Help with ToB

[BardicDuelist]

I am about to start a small gestalt campaign and am thinking of playing a Factotum//Warblade. PrCs are banned by the DM, and I do not want to multiclass. I would like the most optomized build possible under these restrictions. Two flaws are allowed. 1-20 level build, if you don't mind.

I have never played a ToB class before so skills/maneuvers/feats etc. are all appreciated.

Thank you guys in advance.

[Dhavaer]

Iron Heart and Diamond Mind are good Warblade disciplines. At 20, Time Stands Still, Lightning Throw, Adamantine Hurricane, Diamond Nightmare Blade and Greater Insightful Strike are all good.

[Tellah]

Honestly? The most optimized build out of that would fill every available feat slot with Font of Inspiration--that'll get you 55 inspiration points, if I'm not mistaken. You'll have to meet the following INT benchmarks to make it work:

18 at 1st level
20 at 3rd
22 at 6th
24 at 9th
26 at 12th
28 at 15th
30 at 18th

Do whatever you want on the Warblade side--the factotum side will make you a god. Spend all 55 inspiration points in one round to deal 55d6 sneak attack damage, for instance. Or get nearly unlimited standard actions to use on Warblade maneuvers.

[BardicDuelist]

Honestly? The most optimized build out of that would fill every available feat slot with Font of Inspiration--that'll get you 55 inspiration points, if I'm not mistaken. You'll have to meet the following INT benchmarks to make it work:

18 at 1st level
20 at 3rd
22 at 6th
24 at 9th
26 at 12th
28 at 15th
30 at 18th

Do whatever you want on the Warblade side--the factotum side will make you a god. Spend all 55 inspiration points in one round to deal 55d6 sneak attack damage, for instance. Or get nearly unlimited standard actions to use on Warblade maneuvers.

What no LA race would let you do that? That is a lot of INT. If I can't get that much INT, what other feats do you recomend?

[Lord Tataraus]

What no LA race would let you do that? That is a lot of INT. If I can't get that much INT, what other feats do you recomend?

Gray Elf (MM) or Fire Elf (UA).

[Jack Mann]

Are you kidding? Getting Int that high is trivial, if you're focused on it.

Start with 18 Int. Take gray elf as your race (20). Now you're good for first and third. By sixth, you've put one level increase into intelligence and you've got at least a headband +2 (23). By ninth, you've got another level increase and probably a +4 headband (26). At twelfth, you get another level increase and you get a +6 headband (29). Put your level 16 increase in, and you've to 30 by level 18. And that's without inherent bonuses.

[Tellah]

It's feasible with a human using point buy, although you'll have to pump all your gold into your INT mod initially. If you aren't a human, though, that's one less feat you'll be able to take, so you'll only need to meet:

16 at 1st level
18 at 3rd
20 at 6th
22 at 9th
24 at 12th
26 at 15th
28 at 18th

And you'll get 45 inspiration points. That's very doable with a Gray Elf, which would be a fair choice for a Warblade, STR- and CON-penalties aside. Don't bother taking Weapon Finesse, because you'll always be adding your INT mod to hit, which should be plenty.

[BardicDuelist]

It's feasible with a human using point buy, although you'll have to pump all your gold into your INT mod initially. If you aren't a human, though, that's one less feat you'll be able to take, so you'll only need to meet:

16 at 1st level
18 at 3rd
20 at 6th
22 at 9th
24 at 12th
26 at 15th
28 at 18th

And you'll get 45 inspiration points. That's very doable with a Gray Elf, which would be a fair choice for a Warblade, STR- and CON-penalties aside. Don't bother taking Weapon Finesse, because you'll always be adding your INT mod to hit, which should be plenty.

I was thinking of taking Sun Elf since FR races are usually available.

By RAW does the factotum ability at level 19 allow you to mimic maneuvers/spells/powers? Are they technically class features by RAW, or no?

Can you use UMD to make a UPD check because you can mimic skill ranks?

[Ulzgoroth]

I seem to see people suggesting satisfying feat prerequisites with enhancement bonus items.

Am I missing something here?

