Author Topic: The Factotum's Handbook  (Read 338756 times)

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Dictum Mortuum

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #120 on: January 30, 2010, 12:03:00 PM »
No thanks people. I'm only making this exception because iaijutsu focus is a skill and factoti are skill experts. I'm not going to use OA further.
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JaronK

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #121 on: January 31, 2010, 12:10:38 AM »
Don't forget that both of these can be enchanted as though they were armor.  You can load up on a pretty impressive AC and defensive abilities this way.

Not AC, since the enhancement bonuses to AC won't stack.  But you can get a few nice enchantments none the less.

Either way, now that you're looking into IF as a damage source, you might want to look over all the various ways to flat foot people.  A lot of skill tricks do it, making them a lot more valuable than the guide currently claims.  The Blurstriking enchantment, Grease, and simply going before the enemy has a chance to act are probably the best and easiest ways, but there's a ton out there. 

Also, don't forget Craven as a damage source.  Remember, Factotums do get sneak attack as a class ability for where it matters.

And the best part about playing with a Gnomish Quickrazor?  You can use all the art for Assassin's Creed as art for your character art.  Neat.

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Havok4

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #122 on: January 31, 2010, 01:50:41 AM »

And the best part about playing with a Gnomish Quickrazor?  You can use all the art for Assassin's Creed as art for your character art.  Neat.

JaronK

Unless your character is a gnome to take advantage of the racial weapon proficiency rules and other whispergnome goodies. Then you would need a image of what assassin's creed would look like if the main character was about 3 feet high.

Solo

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #123 on: January 31, 2010, 03:14:24 AM »
How about Enlarge Person?

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JaronK

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #124 on: January 31, 2010, 05:40:46 PM »
Unless your character is a gnome to take advantage of the racial weapon proficiency rules and other whispergnome goodies. Then you would need a image of what assassin's creed would look like if the main character was about 3 feet high.

You just use the pictures of him where no other people are visible.  Some of them are at funny angles, where you could at least pretend he's smaller.

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Akalsaris

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #125 on: January 31, 2010, 06:19:49 PM »
While pretending you're an Assassin's Creed character, you can even make use of your factotum's high int to speak exotic languages!


Optimator

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #126 on: February 17, 2010, 10:56:48 PM »
For completion's sake, Lucid Dreaming isn't in the skill list. 

Akalsaris

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #127 on: February 18, 2010, 02:35:42 AM »
Don't forget ranks in the lycanthrope's Control Shape skill! ;P

Dictum Mortuum

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #128 on: February 18, 2010, 06:39:21 AM »
For completion's sake, Lucid Dreaming isn't in the skill list. 

Whoops, i forgot about that.

Don't forget ranks in the lycanthrope's Control Shape skill! ;P

That's in the skill list :p
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Optimator

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #129 on: February 18, 2010, 10:17:17 PM »
I know where the rules for Craft: Writing are from (Races of Stone) but where is Craft: Musical Composition from?

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #130 on: February 19, 2010, 12:01:30 AM »
Illusory script is a great spell for factota.  Put it on a banner - presto, you've turned a single slot and some cash into an at-will suggestion.
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Dictum Mortuum

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #131 on: February 19, 2010, 10:54:45 AM »
I know where the rules for Craft: Writing are from (Races of Stone) but where is Craft: Musical Composition from?

I don't remember anymore :p I think races of stone.

Illusory script is a great spell for factota.  Put it on a banner - presto, you've turned a single slot and some cash into an at-will suggestion.

haha :P
You can hire two people to carry it. It would be extremely funny to bring it to the demonstration.
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Agita

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #132 on: February 19, 2010, 10:55:45 AM »
I know where the rules for Craft: Writing are from (Races of Stone) but where is Craft: Musical Composition from?
Off the top of my head, Races of the Wild, I believe.

EDIT: Nope, DM has got it right.
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FireSeraph

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #133 on: March 03, 2010, 11:10:25 PM »
Heya. Just came upon the site for the first time after finally discovering the factotum class (shame on me for not noticing such a wonderful, wonderful class before this  :banghead ).
Just wanted to say that this is a great guide, extremely useful suggestions (I'm currently making a factotum-incarnate for a possible gestalt game that might take place soon) and I found all the tips useful. Just a few thoughts on the factotum.

Nymph's Kiss (BoED): I'm surprised that this feat wasn't mentioned in the recommended feat list. True, it's an Exalted feat which means you have to be a well played good alignment, but it grants a +1 to saves versus spells and spell-like abilities (decent imo), +2 circumstance bonus to all Charisma-related checks (that includes skills like Diplomacy and Use Magic Device) and most importantly (for me at least), an extra skill rank at every level starting at the level that the feat is first taken. For a skill intensive class like the factotum, I find this feat to be highly recommended. Thoughts?

bearsarebrown

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #134 on: March 04, 2010, 12:34:34 AM »
The only reason against it is that it could be redudant. Skills are only so useful. It often depends on how skill-based you are, and how often your DM actually uses skills.

JaronK

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #135 on: March 04, 2010, 12:39:35 AM »
I love that feat actually, but the Exalted requirement makes it a lot harder to work with.  After all, it means you have to be more stuck up than the Paladin.  If you were going to roleplay like that anyway then it's a wonderful feat that I'd take right away (even just for the extra 23 skillpoints!) and the UMD, Diplomacy, and Iajuitsu Focus bonus ain't bad either, but I've never played a Factotum that was so goody two shoes.

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Akalsaris

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #136 on: March 04, 2010, 12:40:45 AM »
That is true (and my swift hunter is in that exact situation - he's got tons of skills but never needs to use them), but it's still a wonderful feat to take at 1st level for a good-aligned character.

(Personally, I love poisons too much - my next factotum is going to be NE all the way!) :P

JaronK

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #137 on: March 04, 2010, 12:42:41 AM »
(Personally, I love poisons too much - my next factotum is going to be NE all the way!) :P

That's a big one for me too.  Minor Creation + Master of Poisons + Splitting Bow of Assassination all the way.  Nymph's Kiss means I can't do that.

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FireSeraph

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #138 on: March 04, 2010, 12:48:34 AM »
Good point on all those. Poison was never really an issue in my games so far since no one actually uses them hence why I usually toss in Nymph's kiss for all of my skill monkey builds.

FireSeraph

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Re: The Factotum's Handbook
« Reply #139 on: March 04, 2010, 12:50:54 AM »
Oh yeah...something else that I just remembered. Under arcane dilettante, it's noted that you can't take spells that require an XP cost. Wouldn't that take spells like Limited Wish out of the list? Unless there's no XP cost when duplicating a spell which I may have missed out.