Imitating another class?

[Kumori]

A recent thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237715) reminded me of an older thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195049), and then I had the thought "I wonder which other classes could be used to trick players into thinking someone was a different class...."

So now, I'm a little curious. If your goal was to convince your party that you were a class you aren't using, how would you do it, and what would you actually be?

[Alefiend]

I've never played one, but I believe the Factotum is made of this. Possibly the chameleon as well. I doubt you'll get many answers outside of that.

[Aegis013]

If you don't use maneuvers at low levels, you could probably make someone believe you were a Paladin with a Crusader. They're pretty similar. Or possibly a Knight with a crusader.

I think a Fighter can look suspiciously like a monk with the right feat selection.
Unarmed Swordsage also can look like a monk.

A Hexblade and a Duskblade are similar enough to pass off as each other, I think.

A Wizard could pass as a Beguiler or Dread Necromancer.

There's some thoughts.

[Kumori]

I've never played one, but I believe the Factotum is made of this. Possibly the chameleon as well. I doubt you'll get many answers outside of that.

Hmm... That's unfortunate. I was hoping to get inspiration for a future character. I'll just have to work something out myself, I guess.

[rollforeigninit]

Are you looking for an actual fake kind of thing like the barbarian or is a Chameleon or Factotum more what you are looking for?

[Kumori]

I'm looking for classes that could be played in such a way that the other players think you are a different class. In the first thread I linked the player is going to be a cleric who can do everything a Paladin does. I don't think his intent was to trick the party into thinking he is a Paladin, but he could if he wanted to. The second thread is a Barbarian who is pretending to be a Wizard. I'm wondering what other class combinations this sort of thing can be done with.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Almost all non-ToB melee classes plays a lot like each other at low levels before their signature features kick in, a paladin and a fighter would play mostly the same before level 5 (Charge and power attack). Sure there are some class features that you can't or shouldn't use to maintain the ruse (Lay on hands and possibly dungeon crasher for example). But at higher levels were class abilities are more prevalent it will become far more difficult.

[Bakkan]

Well, there are some simple ones like a focused specialist Wizard pretending to be a Sorcerer (only need focused specialist if your allies are very observant re: spells per day) if you are clever with spell selection, Ranger pretending to be a Fighter (or vice-versa, come to think of it). Warmage plays like a sorcerer, as can a Beguiler. Because of the unique mechanics it would be difficult IMO to actually fool someone that a factotum is something else except maybe rogue, and even that wouldn't be easy.

[Amphetryon]

If you dedicate enough resources (feats, mostly) to it, I believe it's possible for a Sorcerer or Wizard to make it appear almost all her spells come from another source, which makes 2 characters seem to imitate a different class.

[Psyren]

Chameleon (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20041210b) is made for this.

Psionicists can imitate casters pretty well - just yell gibberish and wiggle your fingers before unleashing your mental powers.

[Sir Rigel]

With some wise Feat, and spell selection, along with a little bit of RP you could convince your party that you are playing a favored soul, while you are actually playing a Battle sorcerer, depending on how many hints the DM drops. (got away with this for about 10, 6 hour sessions!)

[frost890]

You might try a psion as a sorcerer/wizard or a psychic warrior as a paladin. and a sword sage might be able to pass as a ranger with the right feats.

[kulosle]

There are two classes Spymaster, and Zhentarim Spy that make it so that you can very easily disguise yourself. I would throw one of those one there.

It's going to be said so I'll say it now. A wizard with invisible spell, still spell, and silent spell. Yeah, sure I'm a fighter.

There is also a class called savant some where that has a little bit of everyone's class abilities.

[rollforeigninit]

There is also a class called savant some where that has a little bit of everyone's class abilities.

It's in Dragon Compendium.

FMArthur made a Chameleon Base Class as weel based off the PrC. Works quite well if you don't mind some homebrew.

[Flickerdart]

Modelling Paladin or Ranger is incredibly simple, likewise Duskblade (remember that you can deliver a touch spell with an unarmed or natural weapon attack) and pretty much any other partial caster. The important thing is, what class do you want to pretend to be?

[Kumori]

Thanks for all the suggestions and things to keep in mind. This is a good spawning point for ideas, and a couple have come to mind. One such idea:

How effectively could a Cleric pretend to be a Monk? What other classes might (s)he multiclass into to help out with this?


Modelling Paladin or Ranger is incredibly simple, likewise Duskblade (remember that you can deliver a touch spell with an unarmed or natural weapon attack) and pretty much any other partial caster. The important thing is, what class do you want to pretend to be?

I haven't decided yet, but I am brainstorming.

[Flickerdart]

Greater Mighty Wallop and Magic Vestment will be your friend. As long as you do your persisting in secret, the party will never find out.

[Kuulvheysoon]

I once played a beguiler pretending to be a rogue. Sleight of hand to disguise my casting combined with other assorted goodies led to me going nearly 6 levels before they realised that I wasn't a rogue.

