No Magic Monk. Difficult DMs.

[Eddieddi]

I'm in a game where there are no magic items. They are illegal and we have lost a character already because he was crafting magic items. I decided to play a monk as they have the best way of getting through DR without having to buy magic items or weapons, as well as scaling damage.
However we've come in to a lot of money. (about 8k gp) and I've got no idea what to buy. one of the other characters is cheesing out golems, so most of their money is going there. and the others are fighters or other front-liners so are buying just better armor and specialized equipment.
My current equipment is: Sansetsukon, Quaterstaff, Dan-Bong (for grapple bonuses). The dm has ruled that any non-bladed monks weapons can be compressed in to a 'reconfigurable' item. along with a some rope, grappling hooks, pytons.
So, GiTP forum hive mind, I ask you this. How do you make a non-magical monk?

[Kurald Galain]

I decided to play a monk as they have the best way of getting through DR without having to buy magic items or weapons,
That's really not the case. Any character that has weapon enchanting class abilities (e.g. Magus, Warpriest, Occultist) does a better job than the monk.

Anyway, if you can't buy magic items then money becomes pretty much useless. Can you do potions? What about alchemical items? Trained animals? If no to all of the above, just buy a masterwork item for every skill in the book and call it a day.

[noob]

How much carrying capacity do you have?
If you have loads of it then try carrying a bunch of spare weapons, a mirror, many marbles, caltrops, huge steel plates that can block a door or allow the quick creation of cover, non magical alchemical items that do awesome cheated stuff such as shapesand and that thrown thing that blind people it hits with a touch attack.

[Eddieddi]

That's really not the case. Any character that has weapon enchanting class abilities (e.g. Magus, Warpriest, Occultist) does a better job than the monk.

Anyway, if you can't buy magic items then money becomes pretty much useless. Can you do potions? What about alchemical items? Trained animals? If no to all of the above, just buy a masterwork item for every skill in the book and call it a day.

The issue with those classes is enchanting your weapon 'turns it into' a magic item according to the DM, so you risk discovery.
Potions are illigal,
Alchemical items are fine, And trained animals are fine.
Carrying capacity is high enough (20 strength).
I hope that clarifies things.

[Kurald Galain]

The issue with those classes is enchanting your weapon 'turns it into' a magic item according to the DM, so you risk discovery.
You enchant a weapon for one minute only, in a combat where nobody sees it except the trolls you're killing, and you "risk discovery"? That's completely ridiculous. This strikes me as an antagonistic DM who just wants to hose his players all the time, and my suggestion would be to find a better group.

But to answer your question: if alchemical items aren't magic, then buy as many of those as you can afford and spam them as necessary. For instance, wildblood concoction. And yeah, masterwork items.

[Psyren]

I'm in a game where there are no magic items. They are illegal and we have lost a character already because he was crafting magic items.


one of the other characters is cheesing out golems, so most of their money is going there.

ಠ_ಠ

Golems are magic items...



So, GiTP forum hive mind, I ask you this. How do you make a non-magical monk?

Other than the (arbitrary and likely counterproductive) DM-imposed restriction, all the standard monk optimization techniques still apply. Use Qinggong + another upgrade archetype like MoMS, Tetori, or Mantis. See if Unchained Monk is allowed - it has fewer legal archetypes but a stronger chassis overall, and Qinggong is baked into the class baseline.

[Elricaltovilla]

Spend your gold on a new GM who understands how the game actually works instead of forcing it into an an arbitrary hole it was never designed to fill.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Kurald Galain
You enchant a weapon for one minute only, in a combat where nobody sees it except the trolls you're killing, and you "risk discovery"? That's completely ridiculous. This strikes me as an antagonistic DM who just wants to hose his players all the time, and my suggestion would be to find a better group.

There are plenty of combats that don’t take place in dungeons, catacombs, or windswept moors. I can’t count the number of cities, towns, farms and other public areas where my characters have been involved with combat in front of witnesses. It's ludicrous to claim that no one but monsters will ever see a magus spark up his sword.

And I’m willing to give the DM the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the society he’s built for his world. What seems unreasonable may in fact have valid reasons—and even if opinions differ about those reasons, there are usually better solutions than just walking out.

[noob]

Wait so the police is fine with murder and assault with regular weapons but just having a magical weapon triggers them?
Why would they not also react to murder and assault with regular weapons?

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by noob
Wait so the police is fine with murder and assault with regular weapons...?

