Author Topic: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?  (Read 3764 times)

Offline jeffrie

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Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« on: December 30, 2013, 12:18:17 AM »
I am sure that if i tried to look this up i would miss something, and that someone here has done it before.... I am playing with an idea, might not use it, but will bookmark it.

For one i hear diplomacy is broken: any words on that? UMD of course, and intimidate. Any other skills that are just broken? Yes, I've read the Handbook

32 point 10 10 10-18 10 14
Human, and probably rogue for 1st

My (stupid) questions are: I can get 5(max?) Int from Wish, right? Is it somehow wrong to take them one at a time as soon as i can afford them?

Any other ways to increase Int (besides level increases) that would affect my skill point gains (IIRC items won't?)

Not looking for anything fancy, but am open to other advice..... Thanks in advance.

Offline Nytemare3701

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2013, 12:29:05 AM »
I am sure that if i tried to look this up i would miss something, and that someone here has done it before.... I am playing with an idea, might not use it, but will bookmark it.

For one i hear diplomacy is broken: any words on that? UMD of course, and intimidate. Any other skills that are just broken? Yes, I've read the Handbook

32 point 10 10 10-18 10 14
Human, and probably rogue for 1st

My (stupid) questions are: I can get 5(max?) Int from Wish, right? Is it somehow wrong to take them one at a time as soon as i can afford them?

Any other ways to increase Int (besides level increases) that would affect my skill point gains (IIRC items won't?)

Not looking for anything fancy, but am open to other advice..... Thanks in advance.

Easiest ways to raise your Int would be races and templates. Read Wish again for your answer to the stacking wish bonus question, it's explicitly spelled out.

You should probably take Factotum as your first level, so you have all skills as class skills.

Diplomacy is broken if brought down to a standard action, since you can effectively end every fight by convincing them to be your friend.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2013, 12:31:37 AM by Nytemare3701 »

Offline altpersona

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2013, 12:39:09 AM »
arent slight of hand and or escape artist used to 'jump' into someones arse?

my quick review of the skill list says maybe 1/5 (not counting individual skills starting w/ the same name) can be broken. worst case 1 in 10.
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Offline Nytemare3701

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2013, 01:12:42 AM »
arent slight of hand and or escape artist used to 'jump' into someones arse?

my quick review of the skill list says maybe 1/5 (not counting individual skills starting w/ the same name) can be broken. worst case 1 in 10.

Quote from: JaronK
...you don't want to know.

Okay fine.  But it's quite simple, and HORRIBLE.

You remember the Exemplar?  Well, the main thing here is that the class has an ability where you can make any skill check and it counts as a diplomacy check.  Also, a DC 80 Escape Artist check lets this happen:

Quote
Extremely Tight Space

This is the DC for getting through a space when one’s head shouldn’t even be able to fit; this can be as small as 2 inches square for Medium-size creatures. Halve this limit for each size category less than Medium-size; double it for each size category greater than Medium-size. If the space is long, such as in a chimney, multiple checks may be called for.

Okay, now you might get where I'm going with this, but it gets worse.  Check out this line from Righteous Might: 

Quote
If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, you attain the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using your increased Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process.

The burst DC of leather (which is stronger than flesh) is rather low, so the DC is quite low.

Put it all together in a character with the ability to make that DC 80 Escape Artist check, and you get a halfling who squeezes his entire body into a target's arse, instantly causing the target and everyone around to become a fanatical follower of the halfling.  Then the Halfling, using Still Spell, casts Righteous Might and explodes the guy from within, resulting in cheers from his new minions.  And now the Halfling strikes a heroic pose and flashes a big smile, cause you gotta land the dismount.

Best way to kill a BBEG ever.

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Offline Maat Mons

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2013, 02:33:13 AM »
You could start at age 70 for +3 to all mental abilities and -6 to all physical abilities.  If you can convince your DM to let you use the variant aging rules in Oriental Adventures (page, that's +6 to mental abilities and -6 to physical abilities. 

Of course, -6 to constitution is pretty rough, and the other penalties are terrible for some types of character.   If you can get the faerie mysteries initiate feat (Dragon 319, p58), you can use intelligence instead of constitution to determine your hit points.  If you're a kobold with the dragonwrought feat (Races of the Dragon, p100), you don't take any of the normal penalties for aging (Races of the Dragon, p39). 

Offline jeffrie

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2013, 12:57:40 AM »
So the cost of a wish (is a miracle less?) is ...9*17*50=7650 per application? but all 5 have to be at once or they don't stack with other applications? Am i missing something?

About the race/LA adjustment.....we don't really do that at our table....  maybe we never got around to it? or maybe we just like the flavor or more traditional races...

but about the aging. Even without Oriental Adventures; the aging table is capable of being manipulated against the point buy within the core books. Since the point buy gets expensive, points can be traded at 1/4 ratio, while others are traded at 1/1, etc (I think? I'm reading pg109 of the PHB as cumulative?).

young   old      character
11       -3        8
11       -3        8
13       -3        10

18       +2       20  = 5+1+8X4 = 62 skill points for 1st level rogue?
8         +2       10
13       +2       15  = qualifies for Imperious Command?

Always grateful for your corrections

Offline muktidata

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2013, 01:07:11 PM »
You could start at age 70 for +3 to all mental abilities and -6 to all physical abilities.  If you can convince your DM to let you use the variant aging rules in Oriental Adventures (page, that's +6 to mental abilities and -6 to physical abilities. 

Of course, -6 to constitution is pretty rough, and the other penalties are terrible for some types of character.   If you can get the faerie mysteries initiate feat (Dragon 319, p58), you can use intelligence instead of constitution to determine your hit points.  If you're a kobold with the dragonwrought feat (Races of the Dragon, p100), you don't take any of the normal penalties for aging (Races of the Dragon, p39).

Weird. I've never seen anyone bring up that a Kobold can get +6 to mentals. Good to know.  ;)
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Offline Skevvix

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2014, 01:34:16 AM »
32 point 10 10 10-18 10 14
Human, and probably rogue for 1st

Not looking for anything fancy, but am open to other advice..... Thanks in advance.

For starters, you have only spent 30 points.  Second, why rogue?  are you planning on a PrC that has SA as a pre-req?  If not, I would drop rogue as it only slows down the factotum abilities, and you already gain everything that a rogue can do built into Factotum.

Offline Nytemare3701

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2014, 05:58:40 AM »
You could start at age 70 for +3 to all mental abilities and -6 to all physical abilities.  If you can convince your DM to let you use the variant aging rules in Oriental Adventures (page, that's +6 to mental abilities and -6 to physical abilities. 

Of course, -6 to constitution is pretty rough, and the other penalties are terrible for some types of character.   If you can get the faerie mysteries initiate feat (Dragon 319, p58), you can use intelligence instead of constitution to determine your hit points.  If you're a kobold with the dragonwrought feat (Races of the Dragon, p100), you don't take any of the normal penalties for aging (Races of the Dragon, p39).

Weird. I've never seen anyone bring up that a Kobold can get +6 to mentals. Good to know.  ;)


It wasn't specifically for Kobolds. OA's aging rules are cumulative, granting +6/-6 over the course of aging, whereas PHB's aging rules replace each other at each tier, granting a +3/-6.

DW Kobolds just happen to ignore the negatives of aging in general.

Offline muktidata

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Re: Shortest way to max Int for a skill Factotum?
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2014, 11:27:38 AM »
You could start at age 70 for +3 to all mental abilities and -6 to all physical abilities.  If you can convince your DM to let you use the variant aging rules in Oriental Adventures (page, that's +6 to mental abilities and -6 to physical abilities. 

Of course, -6 to constitution is pretty rough, and the other penalties are terrible for some types of character.   If you can get the faerie mysteries initiate feat (Dragon 319, p58), you can use intelligence instead of constitution to determine your hit points.  If you're a kobold with the dragonwrought feat (Races of the Dragon, p100), you don't take any of the normal penalties for aging (Races of the Dragon, p39).

Weird. I've never seen anyone bring up that a Kobold can get +6 to mentals. Good to know.  ;)


It wasn't specifically for Kobolds. OA's aging rules are cumulative, granting +6/-6 over the course of aging, whereas PHB's aging rules replace each other at each tier, granting a +3/-6.

DW Kobolds just happen to ignore the negatives of aging in general.

I wouldnt imagine it practicle outside of DW. I meant why aren't kobold builds doing this? I see them going ham with Loredrake, Rites, etc. Why not this?
I appreciate the logical, cool-headed responses and the lack of profanity displayed by our community.