What are some ways to hide wings?

[Scarlet-Devil]

So I'm going to be introducing a new NPC soon, an exceedingly talented duelist who currently serves as the 'knight' of the BBEG (who they don't know is the BBEG right now). This woman is in fact a cambion, but the PCs can't know that for a while; I want them to know that she is exotic (having ghostly pale skin, pointed ears, and baby-blue hair), but her wings would give her away as fiendish. How can she keep them hidden/out of the way?

[hamishspence]

Cambion was originally a term for half-fiend, but in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, they get their own statline and origin (basically, half-demon, half planetouched).

Hiding wings on a half-fiend-

maybe wear a long coat, and have them strapped down- a bit like Warren Worthington III "Angel" in the X-Men comics.

[Greenish]

Good ol' Hat of Disguise is the default solution.

Alternatively, wear a heavy cloak and appear hunchbacked.

[mucat]

So I'm going to be introducing a new NPC soon, an exceedingly talented duelist who currently serves as the 'knight' of the BBEG (who they don't know is the BBEG right now). This woman is in fact a cambion, but the PCs can't know that for a while; I want them to know that she is exotic (having ghostly pale skin, pointed ears, and baby-blue hair), but her wings would give her away as fiendish. How can she keep them hidden/out of the way?

Disguise Self will work if she doesn't mind having the wings remain in existence; people couldn't see the wings, but they could feel them if they come in contact.

Alter Self can remove the wings altogether for its duration. ("Me, but without wings" should be well within the range of forms that this spell allows.)

If she's an important figure in the BBEG's organization, a continual-use item of either of these low-level spells should be easy enough for her to attain.

[Chilingsworth]

Hat of Disguise? Use it to take the appearance of herself without the wings. Or use alter self for the same purpose.

EDIT: Swordsage'd

EDIT2: Probably your best bet would be to use alterself/hat of disguise AND wear a large cloak. That way, even if someone has true seeing, all they see is that she's really a "hunchback"

[Scarlet-Devil]

Disguise Self will work if she doesn't mind having the wings remain in existence; people couldn't see the wings, but they could feel them if they come in contact.

Alter Self can remove the wings altogether for its duration. ("Me, but without wings" should be well within the range of forms that this spell allows.)

If she's an important figure in the BBEG's organization, a continual-use item of either of these low-level spells should be easy enough for her to attain.

Alter Self works I guess, heavy clothing and disguise self aren't going to cut it, I think. Any idea if there's already an item somewhere that lets its user use alter self? (Preferably something inconspicuous.)

[Runestar]

Cosplay and act like those wings are part of your costume? :smalltongue:

[Scarlet-Devil]

Cosplay and act like those wings are part of your costume? :smalltongue:

Hmm, somehow I don't think anyone would buy that in this setting... :smalltongue::smallsigh:

[DragonOfUndeath]

Hmm, somehow I don't think anyone would buy that in this setting... :smalltongue::smallsigh:

Why not? Have her pretend to adore flying things like Avians and Angels. Cosplay without calling it Cosplay.

[Sillycomic]

Gargoyles style! Have her drape her wings over her shoulders so that it looks like a fancy cloak with some sort of awesome bone clasp in the front.

Yeah, go Gargoyles.

Ohh! And throw in a Xanatos Gambit so that they can get this subtle hint.

[Strife Warzeal]

Glue chicken feathers on and pretend to be a being of good.

[Ranielle]

Damn those wings, I just wanted to look cool but they are such an inconvenience when it comes to disguising myself as something else!

I suppose if the said cambion usually works undercover she'd a have an item or somesuch that allows her to hide her fiendish origins when she wants/needs to.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

I say rather than hide the wings, disguise them as feathery wings.

[Strife Warzeal]

I say rather than hide the wings, disguise them as feathery wings.
I already suggested that :smallbiggrin:


Glue chicken feathers on and pretend to be a being of good.

[Starshade]

The elf/demon cross Fey ri in Forgotten Realms got an simple Alter self racial ability among for this reason, to hide among ordinary people.

