Factotums and Spellthieves

Eytan Bernstein

The 20-level classes presented in books other than the Player's Handbook have become popular choices for
players and DMs. Earlier articles in this series have discussed how to import numerous classes from Player's
Handbook 2 and other sources into the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. This installment focuses on the
Factotum (from Dungeonscape) and the Spellthief (from Complete Adventurer). At the end of each entry are
alternatives for how to include the ideas written here but without requiring the introduction of these classes into
your game.

Factotums

Numerous explorer companies exist in the civilized lands. Some of these are clubs for noblemen of low rank,
places where disgruntled third sons can feel important and be among likeminded individuals. One such group
is the Lodge of the Sphinx, an exploration company based out of Urmlaspyr in Sembia. While some of the
members are talentless spoiled nobles, soaking in the cigar-smoke-filled 'good old boy' environment, many
others are skilled travelers with incredible breadth of knowledge and ability. Members of any class can join, but
some of the best are factotums, true jacks of all trades.

The Lodge was founded in 1342 by Bertin Clanin, an ambitious son of a Sembian noble house, as a club for
his raffish and disaffected dandy friends. To the surprise of everyone, including himself, Clanin (known
affectionately as "Teller" by his friends, for unknown reasons -- began taking exploration seriously. Clanin's
company blossomed, and lazy chaff was soon weeded out from dedicated and seasoned explorers. They
traveled the world, seeking out its exotic locales. The company is still active today. Its leader, a descendant of
Bertin named Heraldon Clanin (LN male Sembian human aristocrat 2/factotum 7), organizes expeditions to
Chult, the Moonshaes, and other distant lands. The Lodge commemorates its founder and its name with a
miniature, petrified sphinx perched above the fireplace in the common room.

A small band of volamtar -- dwarves who patrol trails between dwarven and human settlements in the name of
Marthammor Duin -- has been frightening travelers who traverse the pass between Sundabar and Silverymoon.
They call themselves the Trailfinders of the Pass. Merchants staying in Auvendell claim to have seen and
spoken to the group, and testify that the dwarves were affected by bizarre magic that caused them to blink in
and out of sight. Unbeknownst to the travelers, the dwarves were under the effect of a Netherese curse.

The enterprising volamtar are multiclassed factotum/clerics led by Elmenhardt Gundergrlim (CG male shield
dwarf factotum 4/cleric 3 [Marthammor Duin]). Their unusual plight arose when the dwarven merchant Rurik
Silverhilt hired them to clear out the underground tunnels believed to have once been the Low Road. In those
depths, they discovered a breach in the sealed way station that led to buried Netheril. To their surprise, the
chamber beyond the breach was intact. In the chamber, they found several unfamiliar items of unknown power,
including an ancient hourglass, a massive spellbook, and a magical chair.

Unfortunately, their presence drew the attention of the ghosts of Netherese who had died when they were
sealed behind the gate. One of the ghosts, a powerful chronomancer by the name of Krefeldithian (not to be
confused with The Chronomancer , Jeriah Chronos), cursed the dwarves. This unusual curse causes them to
blink out of time whenever they try to explain what they saw or return to the tunnels.

The stricken dwarves fled the chamber, unable to take any of the items with them except for a single map of
the region. Now they wander the Silverymoon Pass, trying to rid themselves of the curse.

Factotums gain the ability to channel positive energy in a manner similar to clerics. They can use this energy to
turn or damage undead and to heal wounds. Normally, a divine practitioner in the Forgotten Realms Campaign
Setting is required to select a patron deity that grants her abilities. Factotums are an exception to this rule. A
factotum can choose a patron deity -- often Tymora, Llira, or another god or goddess related to luck and
inspiration -- but is not required to do this. Religious factotums worship the god they find to be the most
inspiring. Some factotums pray to numerous gods, Font of Inspiration
paying homage to whatever deity is most useful at
the time.
You have unearthed of well of inspiration from within
your soul.
If a factotum does not select a patron deity, her
powers are nothing more than borrowed divine
Prerequisite: Int 15, Must have Inspiration as a class
energy. She is most likely unaware of the source,
feature.
drawing from the divine ether or from unknown
powers. This also means that she is probably
considered faithless -- a mortal who does not worship Benefits: When you take this feat for the first time, you
a particular god of the Realms. As such, her soul has gain 1 inspiration point.
no place to go when she dies. Most factotums are
canny enough to realize this and carefully choose Special: You can take this multiple times. Each time
when and how to worship a particular god that suits you take this feat after the first time, the number of
their ideals. inspiration points you gain increases by 1 (for example,
you gain 2 inspiration points if you take the feat a
Those wishing to use the lore presented above but second time). The maximum number of times you can
without employing the factotum class have a simple take this feat is equal to your Intelligence modifier.
alternative. Explorers on Faerûn can easily be rogues, experts, bards, and other skilled classes. Factotums
have an impressive array of skills and abilities, but other classes can easily make exceptional explorers.

