[PF] Pretending to be a Sorcerer/Wizard...

[Spellblade]

For my next PF game, I was thinking of perhaps making a Rogue or Ninja that pretended to be a great and powerful wizard or sorcerer all the time with the use of scrolls, wands and potions.

My initial thought was perhaps something like a Kitsune Ninja for the Realistic Likeness feat that is pretty interesting. But any advice on how to play somebody pretending to be a great and powerful spell caster (without being one themselves) would be awesome. Thanks in advance!

[stack]

There's a feat for that...let me find it.

ed - False Casting (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/false-casting)

[holywhippet]

Hire an actual high level magic user to follow you around with a greater invisibility spell active. When you claim to be casting, they are actually do it. For better results, hire several casters so your enemies think you have a massive number and variety of spells. That would cost a lot of money though, but having magical items like potions and scrolls to pretend to be a powerful caster is going to cost a fortune anyway.

Otherwise you are going to need to use a lot of sleight of hand and setting stuff up in advance to make it seem like you are a powerful caster. Like placing oil flasks and alchemists fire on something you are going to pretend to set on fire.

Alternately you could rely on a lot of magical items, but again that would cost money.

Final option would be to play someone with psionics and pretend to be an arcane caster by wiggling your fingers, chanting nonsense and fiddling with spell components.

Really though, what are you hoping to get out of your character? Are you expecting to fool your party members? If you claim to be a caster but don't fireball your enemies they are going to see straight through you. Although I suppose since they will know your character level they won't be fooled anyway.

[MonochromeTiger]

For my next PF game, I was thinking of perhaps making a Rogue or Ninja that pretended to be a great and powerful wizard or sorcerer all the time with the use of scrolls, wands and potions.

My initial thought was perhaps something like a Kitsune Ninja for the Realistic Likeness feat that is pretty interesting. But any advice on how to play somebody pretending to be a great and powerful spell caster (without being one themselves) would be awesome. Thanks in advance!

actually I do believe kitsune have a really big advantage on that front in pathfinder, the "magical tail" racial feat for kitsune gives then 2/day access to some good illusion and charm spell like abilities (assuming you're willing to keep putting feat choices into it for each new tail). scrolls require caster levels to use and I don't know of any feats that allow non casters to use them (not saying there aren't any I just haven't seen them, there's a TON of feats to look through in pathfinder). staves have the same requirement in their description. might I suggest dipping into alchemist for the potion thing? spell effects through alchemical means might fit for a magic-less "magic user".

[JeenLeen]

There's a feat for that...let me find it.

ed - False Casting (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/false-casting)

Would False Casting work with scrolls and potions? Since it works with wands, I would think so. I guess anyone who fails their Spellcraft roll just thinks the potion/scroll was a focus, like with wands. Sounds hard to believe, but that seem the RAW.

False Casting seems a useful ability, and Magical Aptitude (although generally a feat I'd avoid) does give you some UMD which you'd need to pull off using the scrolls and wands.

[Spellblade]

Really though, what are you hoping to get out of your character? Are you expecting to fool your party members? If you claim to be a caster but don't fireball your enemies they are going to see straight through you. Although I suppose since they will know your character level they won't be fooled anyway.

Probably try, at least for a while to fool the party members but I am pretty sure they will figure it out quickly enough. I am hoping to basically a play a sort of confidence trickster that gets by on good looks and pretending to be great and powerful wizard as their general persona but being able to look and act like anybody else at the drop of a hat would be nice.

Hence the Charisma base, and for pumping UMD and the Face skills.
There's a feat for that...let me find it.

ed - False Casting (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/false-casting)

Thanks. That is interesting, sort of what I was looking for. Although Magical Aptitude is a bad feat. Maybe I can get my DM to wave it. Not getting bonus feats and trying to build for flavor is hard.

[Particle_Man]

Pump up the Bluff and UMD skills. :smallsmile:

[Spellblade]

Pump up the Bluff and UMD skills. :smallsmile:

Yeah, as mentioned above though, price is going to be the real problem for paying for all of that stuff.

[jedipilot24]

So, you want to be a Charlatan (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6543.0).

[GreenZ]

Pssst.

Pssst.

Over here,

I know what you want and I've got the goods. Yeah, the good stuff. I am sure a Great and Powerful Mystic Theurge like yourself already knows about False Casting (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/false-casting) and the amazing powers of Use Magic Device as well as a heaping of Bluff,

but I can show you the REALLY good stuff
Perfect, you can scroll down now.
















Now, you already know that you can use any wand with a simple DC 20 check, but there is so much more you can do with UMD. The most potent is 'Emulate a class feature = DC 20'

For example, this amazing Druid's Vestment (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/vestment-druid-s) gives any character with the Wild Shape ability the ability to use it an addition time. With a DC 20 UMD you 'can have' Wild Shape and thus use it once-per day! Who needs Beast Shape when you've got this?!?

My other items can flat-out give you magic ability. Cloak of the Hedge Wizard (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/c-d/cloak-of-the-hedge-wizard) grants you use of a few spells-per-day with a verity of choices. This gives free access to several spells once per day as well as a Cantrip for only $19.95! 2,500 GP! There are other such items that can provide such power, all you must do is look.

But no, wait, I bet you are a feats sort of person. I have a lovely array of fine 'Mystic Theurge' feats right over here. Along with False Casting, the Eldritch Heritage (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/eldritch-heritage) feat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/improved-eldritch-heritage) line (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/greater-eldritch-heritage) can work wonders to prove your 'very real arcane powers.'

Or wands, YES, you need wands don't you? Now, I know what you are thinking, 'oh gods no, these wands are going to be expensive, I won't have money for anything else if I am buying full priced wands!' But do not worry! There is much more to this than it seems: some spells can be picked up as Scrolls, how often will you need to cast Locate Person, really? Also, not all wands need to be full price, large cities are full of 'on sale' wands with fewer charges and lower caster levels. You do not likely need 50 charges of Dimension Door, but 20 or 30 might come in handy.

Careful notice can tell that there are only a handful of wands you will every want; grease, enlarge person, endure elements, invisibility, fly, ect. You did not become a Great and Powerful Mystic Theurge to get into combat or kill enemies; no, no, no. You are the man with the power, you get the right to sit behind the line of stupid people who decided to put on armor and pick up swords. Out of trouble and protected as the most valuable member of your team.

You also need to play the part. You cannot simply be a man pretending to be a wizard, you are THE GREAT AND POWERFUL MYSTIC THEURGE. But remember that real wizards use wands, scrolls, and potions too; do not try to cover up the little details unless someone points them out. To the unknowing, a casting of Minor Image can be as convincing as a Lightning Bolt shot into the distance. The simplest answer is often the best lie. And even if one or two people in a crowd believe they saw through your ruse, they are wrong: do not address their doubt and do not allow it to become an issue.

Now you nee-

?

What is that?

Paladins?

Here?!?

Crap! Quickly, go away! I don't know you and have never told you anything no matter what any of those lawful stupid tin cans ask. Now go!

[CockroachTeaParty]

Isn't there a thread for this idea but with a barbarian?

THOG CAST KNOCK! (smashes the door)

THOG CAST SLAY LIVING! (smashes a person)

[grarrrg]

There's a feat for that...let me find it.

ed - False Casting (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/false-casting)

There's also a Cleric (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/cleric/archetypes/paizo---cleric-archetypes/hidden-priest) for that, although this is probably much less useful to the OP.