long-term acting

[limejuicepowder]

If a character wants to maintain a persona for an extended period of time, how should that be handled? Generally, when a character wants to tell a lie or verbally hide something it requires a bluff check, but this only covers single instances. Say a character wants to hide how intelligent they really are. What check or checks should this require? Or should it be entirely role-playing?

[BowStreetRunner]

Under the Disguise skill there is a section where it states "Usually, an individual makes a Spot check to see through your disguise immediately upon meeting you and each hour thereafter. If you casually meet many different creatures, each for a short time, check once per day or hour, using an average Spot modifier for the group."

Now, I know this is not an instance of making a disguise, it's a bluff. But since the bluff rules don't really take into account maintaining a lie for a long period of time, I would just port over the mechanics of the disguise rule here and have them make 1 bluff check initially, then once per hour or day depending on how often any situation is likely to come up where the PC will need to perpetuate the lie.

[TheStranger]

Under the Disguise skill there is a section where it states "Usually, an individual makes a Spot check to see through your disguise immediately upon meeting you and each hour thereafter. If you casually meet many different creatures, each for a short time, check once per day or hour, using an average Spot modifier for the group."

Now, I know this is not an instance of making a disguise, it's a bluff. But since the bluff rules don't really take into account maintaining a lie for a long period of time, I would just port over the mechanics of the disguise rule here and have them make 1 bluff check initially, then once per hour or day depending on how often any situation is likely to come up where the PC will need to perpetuate the lie.

I think this is the way to do it, short of making a roll for each social interaction. However, I don't think a single failed roll (or successful sense motive, if you prefer) should result in immediate exposure, except when you first meet somebody. What I mean is, if you've got somebody convinced that you're dumb as a post, saying one insightful thing probably isn't going to make them suddenly realize that you've been bluffing them. I guess one way to represent that would be to create a pool of "suspicion points" that you can gain or lose depending on the ongoing result of the checks. Or you could keep it simpler and just give a circumstance bonus to subsequent checks after the first impression is formed.

[Harlot]

Isn't this problem something along the lines of an evil character trying to hide his alignment? It could be handled the same way, I think.

I wouldn't roll bluff for it everyday, but on occation. If the character did something or was brought in a situation where his behavior somehow hinted to the fact that he was a great deal brighter than he is. Then I'd roll the bluff/sense motive.

So I would roleplay it and then only roll for it when needed.

[BowStreetRunner]

However, I don't think a single failed roll (or successful sense motive, if you prefer) should result in immediate exposure, except when you first meet somebody.

Right. The first impression is the strongest. If they believe the lie in the beginning, they will just become suspicious if they catch them in the lie later. They would probably have to catch them several times before they were certain they had been duped and there wasn't some other explanation.