The OP never said that.

[Kurald Galain]

It's ludicrous to claim that no one but monsters will ever see a magus spark up his sword.
It's ludicrous to claim that you have to "spark up" every single combat. Obviously you'd only do it if there are no witnesses. That still makes the monk one of the worse classes in the game at piercing DR.

[Psyren]

While I agree that the restriction doesn't really fit with PF's design, maybe we can try actual advice other than "douse the gaming table in gasoline and flip off your gaming group as you stride away from the flames" first :smalltongue:

[noob]

The OP never said that.

An adventurer goes around and assault and murder people.
Doing that with weapons that you enchant for one minute only is maybe more illegal but you do not have more trouble with the police than by doing that with non magical weapons: you just will plan to either not get caught or murder the witnesses.

[Eddieddi]

There are plenty of combats that don’t take place in dungeons, catacombs, or windswept moors. I can’t count the number of cities, towns, farms and other public areas where my characters have been involved with combat in front of witnesses. It's ludicrous to claim that no one but monsters will ever see a magus spark up his sword.

And I’m willing to give the DM the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the society he’s built for his world. What seems unreasonable may in fact have valid reasons—and even if opinions differ about those reasons, there are usually better solutions than just walking out.

Basically this. the entire game takes place inside a huge city. there are roving patrols ect. We've had run ins from time to time with one of our casters familiars being picked up on due to having invisibility.

And yes, The golems ARE magic items. We have a vigilante who has made the golem building place his hideout/safehouse. which makes it ****ing impossible to detect. I've been trying to work out a way to drop them in it without breaking character. The golem maker is walking round with a poppet. The character looks like a child so mostly just RP's their way out of things.

Monk wise I'm playing Unchained with a focus on Grapple and making use of Acetic style. since most of our foes are humans of different levels with variable classes. Grapple works really well, lots of humans.

And yes random murder hoboing gets you in trouble. The only one doing the rampant murder sprees is the vigilante, luckily monk can deal non-lethal at will so he mostly just knocks people out and dumps them with the guards. Or similar.

[Kurald Galain]

An adventurer goes around and assault and murder people.
Doing that with weapons that you enchant for one minute only is maybe more illegal but you do not have more trouble with the police than by doing that with non magical weapons: you just will plan to either not get caught or murder the witnesses.

Yes. Magical items being illegal may be interesting worldbuilding (although it makes money pretty useless to PCs), but the implied addendum that authorities will catch you even if the enchantment was temporary and unseen by anyone is not good worldbuilding and more likely a sign of DM antagonism.

That said, in a setting like this, you should totally dip a level in sorcerer (or psychic, so you're less likely to be spotted while casting), and cast Nystul's Magic Aura on the belongings of NPCs you dislike.

[King of Nowhere]

making use of Acetic style.

And now I'm trying to picture all the ways you can use vinegar in a fight...

[Ualaa]

You could hire yourself a small army with 8,000 gold.

In a non-magical world, having 40 extra soldiers could add a little bit to the party.
If you need 200 extras, it's not beyond your means, and ten of those get natural 20s that hit anything, irregardless of AC (which without magic isn't going to be massively high).

You should look into subtle magic.
Something that doesn't detect as magical, but still gives an edge.

[Ellrin]

And now I'm trying to picture all the ways you can use vinegar in a fight...

I was thinking Doctor Who, myself.

[Pex]

While I agree that the restriction doesn't really fit with PF's design, maybe we can try actual advice other than "douse the gaming table in gasoline and flip off your gaming group as you stride away from the flames" first :smalltongue:

But, but I like blaming the DM for things!

[Vizzerdrix]

A few ideas come to mind.


1- pay a were critter to nibble on each party member

2- buy pets with sla or su abilities.

3- buy land, inform the group you are now going full tavern simulator.

[noob]

A few ideas come to mind.

1- pay a were critter to nibble on each party member

2- buy pets with sla or su abilities.

3- buy land, inform the group you are now going full tavern simulator.
Watch out taverns cause cataclysmic events and provide adventurers to counter them but usually there is surrounding damage so if you start having too many taverns you risk to lose significant amount of property to those events.
So try to have just right enough taverns with low enough prices so that other people do not have interest in building taverns while still trying to get profit from that but if your taverns do not generate profit and that you plan to get your profit from other sources you could go as far as getting the best employees and making the taverns sell services, drinks and food for free in hope of crushing concurrence hard enough for it to not exist and then carefully manage taverns to get the minimum amount possible.

