Faking it

[CIDE]

I had been putting some thought into some flavorful character shenanigans here. The reasons in-character don't matter for the sake of discussion. What character classes could be used to fake others?

I know through spells a Cleric could basically become the party fighter (and then some). That one's obvious. But going beyond that could the party Cleric for example take the role of the Rogue? Or the Wizard taking over for either role (minus polymorphing). Could either class (or others) do it without become caught? For example, could the Wizard call themselves a Rogue, pull off Rogue shenanigans, etc?

I'd like to try the obvious "Swordsage=Monk and/or Rogue" comparisons or other classes built specifically to emulate another.

These don't have to be T1 classes filling T3-5 roles either. What about a Warlock hiding their nature and posing as a fighter/rogue/whatever? Or a Dragonfire Adept in a land where dragons regardless of color and dragon-aligned things are hated?

[fishyfishyfishy]

The Factotum, and pretty much every tier 1 class is capable of doing this. Even the tier twos can do it.

[CIDE]

Factotum kind of calls into the obvious category. It's pre-built specifically to fit almost every role available in a party.

As for the rest it's kind of a given. The very definition of a T1 class kind of implies it should be able to fill every party role. The thing I'm kind of curious about is how easily these classes could do it while hiding their otherwise caster-ish nature.

Of course a Wizard could polymorph their way to melee stuff as good or better than a fighter. Polymorph also betrays their nature of something other than a fighter. On that note something as simple as a feat or taking a planetouched race already fills in a lot of weapon proficiencies needed for that kind of set up.

That's kind of why I brought up the Cleric before. He can rock the full plate. He has enough proficiency in a variety of weapons to pull it off. They even have the spells to be a fighter.

I guess I should clarify that the question was less about "can X do Y" and more "How can X do Y?".

[Vhaidara]

For Wizard, I would say something like Wizard 5/PrC 5/Abjurant Champion 5/PrC 5. The PrC in question would preferably be 3/4 BAB with full casting. Sadly, with the recent loss of a site, it isn't as easy to flip through the options, and my books are 13 hours away in my cousin's room.

[CIDE]

Is the site in question D&D Tools? 'cause that's been popping up in my google searches recently.

[sakuuya]

Complete Scoundrel has a couple prestige classes you might want to look at. Master of Masks gives you various class abilities (there's a mask that grants Sneak Attack, ones that give arcane or divine SLAs, etc.) Mountebank is a weird little number that lets you shapeshift into a set number of alternate personas. Either of these combined with Factotum would make a good faker.

[black-jack]

It's not exactly what you're looking for, but Chameleon lets you basically change your class every day. So you take your base levels in rogue, and then be a cleric for a day, and a fighter tomorrow. The non-casting parts of it aren't usually worth it, but it's up to you.

[CIDE]

Getting some unexpected answers here. A lot of specific builds rather than generalist wizard (or insert other class here) builds that can also fill the other holes. Some pretty good though.

I should note too I wasn't asking for a specific character build. This is more of a theoretical exercise.

I will have to look at Master of Masks though. Never really paid attention to Complete Scoundrel but that does sound like a fun and flavorful class.

[Sam K]

What's your definition of "faking it"? Do you mean passing for the class in a party full-time with noone realizing you're a different class? Or filling the role full time using other tools? Fooling someone that you're of a different class for a while? Or just being a stand-in for a different class a few times?

Both bard and cleric (with the right domains) could pass as a (lower level) wizard if they wanted to. Would it be worth it? Well, for sheer **** and giggles it might, when the "apprentice wizard" pulls out a greatsword and beats the snot out of you with divine power :P Or, you know, starts singing at you...

[CIDE]

What's your definition of "faking it"? Do you mean passing for the class in a party full-time with noone realizing you're a different class? Or filling the role full time using other tools? Fooling someone that you're of a different class for a while? Or just being a stand-in for a different class a few times?

Both bard and cleric (with the right domains) could pass as a (lower level) wizard if they wanted to. Would it be worth it? Well, for sheer **** and giggles it might, when the "apprentice wizard" pulls out a greatsword and beats the snot out of you with divine power :P Or, you know, starts singing at you...


All of the above? Mostly what I had in mind was fooling others if even just temporarily.

[Psyren]

Binder is another good faker as there are some fairly niche/oddball vestiges out there.

Totemist is good at faking monsters (magical beasts and animals to be precise) while Incarnate is good at faking the skillmonkey role without looking like one.

[ZamielVanWeber]

What's your definition of "faking it"? Do you mean passing for the class in a party full-time with noone realizing you're a different class? Or filling the role full time using other tools? Fooling someone that you're of a different class for a while? Or just being a stand-in for a different class a few times?

I saw someone with just level in rogue pretend at being a wizard who compulsively cast spells directly out of his spellbook (actually a big book of scrolls) and had a high enough bluff that no one could call him out as anything but a particularly kooky wizard.

[Amphetryon]

Mythic Exemplar, from Complete Champion, can potentially help you fake a different archetype than your Class might indicate.

Warlock, in addition to being able to fake Fighter/Rogue, can potentially fake Bard, or even certain Cleric types, if some effort is put into it.

It is not just possible, but easy, to build a Ranger with no Rogue/Scout/Ninja levels who emulates the Rogue archetype well enough to call herself a Rogue and have nobody be the wiser.

[Zaq]

I once played a Binder/Incarnate/Chameleon. He could fake being anything.

[Alent]

People have already said Binder for several classes, but nobody's mentioned that Binder is a better monk than monk is. (The Vestige even comes pre-built with an enforced inferiority complex that everybody is better than him.)

Warlock makes a better ranger than ranger. Just hold a bow and bluff everyone into thinking it's a Hank's Energy Bow, switch-hit with Eldritch Glaive. Wear a monk belt, shifting scorpion kama(I did get the right kama, right?) into scimitars, then clawlock if you must do the dual wielding scimitars thing?

With some feat shenanigans like dragon cohort and such, I'm sure a Divine Bard could be a better Paladin than Paladin.

[Troacctid]

With some feat shenanigans like dragon cohort and such, I'm sure a Divine Bard could be a better Paladin than Paladin.

Feat schmeat, just take the ACF that gives you a full-strength animal companion. There's your mount right there. You'll want some way of becoming proficient with heavy armor, though.

[nedz]

You should take a look at the Zinc Saucier threads — they are about doing exactly this.

Beguilers are good at faking stuff. I'm currently playing a faux Cleric and it's working fairly well, but they could fake Rogues or even Wizards quite nicely.

T1 classes can fake anything, or at least be better at that thing than the class they are faking — so this isn't even a challenge. We've all seen Wizards faking it out as Warmages I'm sure :smallsigh:

[dascarletm]

hrmmm..... Barbarian being the wizard. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?195049-Help-Me-Be-Annoying-with-a-Barbarian-Wizard) :smallwink:

[Trasilor]

hrmmm..... Barbarian being the wizard. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?195049-Help-Me-Be-Annoying-with-a-Barbarian-Wizard) :smallwink:

dang, I was going to suggest him too.. :smallbiggrin:

The barbarian "wizard" is an awesome example of 'faking it'.

[WeaselGuy]

Is the site in question D&D Tools? 'cause that's been popping up in my google searches recently.

yes, and it's rather a taboo topic on the forums, since it violates the OGL.