[SCPRedMage]

I seem to see people suggesting satisfying feat prerequisites with enhancement bonus items.

Am I missing something here?

If you are, so am I. 'Cause, you know, you can use ability score enhancement items to qualify for USING something, but not to qualify for taking character options, such as feats...

In other words, if the feat listed a stat requirement in the Prerequisite line, you basically have to qualify naked, no items, no spells. If it says a requirement in, say, the Benefit portion, then you can use items for it.

Without having Complete Adventurer in front of me, I couldn't tell you what the specifics on this...

[Ulzgoroth]

It's not in Complete Adventurer...Factotums are out of Dungeonscape apparently, and the feat in question is linked in this thread. The relevant text, though, is:

Special: You can take this multiple times. Each time you take this feat after the first time, the number of inspiration points you gain increases by 1 (for example, you gain 2 inspiration points if you take the feat a second time). The maximum number of times you can take this feat is equal to your Intelligence modifier.

[BardicDuelist]

I seem to remember somthing saying you can qualify for feats and PrCs with magic items, but I don't remember where.

I will probably just take what my character can with an unmodified INT though. What other feats would be good?

[Gralamin]

Honestly? The most optimized build out of that would fill every available feat slot with Font of Inspiration--that'll get you 55 inspiration points, if I'm not mistaken. You'll have to meet the following INT benchmarks to make it work:

18 at 1st level
20 at 3rd
22 at 6th
24 at 9th
26 at 12th
28 at 15th
30 at 18th

Do whatever you want on the Warblade side--the factotum side will make you a god. Spend all 55 inspiration points in one round to deal 55d6 sneak attack damage, for instance. Or get nearly unlimited standard actions to use on Warblade maneuvers.

Exactly how does this work to get 55 Inspiration points?
At level 20, A Factotum has 10 points.
7 Fonts of inspiration give you (1+2+3+4+5+6+7 = 28) inspiration points
10+28 = 38

Ah Forgot about Flaws. Nevermind then.

[SCPRedMage]

It's not in Complete Adventurer...Factotums are out of Dungeonscape apparently, and the feat in question is linked in this thread. The relevant text, though, is:

There I go, confusing books again.

Regardless, in a case like this, you couldn't use items or temporary spells to qualify for taking that feat multiple times.

[Jack Mann]

If you are, so am I. 'Cause, you know, you can use ability score enhancement items to qualify for USING something, but not to qualify for taking character options, such as feats...

In other words, if the feat listed a stat requirement in the Prerequisite line, you basically have to qualify naked, no items, no spells. If it says a requirement in, say, the Benefit portion, then you can use items for it.

Without having Complete Adventurer in front of me, I couldn't tell you what the specifics on this...

A feat sometimes requires you to have a certain ability
score, which is the case with Two-Weapon Fighting (it
requires Dex 15). A character has, say, Dex 13, but wears
an item, in this case gloves of Dexterity +2, and now her Dex
score is 15. Can she take the feat and have it be active only
when she wears the item?
Actually yes, she could take the feat, but she would lose the
use of the feat if, for whatever reason, she loses the bonus from
the item.

So you can use that headband of intellect to qualify for font of inspiration, but you lose the benefit of the feat if you take it off.

EDIT: And the feat isn't actually in Dungeonscape either. It was introduced in the article linked.

[BardicDuelist]

Let's see: Human, take two flaws (which?), and Font of Ispiration 4 times at first level.
1-18 Int, Font of Inspiration x4(12 Inspiration Points)
3-Vital Recovery
6-Sudden Recovery
8-20 Int
9-Font of inspiration (20 Inspiration points)
12-
15-
16-22 Int
18- Font of Inspiration (29 Inspiration points)

What should I take to fill in the blanks if I don't want to use magic items to meet prereqs? Is there any Pazuzu/Faustian Pact cheeze that I can use to increase my Inspiration points?

EDIT: Filled in some blanks. How does it look?

