Sneaky paladin

[Isle]

I've playing a character who pretends to be a paladin. My fellow players have finally started to distrust me last session. (So if you're Dutch and don't trust the paladin who befriends a lich, runs in fear and outbluffs you, please don't continue reading)

The character had a little trouble pretending to be the same person day after day. She would really like to be her ever-changing self again. However, I've been playing a paladin for so long, I need a little help with the ever-changing part.
It's a changeling/factotum 5/chameleon 4 build which means I can decide to change my appearance, focus, a feat and a +2 ability bonus every day.

Does anyone have any funny, quirky or perhaps really useful ideas? For example: I've found the feat Imperious command, which would be fun to try on a day where I changeshape into an innocent teenage girl.

[Uhtred]

Does anyone have any funny, quirky or perhaps really useful ideas? For example: I've found the feat Imperious command, which would be fun to try on a day where I changeshape into an innocent teenage girl.

There is a robe somewhere that allows you to costume change, complete with props, by tugging a thread. I ran with a doppelgänger once who had one of them, along with a Useful Buckler, and there was nowhere we couldn't go as long as we were with her. Need to get into a palace? Tug a thread and be dressed as a royal courier, complete with super-important message! Need a viable reason to visit the Lawful Evil town? Tug a thread and be a rug merchant, complete with donkey and real, sellable rugs!

EDIT: Found it! Robe of Professions, Races of Eberron. 5,000gp nets you a shapechanger's favorite suit of clothes. +5 on Disguise checks, plus the hilarity of your party members watch you, in the same breath, be a rug merchant, a butler, and a nobleman.

[Kelb_Panthera]

There is a robe somewhere that allows you to costume change, complete with props, by tugging a thread. I ran with a doppelgänger once who had one of them, along with a Useful Buckler, and there was nowhere we couldn't go as long as we were with her. Need to get into a palace? Tug a thread and be dressed as a royal courier, complete with super-important message! Need a viable reason to visit the Lawful Evil town? Tug a thread and be a rug merchant, complete with donkey and real, sellable rugs!

EDIT: Found it! Robe of Professions, Races of Eberron. 5,000gp nets you a shapechanger's favorite suit of clothes. +5 on Disguise checks, plus the hilarity of your party members watch you, in the same breath, be a rug merchant, a butler, and a nobleman.

There's a cheaper version of this that doesn't get the props and a smaller disguise bonus for 500gp either in the same book or MIC. It's a vest, IIRC.

In anycase, I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, OP.

If the rest of the party knows you're a changeling, you could just play "I'm you" with them for a session or two. It's a changeling children's game described in RoE. You impersonate your friends (party members in this case) and see how long it takes your other friends or someone else to figure out you're an imposter. Come to think of it, you could have some fun with that game if they don't know you're a changeling too, though you'll need to tread carefully to avoid breaking up the party altogether in that case.

In either case it'll help you to get used to playing different characters. After a bit of I'm you, you can just start making characters up for your changeling to become for a day or two.

One of my characters was actually a changeling that never grew out of the game. He was a monk/law incarnate/changeling feat rogue/chameleon with that vest I mentioned. I worked it out with the DM that I'd follow the party portraying "different characters" that the PC's "met" along the way. I had a blast "accidentally" dropping hints about what was happening until they finally figured it out.

[Killer Angel]

I've playing a character who pretends to be a paladin. My fellow players have finally started to distrust me last session. (So if you're Dutch and don't trust the paladin who befriends a lich, runs in fear and outbluffs you, please don't continue reading)

Even if he stops reading, I doubt this is going to soften his suspicions... :smalltongue:

[Isle]

Even if he stops reading, I doubt this is going to soften his suspicions... :smalltongue:

:) That doesn't matter. They all distrust me at the moment. And I've been playing the pretend-paladin for nearly a year now, so it's about time they found out.

The robe is nice but a bit expensive. The vest is going onto my shopping list.

I really like the game you described, Kelb_Panthera. I know I've read about it when I created the character, but that was so long ago I didn't remember. I think it would be a lot of fun to try to make my party members wonder if they are talking to me or to the partymember I impersonate every morning. And probably end up in jail for a crime I didn't commit. Which would be fun too.

[Jeff the Green]

There's a cheaper version of this that doesn't get the props and a smaller disguise bonus for 500gp either in the same book or MIC. It's a vest, IIRC.
Shiftweave.

Another possible way of messing with your party relearning improvisation is to roll a die each morning—IC and OOC—and based on the result, be the most stereotypical cleric, druid, barbarian, rogue, wizard, or bard you can be. Insist that's who you've always been, and they must be mistaken/ensorceled/insane.

[only1doug]

I'm playing a Changeling warlock at the moment, the rest of the PCs think I am a Elven Wizard (they've seen me cast spiderclimb and prestidigitation and just haven't identified the eldritch blast beyond "clearly magical" yet).

A hat of disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#hatofDisguise) is less useful to a changeling than to anyone else, all it provides us with is an infinite change of clothes as the magical disguise self bonus won't stack with the racial one (may be worth considering when you have the cash spare).

[Isle]

A hat of disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#hatofDisguise) is less useful to a changeling than to anyone else, all it provides us with is an infinite change of clothes as the magical disguise self bonus won't stack with the racial one (may be worth considering when you have the cash spare).