[Slipperychicken]

The 'Easy-Bake-No-Worries' Wizard (eidetic spellcaster variant, eschew materials, etc.), plus Spontaneous Divination, Elven Generalist, Domain Wizard, and Uncanny Forethought. Give him a half-decent Charisma score, and reflavor his headband of Intelligence to be a Cloak, and you have to be paying pretty close attention to tell the difference from a Sorcerer.

[gomipile]

A friend of mine had his rogue use a very high Bluff skill to con a bunch of commoners into believing he was a cleric, and donating to his fake church.

[Lonely Tylenol]

It's going to be said so I'll say it now. A wizard with invisible spell, still spell, and silent spell. Yeah, sure I'm a fighter.

This (or some other arcane caster) could make a very good Swordsage. Probably better if it's a Sorcerer, since then you can use the same spells repeatedly where necessary.

Any form of armor bonus from a spell (say, Mage Armor or something like that) can easily represent the WIS bonus to AC (they don't need to know your ability scores), and your high INT bonus can make up for the skill point difference.

From there, it's just a matter of picking your maneuvers:

Blades of Fire is Burning Blade (available to Sor/Wiz);
Swift Invisibility is Cloak of Deception (available to Bard);
Dimension Hop or Dimension Step are Shadow Step (available to Sor/Wiz);
Dimension Hop, when used against an enemy, is Mighty Throw (Sor/Wiz)
Quickened Dimension Hop is Shadow Blink (Sor/Wiz);
The Summon Elemental reserve feat is Distracting Ember;
Resist Energy is Flame's Blessing (Sor/Wiz);
Blur is Clinging Shadow Strike (Sor/Wiz, Bard);
Wraithstrike is Emerald Razor (Sor/Wiz);
Energy Substituted Thunderlance is Burning Brand (Sor/Wiz);
Quickened (or not) Baleful Transposition is Clever Positioning, or Devastating Throw, or some similar Setting Sun effect (Sor/Wiz);
Fire Shield is Holocaust Cloak (Sor/Wiz);
Lesser Deflect is Zephyr Dance (Sor/Wiz);
Scorching Ray is Fan the Flames (Sor/Wiz);
Spider Climb is Dance of the Spider (Sor/Wiz);
Lesser Orb of Sound, or some other (actually untyped) ranged touch attack, is Shadow Garrote (Sor/Wiz, possibly Bard);
Ray of Deanimation or Shatter is Stone Dragon's Fury (Sor/Wiz or Bard);
Bestow Curse is Flesh Ripper (Sor/Wiz);
Jump is Leaping Dragon Stance (Sor/Wiz);
Swift Expeditious Retreat is Bounding Assault (Sor/Wiz, Bard);
Ghoul Touch is Hand of Death (Sor/Wiz);
Halt, applied after a normal attack, is Overwhelming Mountain Strike (Sor/Wiz, Bard);
Energy Substituted Cone of Cold is Dragon's Flame, and later Wyrm's Flame (Sor/Wiz);
Dragonsight is Hearing the Air (Sor/Wiz);
Abrupt Jaunt is Mirrored Pursuit (Wiz);
Swift Fly and Energy Substituted Shocking Grasp is Searing Charge (Sor/Wiz);
Stun Ray is Disrupting Blow (Sor/Wiz);
Energy Substituted Sonic Weapon (or just regular Weapon of Energy, but it's higher level) is Fiery Assault (Sor/Wiz, Bard)
Nerveskitter is Moment of Alacrity;
Greater Invisibility is Stalker in the Night (Sor/Wiz, Bard);
Dimension Step is Order Forged From Chaos (Sor/Wiz);
Lesser Celerity is Quicksilver Motion (Sor/Wiz, Bard);
Overland Flight is Balance on the Sky (Sor/Wiz);
Enervation is Enervating Shadow Strike (who knew?) (Sor/Wiz);
Enlarged Maximized Fireburst (CL 10th) is Inferno Blast (Sor/Wiz); and
Greater Celerity is Time Stands Still (Sor/Wiz).

Other people can probably also think of viable alternatives for some other maneuvers (Bigby's hands could probably substitute a few of the Setting Sun or Stone Dragon maneuvers).

From there, you have a wide number of "maneuvers" of the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, and Diamond Mind schools (with a smattering of Setting Sun and Stone Dragon). If you're a Sorcerer, you're probably Stalwart and/or Battle, which gives you some Shadow Hand martial proficiencies, medium BAB and light armor proficiency, so you'll have the chassis of a Swordsage. You'll also be able to emulate a good number of Swordsage maneuvers, enough to be convincing even, and you might even be a good Swordsage (albeit not optimized), but you won't be anything else. If you're a Wizard, you'll have the skills (if not the skill list) but not the body, and but when you get tired of being a Swordsage, you prepare new spells, and suddenly, you're a Wizard, Harry!

[Ason]

Motoko's Ghost and the others have been doing some wonderful work with their Zinc Saucier Optimization Challenge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233749) threads. So far, we spectators have been treated to fake soulknives, bards and now monks, and I'm excited to see what they cook up next.

[Thurbane]

Binder(/KotSS) with the right Vestiges (Buer, Andras) can do a decent impersonation of a Paladin...

[Morph Bark]

A little bit of self-advertising perhaps, but I'm just going to leave this here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8919949).

