Getting the Facts Straight: A Factotum Handbook (WIP, PEACH)

[Gildedragon]

Naturally I disagree with me overstating the Int bonus. This bonus means having +4 skill points at level 1, +1 to the bonuses granted by most of the factotum abilities, +1 to all Str and Dex skills and checks, 1 more language known, and if you're taking Int for X feats the power of that +2 just increases.

Considering that the DMGII puts the LA of such an ability at around +2 LA for PC's (via the Prodigy NPC ability), getting it is well worth it.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Naturally I disagree with me overstating the Int bonus. This bonus means having +4 skill points at level 1, +1 to the bonuses granted by most of the factotum abilities, +1 to all Str and Dex skills and checks, 1 more language known, and if you're taking Int for X feats the power of that +2 just increases.

Considering that the DMGII puts the LA of such an ability at around +2 LA for PC's (via the Prodigy NPC ability), getting it is well worth it.

And here's what you lose for that Level Adjustment of 2:

-2d8 + (2*CON) hit points (if you have Faerie Mysteries Init., you're also behind 2*INT as well)
-1 or 2 to hit (depending on the levels you are losing, but this will usually be -2 to hit)
-12 + (2*INT) skill points (and your skill cap is 2 lower than a LA+0 character)
-1 to your Reflex save
-1 to your Fortitude and Will saves (2 out of 3 levels)
-1 feat known (2 out of 3 levels; or, two feats vs. a Human or Strongheart Halfling. Considering that these are likely iterations of Font of Inspiration, which progresses quadratically, the number of inspiration point difference between you and literally ANY +0 LA race increases as you level)
-2 to your level for the purpose of known class features (affects Arcane Dilettante at all levels, because both daily spells and maximum level known scale throughout your Factotum career; you don't add your INT to STR- and DEX-based skills until level 5; you don't gain Cunning Surge until level 10; need I say more?)

You're trading all this and more (like lower Hit Dice for HD-dependent effects, lower caster level, and so on) for the aforementioned abilities, which you have to spend Inspiration Points to get on a per-roll basis (but you have much, MUCH fewer inspiration points). In most cases, you are spending your Inspiration Points just to break even.

Flat bonuses are ALWAYS better than situational bonuses. For example, the flat +1 to attack rolls and Armor Class you get from being Small-sized is objectively better than a +1 to attack rolls and Armor Class you have to spend resources for, or that you only have some of the time (of course, the -2 to STR counteracts the to-hit bonus--although Weapon Finesse, or a Feycraft light weapon such as a gnommish quick razor, can correct this, and the +2 DEX compounds on this and is just generally a better ability score to gain from). This is always true. If you are taking a -1 penalty to hit ALL the time, in order to gain an extra +1 SOME of the time, you are doing it wrong. I cannot stress this enough.

Gray Elf is okay (in spite of the CON penalty) because you gain the *2 to INT without all these negatives, and you also gain +2 to DEX (another all-around useful ability score for Factotums), and a couple other okay things. If it had level adjustment, I'd bin it.

[Gildedragon]

@Tylenol: Fair enough. I generally assume that LA buyoff is available, and as such tend not to sweat small LA's.

Also, I think I've finished (for now) the races section. Anything of note I'm missing?

[Gildedragon]

Speaking of Factotums in fiction, am I right in guessing that the language of this guide is modeled off of the speaking patterns of that most successful of Factotums, Jeeves?

Ah... no. I have not read enough Wodehouse that I can affect his style.

[Gildedragon]

Any opinions on the skills, on good feats and trap feats for factotums would be more than welcome. Any opinions at all on factotums in pathfinder would be well loved.

Favorite factotum spells, gear, multiclassing strategies, and anything at all really would be well received.

Seeing how other people view this class helps me see other approaches that I had not previously considered.

-Currently working on getting some description and rating for all the skills, will move onto knowledges and crafts afterwards.

[Pandiano]

Good stuff! My newest Character is a Factotum with later transition in Chameleon. I just got meself a new favorite class of all times ever. :-)
The versatility is amazing and the adventurer flair unbeatable for me.

[Gildedragon]

It is a pretty fun & flair class. If your experience brings you insights onto this guide do comment. If you'd like tips ask, maybe someone or myself can give pointers.

[Soranar]

alternatives to the Whisper gnome + gnomish quickrazor factotum builds

The Ranged Tripper

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Race: Lesser Tiefling
Alignment: any
Templates : none

STATS (32 pts)

STR 8 (I dumped it in this build but you could invest some STR in a high PTS game)
DEX 18
CON 14
INT 18
WIS 8 (not that useful honestly, healing is best covered by a wand or a healing class)
CHA 14

Progression

1 Factotum Point blank shot
2 Factotum
3 Factotum Precise shot
4 Factotum
5 Factotum
6 Factotum Weapon focus: dagger
7 Factotum
8 Master Thrower bonus feat: quickdraw trip shot trick
9 Factotum rapid shot
10+ open to many different builds, this is just a good breakoff for many different builds

Level 1-7, you're a standard factotum with a bow and arrow. Most of your feats help that role and your other abilities contribute to this well

Level 8, you are now a ranged tripper and your thrown weapons (assuming they're daggers as they also count as melee weapons), can also trigger Iaijutsu focus damage.