[unseenmage]

The Stronghold Builder's Guide and Arms and Equipment Guide are great places to burn free cash.
Buy all the vehicles then build a racetrack maybe?

DMG2 has rules for starting businesses I think.

Power of Faerun probably has rules for spending gp politicking.
Go watch the movie Brewster's Millions for inspiration.

Are special materials considered magic items?
Riverine from Stormwrack
Aurorum from BoED
Thinaun Steel from one of the Complete books I think.
All have pretty gnarly magic-esque effects reminiscent of magic.

For alchemical you could stock up on Shapesand from Sandstorm.

The material made by the Quintessence power is as magic as a wall made by Wall of Stone after the effect happens.
You could try stocking up on that.

Lords of Madness has the rules for buying ANY creature as a slave.

MM2 has a template that makes any animal purchasable and dirt cheap.
See the random animals link in my sig for a list of templates that dont change the animsl's type and randomized list of the templates and animals designed to simulate a marketplace.


Ethergaunt tech is also explicitly non-magical. If hard to come by.

In Faerun the country of Lantan is rumored to have no magic items that mimic magic.


There are also non-magic magic items called Devices in (Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood). Basicslly steampunk tech.


Rifts to other planes can be naturally occurring. You could spend money buying NPC divinations to them so you can make your way to a less restrictive legal environment. I recommend Sigil. Tip your hat to the Lady while you're there.



If the game is PF then maybe Numerian technology is available? It's all explicitly non-magical while explicitly using the same pricing and effects as magic items.

There's a link or two in my sig where I experiment with PF's custom weapon building rules to make ridiculous mundane item mishmash.
Ion Tape plus Contracting Rope plus Grenades is awesome.



Are NPC spellcasting services allowed? You could just put some full casters on retainer and pay them the extra required to have them accompany you into battle.

[death390]

ok i have to ask, with magic items explicitly illegal is magic itself illegal? because if not then there are several classes that would be overall better because of this restriction.

Magus for example, the only thing that needs done with it should be a different ability than standard arcane pool (enhancement) which can be done with multiple archetypes. (personally i enjoy spell dancer) toher than that you channel spells through your blades when spell striking as an arcane focus not enchanting them. hell you can show officials that the weapon is not enchanted, cast the melee cantrip twice once through the weapon and once through the blade.

hell if 3.5 classes are allowed (from what i read your doing pathfinder?), Warlock, dragonfire adept, any initiator, totemist, anything with at will magic effects is good.

the reason is that magic is not blocked by Damage reduction (unless it deals physical damage). DR/ slash:pierce:bludg block each type except what is listed the notable exception is DR/magic where only magical weapons go through and DR/ silver:adamantine:cold iron which needs the specific material. whereas Energy resistance is inclusionary ER/Fire only blocks fire, ER/Cold only blocks cold, ect ect. so even if you are blocked you can sometimes go around (energy sub metamagic, warlock type invocation, ect), heck force just straight isn't blocked until epic levels (force dragon).

[Thrawn4]

Well, what is your character's goal? Just becoming more powerful? I am sure you can spend money on something you desire, e. g.

- your own dojo / monastery where you train students (and gain a small attack team)
- donating to a worthy cause (and gaining reputation and allies)
- supporting certain factions (and gaining favour and resources)
- put a bounty on everyone that annoys you (lots of of fun and it might make the next fight easier)
- supporting your fellow PC's (and they owe you a favour)
- funding research in subtle magic (camouflaged, non-detectable items)

[Rhedyn]

This pathfinder, so start getting the techcrafting feats and then make high tech items for your monk.

[Psyren]

Alchemy being allowed means you can buy weapon blanches and lots of special material stuff, so DR shouldn't be an issue regardless of class. You should instead be thinking of more basic questions like "how do I deal with ranged and flying enemies" or "how do I deal with swarms/incorporeal" or "how do I deal with ability damage/drain" and so on.

(And by "you" I mean "your DM").

[EldritchWeaver]

Taking the Automatic Bonus Progression rules would help with issues like overcoming DR immensively, but requires GM buy-in.

[noob]

Jade weapons are a thing.
Then buy tons of jade arrows for fighting the incorporeal flying creatures and pay a bunch of people to shoot them.

[Zsaber0]

This sounds like a game where liberal use of the Magic Aura spell would be very beneficial. Its level 1 and lasts for days.