Spellthieves

During the Time of Troubles (1358), numerous deities were wounded or killed in avatar form. Their blood
spilled into the land, causing miraculous and sometimes devastating changes in the environment. Mortals that
came in contact with the blood or ingested it when drinking tainted water sometimes experienced unusual
mutations. Other, more fortunate mortals developed strange gifts, including the ability to steal magical energy.
These mortals are known as spellthieves.

The spirit of portfolio theft imbued the spilled blood with the properties that created spellthieves. Some of the
fighting had nothing to do with portfolio acquisition but stemmed instead from long-held grudges and feuds.
Nevertheless, the world was charged with the ripples of the divine theft, tainting even the most noble of blood.
The deities that fought during the Time of Troubles include Anhur, Bane, Bhaal, Clangeddin Silverbeard,
Gilgeam, Gond, Gwaeron Windstrom, Ibrandul, Iyachtu Xvim, Kelemvor, Labelas Enoreth, Hoar, Leira, Malar,
Mask, Myrkul, Mystra, Nobanion, Ramman, Red Knight, Selune, Shar, Shaundakul, Tiamat, Torm, and
Tymora. Any deity involved in fighting (whether the aggressor or defender) that was injured can be the catalyst
for the imbuement of a spellthief. The land in which a battle took place is the most likely place for a spellthief to
be born, though pregnant women exposed to godsblood sometimes gave birth to future spellthieves in other
locations.

It is not entirely accurate to say that spellthieves are the result of stolen divine power. Gods in Faerûn derive
their power from the fervor and numbers of their worshipers. Drops of shed godsblood do not directly weaken a
deity, but they do forge a connection between a deity and the affected mortal. The deity in question does not
even need to be alive. Dead deities still have enough power for the connection to survive. In most cases,
neither the deity nor the spellthief becomes aware of the connection, but in some, the spellthief learns to exploit
the connection to siphon off minute fractions of the deity's power. These mortals can gain access to the
Godsblood Spelltheft feat.

A number of well-known spellthieves gained their powers from godsblood spilled during the time of troubles.
Anwhar Bellgate (NE male Chondathan rogue/spellthief 6) is a merchant who travels the Trade Way between
Scornubel and Waterdeep. During the Time of Troubles, he developed powers of spellthievery after coming in
contact with godsblood shed during the battle between Bhaal and Cyric. Anwhar continues his mercantile
endeavors, but by using the strange death powers he channels from Bhaal's blood (see the Godsblood
Spellthief feat), he has become a highly successful assassin. Other individual spellthieves have used their
abilities for any number of causes and life paths.
One of the few organizations of spellthieves is an
unlikely group known as the Fallen Justice. They
Godsblood Spelltheft
were a group of 13 Untheri scouts who came in
contact with Ramman's blood when the Untheri deity
of war died during the Time of Troubles. During the You derive power from your exposure to godsblood.
violent battles that took place, the scouts were
drenched in their Lord's blood, absorbing a larger Prerequisites: Steal Spell as a class ability.
than normal amount of his power. Today, the group --
led by their valiant commander Erilon Amadar (LN
Benefits: Select a domain from one of the deities
Untheri male scout 4/spellthief 7) -- fights against the
involved in the Time of Troubles on the following list:
former foes of Ramman, especially the followers of
Hoar and Gilgeam.
Anhur, Bane, Bhaal, Clangeddin Silverbeard, Gilgeam,
Gond, Gwaeron Windstrom, Hoar, Ibrandul, Iyachtu
Most spellthieves are the result of direct contact with
Xvim, Kelemvor, Labelas Enoreth, Leira, Malar, Mask,
godsblood, but some are the children of those who
Myrkul, Mystra, Nobanion, Ramman, Red Knight,
were exposed. Others gain their powers when
Selune, Shar, Shaundakul, Tiamat, Torm, Tymora.
exposed to a powerful wild magic event or when
tainted water (such as from the Winding Water) is
ingested in large quantities. The myriad of strange When you steal a spell, you can use the stolen spell
events related to the Time of Troubles allows for a energy to cast a single spell from the domain you have
large variety of explanations for the emergence of chosen. The domain spell must be of equal or lower
spellthieves. level than the spell you have stolen. If you do not cast
this spell within one hour, the spell energy fades away
harmlessly. You can select the good, evil, chaos, or law
For those wishing to use the lore presented above
domain only if that domain does not conflict with your
but without introducing the spellthief class into their
alignment. You can use this feat a number of times per
games, there is an alternative. Spellthieves could be
day equal to your Charisma modifier. This ability
rogue/sorcerers or rogue/wizards who use their
functions in all other ways like the Steal Spell ability.
spells and sneak attacks to remove the abilities and
defenses of their enemies. Characters can select
ambush feats (as presented in Complete Scoundrel) Special: This feat can only be selected once.
that allow rogues to sacrifice sneak attack dice to
inflict a number of types of penalties and hindrances.