Your trip attemps benefit from DEX and INT, which means you get a +12 (+4 from trip shot, doesn't stack with improved trip) trip attempt while using a medium race. And you benefit from 2 STATs to do so which means you can get a +6 magic item to both to further improve those trips all the way up to + 18

Note, unlike a normal tripper build you still deliver damage as normal on a trip shot and it's a normal attack, meaning you can make as many trip attempts per round as your build allows.

Unlike a normal tripper you don't benefit from spells like enlarge person as much since the penalty to DEX removes 1 from your to hit and from your check. Meaning you get a -2 to hit from each size category and +3 to your trip attempt (unlike a normal tripper that would gain STR to compensate the to hit penalty which you net him a +5 on trip attempts)

A melee tripper doesn't really require an explanation.

Basically just wield a guisarme (no need to exotic weapon prof) + armor spikes (to threaten adjacent squares).

If you want to avoid taking useless feats, you can dip monk to gain improved trip or take 2 levels of barbarian (with the wolf totem) to achieve the same result.

Both options also net u other abilities like pounce and rage (barb) or improved saves and possibly INT to AC (monk)

Taking a familiar that can use a wand can also let you have action economy, meaning your familiar uses the wand to enlarge you

the jotunbrud regional feat (human only) can also net you the powerful build trait which is especially useful in tripper builds.

[Gildedragon]

I had not seen a ranged tripper build before. Interesting. Mind if I put it up in the builds section?

I like your reasoning for Monk and Barbarian dipping.

[Person_Man]

Things you may wish to consider:

Haberdash the Masked is a Factotum/Master of Masks 1 build I put together years ago. It lists out a large number of relevant combos.

My general opinion on Factotum is that they are MAD, and thus should only be played if you happen to roll high ability scores. Cunning Insight is nifty, but it will not generate opposed checks superior to any Str based full BAB class unless you happen to have very high Str and Int. (And even then, a Str + Cha based Marshal 1/Whatever X can get similar results for less of an investment).

If you're interested in Iaijutsu Focus, then Gnome Quickrazor (Races of Stone) is definitely the way to go. Just note that your enemy must be Flat Footed (and not just denied Dexterity). In addition to winning Initiative, the Acrobatic Backstab, Hidden Blade, Sudden Draw, and Escape Attack Skill Tricks all specifically make your enemy flat footed for one attack with various restrictions. Complete Warrior also has an alternate use of Sleight of Hand which lets you draw a dagger as a free action and treat your enemy as Flat Footed for your next attack after 2 rounds of fighting the same enemy with no weapon in off hand. You could also take the Underfoot Combat and Confound the Bigfolk (Races of the Wild) Feats and use magic or psionics to get yourself to be as small as possible. You can then enter your enemy's square, and the next turn they count as being Flat Footed.

I'd also say that a key 2nd level spell is Alter Self, which allows you to get some fairly good buffs if you're willing to abuse it. Similarly, when you get access to 4th level spells Polymorph is pretty much single handedlyresponsible for keeping you competative with Tier 3+ classes until you get access to Cunning Brilliance.

[Draz74]

Cunning Insight is nifty, but it will not generate opposed checks superior to any Str based full BAB class unless you happen to have very high Str and Int.

1. I think you meant Brains over Brawn, not Cunning Insight.
2. How so? BAB doesn't factor into trip checks. (Other than landing the initial touch attack, which isn't hard.)

(And even then, a Str + Cha based Marshal 1/Whatever X can get similar results for less of an investment).

Can't argue with that. On the other hand, everything you mention stacks, so you could give your Factotum a decent Charisma and dip a level of Marshal, too. But the real story here is that Factotum has a lot of good stuff besides just tripping potential, even on a tripping build.

[Pesimismrocks]

My general opinion on Factotum is that they are MAD, and thus should only be played if you happen to roll high ability scores.

I disagree. At any level over 5 they use Brains over Brawn which allows them to lower dexterity to average. Constitution is probably slightly over average. Strength can be very important but you can use several class features for this. Charisma can be high or dumpstated depending on what charecter you play. Wisdom is totally useless with keen intellect apart from opportunistic piety, which your paties cleric or cleric substitute can do better. The only important aspect is intelligence for arcane dilletante (probably spelt that wrong), all class features, int-based skills and how many skill points you have(which will likely be your main role: trapfinding and skill-monkeying)

[Person_Man]

1. I think you meant Brains over Brawn, not Cunning Insight.
2. How so? BAB doesn't factor into trip checks. (Other than landing the initial touch attack, which isn't hard.)