[Gralamin]

Let's see: Human, take two flaws (which?), and Font of Ispiration 4 times at first level.
1-18 Int, Font of Inspiration x4(12 Inspiration Points)
3-
6-
8-20 Int
9-Font of inspiration (20 Inspiration points)
12-
15-
16-22 Int
18- Font of Inspiration (29 Inspiration points)

What should I take to fill in the blanks if I don't want to use magic items to meet prereqs? Is there any Pazuzu/Faustian Pact cheeze that I can use to increase my Inspiration points?

Faustian Pact for 1-point ability Increase, and/or Additional Feat.

[Darrin]

I have never played a ToB class before so skills/maneuvers/feats etc. are all appreciated.

Most of your bread-and-butter maneuvers will be coming from Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, and White Raven with a little bit of Tiger Claw (more if you're going TWF). You can avoid most of Stone Dragon.

I was going to list the maneuvers to take at each level, but I forgot gestalt rules means your IL increases at 150%... you qualify for 9th level maneuvers at level 12/12. Hrrrk... not sure what I'd take, but I suppose I'd pick a 9th level maneuver like Time Stands Still (DM9), work out which prereqs I'd want for it, and work from there.

Do you know if you want to go TWF or THF?

[Tellah]

I was thinking of taking Sun Elf since FR races are usually available.

Even better!

By RAW does the factotum ability at level 19 allow you to mimic maneuvers/spells/powers? Are they technically class features by RAW, or no?

Maneuvers, spells, and powers are not Extraordinary class features. Such features are marked with Ex. Good options include the Druid's animal companion, the Rogue's improved evasion, Ranger combat styles and favored enemies, and the Monk's diamond soul (yay, free SR! The Monk has something useful!).

Can you use UMD to make a UPD check because you can mimic skill ranks?

No, and I don't know where you're getting this "mimic skill ranks" business. You can emulate a class feature, ability score, race, or alignment. Take heart, though, because the Factotum has all skills as class skills. This means that you should invest in Iaijutsu Focus and Autohypnosis, if you haven't already thought of it.

As for those four other feats, one of them should definitely be Adaptive Style--it's almost required for Warblades. You might also go for the classic Power Attack->Improved Bull Rush->Shock Trooper->Knockdown with a reach weapon.

I know you aren't looking to PrC much, but Exemplar is really, really good for a skill monkey. The ability to grant other people skill bonuses, and have them help you with Aid Another, is fantastic--even if you don't construct an army of nanobots.

[Azerian Kelimon]

He said PrC's are banned. And warblades don't need adaptive, that's swordsage. So shocktrooper is feasible.

[Tellah]

He said PrC's are banned. And warblades don't need adaptive, that's swordsage. So shocktrooper is feasible.

Ooh, forgot the whole PrC banination thing. I disagree about Adaptive Style, though; from ninth level on, you only have about half of your maneuvers readied, just like the swordsage. You could very well need one of the ones you don't have readied. Of course, he is playing gestalt with Factotum on the other side, so maybe flexibility won't be a big issue for him.

[Snooder]

You can avoid most of Stone Dragon.

Actually, no. That's where a lot of the damage dealers come from. And that's where MOUNTAIN HAMMER is from.

1-18 Int, Font of Inspiration x4(12 Inspiration Points)
3-Vital Recovery
6-Sudden Recovery
8-20 Int
9-Font of inspiration (20 Inspiration points)
12-
15-
16-22 Int
18- Font of Inspiration (29 Inspiration points)

Vital Recovery sucks. Rapid Assault is better for low level feat. And Power Attack/Cleave are actually good choices for a Warblade at low level cause you can one-hit kill fairly often.

[Darrin]

Actually, no. That's where a lot of the damage dealers come from. And that's where MOUNTAIN HAMMER is from.

That's why I said "most" of Stone Dragon. Mountain Hammer is your all-purpose anti-DR can-opener (and with gestalt you can pick it up at WB2). The rest of Stone Dragon are generally Standard Action single attacks, and with full BAB Warblades are much better off taking counters or boosts so they can get the most out of their iterative attacks.

[PlatinumJester]

I'm playing a Raptoran Warblade right now and it's great fun.

I would recomend the Stone Bones, Steel Wind (I think) and Moment of Perfect Clarity maneuvers and the stance that gives you scent.

