The illiterate sorcerer 3.5

[finaldooms]

So i had minor fun idea of making a sorcerer who thinks he is a wizard! Always fun there, but then i got curious... Can you use bluff to make people think they are misreading something? For example the door says dont enter..you bluff and talk and fluster enough that they think its ok to enter? If so what would be the dc on such a check?

Aside from that...the illiterate part was just to be funny by having him open his book to cast a spell when its full of random gibberish that he thinks are spells
And if he can bluff that he is able to read and convince others that what he says it reads as just seemed like a fun idea

[AnimeTheCat]

Mechanically, you can try to bluff someone into thinking that the door that says "DO NOT ENTER" is ok to enter, but there would be a pretty hefty circumstantial bonus that you would have to overcome.

If you want something illiterate, the Neanderthal race does not gain literacy as a rule unless they ARE a wizard, so you can be a Neanderthal Sorcerer (no charisma penalty) that is actually illiterate.

[Uncle Pine]

Have you considered playing as a Barbarian (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?195049-Help-Me-Be-Annoying-with-a-Barbarian-Wizard) instead?

[Goaty14]

Illiteracy is a character trait option, which is VERY easy to obtain.

Also the upside of illiteracy is that you can never set off explosive runes, since you have to read it for the spell to work, and you cannot read.

[BowStreetRunner]

...the upside of illiteracy is that you can never set off explosive runes, since you have to read it for the spell to work, and you cannot read.
Whoa...just think of the DC on the bluff check to convince someone that you actually did set off the explosive runes!!!

[ShurikVch]

If you want something illiterate, the Neanderthal race does not gain literacy as a rule unless they ARE a wizard, so you can be a Neanderthal Sorcerer (no charisma penalty) that is actually illiterate.Also, Grippli (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grippli) - in their 3.5 variant - are so illiterate they should spend extra skill point in order to read/write in one language they're already know; even Grippli Wizards aren't exception to this rule



Also the upside of illiteracy is that you can never set off explosive runes, since you have to read it for the spell to work, and you cannot read.And Sepia Snake Sigil too!

[ericgrau]

I think you should scribble in an actual notepad when you're bored between turns and call it your spellbook. Flip to pages in real life as needed and let people peek and see your doodles.

Bluff is messy territory, I wouldn't bother with it. Either make it in actual clever ruse (int) reinforced by your silver tongue (cha) or make dumb bluffs that nobody believes on purpose to be funny. Bluffing is bluffing. If the sign says "Do not Enter", passing a bluff check to tell others it says "Enter" only makes them think you're not fibbing. The proper response is "Ooh... why does he see the sign differently from us? Is it magic?" Or etc. Not "Oh, what I actually see is 'Enter'". The clever ruse would be to "Uncover" that the "Do Not" part was written on afterwards because the older "Enter" paint is made from ancient lower underdark mine dust and the newer "Do Not" paint is made from elderberry. So it really says "Enter". No one else bothers to examine the paint closely or else they fail their knowledge(dungeoneering)/knowledge(nature) checks. And they think you're being honest so in we go. Or if they pass their knowledge checks they think "Oh, you must be mistaken". Etc., etc. But it's a bluff, not a mind rewrite.

But then we get into another problem. Don't screw with your teammates.

[Uncle Pine]

On another note, to be convinced that you are a wizard and make others believe the same you don't have to bluff your literacy. Not all wizards can read. In fact, anagakoks (ah nah GA kawks, Dragon Magazine #344) are variant specialists wizards with illiteracy as a 1st-level class feature. Your character probably won't know what an anagakok is, and while the setting you play in may not even have any of those living in it, but since you don't need to bluff for something you believe is true you just need to believe really hard that you're a wizard. This may or may not involve dumping your Int score, but then again if a stubborn barbarian can pose as a wizard it should be easy for an arcane spellcaster who shares the same spell list as a wizard and with a Charisma score higher than 6 to do the same.

Here are a few suggestions that could make the ruse easier to pull off:

Wear a pointy hat. Bonus points if it has stars on it.
Wear a robe with symbols and stars on it.
Instead of being smart, be assertive. In other words, make people believe you're smart by being extremely convinced when you say something.
Always keep a wooden staff on hand. Possibly two, or even more. They don't have to be magical, but they ought to look mystical. If called out on that, say they're discharged.
Make a point of never shaving.
Keep a spellbook on your person at all time. Draw extremely convoluted gibberish in it, and spend one hour consulting it every morning.
Use the expressions "Damn, if only I had prepared X this morning." or "If only I knew Y spell we'd be out of this in less time it takes to say razzlefrazzle." every now and then.
Occasionally refuse to cast a spell you've already used during the day because "I've only prepared fireball three times today."
Challenge other wizards you meet to magical duels.
Actively seek scrolls to gain more power.
Burn books inquisition-style because they go against your ancestors' traditions.

[Nifft]

Totemist might be another fun illiterate not-a-Wizard option.

The PC could even spend an hour each day "preparing spells" (actually focusing Soulmelds).


"What's that ray you keep shooting?"

"Why, it's the lesser spell ray of frost, of course. Which I prepared this morning. Because I'm a Wizard."

"How come you can shoot it all day?"

"Obviously it's because I'm a very powerful Wizard."