Help Designing a Helpful NPC - The Happy Mask Salesman [PF]

[Tokuhara]

Okay. First of all, I'm aware of the many conflicting theories about this character from Majora's Mask. Second, this NPC will not fight, but I have players who try to kill NPCs they don't trust.

Now, for those who don't know, the Happy Mask Salesman (http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Happy_Mask_Salesman) is a character who helps Link and seems to know more than he's letting on. So as a helpful NPC (one who gives hints to the players and generally is the Main Quest NPC), how would I make him.

Secretly, in my campaign world, the Happy Mask Salesman is the god of Time, and generally not someone to attack. The reason he wants to help the players is that the Divine Edicts say that Gods cannot directly interfere with events, and must instead suggest people to a course of action. The plot is centered around a Demon Cult that wants to awaken an ancient demon and destroy the multiverse, thus killing all of the Gods. Seeing as how the God of Time can see this before all other deities, he enlists the local nobles to find the party so they may save existence. He will never reveal himself as the God of Time, but will instead appear whenever the party needs help (non-combat) and to generally keep the story going.

However, the party may not trust his genuine help/random appearances and try to kill him, which means I need to stat him as a God.

So playground, any ideas?

[legomaster00156]

I think stats are hardly necessary, really. This is a god. He WILL TPK in one turn against an unprepared party.

[Tokuhara]

I think stats are hardly necessary, really. This is a god. He WILL TPK in one turn against an unprepared party.

Right, but I don't want the party to call shenanigans if I kill a player. This is to keep me honest.

[legomaster00156]

Well, what's his divine rank? Obviously fairly high. From there, we may be able to suggest a level (although "arbitrarily high" is appropriate here) and classes.

[Tokuhara]

Well, what's his divine rank? Obviously fairly high. From there, we may be able to suggest a level (although "arbitrarily high" is appropriate here) and classes.

I'm giving him about 15 Divine Ranks roughly

[Tokuhara]

Well, what's his divine rank? Obviously fairly high. From there, we may be able to suggest a level (although "arbitrarily high" is appropriate here) and classes.

I'm giving him about 15 Divine Ranks roughly

[gr8artist]

I don't know anything about Divine Ranks, but wouldn't making him 3 times the level of the other players solve any problems?
Make him a 30 wizard, specialize in temporal stasis and time stop. If they try anything stupid, time stop, buff self, then disable. Don't kill them, just paralyze/curse/ability damage them.
You want to let them know that they could have been killed, to show them that this character isn't to be trifled with

[Tokuhara]

I don't know anything about Divine Ranks, but wouldn't making him 3 times the level of the other players solve any problems?
Make him a 30 wizard, specialize in temporal stasis and time stop. If they try anything stupid, time stop, buff self, then disable. Don't kill them, just paralyze/curse/ability damage them.
You want to let them know that they could have been killed, to show them that this character isn't to be trifled with

Better than what I'd've done. Time stop to "your Hp is now Zero. Why? He's a God."

[legomaster00156]

Too simple and low-level. Adding 10 levels of Swiftblade and changing some Wizard levels for full-casting PrC's (Archmage?) may work, though.

[Tokuhara]

Too simple and low-level. Adding 10 levels of Swiftblade and changing some Wizard levels for full-casting PrC's (Archmage?) may work, though.

This is Pure Pathfinder, so no Archmage or Swiftblade

[ArcanaGuy]

Just don't have him fight back. If they attack him ... *shlick* the sword goes into him, and he just puts his fists on his hips and glares at them. With the hilt protruding from his chest. "Not cool, guys. Not cool. I put in all this effort to help you, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Um ... sorry?"

"No, no, too late. Now I have all these non-interference rules I need to attend to. I'll just have to find some *other* heroic group to save the world. If there's even time. Good job, you jerks."

[Arcanist]

Okay. First of all, I'm aware of the many conflicting theories about this character from Majora's Mask. Second, this NPC will not fight, but I have players who try to kill NPCs they don't trust.

Now, for those who don't know, the Happy Mask Salesman (http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Happy_Mask_Salesman) is a character who helps Link and seems to know more than he's letting on. So as a helpful NPC (one who gives hints to the players and generally is the Main Quest NPC), how would I make him.

Secretly, in my campaign world, the Happy Mask Salesman is the god of Time, and generally not someone to attack. The reason he wants to help the players is that the Divine Edicts say that Gods cannot directly interfere with events, and must instead suggest people to a course of action. The plot is centered around a Demon Cult that wants to awaken an ancient demon and destroy the multiverse, thus killing all of the Gods. Seeing as how the God of Time can see this before all other deities, he enlists the local nobles to find the party so they may save existence. He will never reveal himself as the God of Time, but will instead appear whenever the party needs help (non-combat) and to generally keep the story going.

However, the party may not trust his genuine help/random appearances and try to kill him, which means I need to stat him as a God.

So playground, any ideas?

you seem to have met with a terrible fate

The Happy Mask Salesman is a Happy first, likes Masks second and a salesmen 3rd... So lets merge 3 classes together that hit all of these at once, shall we? :smallsmile:

Personally, I think Bard captures the whole happy thing and adds in the skills necessary for the next parts... Next we add all 10 levels of Master of Mask (now level 15)... We gotta start somewhere don't we? Why not give him a few masks to use? For the next 5 levels we take 5 of Sublime Cord to give him access to greater magic and then we use the adaptation of Merchant Prince called Enclave Master so that it adds more caster levels and spells... 5 to be exact :smallbiggrin:

Bard/5 Master of Mask/10 Sublime Cord/5 Enclave Master/5 and there you have it... the Happy Masks Salesmen :smalltongue: He doesn't have to fight, since he can bluff his way out of fighting the party or conflicting anyone... He can always perform Epic hide checks... honestly my presentation was just for the "you seem to have met with a terrible fate" thing... That build is incredibly unoptimal if that is what you're going for...

[Tokuhara]

While I love the the Master of Masks build, the game is Pathfinder, of which Master of Masks is not. Sorry, but I still would play that in 3.5

[legomaster00156]

Pathfinder-only? Hurray, I can actually be of use here! Well, obviously divine ranks are imported from D&D. Notably, in Pathfinder, gods are explicitly not statted out - they are just outright defined as unbeatable by mortal means. However, if you do want to stat him out, let's begin. I suggest level this:
Human (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/core-races/human) (or whatever shape your god is taking ATM) Universalist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/arcane-schools/paizo---arcane-schools/classic-arcane-schools/universalist) Wizard (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard) 20 + Oracle (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/oracle) of Time (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/oracle/mysteries/paizo---oracle-mysteries/time) 20

[gr8artist]

For clarification, I think a 20 wizard would seem like a god to a party of level 10's. If the group is level 15, then the 20 wizard would need to be a 30 wizard, or somesuch.