[Wrathof42]

I'd say a lot of it has to do with how effective you're looking to be in combat. I very much am a huge fan of the iaijutsu focus route, but as many people have said that kind of competence requires a significant investment. If you're happy with just being a skill monkey for a large portion of the game then I would say that many of these builds will work well and still be acceptable when the fighting inevitably starts. If you want to play something that actually is a bit scary in a fight I would say that focusing on IF is a fun way to do that on top of still being a very good skill monkey, I would just suggest doing it with a a whisper gnome or human. It also depends on what level of cheese is allowed in the game. If flaws are permitted then that makes Factotums markedly stronger.