Are you sure? The racial bonus says it's a circumstance bonus that functions as the disguise self spell. However, it's not an illusion, it's a physical change. The hat of disguise doesn't say what kind of bonus it gives but only that it functions as the disguise self spell. The spell doesn't say which kind of bonus it is either, so it would be untyped. And even if it's a circumstance bonus as well, they can stack. My DM didn't think it was a problem, but we might have missed something.

I found the vestment of many styles in RoE. I think that's what Panthera meant. I already have the shiftweave. You can get away with that as a paladin.

[dspeyer]

It might be amusing to reveal that you have an evil twin, and then not remember a few of your less paladinish activities.

Just don't suggest that a doppleganger may be impersonating you. Too dangerous.

[only1doug]

Are you sure? The racial bonus says it's a circumstance bonus that functions as the disguise self spell. However, it's not an illusion, it's a physical change. The hat of disguise doesn't say what kind of bonus it gives but only that it functions as the disguise self spell. The spell doesn't say which kind of bonus it is either, so it would be untyped. And even if it's a circumstance bonus as well, they can stack. My DM didn't think it was a problem, but we might have missed something.

If your GM is ok with it then thats fine, Who am I to argue (in fact once I can afford one I'll ask my GM what he thinks).

[manyslayer]

Are you sure? The racial bonus says it's a circumstance bonus that functions as the disguise self spell. However, it's not an illusion, it's a physical change. The hat of disguise doesn't say what kind of bonus it gives but only that it functions as the disguise self spell. The spell doesn't say which kind of bonus it is either, so it would be untyped. And even if it's a circumstance bonus as well, they can stack. My DM didn't think it was a problem, but we might have missed something.

With both of them referencing Disguise Self, it could be argued its the same source (just like two castings of the spell would not stack). Check with your DM.

[avr]

By RAW Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device are separate skills, and you probably have one but not the other, but there's an argument that they should be the same skill due to psi-magic transparency.

The reason I mention this is that power stones (psi scrolls) and dorjes (psi wands) are small enough to hide in the palm of your hand, which might be useful to you.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Throw in Master of Masks and you've got yet another set of bonuses that can change day after day. Some Binder would also help out considerably with the ever-changing character.

For a sneaky Paladin, go Spellthief 1/ (Cloistered Cleric 1)/ Paladin 18-19 with Able Learner. You can use Devoted Inquisitor to daze on a Smite Evil, and spellthief allows you to use wands of any Wizard spells from the schools it gets access to (namely Wraithstrike). If you go with the Cloistered Cleric dip, take Knowledge Devotion, Law Devotion, and the Inquisition domain, get the feat Divine Defiance in FC2, and trade your Paladin turn undead ability for the Divine Counterspell ACF in CM, which you can use as an immediate action by spending a Cleric turn use. You'll probably Practiced Spellcaster (I'd get it for Paladin), and the combo comes online at 6th. Early feats can include Darkstalker or maybe Power Attack. I'd go for the Charging Smite ACF in PH2 as well.

[Dayaz]

I like the evil twin idea lol... the Master of Masks could be useful for a dip... there's a mask that makes Detect Alignment spells always read as if you were lawful good.

could always play "I'm you" whenever a player can't make the board just to freak the group out a bit.

"You were with us, remember? ___ The Paladin was ill so you went with us to the dragon's lair!"

"...No I didn't, I was out of town when you went to the Dragon's Lair..."

"... Then who was it with us in the Lair?"

[Kelb_Panthera]

Throw in Master of Masks and you've got yet another set of bonuses that can change day after day. Some Binder would also help out considerably with the ever-changing character.

For a sneaky Paladin, go Spellthief 1/ (Cloistered Cleric 1)/ Paladin 18-19 with Able Learner. You can use Devoted Inquisitor to daze on a Smite Evil, and spellthief allows you to use wands of any Wizard spells from the schools it gets access to (namely Wraithstrike). If you go with the Cloistered Cleric dip, take Knowledge Devotion, Law Devotion, and the Inquisition domain, get the feat Divine Defiance in FC2, and trade your Paladin turn undead ability for the Divine Counterspell ACF in CM, which you can use as an immediate action by spending a Cleric turn use. You'll probably Practiced Spellcaster (I'd get it for Paladin), and the combo comes online at 6th. Early feats can include Darkstalker or maybe Power Attack. I'd go for the Charging Smite ACF in PH2 as well.

Were you aware that the OP is asking for advice on a character that's already built and in play?

That's not sarcasm, btw. Your response is just such a wild departure from not only the op's request but from what is apparent by the majority of her responses (particularly the one where she mentions she's been playing the character for a year), that I can't help but think you missed it somehow.

@ OP: yeah, shiftweave is what I was talking about. RoE's changeling psychology section might also be worth re-reading, to help you portray your character as coming out of "deep cover" and getting back to her original nature and mindset.

Btw, becomer or truth-seeker?

[Isle]

Becomer. Reading RoE really was great help, so thanks for helping me remember it's existence.

In the meantime, my partymembers have discovered that their paladin actually is a young spy. And after being attacked by all four of them, a frightened and therefore cooperative one as well. But she doesn't have to pretend to be a paladin anymore. So after she regains some trust in the others, she's going to enjoy the freedom to be herself. Which she never was able to do in her life before, so she's going to start puberty. I think I will have some fun with that.