[fallensavior]

Vow of Poverty? I see the PF tag, but it can't hurt to ask.

[Geddy2112]

Save up enough gold to simply buy the government, and then run your own magic world as you see fit.

Even without magic, being filthy rich has power. You can simply own everything.

[EldritchWeaver]

Vow of Poverty? I see the PF tag, but it can't hurt to ask.

PF Vow of Poverty has been nerfed hard. Only has a "use" for monks.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Kurald Galain
It's ludicrous to claim that you have to "spark up" every single combat.

I never said that, and you know very well that I didn’t.


Originally Posted by The OP
the entire game takes place inside a huge city.

And as I expected, there are reasons the GM has the restrictions he does.


Originally Posted by Psyren
While I agree that the restriction doesn't really fit with PF's design, maybe we can try actual advice other than "douse the gaming table in gasoline and flip off your gaming group as you stride away from the flames" first….

Thank you. It’s a pity some people would rather condemn up front than understand what they’re condemning.

[Psyren]

Just to caveat - while I agree that piling on the OP isn't really helping, I would still encourage them to push back too. PF is not designed for zero-magic, and the GM needs to account for that in the encounter design.

The suggestion of using Automatic Bonus Progression is a good one regardless of which class is ultimately chosen.

[TiaC]

This seems to be the appropriate thread to dig up this ancient thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?310471-VoP-doesn-t-suck) about non-magical "magic" items and VoP. It's not at all useful, but it is a little funny.

[Elricaltovilla]

Just to caveat - while I agree that piling on the OP isn't really helping, I would still encourage them to push back too. PF is not designed for zero-magic, and the GM needs to account for that in the encounter design.

The suggestion of using Automatic Bonus Progression is a good one regardless of which class is ultimately chosen.

Except that ABP is not a player choice, it's up to the GM. The fact is, Pathfinder doesn't work without magic items. The only reasonable course of action is to either get the GM to change the premise to fit the rules of Pathfinder, play a system that actually functions without use of magic items, or walk away from the game. No monk is going to be at all effective without at least the big six, and will almost certainly require more than that.

[Kurald Galain]

Except that ABP is not a player choice, it's up to the GM. The fact is, Pathfinder doesn't work without magic items. The only reasonable course of action is to either get the GM to change the premise to fit the rules of Pathfinder, play a system that actually functions without use of magic items, or walk away from the game. No monk is going to be at all effective without at least the big six, and will almost certainly require more than that.

Precisely.

It's hilarious to think that this GM's bad idea is somehow excusable because he has "a reason". Making up "a reason" for anything isn't all that hard, but a bad idea with "a reason" is still a bad idea regardless.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Elricaltovilla
The only reasonable course of action is to either [X, X], or walk away from the game.

As noted above, telling the OP to walk away isn’t very helpful here, and there’s nothing “reasonable” about doing so.


Originally Posted by Kurald Galain
It's hilarious to think that this GM's bad idea is somehow excusable because he has "a reason".

Whether you think it’s “excusable” is irrelevant. What matters is whether the group is enjoying the game.

The fact is, we don’t know what the GM has in mind, so blanket accusals won’t help anyone here. We all get that you wouldn’t enjoy playing in this campaign, but apart from spewing mockery you don’t seem to have anything else to offer.

[Rhedyn]

Precisely.

It's hilarious to think that this GM's bad idea is somehow excusable because he has "a reason". Making up "a reason" for anything isn't all that hard, but a bad idea with "a reason" is still a bad idea regardless.
PF works just fine without magic items.

The PF CR system stops working. If the GM keeps that in-mind, everything works out.

[Thrawn4]

Stop having fun, you are doing it wrong!!1!

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Play as a spellcaster

[Selion]

Play as a spellcaster

+1, I vote druid, do magic fangs count as magical items?

[Reversefigure4]

PF works just fine without magic items. The PF CR system stops working. If the GM keeps that in-mind, everything works out.

Bingo. Pathfinder works fine at low levels (1st to 3rd), where characters might have zero magic items or only one or two. Indeed, the expectation for a certain portion of the game is that you will have no magic items, and only limited spellcasting.

As you scale higher, monsters with DR/Magic, or ghosts, and a variety of other challenges become exceedingly difficult to impossible. But that's fine if the GM accounts for it - a ghost or a shadow can suddenly become a mighty challenge and defeating it become the focus of the adventure, instead of just a random CR5 encounter.

