Charlotte the Charlatan Changeling! Help me gear her/it!

[Snowbluff]

So, I am making a new character. A total fraud.

I'll use Primary Contact to subvert the Bluff requirements a little here. I could grab it twice by murdering contacts and retraining it, get Charlatan 5, but ~meh~.

Changeling Something4/Charlatan4/CabinetTrickster5

CT is in Races of Ebberon. It lets me read minds, etc. The capstone lets me transform into a creature and assume its (Ex) stuff.

Charlatan is Dragon #335. It makes me a bluffing... something. It's cool. I like it.

Idk what to start with. I don't think I want Rogue or Factotum. Maybe I'll use Racial Emulation to grab a Racial Paragon. That'd be neat.

So what I want help with is 3 parts:

1) My first 3-4 levels. What should they be? Anything is fair game. I just have to have Bluff, Know: Arcane or Divine, and other prereq stuff.

2) I'd like a combat form for Cabinet Tricksters Change Shape (MM 306). Should I just copy one of my friends in a fight for their (Ex) stuff? Would I lose my (Ex) from Charlatan? Are those considered (Ex) Special Attacks?

3) Are their ways to improve my Charlatan stuff other than buffing up my bluff? Like a longer duration? They are all (Ex) if it's important.

Side note: What weapons/Equipment would be good for a Charlatan? You know, things good for faking being a Wizard.

[Waker]

Well, I didn't see you mention it, but you do know about the Changeling Rogue acf correct? Big bonuses on social skills, a Knowledge of your choice is added to your skill list and if you want you can get a bonus on all Knowledge checks, though the latter acf isn't that great.

[Zaq]

Yeah, if your first level isn't Changeling Rogue (and I know you have Races of Eberron), you're pretty much doing this kind of character wrong. 10 + INT skill points (at the all-important first level) AND effective skill mastery with Bluff/Diplomacy/Gather Info/Intimidate/Sense Motive, among other benefits? You'd have to be crazy to pass that up. The other three levels might be in Rogue, or they might be in something else, but it's practically tailor-made for this kind of character.

Three levels, hmm . . . that's enough to get Brains Over Brawn from Factotum (if you want your INT to give you some STR/DEX punch), or enough to get two minor aura from Marshal (plus a major aura and SF: Diplomacy), if you're more of the kind of guy who puts the CHA in Charlatan.

[Snowbluff]

Well, I didn't see you mention it, but you do know about the Changeling Rogue acf correct? Big bonuses on social skills, a Knowledge of your choice is added to your skill list and if you want you can get a bonus on all Knowledge checks, though the latter acf isn't that great.


Yeah, if your first level isn't Changeling Rogue (and I know you have Races of Eberron), you're pretty much doing this kind of character wrong. 10 + INT skill points (at the all-important first level) AND effective skill mastery with Bluff/Diplomacy/Gather Info/Intimidate/Sense Motive, among other benefits? You'd have to be crazy to pass that up. The other three levels might be in Rogue, or they might be in something else, but it's practically tailor-made for this kind of character.

Three levels, hmm . . . that's enough to get Brains Over Brawn from Factotum (if you want your INT to give you some STR/DEX punch), or enough to get two minor aura from Marshal (plus a major aura and SF: Diplomacy), if you're more of the kind of guy who puts the CHA in Charlatan.

Yeah, I was aware. I want to move away from things I've done before/that'll risk her being competent at anything other than lying. I will reconsider it regardless.

As for Brains > Brawn, I'd rather dip Swashbuckler and avoid using Inspiration Points. Good Cha synergy would be nice, though.

I think I'll take a gander at Marshall...

[Diovid]

You need to be 5th level to enter charlatan, not 4th, right?

Rogue 4 / Marshal 1 would be your best bet. Use both changeling rogue substitution levels and use the martial rogue variant.

Prcs you might want to look at:
Mountebank (at least as a 1-level dip, gives int to bluff, complete scoundrel)
Spymaster (complete adventurer)
Exemplar (complete adventurer)

Feats you might like:
Fade into Violence (PHB II)
Master Manipulator (PHB II)
Wanderer's Diplomacy (PHB II)
Combat Panache (PHB II)
Disturbing Visage (Races of Eberron)
Perfect Reflection (Races of Eberron)
Force of Personality (Complete Adventurer)
Keen Intellect (dragon #318)
Rapscallion (dragon #315)

Also take a look at the interaction skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel.

[JeminiZero]

For faking being a wizard, look up the Surprise Weapon in Complete Scoundrel. Now try and get as many of these, and shove wand chambers into all of them. This lets you "cast" without having any obvious wands/staves on hand, so it looks more like you're doing it naturally.

And you could probably use glamered armor, so that it looks like you're not wearing armor at all.

For bluffing, there is the Circlet of Persuasion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#circletofPersuasion).

[Snowbluff]

You need to be 5th level to enter charlatan, not 4th, right?

Preferred Contact in Cityscape gives a bonus skill rank. It's good for early entry on skills. You can also murder you contact and retrain it to cheese the entry further.


Rogue 4 / Marshal 1 would be your best bet. Use both changeling rogue substitution levels and use the martial rogue variant.

Prcs you might want to look at:
Mountebank (at least as a 1-level dip, gives int to bluff, complete scoundrel)
Spymaster (complete adventurer)
Exemplar (complete adventurer)

Feats you might like:
Fade into Violence (PHB II)
Master Manipulator (PHB II)
Wanderer's Diplomacy (PHB II)
Combat Panache (PHB II)
Disturbing Visage (Races of Eberron)
Perfect Reflection (Races of Eberron)
Force of Personality (Complete Adventurer)
Keen Intellect (dragon #318)
Rapscallion (dragon #315)

Also take a look at the interaction skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel.

Cool. I am definitely dipping Marshal. Too bad I can only have 1 aura known, or I would pick up the disarming bonus in addition to Motivate Charisma. Changeling Rogue will be my first level.


For faking being a wizard, look up the Surprise Weapon in Complete Scoundrel. Now try and get as many of these, and shove wand chambers into all of them. This lets you "cast" without having any obvious wands/staves on hand, so it looks more like you're doing it naturally.

And you could probably use glamered armor, so that it looks like you're not wearing armor at all.

For bluffing, there is the Circlet of Persuasion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#circletofPersuasion).

Cool, cool. That sounds like a lot of fun. I'll get right on that.

I'll be picking up Glamered armor, considering that Changelings can't shapeshift new clothes. Yes so very much on the circlet.