Seeking Feedback Regarding Disguise-Focused Changeling MoMF/Chameleon Build

[Doctor Despair]

A few different ideas had been kicking around my head for a while and culminated in this build (thusfar).


A while ago, I'd noticed, unlike druids, wildshape rangers don't have the "fall" mechanic that requires them to revere nature

I was interested in building a character that doesn't need high stats to be functional, and a Necropolitan wildshape ranger can safely dump all physical stats (and arguably their mental ones, although they'd be more functional with them)

I was interested in Master of Many Forms as a way to focus on the wildshape aspect, as we lose the druid casting (both by choice of class and by possibly having low mental stats)

I was interested in using a Changeling to gain their unique Minor Change Shape as, in conjunction with wild shape to change shape and sizes, they should have a very high disguise check indeed

(Minor Change Shape lists a +10 circumstance bonus for using the effect (as if using disguise self); the disguise skill grants a +10 bonus for using magic that alters your form, listing disguise self as one such ability. I'd argue that you can't get both +10s, as they would be arising from the same source, but using wild shape would allow you to get the +10 untyped bonus (different type, different source) from the disguise skill and +10 circumstance from using the Changeling ability. Additionally, changing your size enables you to avoid needing the +70 epic check to alter your size to any appreciable degree.)

I looked at Chameleon as an option to expand on our Master of Many Forms synergy, as the floating feat adds a lot of versatility (such as taking Assume Supernatural Ability for our disguise for the day), and it allows us to mimic a character's class features to some extent

I was disappointed that, outside of the Eberron campaign setting, Changelings don't seem to naturally qualify for Chameleon (or the prereq, Able Learner), so fished around for a while until I found a way to have them qualify for both using Racial Emulation (which also helps our disguises!)


At the moment, it is designed as a disguise-heavy, adaptable character that doesn't need high stats to function. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for better feats than Improved Unarmed Strike/Improved Grapple, for items, for ACFs/substitution levels, or an opinion on whether it would be better to delay Chameleon by 1 more level to shoehorn in one more level of Master of Many Forms (to get large forms for our disguises/combat abilities). With regard to the last point, I wasn't sure which I should value more highly: large and giant forms, or the floating feat.



ECL/Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Base Fort
Base Ref
Base Will
Notable Skills
Feats
Class Features
Notes


1
Half-Elf Paragon
+0
+0
+2
+0
Bluff 4
Racial Emulation, Able Learner
Elven Vision
The build starts as a Changeling with 1 Humanoid hitdie and the Racial Emulation feat. Then, upon becoming an adventurer, the Changeling exchanges the hitdie for its first class level, using Racial Emulation to qualify, and using Racial Emulation to qualify for Able Learner. In addition to the bonus feat, this gives us Bluff as a class skill (which is important later).


2(3)/2
Wildshape Ranger (Elf substitution level, Urban Tracker ACF, Voice of the City ACF)
+1
+2
+4
+0
Bluff 5, Disguise 2, Sense Motive 2, Spellcraft 2
-
Elf Favored Enemy (Undead +3), Track, Wild Empathy, Fast Movement
We use Racial Emulation to qualify for the substitution level; it grants us extra skill points in exchange for a lower HD (which will be swapped for a d12 later). Notably, the skill point adjustment should arguably persist for future Ranger levels, too. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?313513-Racial-substitution-levels)

Upon reaching level 3, we apply the Necropolitan template. This sets us back to halfway through the last level (2000xp) -1000xp (or, in other words, the beginning of level 2). We then fluff the character's backstory with a century or two of wandering the wilds to gain the Evolved Undead template, making it an ECL 3 character. This is when it would begin play. This is also when we can afford a Chameleoweave Vestment of Many Styles, conveniently enough.

The fast healing is meant to offset the key weakness of being undead: low hp. Additionally, through the use of Racial Emulation, we should register as a living creature to any Detect Undead spells or abilities, so we should have much less to worry about with regard to Command Undead/Greater Turning/etc, while still reaping all the benefits of being undead (such as an immunity to mind-affecting abilities, helping to cover our weak will save, and immunity to many abilities that require fort saves).