[Krazzman]

The 'Easy-Bake-No-Worries' Wizard (eidetic spellcaster variant, eschew materials, etc.), plus Spontaneous Divination, Elven Generalist, Domain Wizard, and Uncanny Forethought. Give him a half-decent Charisma score, and reflavor his headband of Intelligence to be a Cloak, and you have to be paying pretty close attention to tell the difference from a Sorcerer.

Well... no. First time preparing spells leaves you to explain things.
Wizard: 1 Hour of studying after 8 hours of uninterrupted rest.
Sorcerer: 15 Minutes of Focusing after rest.

If your party knows this you are "caught".

[Yuki Akuma]

The point of that build is that you never actually prepare spells. Those abilities let you immediately prepare and then cast spells in your empty spell slots, or convert spell slots into spontaneous spells, and etc.

[KillianHawkeye]

I've always thought a Bard could reasonably fake a Cleric. They get a lot of the same spells, and you can use Perform (oratory) to deliver a sermon while using bardic music.

[Jack Zander]

Multiclass Fighter/druid would make a very convincing ranger. If you take 4 fighter levels your companion won't be any different and you'll have enough feats to focus on your preferred combat style. Then when you start wildshaping and casting more powerful "ranger" spells you're party is bound to call fowl or demand to see what broken alternate class features/feats you've dug up.

[Duke of URL]

The closest I came was a character I had submitted for a PbP game that folded before play started.

I don't remember all of the details, but I believe the basic build was a Dread Necromancer / Pale Master with a Ghost Cleric undead cohort, where the character was going to pretend that he was himself a Cleric by allowing the cohort to possess him (the mechanics of which was a negotiation with the DM). Of course, explaining where all the cleric powers went while the cohort was off doing other things was going to be a challenge, and the constant disguising of the undead graft, etc., but trying would have been fun.

And speaking of the Dread Necromancer, I believe the handbook for that (or one of the following comments) discusses how someone passed himself off as a Druid (with his familiar always going around in wolf form).

[Theoboldi]

No one mentioned the Charlatan (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=d8qh5u70fo31q2g9c8du9kg3o0&topic=6543.0) yet? It's pretty much made for this kind of stuff.

[Yuki Akuma]

No one mentioned the Charlatan (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=d8qh5u70fo31q2g9c8du9kg3o0&topic=6543.0) yet? It's pretty much made for this kind of stuff.

Most people don't have the contents of every issue of Dragon memorised.

[Theoboldi]

Most people don't have the contents of every issue of Dragon memorised.

They don't? This changes everything! I thought Dragon mag was core! :smalleek:

On a more serious note, it's still a pretty fun prestige class and needed to be mentioned for this thread.

[Ranting Fool]

While not a class that lasted more than one encounter I did have fun as a DM once by letting the players burst in on a "A figure wearing robes covered in arcane ruins* who the rogue ran up to and tried to grapple him (The Bane of many a low level arcane spell caster) only for the "mage" to turn out to be a rather head butt happy Monk.

So it was only for one fight but I had a laugh over my players going "He's in robes he MUST be a mage!" They soon learned that nothing is ever exactly as they expected :smallsmile:

But like others have said most melee classes can look/act the same at low level. I've had many a cleric with a higher str score then wis and had them charge forward in plate with a big mace power attacking everything in sight :smallconfused::smallsmile:

[Kumori]

Wow, lots more information to process has been gifted overnight. It'll take a bit to go through those threads and such, but thanks for all the info and suggestions!

[Flickerdart]

Multiclass Fighter/druid would make a very convincing ranger. If you take 4 fighter levels your companion won't be any different and you'll have enough feats to focus on your preferred combat style. Then when you start wildshaping and casting more powerful "ranger" spells you're party is bound to call fowl or demand to see what broken alternate class features/feats you've dug up.
For the first ten levels, a Wildshape Mystic Ranger and a Druid are pretty much identical anyway.

[dextercorvia]

Binder5/Chameleon makes a pretty convincing Paladin of whatever flavor you like.

Kobold Clerics make excellent rogues. Just pretend to UMD a scroll anytime you cast anything (or use the SoH trick in RoS).

I've had some luck both passing a Wizard off as a Cleric, and vice versa.

I also am working on a Monk build that could pass himself off as a spellcaster at low levels (without resorting to cross class umd and partially charged wands).

[Heatwizard]

Once I pieced together a Ranger 2/Marshal 1/Ranger +2 that could, theoretically, pass as a Paladin from level 1; the way it's set up, a lot of the equivalent class features show up at the same time as a Paladin would be getting them. An animal companion at the same level as a Paladin gets a mount, the Marshal dip is for the cha-to-will-save aura. Stuff like that. There'd be a reasonable amount of lying and surreptitious wand use, but I thought it was neat.

[Zombulian]

I'd like to put a +1 in for Charlatan. You can be a rogue with UMD for the first few levels before you get in, but then the REAL fun starts! "Casting" spells that are usable in Anti-magic fields and such. Very fun.
Alternatively you could start as either a Factotum or a Swashbuckler with the "arcane somethingorother" acf.