Yeah, I meant Brains Over Brawn. Sorry.

And I do think that the to-hit roll can be important (although as you note, it is only marginally so if the target has low touch AC), and that Grapple (another opposed check) does use BAB. And other "Str based full BAB class" will generally also have class resources geared toward opposed checks which might be equal to or better than Brains Over Brawn, and melee combat in general. (Such as superior AC and hit points). For example, the Fighter has a bunch of extra Bonus Feats and Dungeoncrasher, a Barbarian has Rage and Pounce or Improved Grab, a Warblade or Crusader has maneuvers, a Wildshape Ranger has Wildshape, etc.

So the net result is that most of the classes I've listed above will make better Trip/Grapple/Bull Rush builds (and front line combatants in general when compared to the Factotum. Though I'm sure any of us could come up with cases where the Factotum has a +2 to +4ish over a comparable build, in the long run it's probably going to fall behind in melee compared to other melee builds.

I disagree.

So here's my case for why the Factotum is MAD, which reasonable people are free to disagree with:

• At every level, a Factotum is going to be spending most several rounds of most combats making to-hit rolls for ranged or melee attacks. This is particularly true at low levels, though obviously less so at higher levels when you get more spells and cool class abilities.
• To hit rolls require BAB + high Str or Dex.
• The Factotum only has 3/4 BAB, and it can't pour all of it's resources (racial bonuses, bonuses from gaining character levels, magic items, etc) into just improving Str or Dex, because it also needs/wants high Int to fuel it's other class abilities.
• The only only attribute you can truly dump without nerfing your class abilities and Skills is Charisma.

The only SAD-ish classes are (most) full casters, plus the Psion, Totemist, Dragonfire Adept, and Wildshape Ranger. (I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but you get the point). Every other class basically needs or wants 2-3 high attributes to function well, which can be difficult to pull off at high levels given limited resources. That's not really a criticism of the Factotum per se, so much as it is a criticism of most Tier 3 or lower classes in general.

[Gildedragon]

I would disagree with the assertion that any average full BABer not focused on a particular maneuver will be particularly effective against a factotum only vaguely oriented towards said attack.
Factotums get: Int+Dex/Str+Feats+Circumstance whereas BABers get Dex/Str+Feats+Circumstance. Factoti have a marginal advantage on this regard.

Thing is that at low levels the difference between 3/4 and 1/1 BAB is minimal, and expending Inspiration to boost it for +Int cinches the difference pretty quickly. As levels scale up and factotum's diversity expands they begin getting tricks that make up for the lack in BAB.

As to MAD, not really. It benefits from better stats, but even a Wizard or Totemist does. With the right feat or two Factotums can dump Wis and Cha, and Str or Dex.

[DEMON]

I think Exemplar deserves a mention among PrCs. Great skills, 8+INT skill points, 3/4 BAB, good Will save, CHA and (mostly) INT based abilities = THE ULTIMATE SKILL MONKEY in combination with Factotum!

[Gildedragon]

Looking at the exemplar. It looks as a 1/level dip to me at best, if not an outright trap. Am I missing something?
Intellectual agility looks awesome, but assuming you went in at the minimum level (10) you don't get there until 18, the time during which you could have gotten Cunning Brilliance.

[Postmodernist]

Subscribed. I'd love comments from contributors to this post on my recent question thread. I'm strongly contemplating something like the Echo the Active build. Any other suggestions?

[Mithril Leaf]

One race that's interesting as a Factotum choice is the Neraph. It is a +0 LA outsider which possesses free natural armor and some skill bonuses, as well as the ability to once per encounter per enemy deny an opponent of his Dexterity bonus to AC, plus they gain free proficiency with the annulat, which is a not bad thrown weapon.
If Dragon Magazine material is on the table, another choice is the Glimmerfolk from Dragon Magazine #321, page 71. They are another race of +0 LA outsider, this time possessing some minor SLA's and a penalty to strength with a corresponding bonus to dexterity.

[Gildedragon]

What color rating would you give those races?
Also anyone have suggestions for gear I haven't listed? Spells too?

[Postmodernist]

Grease. Your spellbook needs Grease.

[Gildedragon]

Pretty sure it's there...
-checks-
Wow that was an oversight on my behalf. Wow

[DEMON]

Distract Assailant, maybe also Armor Lock
And regarding Exemplar: It's mostly a 1 level dip as the first level gives you most of the aforementioned benefits. Though for those people that only go for 8 levels of Factotum, even more than 1 level of Exemplar might be good.

[Koury]

Fash Falath, Martial Factotum

Whisper Gnome Factotum 8/Warblade 12

Factotum. A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities. The name fits the class. A Factotum is competent at almost everything, from spellcasting to Tumbling around the battlefield to landing decisive blows in combat.