4/3
Wildshape Ranger
+2
+3
+5
+0
Bluff 6, Disguise 3, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 3
Improved Unarmed Strike
-
Depending on our disguise, we may not be able to carry a weapon on us; additionally, adding unarmed strikes into our attack routine when we have multiple natural weapons to use as secondaries could be helpful later on.


5/4
Wildshape Ranger
+3
+3
+5
+1
Bluff 7, Disguise 3, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 3
Endurance
-
-


6(5)/5
Wildshape Ranger (Urban Companion ACF)
+4
+4
+6
+1
Bluff 8, Disguise 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4
Alertness (with our familiar secreted away on our person somewhere outside of LoE/LoS from others)
Urban Companion, Level 0 Spells
If level-buy-off is in play, at this level we could reduce our level-adjustment by 1 and proceed with our ECL equal to our HD.

At this level, we are punished a little if we don't have at least 10 wisdom to allow us to cast our Ranger spells. If we have less wisdom than that, we can compensate a little by trading it out with the Champions of the Wild ACF for a bonus feat. None of them are particularly useful to us, but it's the thought that counts.


6
Wildshape Ranger
+5
+4
+6
+1
Bluff 9, Disguise 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4
Extra Wildshape
Wildshape, Elf Favored Enemy (Undead +6)
As Wildshape comes on, we officially stop being punished for dumping physical stats. We take Extra Wildshape to allow us to turn this into an all-day buff (15-hours instead of 5 hours, then 24 hours next level).


7
Master of Many Forms
+5
+6
+8
+1
Bluff 10, Disguise 10, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4
-
Shifter's speech, improved wild shape (humanoid)
At last, disguise is a class skill for us! Just in time to qualify for Chameleon next level, too.

Here, we have the WBL to purchase a Ring of Misdirection. Between Racial Emulation and this ring, our disguise should be more or less fool-proof save for:

1. Urban Savants, and

2. Situations where those who try to detect our alignment both know the alignment our persona should have and have a different alignment than that of the person we are impersonating and a different alignment than us (as we could just remove the ring to register appropriately).


8
Chameleon
+5
+6
+8
+1
Bluff 11, Disguise 11, Sense Motive 9, Spellcraft 4
-
Aptitude focus 1/day (+2), level 0, 1, and 2 spells
Here we are again punished a little for having less than average stats if we don't have at least a 12 in Int and Wis respectively to allow us to use our new spells. With that said, by this point in the game we'll have had two new attribute points to distribute, so providing we had at least one 10 to use (presumably for wisdom), we can drop those in to qualify for our level 2 spells.


9
Chameleon
+6
+6
+8
+1
Bluff 12, Disguise 12, Sense Motive 12, Spellcraft 4
Improved Grapple
Daily adaptive bonus feat
Although our BAB has lagged behind a little, next level we will have access to large forms (with reasonably high strengths), so grappling seems like a decent strategy to pursue.

Our floating feat can let us take Assume Supernatural Ability for any of our forms, or anything else we'd like. For the last 11 levels, we'll probably fit in 9 levels of MoMF and 2 levels of something else (maybe Chameleon? Cabainet Trickster seems a lot worse if we can't fit in at least 5 levels.)

[CozJa]

At work right now, but I've got two questions: 1) why that first level? Wouldn't it be better to take the changeling rogue sub level1?
2) have you considered the cabinet trickster prestige class?

AFAIK is a common houserule to let changeling qualify for Chameleon.

[Doctor Despair]

AFAIK is a common houserule to let changeling qualify for Chameleon.

I've seen similar sentiment online, but as a rule of thumb I try to vigorously pursue RAW until all my options are exhausted. The DM I most commonly work with prefers this approach and will usually nerf things from RAW rather than buff them from RAW, so I'd be out of luck there.


At work right now, but I've got two questions: 1) why that first level? Wouldn't it be better to take the changeling rogue sub level1?

