Factotum in 4th Ed.?

[Stormageddon]

One of my favorite classes in 3.5. But now my group has decided to move on to 4.0 d&d. what do you think the chances that factotum will be rewritten into 4.0?

[Greenish]

No dice. Shame.

[Kylarra]

It's unlikely. Mechanically you could pseudo approximate it by being a bard and taking all multiclass feats that grant other powers, but that's probably about it.

[DeltaEmil]

What combat-role should the Factotum have anyway?

It is capable of spell-casting, has 2/3-base attack bonus progression, and can spontaneously use other class feature like sneak attacks, rage, lay on hands and other such in third edition.

Let it choose any four skills as trained skills to show their dabbling in everything, and give it some utility powers similar to the Rogue, the Ranger and the Bard to boost skill checks.

Being a spell-caster isn't the ultimate class anymore, so it doesn't have to be able to use spells from other classes anymore. Although perhaps it could have some benefit when using multiclass-feats to emulate this specific class feature.

It does not look like the Factotum was meant to be a main frontline combatant, so probably not Defender.
The Factotum does have some abilities to ignore some part of the enemy's defense and can boost it's own, so he might be leaning a wee bit towards striker.

Perhaps one could give the Factotum an additional facet where they use their inspiration and cunning to improve others like the bard and the warlord, but it does look like it just would be a copy of these other two classes. Also, the bard isn't that bad at being the jack-of-trades anymore in 4th edition.

A bard with a multiclass feat might emulate the third edition Factotum the best, I think.

[Indon]

What combat-role should the Factotum have anyway?

It would be a defender/striker/controller/leader, I imagine. It would be below-par in all of them, but have the potent tactical option of being able to choose which role to take from turn to turn.

Alternately, it could be a Bardic Paragon Path that facilitates this style of play. Font of Inspiration would be the PP action point related ability.

[DeltaEmil]

It would be a defender/striker/controller/leader, I imagine. It would be below-par in all of them, but have the potent tactical option of being able to choose which role to take from turn to turn.

That's rather not good and not desired for 4th edition anyway. People are crying around that the Avenger is a worse striker, after all, and a class that is suboptimal in all four roles, even although it can perform them somehow at all would lead to a nuclear explosion.

Alternately, it could be a Bardic Paragon Path that facilitates this style of play. Font of Inspiration would be the PP action point related ability.

This is probably the best idea.

[Kylarra]

Alternatively Half-elf paragon multiclassing w/ versatile master is pretty much your factotum.

[NeSS Esqa]

Or a changeling/doppelganger Bard with the Chameleon PP. Take all the best powers from your teammates and use them better than they do!

[Kurald Galain]

It would be a defender/striker/controller/leader, I imagine. It would be below-par in all of them, but have the potent tactical option of being able to choose which role to take from turn to turn.

That does not strike me as a potent tactical option. Also, the difference between those roles is pretty blurry to begin with, and most existing classes can cover two or three of them without breaking a sweat.

Alternately, it could be a Bardic Paragon Path that facilitates this style of play. Font of Inspiration would be the PP action point related ability.

I believe there is a bardic paragon path that lets you use abilities from your teammates.

[Kylarra]

There's also hybrids which lets you hit that jack of all trades thing in your particular flavor as well..

[oxybe]

Bard|Rogue hybrid with the "jack of all trades" feat and the Rogue PP "jack of all trades". you need good Dex/Cha and at least 13 Int

+5 to all untrained skills, +2 to trained skills. when he spends an AP he gets +5 to all skill checks until end of turn, and gets an encounter ability to reroll a skill check (and can pick whichever roll he wants from the 2).

at this point you can probably pick & choose multiclass feats or skill feats to taste to gain access to new powers & abilities. pretty much the best dabbler i can think of.