Kol Korran
2016-04-09, 02:19 AM
I didn't quite deal with actual shapeshifters, but open of my players once played a sort of a beguiler, with liberal use of disguise self, which is a bit similar. Though I too have a like for Shapshifters (Currently playing a similar concept in Shadowrun), and so I've given this some thought. There are a few things I think can help:
1. Talk with the DM- what do you both expect?
A lot of the problems often may arise from different expectation between DM and players. I like to talk with each player, about what they wish to achieve with their characters, what sort of experience are they looking for, what is important for them, and so on. Especially about aspects of the character that as a DM, I may have ideas to mess with/ challenge the player.
For example, your Kitsune character- Have you talked with the DM about your plan to reveal things slowly? Tell him that this was crucial to you, and that you wished to explore this for a long period? This may have been crucial to avoiding this.
The DM and player should talk about expectations, and how to "work together" On suff. I'll come to that a bit later on...
2. Limitations of Shape****ing:
Players who seek shapeshifting (For disguise and impersonation rather than power from forms) expect to be going around everywhere, shapeshifting and fooling everyone, playing tricks and "super spy". DMs on the other hand may fear just that, and dealing with something so unexpected, and which can "easily" turn investigations/ struggles upside down. This may lead to frustrations on both ends, as the player may found out that impersonation can have serious challenges, and the DM may find that he needs to plan/ adjust more, most of it on the fly.
But shapeshifting is not the end-all of impersonation. It is but one step. Impersonation is good for making up a character on the spot, or for very short impersonations of a specific character, but impersonating someone for a long run, or with people who know them well, or when people EXPECT such shenanigens (In Eberron for example changelings are part of the culture, and people and institutions might well expect them and employ means to counter them).
You need to have very high social skills, many times knowledge skills, and many times- you need inside info- how a specific person acts, behaves, possibly codes and lots more. In D&D, when you deal with someone who is familiar with the person you're impersonating, or with the subject at hand, can very easily, and very fast ruin your "shenanigens". I'm not saying the DM should use these all the time, but both DM and player should be aware that taking someone image is but one small (Though important) step in a long hustle, or hustling "people in the know".
A few examples:
- You're impersonating a city guard. This can work well to intimidate some local gangs, or may enable you access to an investigation site, but it can become a lot more problematic when dealing with fellow guards. (Who may know the guard, or be surprised at the new guard, and may catch upon you not knowing regulations very well, procedures, not dressing right, not knowing their terms, and so on).
-You wish to impersonate a young naive person, who "gets joined" to a cult. Seems easy enough, but if you start acting suspicious ("Oh sorry! These are the archives? I must have gotten lost!") people might start checking on you, and your background ("So you're from Little Village? I was there 2 months ago. Is that cute waitress still working at the Inn? What was it's name? And the waitress?") and so on.
- You might not have the needed skills. Say you wish to infiltrate the Evil Religion of Doom. You come as a cleric from Far Away land, but then they due a communal prayer, and oops- you forgot to bless the dark lord in it's original name by the holy texts! Oops, you forgot to drink a bit of your own blood, before drinking from the blood chalice... Too many "Oopses" (Due to low knowledge religion or lack of inside info) Will kill the impersonation.
- You're impersonating an important business man at the merchant guilds hush hush secret meeting. Then someone comes at you, with a warm smile" My oh my! It has been a long time! Do you remember?" Or someone angry "You! You have the AUDACITY to show your face here?!"
- You wish to enter a very secure place (Prison, Bank, The Kingdom's treasury). I would fully expect you to face codes, magical surveillance and magic specifically used to counter shape shifting, and such... ("Good evening Mr. Charles! How was your vacation? Oh? The Vaults? well, you know the procedure, please come this way for our psion to recognize your thought patterns...) As a DM though, I'd use such extreme measures only for places and circumstances that require such high level security and suspicion.
Yes, you can do some research and gather info, but you need to know very well that there are limits to how much you could prepare, and that there may be surprises. I'm not saying the DM should go looking for things to trip you, (Though a bit of a small challenge here and there should be cool), but if the situation and circumstances make it difficult, then it's difficult.