As I wasn't banking on a houserule that Changelings qualify for Able Learner and Chameleon, I needed a way to get a Changeling into Able Learner at level 1 (as it is a level 1 only feat). To the best of my knowledge, Half-Elf Paragon is the only base-class that grants you a new feat of any type with only a one-level dip.

Additionally, Chameleon required 8 ranks in Bluff and 8 ranks in Disguise. None of the other classes we've taken thusfar grant Bluff as a class skill, so we need to either take Skill Knowledge for it, which becomes completely obsolete upon taking our first level in Chameleon, or take some class that grants it, or else wait until some obscenely late level to get the floating feat (15, I think).


2) have you considered the cabinet trickster prestige class?

I looked at it, but apart from other concerns wrt it, taking it would mean we don't have enough levels left over to finish a 10-level prestige class, making this ineligible for epic progression. That eligibility is something I like to work into all of my builds. :/

[Anthrowhale]

You might want to look into accessing Cloak of Khyber for a magic-proof disguise.

[ExLibrisMortis]

I like it. Nice flavour, good power level.

If you use a flaw, you can replace half-elf paragon with changeling rogue 1.
I'd probably drop Improved Grapple, and just Wild Shape into something with Improved Grab (or dip spirit bear totem barbarian).

Oh, and another thing that sees through your disguise: Dispassionate Watcher of Chronepsis. Hard to beat Clearsight: it's (Ex) true seeing that works on mundane disguises. Since it's based on true seeing, you might expect cloak of Khyber to beat it, but that explicitly works for magical disguises only. Still, not to worry--DWoC 9 comes online at ECL 26, which is a little beyond what anyone's likely to play at :smalltongue:.

[Doctor Despair]

You might want to look into accessing Cloak of Khyber for a magic-proof disguise.

That is an excellent addition wrt foiling true seeing, although I wonder what the interaction would be with a Ring of Misdirection. Ideally you'd still be able to use it for alignment-detection abilities...

We can get that on an Eternal Wand by ECL 8, right after our Ring of Misdirection (if we still get that). We can also get access to it naturally at Chameleon 3.

I think, in light of that, it might be best to take another level of MoMF at ECL 8, and then take all three levels of Chameleon at once for build elegance, before taking the remaining 8 levels of MoMF. That leaves us with 1 level to play with, or none if level buy-off isn't in play.

Edit:


I like it. Nice flavour, good power level.

If you use a flaw, you can replace half-elf paragon with changeling rogue 1.
I'd probably drop Improved Grapple, and just Wild Shape into something with Improved Grab (or dip spirit bear totem barbarian).

Fair point! I should include a section for alternate rules -- that, the Eberron Changeling qualification, and the 1-2 bonus feats from taint would all be valuable additions.



Oh, and another thing that sees through your disguise: Dispassionate Watcher of Chronepsis. Hard to beat Clearsight: it's (Ex) true seeing that works on mundane disguises. Since it's based on true seeing, you might expect cloak of Khyber to beat it, but that explicitly works for magical disguises only. Still, not to worry--DWoC 9 comes online at ECL 26, which is a little beyond what anyone's likely to play at :smalltongue:.

I think the Cloak of Khyber was last updated in the City of Stormreach, right? To this version?


Illusion
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: One day/level

The rakshasa, masters of deception, have developed this spell to enhance their powers of disguise.

A cloak of Khyber conceals the caster’s alignment from any form of divination. More important, it shields a shapechanged or magically disguised creature from true seeing, causing the disguise to appear to be the caster’s true form. However, this power has one significant restriction: The disguise must be maintained for 6 hours before the power of the cloak takes effect. As such, it is an extremely useful spell for a deep cover agent who rarely shifts his shape—but it is useless to a character casting a disguise self spell that only lasts for a few minutes.

Arcane Focus: A small Khyber dragonshard,
worth 50 gp. If this object is ever taken more than 1 foot
away from the subject, the spell immediately ends

If this is the most updated version, would this apply to either Minor Change Shape, Wildshape, or both? Or does Shapechange refer to the spell, and not polymorph effects? If CoK plays nice, the interaction between these and Clearsight would be interesting.

In the case of MCS, would it just be a flat DC10 to see through the disguise, as you don't benefit from the mundane parts of the disguise?

