Reworking Factotum for custom campaign setting I'm writing. Looking for Feedback

[hakarb]

Hello Everyone,

I'm reworking the factotum class with a few changes here and there for a campaign setting that I'm working on. The campaign uses a mixture of pathfinder and 3.X rulings as I think that each system did some things right and some things wrong. The factotum is my favorite class but I'd like to give it a bit more to help it compete with the buffed up base classes. Any feedback would be appreciated, so thanks in advance!

I'm moving Cunning Brilliance to 20 to cement it as the capstone ability. I like it's current incarnation as it would get significantly more powerful with other classes being buffed and getting new EX abilities.

I would like to increase the inspiration point pool by about 30-40% and give a bonus feat every 3 levels starting at 3rd level.

Since I'm using the pathfinder skills where a lot of similar skills have been merged, it's already a stealth buff for the class so I think that the above changes should bring it in line.

I'm also going to be adding a few feats based on improving some of the inspiration class features. I want to get your opinion if the class would still be balanced just by adding those things.

tl;dr
Is factotum still balanced if I move capstone to 20, add bonus feat every 3, and give 30-40% more base inspiration points.

[Jeff the Green]

Two questions:

Would Font of Inspiration still be available?
Are you using PF or 3.5 feat progression?

[hakarb]

Two questions:

Would Font of Inspiration still be available?
Are you using PF or 3.5 feat progression?


Yes font of inspiration is available, using PF progression. I just don't like that FoI feels so mandatory for the class. It's like saying that because you're a cleric you MUST take extra turning.

[Jeff the Green]

Yes font of inspiration is available, using PF progression. I just don't like that FoI feels so mandatory for the class. It's like saying that because you're a cleric you MUST take extra turning.

Extra Turning (usually) doesn't give you the ability to break the action economy. Font of Inspiration is literally the best feat you can take for a Factotum.

Anyway, what you're doing by adding six extra feats is probably adding 21 extra IP (i.e. seven extra standard actions per encounter). Granted, you're also freeing up the other feats for more interesting things. I'd suggest instead to just increase IP every three levels, either with the +1 +2 +3... progression of Font of Inspiration or something a bit less geometric. Then get rid of Font of Inspiration and make Factotums use their feats on interesting things that don't help them break the action economy any worse than they already do.

[hakarb]

Extra Turning (usually) doesn't give you the ability to break the action economy. Font of Inspiration is literally the best feat you can take for a Factotum.

Anyway, what you're doing by adding six extra feats is probably adding 21 extra IP (i.e. seven extra standard actions per encounter). Granted, you're also freeing up the other feats for more interesting things. I'd suggest instead to just increase IP every three levels, either with the +1 +2 +3... progression of Font of Inspiration or something a bit less geometric. Then get rid of Font of Inspiration and make Factotums use their feats on interesting things that don't help them break the action economy any worse than they already do.

I like that idea. I think I'll just double what they get and remove font of inspiration. That leaves them with 20 points at level 20, which seems pretty reasonable. Part of the reason why I need to add bonus feats though is that I don't want the class to have dead levels. By moving the capstone, the class ends up with levels 6, 18, and 19, as dead levels. So I need to fill them with something.

[hakarb]

I like that idea. I think I'll just double what they get and remove font of inspiration. That leaves them with 20 points at level 20, which seems pretty reasonable. Part of the reason why I need to add bonus feats though is that I don't want the class to have dead levels. By moving the capstone, the class ends up with levels 6, 18, and 19, as dead levels. So I need to fill them with something.

After reading http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?113400-Factotum-Cunning-Strike/page2

I've decided to remove FoI, and give the class a total of 31 inspiration points. The problem remains of needing something to fill dead levels....

[hakarb]

So I'm thinking that at levels 6, 12 and 18, he would gain some additional skill points, 4 at each of those points for a total of 12 extra by 20.

And to fill the other dead level:

Improved Cunning Knowledge (Ex): Same as cunning knowledge minus the restriction of using it on the same skill once a day. Meaning that you could use it on the same skill whenever you want.