[3.5] Hiding Alignment on a Budget

[Thurbane]

Quick question,

Say I have an NPC who is evil, but I don't want the party Paladin to detect this right away. What are some options for hiding it?

It can't be class or race based (as these are set), but anything feats based, or an item worth 2000gp or less, are fine.

Ring of Mind Shielding is outside of costs. I would prefer a permanent item, if possible. UMDing a wand is not feasible, either.

Would a custom item Undetectable Alignment be the best option? I generally like to avoid custom items where possible...

Cheers - T

[One Step Two]

An eternal wand of undetectable alignment is a Command (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#commandWord) activated item, you don't need special knowledge to use the item, just the command word. No UMD or caster levels necessary.

[daremetoidareyo]

Mask of gentility from exemplars of evil. Needs to be in the 6hd feat slot due to skill reqs (bluff & disguise 9, cha 15)
Mindmask from secrets of sarlona, Need to be able to take psionic feats
Live my nightmare spelltouched feat from UA is a divination dissuading feat.

[Thurbane]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Looks like Live My Nightmare would be the best option, and would also be a good thematic fit. The name of that feat always makes me think of Alice Cooper (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Welcome_To_My_Nightmare.jpg). :smallbiggrin:

..actually, reading the feat again, looks like it sends a Phantasmal Killer after the opponent, rather than blocking the divination. Apart from the fact I believe the Paladin would be immune (it's a fear effect), receiving nightmarish vision when trying to detect evil on the character will probably give the game away!

Don't Eternal Wands require the ability to use arcane spells to use (without UMD)?

I'll look into the other suggestions when I'm at my books.

[BaronDoctor]

How viable would lead-lining their armor be? Blocks detections of all stripes. If questioned, you can go the paranoiac route (I don't take off my armor because the last time I did an assassin nearly killed me; no I'm not even lifting my visor, have you ever heard of blowgun darts?) or the for-the-greater-good route (I keep my detection-proof armor on all the time so when I'm spying on evil people who are trying to detect good they won't realize I'm good).

Granted, both will need some means of getting people to believe things that aren't strictly true, but that's not quite as much of a problem.

[One Step Two]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Looks like Live My Nightmare would be the best option, and would also be a good thematic fit. The name of that feat always makes me think of Alice Cooper (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Welcome_To_My_Nightmare.jpg). :smallbiggrin:

..actually, reading the feat again, looks like it sends a Phantasmal Killer after the opponent, rather than blocking the divination. Apart from the fact I believe the Paladin would be immune (it's a fear effect), receiving nightmarish vision when trying to detect evil on the character will probably give the game away!

Don't Eternal Wands require the ability to use arcane spells to use (without UMD)?

I'll look into the other suggestions when I'm at my books.

Hm, I just re-read, and it appears to be a slight oddity in the rules, while the item has Activation: Standard (command), it goes onto say that:

"Any character who can cast arcane spells can activate he wand to use the spell contained in it, regardless of whether the spell appears on his class spell list."

Which shouldn't matter anyway, as any command activated item only needs the command word. If it were a spell trigger item, then you need to be an arcane caster to use it, like normal wands.