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Kellus
2008-03-31, 08:01 PM
These feats allow a factotum to diversify his study into different areas of expertise instead of the traditional wizardly and clerical pursuits. By dabbling in other arts, he can gain proficiency with a number of variant disciplines. In practice, these feats create variant factotum classes that gain several variant class features to fit a different theme.

[Dabble] feats may only be selected by a 1st level character in the factotum class. A character may only select one [Dabble] feat, even if he gains two feats at 1st level. They represent years of study in areas outside of the traditional factotum's purview.

Eldritch Dabbler
Eldritch Dabbler [Dabble]
You have forgone wizardly arcane studies in favour of uncovering fragments of eldritch power from inside yourself. Instead of careful study, you rely upon your raw luck and force of personality to get you through the day.
Prerequisite: Inspiration class feature, 1st level, Cha 13.
Benefit: You gain a number of alternative class features as you progress in the factotum class.

Charming Insight (Ex): This ability works like cunning insight (Dungeonscape 16), but you use your Charisma bonus in place of your Intelligence bonus. This ability replaces the cunning insight class feature normally gained at 1st level.

Eldritch Dilettante (Sp): At 2nd level, you acquire a vague understanding of eldritch power. At the start of each day, choose a least invocation from the warlock’s invocation list. This invocation may not be a blast essence or blast shape invocation. By spending 1 inspiration point, you can use this invocation with a caster level equal to your factotym level. You may activate this invocation as many times during the day as you wish, provided that you have the inspiration points to spend. If this invocation has a duration of 24 hours, the duration for you is replaced with 10 minutes per level. At the start of each day, you may choose a different least invocation if you so desire. The saving throw for your invocation is equal to 10 + the invocation level + your Cha bonus.

As you progress in the factotum class, you may select additional invocations. Beginning at 7th level, you may also select a single lesser invocation. Beginning at 12th level, you may also select a single greater invocation. Beginning at 17th level, you may also select a single dark invocation. These invocations follow all the same rules as your least invocation. This ability replaces the arcane dilettante class feature normally gained at 2nd level.

Luck over Lore (Su): At 3rd level, you gain your Charisma bonus as a luck bonus on Strength checks, Dexterity checks, and checks involving skills based on Strength or Dexterity, such as Hide, Climb, and Jump. This ability replaces the Brains over Brawn class feature normally gained at 3rd level.

Charming Defense (Ex): This ability works like cunning defense (Dungeonscape 17), but you use your Charisma bonus in place of your Intelligence bonus. This ability replaces the cunning defense class feature normally gained at 3rd level.

Impromptu Eldritch Blast (Sp): Starting at 4th level, you can channel your cunning and luck into a blast of eldritch power. This ability works like the warlock class feature eldritch blast, except as follows.

The damage dice of your eldritch blast corresponds to the amount of inspiration you channel into it. For every inspiration point you spend to activate it, your eldritch blast deals 2d6 damage, to a maximum of 1d6 per 2 class levels. When you activate an this ability, you may select one blast shape or blast essence invocation of a grade you would be able to access with your eldritch dilettante class feature to apply to the impromptu eldritch blast. This ability replaces the cunning strike class feature normally gained at 4th level.

Opportunistic Piety (Su): This class feature works as normal, except that it heals an amount of damage equal to twice your class level + your Charisma bonus.

Improved Charming Defense (Ex): This ability works like improved cunning defense (Dungeonscape 17), except that it applies to charming defense instead of cunning defense. This ability replaces the improved cunning defense class feature normally gained at 16th level.

Font of Eldritch Power: You qualify for the Font of Inspiration feat by merit of your Charisma score instead of your Intelligence score. You may take Font of Inspiration multiple times based on your Charisma bonus instead of your Intelligence bonus.

Mental Dabbler
Mental Dabbler [Dabble]
You have forgone magical studies to develop a rough understanding of mental tactics.
Prerequisite: Inspiration class feature, 1st level, power point reserve of at least 1 point.
Benefit: You gain a number of alternative class features as you progress in the factotum class.

Psionic Dilettante (Ps): This ability works like the arcane dilettante class feature (Dungeonscape 16), but you select psionic powers from the psion and wilder power list instead of the sorcerer and wizard spell list to prepare as psi-like abilities. You may not select powers from a discipline power list. Your manifester level for these abilities is equal to your factotum level.

The saving throw for a psi-like ability prepared with this class feature is equal to 10 + the spell level + your Int bonus. This ability replaces the arcane dilettante class feature normally gained at 2nd level.

Cunning Psionics (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you can spend 1 point of inspiration as a free action as you expend your psionic focus to gain the use of one psionic feat you qualify for to use with this expenditure of your psionic focus. This ability replaces the cunning strike class feature normally gained at 4th level.