It's a problem if the GM either forgets to allocate for this and dumps standard encounters in front of the non-magical party, or 'cheats' and has a variety of NPCs who amazing magical items that self-destruct when the party tries to use them.

[Crake]

This sounds like a game where liberal use of the Magic Aura spell would be very beneficial. Its level 1 and lasts for days.

There is actually precedence for magic items coming built in with magic aura: The pathfinder pouch has no magical aura about it, and can go completely undetected, and it only costs 1000gp (strangely enough, it costs 1000gp to buy AND to craft). DM permitting, we can apply a nystul's enchantment to other items at the cost of 2000gp * level 1 spell * CL1 * 0.5 for duration in days * 1.5 for second magical enchantment. The market value would increase by a measly 1,500gp to completely remove the magical aura of a magic item, and if you make them all activated items, rather than automatically applying when worn, even suspicious people confiscating them from you and using them themselves wouldn't be able to discern any additional benefit, unless the item itself does something flashy, like a sword with the fiery enchant.

Regarding classes like magus, you can enchant your sword with abilities that have no visible effect, like +1 keen or something like that. If there are detect magic beacons about the place, then cast nystuls in the morning and it will hide the magical aura when you do apply it, boom, detection free.

[noob]

There is actually precedence for magic items coming built in with magic aura: The pathfinder pouch has no magical aura about it, and can go completely undetected, and it only costs 1000gp (strangely enough, it costs 1000gp to buy AND to craft). DM permitting, we can apply a nystul's enchantment to other items at the cost of 2000gp * level 1 spell * CL1 * 0.5 for duration in days * 1.5 for second magical enchantment. The market value would increase by a measly 1,500gp to completely remove the magical aura of a magic item, and if you make them all activated items, rather than automatically applying when worn, even suspicious people confiscating them from you and using them themselves wouldn't be able to discern any additional benefit, unless the item itself does something flashy, like a sword with the fiery enchant.

Regarding classes like magus, you can enchant your sword with abilities that have no visible effect, like +1 keen or something like that. If there are detect magic beacons about the place, then cast nystuls in the morning and it will hide the magical aura when you do apply it, boom, detection free.

I fear it would be the kind of gm to say "they have a specific counter to nystul magic aura" some time later.

[Crake]

I fear it would be the kind of gm to say "they have a specific counter to nystul magic aura" some time later.

Well, there is a counter. Dispel magic or hell, just permanencied dispelling screens at checkpoint are good starting points. If the setting has magic, just not magic items, seems like they'd have reasonable precautions in place.

The real question I'd like to know is: Are all magic items illegal? Or do military organizations have them? Is it akin to having a weapon in a country where weapons are restricted? I'd be really interested to learn more about the whys of this setting. How did it come to be like this? Is it like that across the entire globe? Or just localized? How do the gods of magic feel about this, if they even exist? Etc etc.

[DeadMech]

1 Go to every money changer in town.
2 Convert all your gold to copper pieces.
3 Put it all in a pile.
4 Make it into your nest and pretend to be a dragon.

[Ellrin]

1 Go to every money changer in town.
2 Convert all your gold to copper pieces.
3 Put it all in a pile.
4 Make it into your nest and pretend to be a dragon.

Just be sure to dunk your coppers in vinegar first so they're nice and shiny.

[noob]

Well, there is a counter. Dispel magic or hell, just permanencied dispelling screens at checkpoint are good starting points. If the setting has magic, just not magic items, seems like they'd have reasonable precautions in place.

The real question I'd like to know is: Are all magic items illegal? Or do military organizations have them? Is it akin to having a weapon in a country where weapons are restricted? I'd be really interested to learn more about the whys of this setting. How did it come to be like this? Is it like that across the entire globe? Or just localized? How do the gods of magic feel about this, if they even exist? Etc etc.

Those are generic counters.
By specific counter I imagined more something like a spell that would find all the items with nystul magic aura and its variants in range so that the guard does not need to go all "ok so we are going to dispel your non magical sword and thus ruin all evidence there was nystul magic aura cast on it to make it still look non magical when you enchant it temporarily".

[Psyren]

Except that ABP is not a player choice, it's up to the GM.

This entire situation is up to the GM. That's why I said "push back" in my previous post, after having offered actionable advice prior to that.