And as an adventurer in D&D, you tend to find yourself in combat frequently. So why not be good at it? The Martial Factotum presented here aims to not only cover roles normally covered by a Factotum, but to also excel at combat. Multiclassing into Warblade enables a fantastic synergy with your already amazing Int score, while also giving you more ways to cause your opponent to be Flatfooted. Gain Int to damage AND Iaijutsu on nearly every attack? Yes please!

Now I know some may look at this build and say "There are more Warblade levels than Factotum levels! This is not a Factotum build at all!" To that, I say simply, you're wrong. Everything you gain from Warblade serves to improve and compliment your Factotum abilities, from Uncanny Dodge to Battle Cunning. Examine the build yourself. See where its strength lies. I believe that you'll agree this build is all about the Factotum.

The key levels of this build are Factotum 8 and Warblade 7. If you would like to tweak the classes on this build to suit your own needs, I would strongly recommend not taking less than that of either class.

And with that introduction, I present to you the Martial Factotum!

Level Progression:

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Fac 1 > War 1 > Fac 2-8 > War 2-12

Taking the one Warblade level early enables you to pick up Sapphire Nightmare Blade and therefore have a reliable way of FF'ing opponents. Without that, your early damage will be decidedly lacking.

Attributes by Level:

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Attribute		Stat @ 1	Stat @ 5	Stat @ 10	Stat @ 15	Stat @ 20
STR		10	10	10	10	10 (16)
DEX		16	16	16	16 (18)	16 (22)
CON		16	16	16	16	16 (22)
INT		18	19 (21)	20 (22)	21 (27)	28 (34)
WIS		8	8	8	8	8
CHA		6	6	6	6	6

All stat boosts to Int. Number in parentheses is after items.

Not much to see here really. Pump that Int as much as possible since it keys into almost everything you do.

Skill Breakdown by Level:

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Level	Class		Ranks Per Skill Per Level
Skill Name			App	Bal	Blf	Clm	Con	Dip	D.D	Dis	E.A	For	G.I	Hea	Hid	I.F	Int	Jmp	K:A	K:D	K:L	K:N	K:P	K:R	Lis	M.S	O.L	Rid	Sea	S.M	Spe	Spo	Sur	Swi	Tum	UMD	U.R	Skill Trick		Total
1	Fact.		0	4	0	0	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	4	4	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	4	0			40
2	Warb.		0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1*	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0			8
3	Fact.		0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0			10
4	Fact.		0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0			10
5	Fact.		0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0			10
6	Fact.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	Collector of Stories		10
7	Fact.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0			10
8	Fact.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	Twisted Charge		11
9	Fact.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	Back/Feet&Acr.Bkstb		11
10	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0	Nimble Stand		9
11	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.5*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0			9
12	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	.5*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0			9
13	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	.5*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0			9
14	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	.5*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0			9
15	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	.5*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0			9
16	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	.5*	0	.5*	0	0	0	1	1*	0			10
17	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	.5*	0	.5*	0	0	0	1	1*	0			10
18	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1*	0	0	.5*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0			10
19	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	.5*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0			10
20	Warb.		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.5*	0	0	1*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1*	0			10

*Indicates skill was bought Cross Class

Feats/Special Abilities by Level:

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Feat/Ability	Source	Description
Gnomish Weapon Familiarity	Racial	Allows use of Gnomish Quickrazor, among other weapons.
Spell-Like Abilities	Racial	Silence (centered on self) 1/day.
Skill Bonus	Racial	+4 Hide and Move Silently, +2 Listen and Spot
Font of Inspiration	Level 1	Gives one extra Inspiration point.
Font of Inspiration	Level 3	Gives two Inspiration points, for a total of three.
Font of Inspiration	Level 6	Gives three Inspiration points, for a total of six.
Font of Inspiration	Level 9	Gives four Inspiration points, for a total of ten.
Extra Readied Maneuver	Level 12	Exactly what it says on the tin.
Stormguard Warrior	Level 15	Tactical feat.
Adaptive Style	Level 18	Spend a full round action to change readied maneuvers.
Cunning Insight	Fac 1	Spend 1 point for +(Int Mod) on attack, damage or saving throw.
Cunning Knowledge	Fac 1	Spend 1 point for +(Factotum Level) on a single skill check. 1/day per skill.
Trapfinding	Fac 1	Can find magic traps and traps with DC higher than 20.
Battle Clarity	War 1	If not FF'd, gain Int OR Warblade level (whichever is lower) as insight bonus to Reflex save.
Weapon Aptitude	War 1	May retrain weapon-specific feats, such as Weapon Focus.
Arcane Dilettante	Fac 2	Spend 1 point to cast any spell currently memorized. Each spell is 1/day.
Brains Over Brawn	Fac 3	+(Int Mod) to every STR and DEX based skill check.
Cunning Defense	Fac 3	Spend 1 point to gain +(Int Mod) as Dodge bonus to AC vs a single attack.
Cunning Strike	Fac 4	Spend 1 point for +1d6 sneak attack damage.
Opportunistic Piety	Fac 5	Spend 1 point to heal (or harm undead) by (Int+Fac Level)2 HP or Turn Undead. 3/day.
Cunning Surge	Fac 8	Spend 3 points to gain an extra Standard action.
Uncanny Dodge	War 2	Keep Dex to AC even if FF'd or attacked by an invisible attacker.
Battle Ardor	War 3	Gain +[Int Mod] on critical confirm rolls.
Ironheart Aura	War 5	When in an Iron Heart stance, adjacent allies gain +2 morale to saving throws.
Battle Cunning	War 7	Gain +[Int Mod] to damage rolls vs FF'd opponents.
Improved Initiative	War 9	+4 on Init. checks. Gained as a bonus feat.
Battle Skill	War 11	+[Int Mod] vs enemy’s combat maneuver attempts.