In the Shadowrun game we play, we were trying to track a human turned ghoul. We found there was a con guy that tried to reach ghouls and offer them "Spiritual guidance". We suspected them, and decided to try and fool them. I used magic to seem like a ghoul, and we contacted them (Through the Mertrix). We got found out, cause I didn't know well enough how to impersonate a ghoul (I read and learned, but this cult was used to dealing with them on a daily basis), and got in a serious mess due to that (Nearly died).
For you see, impersonation is a VERY risky business... Many times, you're the only one with decent skills there, so you go in... mostly alone... (Yeah, the others may stay some distance away as back up, but that is not enough most times), so when the S**T hits the fans, well... better have a quick escape program!
Yeah, you can invest a lot in the impersonation game- acquire mind reading abilities, magic that protects against screening, and more. If you truly go all out, and we've talked about this, then good for you! If you've invested this much into it, then you've done it on the expense of other abilities, and so you should get your fill. Note though, that not everything is fool proof, and surprises may still arise... 9You've passed all the guards, passed all the test, and reached the archives. Yet the librarian ghost, on the ether, wonders why you, the only one who knows of her, didn't greet her with your nod and prayer this time. You always seem to do that! Or... is it not... you?)
3. Working things out with the DM:
You need to work with the DM on this. Part of it was setting expectations when designing the character, but part of it is during play. D&D is not well suited for subterfuge and shenanigans such as this (D&D is more suited to kill/ blast stuff). So many DMs, especially those less used to improvisation, become very wary and alert when you suddenly pull a different character.
As a player, it's important to relay, communicate, what your basic intention is. This enables the DM to think, adjust responses and reactions, and thus lower their alertness, and better get at what you're trying to do:
The party is going to the slums, which are a gang war turf between a hobgoblin gang and some cutthroat halflings). You could change into a lot of people there:
Player: "I turn into a fat looking merchant type, looking around as if trying to look from the place,but with obvious signs that he's not."
DM: "What's your angle?"
The player may have various motives here- "I want to look as a target, lure them in/ I want to hire one the halflings, look rich enough to afford them/ I want to look for info- prostitutes,street beggars, inns, you know.../ I thought the hobgoblins respected men of wealth and power no? I'm seeking to impress them/ "I want to hire me some kick ass body guards! Hobgob guard? Halfling assassins? Hell yeah!"
If you relate and explain to the DM, s/he can prepare better, and try to work the scene/ encounter better. (Though they may spring some surprises on you, say that you wish to hire the halflings, but you also look like a target, and get ambushed).
And it goes both ways- The GM usually have a fuller understanding of the world, and as such, when the player communicates their desires, s/he can point to obvious problems, that the character should have known, or possible complications. Going with the example above:
- "You wish to hire the halflings? Well sure, but from what you all gathered, they wont' just approach you on the street, as they are very suspicious." The player may respond then "Oh, ok. Then I'll put some time in here, and try to learn more of them. I think I'll hire a room, get myself know, let whatever eyes wish to examine to check me out."
- "You're looking for info, playing the rich patron? Cool. Shouldn't be a problem. From the gangs reputation, and from your bringing on the streets, you suspect that a lot of the population lives in fear of the gangs." Player "hmmmm... Ok, so more subtle... Nothing too straightforward."
- "You want to impress the hobgoblins? As someone who grew here, you know they consider humans as usurpers and oppressors. Are you sure you want to look like one?"
Note that the DM should convey mostly obvious, well known facts about the world and situation. It's not meant to make things difficult, just work in the world, and prevent frustrations from simple mistakes. Secret stuff (Say, the hobgoblin leader is actually a fan of human culture, and seeks to emulate them) should become available only upon investigation...
4. The suspicion meter:
It's a tool I use as a DM for any situation when deception is used. At first contact, I try to gauge how suspicious the situation looks for the people in it. (A bit like the bluff table in the DMG). If you're coming into a sailors bar, and you come as a saiolr it's one thing. If you come as a guard after work it's another. If you come as the chief of the guards, well, that's another...
If you come in disguise into a country festival it's one thing, if you come into the town's barracks it's another, if you come into the top secret headquarters of a cult of doom, well, that's another.
As a DM, I try to use these factors and other to decide how suspicious people are, and how guarded they are. Depending on that, I may give more or less hints to the player, if they are doing well, or if someone starts being suspicious, and how obvious their suspicion is.