Natural Dabbler
Natural Dabbler [Dabble]
You have forgone more traditional magical studies to gain a rudimentary knowledge of magic of the fey and of the natural world. Instead of careful study, you rely on awareness of your surroundings and your senses to protect you.
Prerequisite: Inspiration class feature, 1st level, Wis 13.
Benefit: You gain a number of alternative class features as you progress in the factotum class.

Natural Insight (Ex): This ability works like cunning insight (Dungeonscape 16), but you use your Wisdom bonus in place of your Intelligence bonus. This ability replaces the cunning insight class feature normally gained at 1st level.

Druidic Dilettante (Sp): This ability works like the arcane dilettante class feature (Dungeonscape 16), but you select spells from the druid and ranger spell lists instead of the sorcerer and wizard spell list. The saving throw for a spell-like ability prepared with this class feature is equal to 10 + the spell level + your Wis bonus. This ability replaces the arcane dilettante class feature normally gained at 2nd level.

Patience over Pride (Ex): This ability works like the brains over brawn class feature (Dungeonscape 17), but you use your Wisdom bonus in place of your Intelligence bonus. This ability replaces the brains over brawn class feature normally gained at 3rd level.

Natural Defense (Ex): This ability works like cunning defense (Dungeonscape 17), but you use your Wisdom bonus in place of your Intelligence bonus. This ability replaces the cunning defense class feature normally gained at 3rd level.

Cunning Hunt (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you can apply your studies to gain insight into the ways of certain monsters. You gain the Track feat as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the requirements. However, you can only use this feat to track your favored enemy (see below).

You may select a favoured enemy. This works just like the ranger favored enemy class feature, with the following exception. By spending 2 inspiration points and by studying a creature, its likeness, one of its posessions, or its tracks for five uninterrupted minutes, you can change your favored enemy to this creature’s type (and subtype, if applicable). Once so changed, your favored enemy remains this type and subtype until you change it again with an expenditure of inspiration and five more minutes of study. This ability replaces the cunning strike class feature normally gained at 4th level.

Opportunistic Piety (Su): This class feature works as normal, except that it heals an amount of damage equal to twice your class level + your Wisdom bonus.

Improved Natural Defense (Ex): This ability works like improved cunning defense (Dungeonscape 17), except that it applies to natural defense instead of cunning defense. This ability replaces the improved cunning defense class feature normally gained at 16th level.

Font of Natural Insight: You qualify for the Font of Inspiration feat by merit of your Wisdom score instead of your Intelligence score. You may take Font of Inspiration multiple times based on your Wisdom bonus instead of your Intelligence bonus.

In the works: Shadow Dabbler, Truename Dabbler, and Pact Dabbler.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-03-31, 08:06 PM
I believe Hunter Noventa beat you to this one. You should be able to find his work somewhere around here and compare.

Kellus
2008-03-31, 08:12 PM
Hrm. I really hadn't seen that. Yet there are sufficient differences, I think, that it can be judged on its own merits. :smallwink:

Still, some interesting stuff there. I was considering replacing Opportunistic Piety for the Natural Dabbler with shapeshift like he did, but I realized that the class still needed a simple way to heal themselves. So I put in Cunning Hunt instead, to get a ranger feel in there as well as druidic.

Any advice? :smallsmile:

Azerian Kelimon
2008-03-31, 08:18 PM
Maybe make these ACF's? As a factotum, all of my feats are going to go to FoI (Except the level 6 one for Leadership and one level 1 feat if I'm human for Able Learner to go chameleon, and that's a BIG if considering the last 10 level of 'Totum are probably on par with Chameleon), and as a factotum, a lost feat is something like 6 or 7 IP less, which is bad.

Kellus
2008-03-31, 11:07 PM
Well, even with a nonhuman factotum and a starting Int of 18, and putting all points into Int, you can take Font of Inspiration at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th levels. Assuming you put the 12th and 16th level ability increases in too, you can also take it at 18th level. That leaves at least one feat slot open, a second if you're human. I don't think it's unreasonable to require one of them for one of these different types. Especially since it is in fact getting a power boost; infinite use of invocations is almost certainly better than the normal spellcasting of the factotum, and impromptu eldritch blast, cunning psionics, and probably cunning hunt as well are better than cunning strike. They would be unsuitable for alternative class features just because they raise the power level beyond what it is to start with. :smallsmile:

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-01, 07:03 AM
Then, what about sacrificing an extra class feature for them? Like Opportunistic piety, for example.

Also, since I can get tomes and I can have FoI as long as I have a high enough INT bonus, a +2 item of INT already allows me to take FoI at 15, thus making the point of a free feat slot moot.

Kellus
2008-04-01, 01:54 PM
Yeah, you may be right. I'll think about it a bit more and probably change them to alternative class features a bit later today. :smallsmile: