Font of Inspiration is the worst designed feat in D&D

[Kaelik]

Maybe I'm just being stupid here. But if you're homebrewing anyway, why not just change the base class?
Having mandatory feats to be able to play a class feels terrible.

Other than that a home-brew class less likely to pass by a DM than a feat, I agree totally.

If you think anyone would ever approve a feat that gives more IP than 20 levels in the class but would object to giving the class more IP, then you are retarded. Also, my homebrew feat:

Extra Spell:
A Wizard gains 6 more spell slots of each spell level he can cast. When he gains a new level of spells, he gains 6 more spells slots of that level than he would have had.

[Rawbeard]

Sounds legit.

[Judging__Eagle]

JE, your feat is complete trash.

No one claims the problem with FoI is that it doesn't give enough IP. The problem is it is worded like shit. You feat is also worded like shit.

You're right, thanks. I forgot that part when re-writing it.

I didn't change the shit parts of the original feat. I.P.'s need to refresh when... the character's I.P. pool is refreshed. I've edited that part, a bit.

However the fuck that is supposed to happen.

In any case, Professore Roble Monsto-Bolcillias has to be played today, so whatever happens, happens.

[Kaelik]

Okay JE, and here is the problem with your new feat.

20 levels in this class gives 12 IP.

Taking the feat once gives you 20IP.
Taking the feat every chance you get, which is in fact what you will do give a level 10 Human Factotum 90 IP. Which means you begin every single fight by taking 30 standard actions.

Now a) that is obviously shadowrun matrix levels of retarded as far being something that you will want to do every single fight, but something that will also result in the game becoming unplayable. b) even if you just computed your average damage, that would still be retarded.

Why not also make a feat that just gives you 9 times the usual number of spells?

[Aharon]

@Kaelik
But you usually argue that the actions a Factotum can take are mediocre to poor, which spells obviously aren't. So wouldn't it be kind of balanced if the Factotum could take 30 mediocre actions in one round, when the wizard can take 1 good action that fucking kills people?

Obvously, one can discuss at what point it becomes balanced, but I would have expected you to agree that it's a neccessary power-up, given the fact that the only thing the factotum can do right now is that quickdraw gnomish razor combo that does less damage than a TWF rogue.

[John Magnum]

Also, too, what happens if at a higher level you retrain an old feat into Well of Inspiration? Do you just get your current level added to your max IP size?

[Username17]

@Kaelik
But you usually argue that the actions a Factotum can take are mediocre to poor, which spells obviously aren't. So wouldn't it be kind of balanced if the Factotum could take 30 mediocre actions in one round, when the wizard can take 1 good action that fucking kills people?

Obvously, one can discuss at what point it becomes balanced, but I would have expected you to agree that it's a neccessary power-up, given the fact that the only thing the factotum can do right now is that quickdraw gnomish razor combo that does less damage than a TWF rogue.

We make fun of Barbarians for being worthless, not because they can't kill enemies, but because it takes them an unacceptably large number of turns to do so. A Nalfeshne has 175 hit points, and cutting that up with non-Rogue hit point damage takes like 6 rounds - longer than the actual battle is going to last. If you just took 30 actions in a row though, you'd instagib the Nalfeshne in one round. And that would be actually broken, because it wouldn't use up any resources and would essentially always work.

It is in fact a narrow ledge where direct damage bullshit goes from being bullshit to being overpowered. If it's doing the thing where it's putting out enough damage that enemies drop dead regardless of what they do or whether they make a save or whatever, that's overpowered. Multiplying damage outputs by double digit numbers would almost certainly push it over the edge to invalidating the game.

-Username17

[Red_Rob]

@Kaelik
But you usually argue that the actions a Factotum can take are mediocre to poor, which spells obviously aren't. So wouldn't it be kind of balanced if the Factotum could take 30 mediocre actions in one round, when the wizard can take 1 good action that fucking kills people?

Can Factotums activate Spell Trigger items? Because 30 shots from a Wand of Enervation will deal with most things.

[Endovior]

Factotums have all skills as class skills, so they can (and should) abUse Magic Device, and so sure, they can have one of those devices be a Wand of Enervation.

[Kaelik]

@Kaelik
But you usually argue that the actions a Factotum can take are mediocre to poor, which spells obviously aren't. So wouldn't it be kind of balanced if the Factotum could take 30 mediocre actions in one round, when the wizard can take 1 good action that fucking kills people?

Obvously, one can discuss at what point it becomes balanced, but I would have expected you to agree that it's a neccessary power-up, given the fact that the only thing the factotum can do right now is that quickdraw gnomish razor combo that does less damage than a TWF rogue.

1) I usually argue that because it is true, but it does not follow that 30 mediocre actions are balanced against a single good one. In many cases, including basically all of them in D&D, 30 mediocre actions is overpowered.

2) Even if, hypothetically, 30 standard actions on a Factotum was actually balanced with Wizards, it would still be hella shitty, and you shouldn't do it. You could argue that hackers in Shadowrun are balanced as long as they just create 999 duplicate programs and make 999 rolls before anyone else gets to do anything. But balanced or not, that is a really shitty way to play the game. Having 30 actions which take a good chunk of time to work out and which are individually weak as shit is a terrible way to balance something. There is a reason Necromancers with armies of weak skeletons are frowned upon even though they are in fact thematically very cool, and it has everything to do with why Factotums shouldn't take 30 actions to every one of other peoples.

3) Even if, hypothetically, 30 standard actions was balanced and actually good game design that didn't shit on everyone else at the table, ect. it would still be a terrible shitty feat.

That is because Wizards have 4 spells of each level per day. They do not have one spell per spell level per day and a feat that grants 3 spells of each spell level per day. If a feat is necessary for the class, and so fucking good that taking it is basically mandatory and is in no way an actual choice for the player, then it shouldn't be a feat. Now, the classic example of what should be a class feature for the dread necro is Tomb Tainted Soul. But at least Tomb Tainted Soul is a feat that other people can take and benefit from. This feat is literally Factotum only, and all Factotums will take it, so in effect, Factotums just have a higher IP pool than is listed in the class, and have a class feature that they have no feats.

[RobbyPants]

Maybe I'm just being stupid here. But if you're homebrewing anyway, why not just change the base class?
Having mandatory feats to be able to play a class feels terrible.

Other than that a home-brew class less likely to pass by a DM than a feat, I agree totally.

If you think anyone would ever approve a feat that gives more IP than 20 levels in the class but would object to giving the class more IP, then you are retarded. Also, my homebrew feat:

Extra Spell:
A Wizard gains 6 more spell slots of each spell level he can cast. When he gains a new level of spells, he gains 6 more spells slots of that level than he would have had.

Did I say that? My post said two things:

1) From a design point, it would be better just to make the factotum a better class.

2) All other things being equal, DMs seem to like home-brew feats better than classes.

I never said anything about liking JE's give-all-the-IPs-ever feat.

[nockermensch]

Also, my homebrew feat:

Extra Spell:
A Wizard gains 6 more spell slots of each spell level he can cast. When he gains a new level of spells, he gains 6 more spells slots of that level than he would have had.

*YOINK*