Maneuvers:

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Maneuver	Gained	Readied @ 5	Readied @ 10	Readied @ 15	Readied @ 20
Moment of Perfect Mind	Level 2 (War 1)	X	X	X	X
Sapphire Nightmare Blade	Level 2 (War 1)	X	X	X	X
Stone Bones	Level 2 (War 1)	X		--	--
Insightful Strike	Level 10 (War 2)	--	X	X	--
Wall of Blades	Level 11 (War 3)	--	--
Stone Bones	Drop at War 4	--	--	--	--
Iron Heart Surge	Level 12 (War 4)	--	--
Mithral Tornado	Level 13 (War 5)	--	--	X	--
Manticore Parry	Level 15 (War 7)	--	--	X
Insightful Strike	Drop at War 8	--	--	--	--
Greater Insightful Strike	Level 16 (War 8)	--	--	--	X
Finishing Move	Level 17 (War 9)	--	--	--	X
Lightning Throw	Level 19 (War 11)	--	--	--	X
Mithral Tornado	Drop at War 12	--	--	--	--
Adamantine Hurricane	Level 20 (War 12)	--	--	--	X
Punishing Stance	War 1
Pearl of Black Doubt	War 4	--	--
Dancing Blade Form	War 10	--	--	--

Spell Overview:

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Until character level 4, your spells are either non-existent or inconsequential. At character level 4 (Fac 3) however, you finally gain access to level 1 spells. Grease is the go-to option here, being a debuff and battlefield control. If the enemy doesn't have at least 5 ranks in Balance, then being in your Grease spell also opens them up to your Iaijutsu attack. This spell is hard to beat at these low levels.

Character level 6 (Fac 5) opens up second level spells. For you, Alter Self is the optimum choice, as it allows you to shore up your otherwise weak armor class by transforming into a troglodyte for its +6 Natural armor.

For your level one spell, consider switching Grease into Wall of Smoke. Both are good options with Grease potentially allowing a few more Iaijutsu attacks and Wall of Smoke providing a visual barrier to aid against ranged enemies and potentially dividing enemy forces if they're unwilling to go through the wall. You can also conjure the Wall of Smoke directly on opponents, forcing Fort saves vs Nausea.

At character level 9 (Fac 8) your options expand further with 3rd level spells coming online. You have many good choices, so pick what suits you best. Haste is a great whole party buff, spells like Sleet Storm provide amazing battlefield control and if you're looking for something a little more long term, Heart of Water is there as a top tier all day buff.

For your two lower level spells, I suggest two copies of Alter Self. Considering how often you are in the thick of the battle, every point of AC helps, and there is no better source than Alter Self.

Once you acquire your Mechanus Gear, however, you'll want to switch to all day buffs cast in the morning, when your armor isn't hampering you. You'll get your Alter Self fix from wands, which you should be able to easily UMD.

Gear Breakdown:

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Level 1 (150 GP)

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Item	Slot	Price	Source
Gnomish Quickrazor	Held	45	RoS
1d3 damage. Resheathed after each attack.
Chain Shirt	Body	100	PHB
+4 AC, -2 ACP

5 GP remaining.

Level 5: (9000 GP)

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Item	Slot	Price	Source
+1 Feycraft Gnomish Quickrazor	Held	3845	DMG II
Feycraft: Weighs 10% less; dmg as one size smaller; use Dex for to-hit
Headband of Intellect +2	Head	4000	DMG
+2 Int
Masterwork Chain Shirt	Body	250	PHB
AC +4, ACP -1
Wand of Lesser Vigor	Item	750	CD
Heal 11 HP over the course of 1 minute. 50 charges.
Masterwork Tool (Concentration)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Iaijutsu Focus)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Tumble)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill

