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DaTedinator
2013-02-23, 04:11 PM
Yeah, so, I guess technically I'm throwing my hat in the Monk Fix arena. But at least I'm doing it in a weird way, right?

Anyway, I was looking at the factotum recently and realized that it actually has a curious number of monk abilities already built in. Cunning Defense is the AC bonus, Cunning Surge is both Flurry of Blows and the enhanced movement speed, Cunning Breach is Ki Strike, and Opportunistic Piety is Wholeness of Body. Like seriously, all that was missing was a Wisdom focus and some flavor tweaking, and you've got a better monk.

Rather than just be that lazy, though, I decided to type up some ACFs and feats to let it more naturally slip into the monk's shoes, as well as to integrate some popular monk ACFs (like Invisible Fist and Wild Monk).

So, yeah, here you go. PEACH, as always.

ALTERNATE CLASS FEATURES

Cunning Ki

Rather than channeling divine energy, you’re capable of unleashing your own inner energy. And while it’s still helpful for you, it’s a lot less pleasant for everybody else.

Class: Factotum

Level: 5th

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain access to the Opportunistic Piety class feature, nor to any of its improvements.

Benefit: Starting at 5th level, you can spend 1 inspiration point to channel your ki as a standard action. You can use this energy to either heal yourself, or to hurl a harmful burst of energy. At 5th level, you can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom bonus (if any). You gain one extra daily use of this ability at 10th level, 15th level, and 20th level. You cannot use cunning ki if you have exhausted your daily uses, even if you have inspiration points left to spend.

If you use this ability to heal injuries, you channel your ki into your own injuries, healing a number of points of damage equal to twice your factotum level + your Int modifier.

If you use this ability to fire a burst of ki, you make a ranged touch attack against a target within 30 feet. If you hit, they take force damage equal to twice your factotum level + your Int modifier. If you miss, you still expend an inspiration point and a use of this ability.

Additionally, you may spend uses of this ability to fuel the Stunning Fist feat (or other feats or abilities that use Stunning Fist uses). This use of the ability does not require the expenditure of an inspiration point.


Cunning Stealth

You take naturally to the shadows, finding it easy to occasionally disappear from view.

Class: Factotum

Level: 1st

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain access to the Cunning Insight class feature.

Benefit: You may spend an inspiration point as a swift action to become invisible for 1 round. Once you’ve used this ability, you must wait three rounds before you can use it again.


Feral Factotum

Most factotums gather their divine energies from the castoffs of the gods. You, however, have found that the natural world is a much more interesting source of power.

Class: Factotum

Level: 5th

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain access to the Opportunistic Piety class feature, nor to any of its improvements.

Benefit: Starting at 5th level, you gain the ability to Shapeshift, as the Druid alternate class feature detailed in Player’s Handbook 2 (p.39). You have access to predator form at 5th level, aerial form at 10th, ferocious slayer form at 15th, and forest avenger form at 20th. It costs an inspiration point to shift into a form, but not to shift back.


Insightful Factotum

Rather than relying on cunning, your focus is more on being aware of yourself, your enemies, and your surroundings.

Class: Facotutm

Level: 1st

Replaces: If you select this class feature, many of your class features are altered.

Benefit: You use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Intelligence modifier for all of your Factotum class features (notably Cunning Insight, Arcane Dilettante, Brains Over Brawn, Cunning Defense, Opportunistic Piety, and Improved Cunning Defense).

This one feels boring to me. I want to do something more interesting with it than just swapping abilities, but I can't imagine what. Any ideas would be great.


Lay Priest

While other factotums are more opportunistic in their faith, you pay more than mere lip service to the gods, and in return find yourself with their blessings.

Class: Factotum

Level: 2nd

Replaces: This alternate class feature modifies the Arcane Dilettante class feature. You may no longer select spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard list.

Benefit: Select either the Cleric spell list or the Druid spell list. You choose your spell-like abilities received from the Arcane Dilettante class feature from the selected list, rather than the Sorcerer/Wizard list.


Martial Artist

Rather than practicing with weapons, you’ve turned your body into a living weapon.

Class: Any class that grants proficiency with all martial weapons.

Level: 1st (unless the class grants proficiency with martial weapons at a level other than 1st, in which case this feature can be taken only at that level).

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you don’t gain proficiency with any martial weapons.

Benefit: You gain the Unarmed Strike class feature, as a monk of your class level. You effective monk level for the purposes of this class feature stack with any other monk levels for the purpose of determining your unarmed damage.


Martial Dilettante

Rather than dabbling in the arcane, you spend more time practicing with a blade.

Class: Factotum

Level: 2nd

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain access to the Arcane Dilettante class feature, nor to any of its improvements.