Hmm, but for items.. Know of the drow house insignias? Could be one of them could have an disguise/alter self effect? :smallsmile:

[Amiel]

Crafty and perceptive individuals may see through or possess arcana that pierces the magic that alters your form.
It'd be a good idea to pump up the mundane Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm) skill.

[umbrapolaris]

Alter Self magic ring.

or just show the wings but pretend that she was cursed by an evil pervert wizard coz she refuse to give him some "favors" ^^

[Chilingsworth]

If you use magic, you should use nondetection as well. That way, if someone does have trueseeing, she'll hae at least some resistance to it.

[mucat]

Y'know, the simplest solution would be to just decide that in your campaign, Cambions have a limited racial shapechange ability that lets them appear more fully human.

Or maybe only some cambions can do that, depending on the nature of their fiendish bloodline.

[Dr. Roboto]

I think the most shocking reveal would be brought about through nonmagical concealment. Strapping down the wings, as someone mentioned earlier, would help, as would elaborate (giant dresses, or poofy/frilly clothes) or bulky (full plate, tower shield on the back, backpack) clothing/armor. Other methods would be standing just out of sight, such as in the shadows or behind a pillar, or pretending to be bedridden.

[Scarlet-Devil]

I think the most shocking reveal would be brought about through nonmagical concealment. Strapping down the wings, as someone mentioned earlier, would help, as would elaborate (giant dresses, or poofy/frilly clothes) or bulky (full plate, tower shield on the back, backpack) clothing/armor. Other methods would be standing just out of sight, such as in the shadows or behind a pillar, or pretending to be bedridden.

Yeah, I kind've feel that way as well, but I'm just not sure that anything like that would work in this case; the characters are going to be attending a formal party held at a mansion by their 'friend', a powerful duke. The duke will introduce this strange girl to them, explaining that she is his new bodyguard, and the warriors of the party will have the opportunity to participate in formal one-on-one duels (non-lethal) with her if they choose, for the entertainment of their patron the duke, and the gathered nobility.

Full plate in particular doesn't really work in this case because she wears either light or no armor (haven't decided yet).

[Ernir]

Hmm, an item of Continuous Alter Self (crafted by a Wizard) would cost

2 (Spell level) * 3 (Caster level) * 2000 (Continuous wondrous item multiplier) * 1.5 (10 min/level spell multiplier) = 18000 GP.

Now, if this is a bit too much for you, there is, ironically enough, the Phylactery of Change (Arms and Equipment Guide) for Polymorph with an indefinite duration. 11200 GP.

[Dr. Roboto]

Yeah, I kind've feel that way as well, but I'm just not sure that anything like that would work in this case; the characters are going to be attending a formal party held at a mansion by their 'friend', a powerful duke. The duke will introduce this strange girl to them, explaining that she is his new bodyguard, and the warriors of the party will have the opportunity to participate in formal one-on-one duels (non-lethal) with her if they choose, for the entertainment of their patron the duke, and the gathered nobility.

Full plate in particular doesn't really work in this case because she wears either light or no armor (haven't decided yet).

This may not fit the setting, but consider making the ball a masquerade ball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_ball), as seen in Poe's Masque of the Red Death or The Phantom of the Opera. Have the nobles or whoever all have masks, and give the more powerful and wealthy ones illusions, like sparkly lights, metallic skin, or wings that they use to basically say, "I have a flashier enchantment than you, because I hire a better wizard." Her wings wouldn't look out of place among all of the illusions. I don't know what you would do when they saw her after that. If you do use this, make sure to describe many other NPC's illusions before you described her wings, to inoculate the PCs to strangeness.

[ClockShock]

This may not fit the setting, but consider making the ball a masquerade ball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_ball), as seen in Poe's Masque of the Red Death or The Phantom of the Opera. Have the nobles or whoever all have masks, and give the more powerful and wealthy ones illusions, like sparkly lights, metallic skin, or wings that they use to basically say, "I have a flashier enchantment than you, because I hire a better wizard." Her wings wouldn't look out of place among all of the illusions. I don't know what you would do when they saw her after that. If you do use this, make sure to describe many other NPC's illusions before you described her wings, to inoculate the PCs to strangeness.