5 GP remaining.

Level 10: (49000 GP)

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Item	Slot	Price	Source
+1 Feycraft Blurstriking Cold Iron Gnomish Quickrazor	Held	21890	MIC
Blurstrike: 10/day, treat target of 1st attack as FF'd.
Winged Mask	Face	13000	MoF
Cast Fly on self at caster level 5. Unlimited uses.
Headband of Intellect +2	Head	4000	DMG
+2 Int
Vest of Resistance +2	Torso	4000	MIC
+2 to all saves
Tooth of Savnok	Tooth	2000	ToM
Ignore speed reduction from armor or encumbrance.
Anklet of Translocation	Feet	1400	MIC
10' swift action teleport. 2/day
Wand of Lesser Vigor	Item	750	CD
Heal 11 HP over the course of 1 minute. 50 charges.
Restful Armor Crystal	Armor	500	MIC
May sleep in armor with no ill effects.
Masterwork Breastplate	Body	350	PHB
AC +5, -3 ACP
Masterwork Thieve's Tools	Item	100	PHB
+2 to Disable Device and Open Lock
Masterwork Tool (Concentration)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Iaijutsu Focus)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Search)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Tumble)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Use Magic Device)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill

810 GP remaining.

Level 15: (200000 GP)

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Item	Slot	Price	Source
+1 Nimble Soulfire Mithral Mechanus Gear	Body	46750	PH
11 AC, -7 ACP. Soulfire: Immune to [Death] effects, negative energy and energy drain.
Ring of Freedom of Movement	Ring	40000	DMG
Continuous Freedom of Movement, as the spell.
Headband of Intellect +6	Head	36000	DMG
+6 Int
+1 Feycraft Blurstriking Cold Iron Gnomish Quickrazor	Held	21890	RoS
Unimproved from previous listing.
Banner of the Storm's Eye	Shoulders	15000	MIC
Suppress Fear effects, prevent Stun and Confusion within 20 ft.
Winged Mask	Face	13000	MoF
Cast Fly on self at caster level 5. Unlimited uses.
+1 Nimble Mithril Githcraft Extreme Shield	Held	5630	RoS
+4 AC, -0 ACP, +1 Concentration.
Vest of Resistance +2	Torso	4000	MIC
+2 to all saves.
Wand of Alter Self	Item	4500	DMG
Used mainly for Troglodyte's +6 Natural armor. 30 min/charge. 50 charges.
Gloves of Dexterity +2	Hands	4000	DMG
+2 Dex
Lesser Crystal of Energy Assault (Acid)	Weapon	3000	MIC
+1d6 Acid damage.
Tooth of Savnok	Tooth	2000	ToM
Ignore speed reduction from armor or encumbrance.
Anklet of Translocation	Feet	1400	MIC
10' swift action teleport. 2/day
Wand of Lesser Vigor	Item	750	CD
Heal 11 HP over the course of 1 minute. 50 charges.
Restful Armor Crystal	Armor	500	MIC
May sleep in armor with no ill effects.
Masterwork Thieve's Tools	Item	100	PHB
+2 to Disable Device and Open Lock
Masterwork Tool (Concentration)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Iaijutsu Focus)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Search)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Tumble)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Use Magic Device)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill

1230 GP remaining.

Level 20: (760000 GP)

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Item	Slot	Price	Source
+6 Str, Dex, Con, Int	Various	144000	DMG
+6 Enhancement bonus to stats.
Tome of Clear Thought +5	Item	137000	DMG
+5 Inherent bonus to Int.
Ring of Mental Fortitude	Ring	110000	DMG II
Immune to [Mind-Affecting]
Ring of Evasion & Protection +5	Ring	75000	DMG
Grants Evasion & +5 Deflection AC.
+1 Feycraft Blurstriking Cold Iron Gnomish Quickrazor of Collision	Held	53890	MIC
Collision: +5 damage.
+1 Nimble Mithril Githcraft Extreme Shield of Heavy Fortification	Held	49630	RoS
Heavy Fort: Immune to Sneak Attack and critical hits.
+1 Glamered Nimble Soulfire Mithral Mechanus Gear	Body	49450	PH
Can be disguised as normal clothing.
Ring of Freedom of Movement	Ring	40000	DMG
Continuous Freedom of Movement, as the spell.
+1 Feycraft Blurstriking Gnomish Quickrazor	Held	18335	MIC
Backup weapon.
Vest of Resistance +4	Torso	16000	MIC
+4 to all saves.
Banner of the Storm's Eye	Shoulders	15000	MIC
Suppress Fear effects, prevent Stun and Confusion within 20 ft.
Winged Mask	Face	13000	MoF
Cast Fly on self at caster level 5. Unlimited uses.
+1 Magebane Longbow, Composite +3	Held	8603	DMG
Ranged backup weapon. Cost includes 60 arrows.
Hand of Glory	Throat	8000	DMG
Allows wearing one additional ring. Casts Daylight and See Invisibility 1/day.
Wand of Alter Self	Item	4500	DMG
Used mainly for Troglodyte's +6 Natural armor. 30 min/charge. 50 charges.
Glove of the Master Strategist	Hands	3600	Ghost
As Gloves of Storing, plus True Strike 1/day.
Lesser Crystal of Energy Assault (Acid)	Weapon	3000	MIC
+1d6 Acid damage.
Lesser Crystal of Arrow Deflection	Shield	2500	MIC
+5 untyped AC vs ranged attacks.
Tooth of Savnok	Tooth	2000	ToM
Ignore speed reduction from armor or encumbrance.
Handy Haversack	Carried	2000	DMG
80 lb of storage, AoO free move action retrieval.
Wand of Lesser Vigor	Item	750	CD
Heal 11 HP over the course of 1 minute. 50 charges.
Restful Armor Crystal	Armor	500	MIC
May sleep in armor with no ill effects.
Masterwork Thieve's Tools	Item	100	PHB
+2 to Disable Device and Open Lock
Masterwork Tool (Concentration)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Iaijutsu Focus)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Search)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Tumble)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill
Masterwork Tool (Use Magic Device)	Item	50	PHB
+2 to named skill

