The Factotum's Handbook

[Agita]

How good is Imperious Command if it does not render foes helpless?

Still pretty damn good. If you have Never Outnumbered, you just spent a Standard action to make every enemy within 30 feet waste their turn cowering in fear. Action economy, man. Even without, it's still pretty good.

10 feet unfortunately.

My bad. Recanting.

[Havok4]

How good is Imperious Command if it does not render foes helpless?

Still pretty damn good. If you have Never Outnumbered, you just spent a Standard action to make every enemy within 30 feet waste their turn cowering in fear. Action economy, man. Even without, it's still pretty good.

10 feet unfortunately.

My bad. Recanting.

It is still quite good though.

[Azoriel]

How good is Imperious Command if it does not render foes helpless?

Wear fearsome armor (from DotU, pg 97) - it makes demoralize into a move action.  Use your standard action to pound the other guy while he's busy peeing himself.  Keep on doing this until he's dead - he doesn't get any choice in this matter, since he doesn't get a save or anything.

Even without fearsome armor, just have one of your buddies/pets/mounts/hirelings/etc do the whacking while you do the intimidating.  If you have 9 or more levels in Zhentarim Soldier, you can even beat out the armor-wearers, since demoralize is a swift action for you.  Or you can be a very sad 14th level CW Samurai who doesn't intimidate quite so well (among many, MANY other things).  How is this not good?

[JaronK]

Anyone have a list/table of everything that can be considered a Strength or Dexterity check for "Brains over Brawn"

I don't, but the big ones are Tripping and Initiative.

JaronK

[HotSoup]

Alright, need some advice on direction.

To start, I'm playing with a group whom are somewhat inexperienced. They've played before, but nothing hardcore. I'm the "power gamer" I know a lot of books off by heart, I know all sorts of ways to abuse the game, that sort of thing, they are all more so basic players. Ones a Psion who doesn't really know how to play a Psion, first timer, and is doing very poor. We've got a player whos a Sorceror/fighter. Bad class selection I know, but thats how he wants to go. And we've got a barbarian who took exotic armor proff-Tower Shield because he's trying to stack his ac, as opposed to his DPS. So yeah, bunch of bad players.

Anyway, having issues getting through combat. They just can't deal enough damage. So that means I've got to step up to the plate. Initally I decided to play Factotum, as I figured they would all be smashy players, but it's not so.

Anyway, atm, I'm Human Factotum 3.

Str 10
Dex 15
Con 13
int 22
Wis 14
Cha 18

In retrospect, that 18 Cha was a bad idea, but oh well.

I've got two Font of Inspirations, not sure what to take for 3rd level.

I've got maybe 1.5k to spend when I get a chance, other than that, my equipment is basically starting gear.

Anyway, my DM says that Iajitsu focus, since it's from oriental, has to be CC with me, that makes it pretty expensive. Add that to the fact that my playgroup would probably frown on me should I start throwing marbles or wielding a quickrazor, I think that idea is mostly out the window.

I know about Imperios command or what have you, but until I can get the skill trick to go with it, which is lvl 4-5? It's not worth my time..

So how should I go about becoming relevant in combat? Where should I dump my feat?

[Lycanthromancer]

What about the phrase 'all skills are class skills for the factotum' lends itself to any skill being cross-class?

If that's the case, avoid Iaijutsu Focus altogether and instead find some way to get Point Blank Shot and Rapid shot without using actual feats so you can take Manyshot and add your Int to every attack roll for a single inspiration point each round, since you'll have a few IPs to spare.

[HotSoup]

Best way to get PBS and Rapidshot for free? I'm sure it's do-able, but probably through very expensive items or multi-classes.

[Lycanthromancer]

It won't work for poison-immune foes (essentially, undead and constructs), but you can always buy a really cheap dorje of psionic minor creation, invest ranks in Use Psionic Device and Craft (Alchemy), and take Master of Poisons or find another way to become immune to poison, then start making lots of plant-based poisons, such as black lotus extract. That'll knock down lots of foes PDQ.

[JaronK]

If your DM has made IF cross class (which is just weird, but whatever), go with archery and Knowledge Devotion... assuming it won't overpower your group.  Matching them is more important that being powerful.

JaronK

[urarenge]

How good is Imperious Command if it does not render foes helpless?

Wear fearsome armor (from DotU, pg 97) - it makes demoralize into a move action.  Use your standard action to pound the other guy while he's busy peeing himself.  Keep on doing this until he's dead - he doesn't get any choice in this matter, since he doesn't get a save or anything.

Even without fearsome armor, just have one of your buddies/pets/mounts/hirelings/etc do the whacking while you do the intimidating.  If you have 9 or more levels in Zhentarim Soldier, you can even beat out the armor-wearers, since demoralize is a swift action for you.  Or you can be a very sad 14th level CW Samurai who doesn't intimidate quite so well (among many, MANY other things).  How is this not good?

a bit late in the discussion about cowering, but I have a copy of the PHB in spanish, and it says:

cowering: paralyzed by fear and unable to take actios, etc...

anda paralyzed implies helpless

traduction mistake, or RAI?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

It's an idiom.

[Dictum Mortuum]

So it is decided then? Remove the helpless thingy from imperious command?

[Jopustopin]

After reading all the rules I'm convinced that a cowered opponent is not helpless.

[Bastian]

Another skill for factotums is Handle Humanoid. Note that do to the wording while factotums can take ranks in the skill, they can only actually use it when they count as feline. The same goes for the new use of the bluff skill from the same link.

[Ivory Knight]

Would Catfolk count?
Or Were[something, maybe Cat or Wildcat to stay low on LA & Racial HD]?

Can this Skill do anything, a Factotum can't already do with Diplomacy?(which also works on Non-Humanoid Non-Animals, like Dragons)

[The_Mad_Linguist]

You can diplomance people you don't speak the language of over the course of weeks.

Amusing, yes.  Effective, no.

[Benly]

You can diplomance people you don't speak the language of over the course of weeks.

Amusing, yes.  Effective, no.

It doesn't have to be over the course of weeks - "push" is a full-round action and is only DC 25 for any action. It also doesn't work by adjusting their attitude, so it works fine against people whose attitude towards you can't be improved for whatever reason (I'm not sure there's any effect that actually does that, though). Of course, no DM would allow this, but hey, it's nice to bluesky.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

I don't think you can "push" hostile animals with handle animal, though.

[Bastian]

Can this Skill do anything, a Factotum can't already do with Diplomacy?(which also works on Non-Humanoid Non-Animals, like Dragons)

You can use it to annoy the **** out of/amuse your teammates since it works on PCs. You also don't need quite as high a check to command any potential enemies that are traveling with you.

It's best use is to allow a teammate to perform "a task or trick that it doesn't know but is physically capable of performing" via the "push" option. As already mentioned this allows you to make it perform any trick without training. Furthermore, do to the inclusion of the word task, you are theoretically able to make them perform anything they are physically capable of, such as using all your skills without actually taking ranks in them.

Edit: Please note that Handle Humanoid works on monstrous humanoids and giants as well at only a -5 penalty.

I don't think you can "push" hostile animals with handle animal, though.

How is that relevant? It's an option provide by by Handle Humanoid, Handle Animal doesn't factor in in anyway.

[Hallack]

Was just looking over some low level items and noticed that Pearls of Power could be quite handy for a Factotum in overcoming it's limited spells/day.  I'm sure it's been noted before but didn't see any mention in the handbook.