2 examples:
Say you wish to investigate the Quartermaster of The Order of something something... The order is fairly relaxed these days, no major threat, and They have a general meeting hall where applicants or people who wish to learn of them, or hire them can come and ask. The player comes as an unknown duke, with his retinue of guards (The PCs), and puts on a good show. If some of his act may arise suspicion, most likely he wont' be directly confronted about it, or no immediate action taken.
Order Initiate: "Wait, I thought you cam from X. Don't people there worship deity Y, not deity Z?"
The player laughs, and bluffs saying there are more and such, easing the tension. If he continues to alert suspicion, suspicion will rise, yet fairly slowly, and the player might well get wing that he isn't doing well, and may adjust accordingly.
As a DM it's also a tool for challenge and tension, putting a bit of pressure on the player, but letting him/ her adjust, and see how far s/he'll go.
In more serious circumstances, suspicions and alertness may be high from the get go, and it might be far less obvious that the deception failed. An extreme example:
The player wishes to infiltrate a small mind flayers' enclave. S/he gets a helmet that protects against mind reading, and an insignia off slavers that deal with them, and are on neutral grounds with the mind flayers.
As he reaches the enclave entrance, he exchanges a few words with the mind flayer and guards,who let him in. unknown to him, part of the initial talk included a code, which he failed, and the mind flayer sent a telepathic message to it's fellows. "We may have an intruder... Make sure to learn what is known..." :smalleek: 9Did I mention having an escape plan?)
5. The matter of other players:
This is as important as it is to talk to the DM. Depending on your group, your social contract, the trust level between members, you may need to discuss the following with the group:
- Are they ok with someone playing a shapeshifter? With shenanigans that may detract from other preferences of game (Such as kill/ blast monsters. Some players will resent you subverting/ going over the adventure)
- Should there characters know your character is a shapeshifter?
- To what degree is it accepted you work your shenanigans on the fly, to what degree does it need group agreement? ("What? You tried to trick the king?! You A**hole! I'm sick from your stupid games! You know how much trouble you got us into?")
- To what degree, do the other players agree your shenanigans involving their characters? (VERY important. Some would love it, some would hate it)
6. A few more helpful tools:
When you shape shift into a new character, you basically spring up a whole new character into the game, which may be clear in your mind, but maybe confusing to the DM, and other players. You need to make the new character clear to them all, so they could interact with it better. Part of it is relaying your intention (As suggested above),but a few more helpful tools I've found:
- A short, 2-3 sentences description. Less specific details 9%ft tall, about 82 lb), and more initial impression (Looks like a tall haughty elf, snobbish, finely dressed). Be sure to include a bit of looks ,a bit of attitude, something people could easily imagine.
- I've found that for shapeshifters, I like to make a few "General stock characters", that can be useful for many different occasions, but which I can use repeatedly. For example, for an Eberron game, a changeling made about 5-6 characters:
* An Aundarian mid level noble, fine clothes, but also very much a working man.
* A young half elven courier, working for house Orien (not of the house, but I carried a house insignia). She had a few arms, and an armor, which helped her double as ranger, wood guide and more...
* A hobgoblin scarred war veteran, looking tough and sombre.
* A Sovereign Host traveling priest and merchant. (Praise Kol Korran! :smalltongue:)
And so on...
In play, when I sprinted one of these characters, the DM and players all knew who this character was, and what to expect, and a bit more of how to interact. It helped facilitate stuff. It also helped me get into character quicker. You can of course make other characters on the fly, but this helps a great deal.
- Have a set of pics that might suit various looks. It helps a lot to just show the party what your new character looks like, and it helps immersion. If you can do it, print some image cards, and place them in a prominent place when you're playing someone else. It helps.
- When coming up with a new character, a quick way to get people to understand who your character is, may be to refer to previous well known characters (From the game, or the media), to get people to get you quickly:
* "Sort of like Buffy- Normal looking teen, but with confidence, daring, and wit!"
* "A bit like that Queen of the elves we met- beautiful, elegant, pristine. Only this character is also snarky..."
* "Playing him like Yoda, only also blind...- See you not am I!"
* "Protos! This guy look like a protos- Glowing eyes, plated scales for skin, no mouth! Now, how's that for intimidation?"
Ok, this has been a bit long winded, but I hope it helps. Good luck to you!