This. Is an excellent suggestion.
I imagine that it might even throw the players off entirely. Plus it should encourage some creativity in developing their own costumes.

[Popertop]

Full plate in particular doesn't really work in this case because she wears either light or no armor (haven't decided yet).

Sure it does, you can just have her shed parts of the armor right before the fight, with her explaining that she uses weighted training to help keep light on her feet. You could also have the trench coat underneath that armor if you were planning on keeping the secret throughout the sparring (it could also function as her "no armor" option), or you could have her wings bound beneath some mithril breastplate all sideways like. You can fluff a trench coat out many different ways also.

Also, this:

I think the most shocking reveal would be brought about through nonmagical concealment. Strapping down the wings, as someone mentioned earlier, would help, as would elaborate (giant dresses, or poofy/frilly clothes) or bulky (full plate, tower shield on the back, backpack) clothing/armor. Other methods would be standing just out of sight, such as in the shadows or behind a pillar, or pretending to be bedridden.

If you are introducing her at a formal party, there's your explanation for her being dressed up all frilly. And I for one would be more scared of a girl in a pretty dress being the bodyguard of a duke than I would a big burly man in full plate being his bodyguard. This could get your players psyching themselves out or underestimating themselves, which would be all the more satisfying/humiliating when she kicks their asses/the big reveal happens.

And this:

This may not fit the setting, but consider making the ball a masquerade ball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_ball), as seen in Poe's Masque of the Red Death or The Phantom of the Opera. Have the nobles or whoever all have masks, and give the more powerful and wealthy ones illusions, like sparkly lights, metallic skin, or wings that they use to basically say, "I have a flashier enchantment than you, because I hire a better wizard." Her wings wouldn't look out of place among all of the illusions. I don't know what you would do when they saw her after that. If you do use this, make sure to describe many other NPC's illusions before you described her wings, to inoculate the PCs to strangeness.

I like this a lot. The masquerade is the only time she can let her wings go free without any consequence. You could also combine this with the mundane disguise option if you wanted to prolong the PCs finding out about it.

You really have a lot of options here, pick what you think your players will enjoy the most.

[Scarlet-Devil]

If you are introducing her at a formal party, there's your explanation for her being dressed up all frilly. And I for one would be more scared of a girl in a pretty dress being the bodyguard of a duke than I would a big burly man in full plate being his bodyguard. This could get your players psyching themselves out or underestimating themselves, which would be all the more satisfying/humiliating when she kicks their asses/the big reveal happens.

It's true that her being dressed up would make sense, but I really don't see how a frilly dress could hide a big pair of wings.

I'm also pretty fond of the masquerade idea; in any event, I'd say I have more than enough material now to work this scene out well.

[OracleofWuffing]

Well, yeah, sure, you could overdress the armor. Alternatively, you can do the opposite and wear nothing at all. Nobody will notice the wings until she wraps a towel/tablecloth around her.

... Or, for an option that's slightly less likely to devolve into immature giggling for twenty hours, wrap her wings around/into a large coffin-esque rock. She carries the rock on her back- everywhere- in remembrance of her father, who was disintegrated to dust in the war 100 years ago, after he told her that he'd never abandon her. Maybe that's a lie, maybe that's not, but eh, it's always true from a certain point of view.

[The_Werebear]

Cover them in a thin metal sheen, to make them look like decoration on her armor. When she needs to fly, a simple flex shreds the cover.

[jguy]

You could get two Bag of Holding type 1s and slide your wings inside of them and hook the bags to a holster on your back. Or you can custom make a Handy Haversack to have two wing slits on the outside to slide your wings into. Your wings could only weigh, what, 20-30 combined?

[Popertop]

you could just rule zero that she can fold them into her back.