2892 GP remaining.

Putting It All Together:

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Level 1:

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Vital Statistics
HP	AC	FF'd AC	Touch AC	Fort	Ref	Will	Init.	BAB	Total AB	Insp. Points
11	18	15	14	+3	+5	-1	+3	0	+1	3

Offense: Lacking. Your to-hit is poor. The only time you are relevent is if you win Init. and can land an IF. Remember to flank for allies.

Defense: Not terrible. 18 AC at level 1 means you don't need to be terribly afraid to advance into melee. Be wary of ending up surrounded by enemies though.

Social: With a CHA of 6, you are NOT the party face.

Utility: Moderate. +9 Stealth means you can scout, you can unlock doors and chests (given time) and can search for traps competently, among other things.

Level 5:

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Vital Statistics
HP	AC	FF'd AC	Touch AC	Fort	Ref	Will	Init.	BAB	Total AB	Insp. Points
43	18	15	14	+6	+8	+0	+8	4	+9	6

Offense: Much better than before. Between winning Init., Sapphire Nightmare Blade and Grease, most of your attacks should be IF. Damage output should be similar to the Fighter. Suffers from occasional lackluster rounds when you're forced to recover maneuvers. Your +19 Tumble ensures you can be on pretty much any side of an enemy, so be sure to flank often for your less mobile allies.

Defense: Still passable. Your AC is low now, especially if you have Punishing Stance active (and you probably should), but Stone Bones can help take the bite out of many enemy attacks. You also have Moment of Perfect Mind to shore up your weak Will save.

Social: Again, sorely lacking.

Utility: Great! Stealth skills are through the roof, you have some battlefield control with your Grease spell and you can heal in between combat with your wand.

Level 10:

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Vital Statistics
HP	AC	FF'd AC	Touch AC	Fort	Ref	Will	Init.	BAB	Total AB	Insp. Points
82	19	16	14	+10	+13	+3	+9	8	+13	15

Offense: Looking good. You've gained even more ways to flatfoot enemies, which just means more and more IF. This, combined with your Inspiration and maneuvers means that you can deal some solid damage.

Defense: Your unbuffed defense is at its weakest right now, relative to your level. You have solid saves (remember Will is covered with a maneuver) but your AC is low. When entering any place where an encounter is likely, be sure to have Alter Self up and running. You'll need the +6 Natural AC. Combined with Cunning Defense, you can push as high as 31 AC. If caught unbuffed, use your all day flight to your advantage. If you get grappled, use your Anklets to escape.

Social: In case you haven't noticed the pattern here, you are no good at social encounters.

Utility: Still outstanding. Your Knowledge skills have come online, you can Stealth with the best of them (though special senses may thwart you), can open DC 30+ locks and can consistently activate magic items. Not to mention you can fly. Add in some nice battlefield control via spellcasting and you're solid.

Level 15:

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Vital Statistics
HP	AC	FF'd AC	Touch AC	Fort	Ref	Will	Init.	BAB	Total AB	Insp. Points
130	29	26	14	+12	+21	+5	+12	13	+19	15

Offense: Things are really cooking now. You get Int to Damage vs FF'd enemies (aka everyone you fight), Int to Damage again with a single Inspiration point, IF AND maneuvers. Couple this with your extraordinary mobility and you can basically do what you want to whomever you want to do it to.

Favorite trick: Win Init., move into center of a group of bad guys, Mithril Tornado to land an IF against all of them.