Hazrond
2016-04-09, 01:01 PM
3. Working things out with the DM:
You need to work with the DM on this. Part of it was setting expectations when designing the character, but part of it is during play. D&D is not well suited for subterfuge and shenanigans such as this (D&D is more suited to kill/ blast stuff). So many DMs, especially those less used to improvisation, become very wary and alert when you suddenly pull a different character.
As a player, it's important to relay, communicate, what your basic intention is. This enables the DM to think, adjust responses and reactions, and thus lower their alertness, and better get at what you're trying to do:
The party is going to the slums, which are a gang war turf between a hobgoblin gang and some cutthroat halflings). You could change into a lot of people there:
Player: "I turn into a fat looking merchant type, looking around as if trying to look from the place,but with obvious signs that he's not."
DM: "What's your angle?"
The player may have various motives here- "I want to look as a target, lure them in/ I want to hire one the halflings, look rich enough to afford them/ I want to look for info- prostitutes,street beggars, inns, you know.../ I thought the hobgoblins respected men of wealth and power no? I'm seeking to impress them/ "I want to hire me some kick ass body guards! Hobgob guard? Halfling assassins? Hell yeah!"
If you relate and explain to the DM, s/he can prepare better, and try to work the scene/ encounter better. (Though they may spring some surprises on you, say that you wish to hire the halflings, but you also look like a target, and get ambushed).
And it goes both ways- The GM usually have a fuller understanding of the world, and as such, when the player communicates their desires, s/he can point to obvious problems, that the character should have known, or possible complications. Going with the example above:
- "You wish to hire the halflings? Well sure, but from what you all gathered, they wont' just approach you on the street, as they are very suspicious." The player may respond then "Oh, ok. Then I'll put some time in here, and try to learn more of them. I think I'll hire a room, get myself know, let whatever eyes wish to examine to check me out."
- "You're looking for info, playing the rich patron? Cool. Shouldn't be a problem. From the gangs reputation, and from your bringing on the streets, you suspect that a lot of the population lives in fear of the gangs." Player "hmmmm... Ok, so more subtle... Nothing too straightforward."
- "You want to impress the hobgoblins? As someone who grew here, you know they consider humans as usurpers and oppressors. Are you sure you want to look like one?"
Note that the DM should convey mostly obvious, well known facts about the world and situation. It's not meant to make things difficult, just work in the world, and prevent frustrations from simple mistakes. Secret stuff (Say, the hobgoblin leader is actually a fan of human culture, and seeks to emulate them) should become available only upon investigation... I try to do this, and this is why whenever i make a character i talk with the DM pretty extensively to make sure the backstory and concept fit with the world. But whenever i make a shapeshifter, regardless of which DM i am playing with, they always somehow seem to misunderstand me and ruin something within the first 5 minutes of the character existing. (Like for instance, ANY CHARACTER EVER that has ANY reason to be hiding, no, i dont just walk around looking like the face on the wanted posters, and no i dont just sit there in the bar as an obvious member of a shapeshifter race [/facepalm])
5. The matter of other players:
This is as important as it is to talk to the DM. Depending on your group, your social contract, the trust level between members, you may need to discuss the following with the group:
- Are they ok with someone playing a shapeshifter? With shenanigans that may detract from other preferences of game (Such as kill/ blast monsters. Some players will resent you subverting/ going over the adventure)
- Should there characters know your character is a shapeshifter?
- To what degree is it accepted you work your shenanigans on the fly, to what degree does it need group agreement? ("What? You tried to trick the king?! You A**hole! I'm sick from your stupid games! You know how much trouble you got us into?")
- To what degree, do the other players agree your shenanigans involving their characters? (VERY important. Some would love it, some would hate it)
I rarely tend to make my shapeshifters clash with the party interests (for instance, going over the adventure), however the part that bothers me is when the big secret of BEING a shapeshifter is ruined in the first five minutes. I like to make large complicated backstories with lots of moving parts then slowly reveal them to the party over time, sometimes out of necessity or sometimes trust, but i really hate when i put alot of work into something only for someone else to break it and ruin the storytelling it could have been used for. :smallannoyed:
As for shenanigans i rarely do much with the ability and mostly use it for fluff purposes, the biggest shenanigan i can think of was the time that my changeling used his shapeshifting to escape the effect of a Baleful Polymorph he had been inflicted with at low levels (his favorite guise was a Dwarf, and when others saw the dwarf get polymorphed, then immediately turn back, it gave them a bit of a start :smallbiggrin:)
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