Benefit: Beginning at 2nd level, you gain a measure of understanding of the Sublime Way, enough to allow you to perform a few martial maneuvers.

At the beginning of each day, you may choose a number of martial maneuvers to temporarily learn and ready. Your initiator level is equal to your class level plus half your levels in other classes. You may choose to learn a stance in place of any (or all) of the maneuvers you can ready; stances don’t count against your one-maneuver-per-level limit (see below).

You can choose one maneuver at 2nd level, and you gain additional maneuvers at 4th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 17th, and 20th level. The maximum level of maneuver you can use is based on your initiator level, and maneuvers from any discipline are available to you; however, you can only ready one maneuver of any given level, and you must meet any prerequisites a maneuver has. Your initiator level is equal to your factotum level, plus half your level in other classes.

You begin an encounter with all of your maneuvers ready and unexpended, regardless of how many times you have used them since you readied them. Once you have used a maneuver, it remains expended for the duration of the encounter, unless you choose to recover it.

In any round that you don’t use any maneuvers (you may remain in a stance you’ve already entered), you may recover a maneuver by spending an inspiration point as a standard action.

This ability I'm a little iffy about. It's pretty different from Arcane Dilettante, so I just want to be certain it's balanced. In particular, I question allowing him to use maneuvers without spending an inspiration point; was that wise?


Perfect Factotum

You may not be as skilled as your brethren, but you’ve trained both your body and your mind to be more resistant to attack.

Class: Factotum

Level: 1st

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you gain 2 less skill points per level (8 less at 1st level), and you don’t gain access to the Cunning Knowledge class feature.

Benefit: Your Fortitude and Will save progressions both improve to good progressions, making them equal to your Reflex save progression.


Psychic Talent

You have the spark of psionic abilities, giving you mental powers beyond those of a standard factotum.

Class: Factotum

Level: 2nd

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain access to the Arcane Dilettante class feature, nor to any of its improvements.

Benefit: At 2nd level, you gain the Hidden Talent feat (see Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 67). You gain 2 psionic power points, can now learn any psionic feat for which you meet the prerequisites, can expend your psionic focus, and can gain a single 1st-level power from any list. Your manifester level is equal to half your class level, and you gain bonus power points based on your Intelligence modifier.

Normally the Hidden Talent feat can be taken only once at 1st level, but a factotum with this class feature can take the Hidden Talent feat multiple times. Additionally, at 4th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 17th, and 20th level, you gain Hidden Talent as a bonus feat.

A factotum of at least 7th level, may select 2nd-level powers with the Hidden Talent feat; at 12th, he may select 3rd-level powers, at 17th, he may select 4th-level powers, and at 20th, he may select 5th-level powers.

I'm a little worried, and simultaneously a little proud of this one. I got a bit creative with the translation from Arcane to Psionics, and I think it turned out well; I'm just eager to get some extra opinions on balance.


FEATS

Cunning Psionicist [Psionic]
Your mental talents allow you to find inspiration anywhere.
Prerequisites: Access to inspiration points
Benefit: You may expend your psionic focus to spend 5 power points as though they were 1 inspiration point. Additionally, you may spend an inspiration point to attempt to gain psionic focus as a move action. If you have the Psionic Meditation feat, you may spend an inspiration point to attempt to gain psionic focus as a swift action.

Naked Factotum
You’re at your best when unhindered by armor.
Prerequisites: Factotum level 3rd
Benefit: Many of your class features are enhanced if you go unarmored:
Cunning Defense: If you use this ability while unarmored, the bonus to AC applies to all opponents, rather than just one.
Cunning Surge: If you use this ability to take a move action while you’re unarmored, you can move up double your speed.
Cunning Dodge: If you’re unarmored, you can use this ability 1/encounter rather than 1/day.
Improved Cunning Defense: Whenever you go without armor, you gain a +4 insight bonus to AC.

--

So yeah, a traditional monk would take the Cunning Ki, Insightful Factotum, Martial Artist, and Perfect Factotum ACFs, and the Naked Factotum feat (and then probably the Martial Dilettante ACF, too). I think that pretty well matches the standard monk feeling, and manages to do so in a balanced (AKA fun-to-play) way.

Thoughts? Comments? Overflowing praises?

Xaotiq1
2013-02-23, 07:20 PM
This might interest you: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204698&page=2.

Draz74
2013-02-24, 02:47 AM
This might interest you: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204698&page=2.

I was trying to remember where that thread was! Though you should probably look at the OP (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11284827&postcount=1), rather than Page 2 of the thread.

Also, Pair o'Dice's Insightful Factotum variant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8389322&postcount=1).

DaTedinator
2013-02-27, 11:14 AM
Well, there you go. Guess I wasn't as creative as I'd thought.

Oh well! Thanks for pointing those out to me.