Helping Vampires With Mirrors

[Heikold]

I'm running a game where the big bad is a vampiric gold dragon sorcerer secretly controlling a town in human form, but I don't want the PCs able to identify him just yet.

The problem is that they accidentally found one of his lackeys earlier and have now twigged that a vampire is behind this, if not yet the full magnitude of their problem.

Currently they're subtly checking everyone they meet for a reflection with a small mirror and it's a matter of time until they find the big bad.

How can I get him to circumvent the mirror problem so that the party doesn't TPK by starting a fight that they don't have the resources to finish yet?

[Kelb_Panthera]

I'm running a game where the big bad is a vampiric gold dragon sorcerer secretly controlling a town in human form, but I don't want the PCs able to identify him just yet.

The problem is that they accidentally found one of his lackeys earlier and have now twigged that a vampire is behind this, if not yet the full magnitude of their problem.

Currently they're subtly checking everyone they meet for a reflection with a small mirror and it's a matter of time until they find the big bad.

How can I get him to circumvent the mirror problem so that the party doesn't TPK by starting a fight that they don't have the resources to finish yet?

Disguise self. The mirror reflects the illusion.

[Heikold]

Gah, of course! Thanks. Silly question in hindsight I was just panicking.

[AtlasSniperman]

Depends if you have materials worn by vampires be reflected, if so; makeup, a wig and contact lenses, as well as never giving a toothed smile.
If not, contingent illusions that are illusory reflections of him would work.

Hey if you want to go a step further, a shadow or devil he's had bound to serve him, appears only in mirrors as his reflectionbut could go gathering information in another room, while people aren't paying attention to the glass around them.

[Esprit15]

Remember that vampires do get a massive bonus to all their perceptive abilities (+11 Spot and Listen compared to what they had in life). Do they really want to unmask him in such a way that they get that close to him? If he notices, they are going to have a bad time.