Defense: Where to begin? Your AC should be at 35 in most fights because of your wand of Alter Self (and is 1 point away from 43 at any time) and you have a laundry list of immunities. You have no fear in the front lines.

Social: If an important NPC begins talking to you, start rolling Perform (Tumble) checks until your party Face can get there to help you. This will also earn you some gold!

Utility: Aside from Stealth (which, while you're great at, is now more often rendered useless by special senses of enemies), you can hit DC 40+ Search checks, you can lay down some battlefield control spells, you can burrow (via Alter Self) and fly. Utility is a strong suit of Factotums and you're no exception.

Level 20:

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Vital Statistics
HP	AC	FF'd AC	Touch AC	Fort	Ref	Will	Init.	BAB	Total AB	Insp. Points
229	34	31	19	+20	+32	+9	+22	18	+25	15

Offense: This is as good as it gets for you. All your toys are online and your enemies will not be happy about it.

Favorite trick: Medium BBEG near you? Activate Blurstrike, use Greater Insightful Strike (with Cunning Insight to-hit if you feel you need it), 10-ft step (DC 40 Tumble) through his square to activate Acrobatic Backstab, Cunning Surge for another standard and hit him with Finishing Strike (coupled with more Cunning Insight).

Defense: With a single point of Inspiration, you can have 31 Touch AC (useful when enemy Wizards are throwing rays at you) and your list of immunities makes Constructs AND Undead jealous. Also, your +32 Reflex save plays very nicely with that Ring of Evasion.

Social: If you ever feel the urge to talk to an NPC, remember to cast your racial Silence spell on yourself first. That should keep damage to a minimum.

Utility:You can also hit DC 40+ with a Search check while simply taking 10, so you can be fairly certain you found ALL the loot.

Nov 2nd 2023 Edit - Fixed all the tables after most of a decade with them janky.

[Koury]

No comments on the build? Little errors or oversights? Questions about why this over that?

[Gildedragon]

I've been somewhat busy and have picked at your brains over PMs. I'll be giving it more of a read through in the near future.
Though making it Fact 2 and then Warblade 1 might be better in builds that start past lvl 3, to get full advantage of boosted IL.

[Koury]

I'm not sure that would change anything except getting Sapphire Nightmare Blade online later. I think I'd still go with the same three maneuvers. I could see dropping Stone Bones for Wall of Blades or Mountain Hammer maybe, but Stone Bones is useful at lower levels.

I just don't know that there is a 2nd level maneuver worth slogging through 2nd level without SNB for.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Good find on the Crescent Knife, but I do have a question about it:

Wouldn't the fact that the Crescent Knife asks you to roll two attack rolls simultaneously imply that its use would fall more closely under the volley rules than conventional Sneak Attack? As in, if both attacks hit, then only one of them would trigger precision damage (such as Sneak Attack, Skirmish, etc)?

Even if so, the weapon is useful for being able to more readily guarantee you are going to hit with an attack that yields that precision damage (if your to-hit isn't stellar, then the odds of succeeding in at least one attack out of two are better than succeeding at one out of one), but I have to wonder if it's really all that explosive as per the rules.

[Gildedragon]

As to the functioning of crescent knife, I think it is a 4 step thing
1.- Kn. Devotion
2.- Attack with Crescent Knife
3.- ????
4.- Profit
That is to say, the rules surounding it are not very clear, and a ruling that SA applies to only one of the attacks would be a way to make that weapon significantly less broken.

Still, Kn. Devotion extra damage undoubtedly applies to both, which is nice. And hitting more often is all sorts of fancy.

Also you get to iaijutsu on each of the attacks because a) the weapon has just been drawn and b) target is still flatfooted.

[Mithril Leaf]

Glimmerfolk have no LA actually. Fun thing about them. And Neraphim are probably about a bit better for a factotum than a changeling, there's a bunch of little bonuses that add up. The outsider type is pretty sweet, what with the alter self shenanigans. I'd personally rate them closer in level to the illumians. Might not be bumped up to black, but I'd certainly consider them.

[Gildedragon]

Good find on the Crescent Knife, but I do have a question about it:

Wouldn't the fact that the Crescent Knife asks you to roll two attack rolls simultaneously imply that its use would fall more closely under the volley rules than conventional Sneak Attack? As in, if both attacks hit, then only one of them would trigger precision damage (such as Sneak Attack, Skirmish, etc)?

Even if so, the weapon is useful for being able to more readily guarantee you are going to hit with an attack that yields that precision damage (if your to-hit isn't stellar, then the odds of succeeding in at least one attack out of two are better than succeeding at one out of one), but I have to wonder if it's really all that explosive as per the rules.

From what I gather (havent found the volley rules) the knife allows for 2 attacks. Having SA on all your attacks (as rogue) gives you SA on both; but getting SA to one attack gives you one attack's worth of SA.