[BardicDuelist]

Would lesser Tiefling be a better chioce? (I just opened Player's Guide to FR for the first time in two years.)
It is allowed.

Are there any level 3 or lower arcane spells that grant evasion? What book?
Maneuvers?

Also, just told that this is a level 9 campaign. I am thinking:

Lesser Tiefling
Rolled and added: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 22, Wis 11, Cha 12, Yay!
Feats: Font of Inspiration for all (for a total of +21 Inspiration Points), Flaws (Murkey Eyed and Shakey)

What skills and maneuvers? Is IjFocus in the SRD?


Also, is Font of Inspiration broken since I can do 13d6 SA Damage at level 4? Even at 9, 21d6 seems like a lot.

[Arbitrarity]

Would lesser Tiefling be a better chioce? (I just opened Player's Guide to FR for the first time in two years.)
It is allowed.

Also, just told that this is a level 9 campaign. I am thinking:

Lesser Tiefling
Rolled and added: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 22, Wis 11, Cha 12, Yay!
Feats: Font of Inspiration for all (for a total of +21 Inspiration Points), Flaws (Murkey Eyed and Shakey)

What skills and maneuvers? Is IjFocus in the SRD?


Also, is Font of Inspiration broken since I can do 13d6 SA Damage at level 4? Even at 9, 21d6 seems like a lot.

Iajitsu focus isn't in the SRD. I sorta can piece together how it works from text, though, so it works sorta like this: Charisma based skill, skill check/5 extra D6 on all damage to a flatfooted opponent, provided you have just drawn your weapon. Quickdraw may be useful, as are throwing weapons.
http://www.enworld.org/archive/index.php/t-10793.html

The SA is once during the fight, and uses up all your other action options. But yeah, it is very powerful.

[Darrin]

Would lesser Tiefling be a better chioce?

Lesser Tieflings make excellent TWF/Tiger Claw Warblades.

Are there any level 3 or lower arcane spells that grant evasion? What book?
Maneuvers?

Evasion is hard to come by... the CO guide for Fochlucan Lyrists has some ideas on how to get evasion:

http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.p...26&postcount=2

Initiate of the Draconic Mysteries might work best for a 1 level dip but the OP said no PrCs... so that leaves Ring of Evasion (which eats up most of your WBL funds), Shade template (LA +2), or the Soulmeld feats.

Also, is Font of Inspiration broken since I can do 13d6 SA Damage at level 4? Even at 9, 21d6 seems like a lot.

Direct damage isn't broken, you'll still get pwned by sharp-minded spellcasters.

[SilverClawShift]

Depending on how your DM chooses to interpret "standard character class", you get a whole mess of awesome class abilities available as a 19th level factotum.
You only get to pick three of them each day, use them for 1 minute only, and can only pick each of them one time. And they cost 4 inspiration points. But hot darn.

Swashbuckler has a few gems.
Insightful Strike: For 1 minute each day, your factotum can add their INT mod to their damage when using a finesseable weapon. On top of any other damage boosts including their strength modifier. Doesn't work on undead or other sneak/critical immune creatures.
Still a really good/interesting/fitting choice for you.

Lucky: For 4 inspiration points (and only once each day), you get to re-roll any failed attack, damage, save, skill, ect, ect. It's not a game breaker or anything, but it is is an interesting ace up the sleeve.
"You failed your reflex save and died."
*handwave* no I didn't. Maybe.

Weakening Critical: For 1 minute, any critical hit you make deals 2 strength damage. Go drizzt for potentially leaving your enemy a helpless pile of gore. And probably still alive, so now you have a hostage/prisoner, which is always fun.

There might be better options, but it's still pretty slick.

[Douglas]

Are there any level 3 or lower arcane spells that grant evasion? What book?

Almost. Ruin Delver's Fortune is a 4th level spell that gives charisma bonus (as a luck bonus) to a save type of your choice for 1d4 rounds. It also gives a special extra depending on which save you pick, and the special for reflex saves is evasion. Personal range and very short duration, but its casting time is an immediate action so you can cast it the instant you need it any time you're not flatfooted. It's in the Spell Compendium.