[Eddieddi]

So to clear questions up for everyone:
All our foes are 'like' us, normal people, no monsters, just with class levels. so very little DR. The DM is pretty cognizant about these things.
Magic items are banned due to the overabundance of fake magic items that cause real harm to people who use them and those around them, as well as the use of magic items by thieves guilds on the guard. The guard/armed forces have some magic items, but only used in extreme cases.
Magic itself isn't banned, magic items are. There are once a month sweeps where the entire city with detect magic and there are 'Detect checkpoints.'

Hope that clears things up. The DM has ok'd all alchemical items.

[Arbane]

Use magic aura and sleight of hand to plant 'magic items' on your enemies.

Ask "The Law has all this magic-tech police state stuff, and they still can't shut down (insert villains here)?"

[MaxiDuRaritry]

If any 3.X stuff is available, look at Devices, from Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood. You can turn magic items into Frankensteinian mad science baubles that do the same things, but non-magically, with lots of exposed wires, diodes, electricity ball effects, and so on. There're a number of boons to this, but you pay a cost. You have to buy fuel cells, most of which have limited charges, and all are somewhat expensive, especially at early levels.

[Kurald Galain]

All our foes are 'like' us, normal people, no monsters, just with class levels. so very little DR. The DM is pretty cognizant about these things.
So if there's very little DR, why do you explicitly want a build that can deal with DR?


There are once a month sweeps where the entire city with detect magic and there are 'Detect checkpoints.'
That doesn't even begin to explain how they can easily detect a minute-lasting buff.

Anyway yeah, in a setting like this you should really be working either for the government, or for those thieves' guilds that do have magic items. Not because you NEED magic per se, but because those are the interesting factions in the setting.

[JyP]

My current equipment is: Sansetsukon, Quaterstaff, Dan-Bong (for grapple bonuses). The dm has ruled that any non-bladed monks weapons can be compressed in to a 'reconfigurable' item. along with a some rope, grappling hooks, pytons.
So, GiTP forum hive mind, I ask you this. How do you make a non-magical monk?
Adamantium Gauntlets, to be able to Sunder everything ? As your PC has 20 Str ?

[Elricaltovilla]

So to clear questions up for everyone:
All our foes are 'like' us, normal people, no monsters, just with class levels. so very little DR. The DM is pretty cognizant about these things.
Magic items are banned due to the overabundance of fake magic items that cause real harm to people who use them and those around them, as well as the use of magic items by thieves guilds on the guard. The guard/armed forces have some magic items, but only used in extreme cases.
Magic itself isn't banned, magic items are. There are once a month sweeps where the entire city with detect magic and there are 'Detect checkpoints.'

Hope that clears things up. The DM has ok'd all alchemical items.

That doesn't change the problem that banning magic items has with the basic math of the game. There's a reason you need that cloak of resistance, the headband of wisdom and the Belt of physical prowess. That's because Save DCs scale way faster than saving throws. They scale faster because the game assumes you'll have the magic items needed to bolster your saving throws on hand as you level up.

[Eldan]

Buy a few hundred cows, defeat every monster by stampede.

[emeraldstreak]

Magebred Mule Aristocrat.


Seriously though, I kinda lost what OP's issue is.

[Eldariel]

I fear it would be the kind of gm to say "they have a specific counter to nystul magic aura" some time later.

People seem to forget Magic Aura itself has an aura so while you can hide the item, the spell itself would register as normal (unless you Magic Aura the Magic Aura but it should be obvious, how little that accomplishes).

[Kurald Galain]

People seem to forget Magic Aura itself has an aura so while you can hide the item, the spell itself would register as normal (unless you Magic Aura the Magic Aura but it should be obvious, how little that accomplishes).

Or you do the opposite.

(1) Find an NPC you dislike.
(2) Cast Nystul's on several things he owns.
(3) Watch him get taken out by the powerful governmental anti-magic-item squads
(4) ???
(5) Profit!

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Magebred Mule Aristocrat.I remember him. That guy's an ass.

[Eldariel]

Or you do the opposite.

(1) Find an NPC you dislike.
(2) Cast Nystul's on several things he owns.
(3) Watch him get taken out by the powerful governmental anti-magic-item squads
(4) ???
(5) Profit!

Aye, this and selling fake magical gear is where it's at. Also hiding your items auras and giving several of your nonmagical possessions auras (in a settings where that doesn't get you in trouble) to confound enemies trying to disable your items via Dispel (or steal them for that matter).

[MaxiDuRaritry]

If "fake" magic items that harmed their wielders got the ban put in place, making your own and using them yourself should be fine.