In the case of wild shape, would you just look like an average member of the race?

Edit2: Actually, now that I look at CoK more closely, it looks like they'd see through the mundane disguise with wildshape (if it qualifies) to see you as the creature you wildshaped into (average), while with MCS they'd see through the mundane disguise to see... your altered form as if it were your natural form. That is, IF minor change shape qualifies as a shapechange effect or a magical diaguise.

[CozJa]

I've seen similar sentiment online, but as a rule of thumb I try to vigorously pursue RAW until all my options are exhausted. The DM I most commonly work with prefers this approach and will usually nerf things from RAW rather than buff them from RAW, so I'd be out of luck there.

As I wasn't banking on a houserule that Changelings qualify for Able Learner and Chameleon, I needed a way to get a Changeling into Able Learner at level 1 (as it is a level 1 only feat). To the best of my knowledge, Half-Elf Paragon is the only base-class that grants you a new feat of any type with only a one-level dip.

Additionally, Chameleon required 8 ranks in Bluff and 8 ranks in Disguise. None of the other classes we've taken thusfar grant Bluff as a class skill, so we need to either take Skill Knowledge for it, which becomes completely obsolete upon taking our first level in Chameleon, or take some class that grants it, or else wait until some obscenely late level to get the floating feat (15, I think).


Well, aren't there already a couple of iffy things, like the racial hit dice exchange? Also, using racial emulation for Able Learner would lead to some difficulties, considering that you would only be able to use Able Learner when you are in Human form (you can't use a Feat if you don't meet the prerequisites for it).
Races of Destiny covers the possibility of giving human subtype to other races in Page 150, therefore a RAW base exists (also, the Human Heritage feat, but that would leave you with the two feats at level one problem, assuming you can't use flaws, that seems a given).
Even the fact that skill points adjustment from racial substitution levels carry on to the other levels is really debatable (to be honest, I've never seen it used in such a way), don't forget to discuss it with you DM!
Actually, wouldn't it be easier to ask for Able Learner and just wait level three to take racial emulation? Sure, you'd lose the elf substitution level, but that's quite meh, and I'd say that the changeling rogue level 1 is way better than it and also of Half-elf paragon. You could even exchange sneak attack for a fighter feat and keep the same number of feats you have now.



I looked at it, but apart from other concerns wrt it, taking it would mean we don't have enough levels left over to finish a 10-level prestige class, making this ineligible for epic progression. That eligibility is something I like to work into all of my builds. :/

Ah ok, that makes sense!

[Doctor Despair]

Well, aren't there already a couple of iffy things, like the racial hit dice exchange?

To the best of my knowledge, that is RAW. Characters may exchange their single racial hitdie out for class levels.



Also, using racial emulation for Able Learner would lead to some difficulties, considering that you would only be able to use Able Learner when you are in Human form (you can't use a Feat if you don't meet the prerequisites for it).

That's true, but you only need to use the feat when you are applying new skill points, so that it isn't active later shouldn't affect anything.



Races of Destiny covers the possibility of giving human subtype to other races in Page 150, therefore a RAW base exists

That would work, but aren't those rituals prohibitively expensive?



Even the fact that skill points adjustment from racial substitution levels carry on to the other levels is really debatable (to be honest, I've never seen it used in such a way), don't forget to discuss it with you DM!

That one is debatable, for sure, but isn't critical to the build.



Actually, wouldn't it be easier to ask for Able Learner and just wait level three to take racial emulation? Sure, you'd lose the elf substitution level, but that's quite meh, and I'd say that the changeling rogue level 1 is way better than it and also of Half-elf paragon. You could even exchange sneak attack for a fighter feat and keep the same number of feats you have now.

Yes, taking Able Learner without meeting the prerequisites would make life a lot easier. However, as we seem to have ways to meet the prerequisites by RAW, I'd prefer to do so if at all possible.

[CozJa]

That would work, but aren't those rituals prohibitively expensive?


No, it's not a ritual, it's a RAW suggestion. the box in the lower part of the page

[ExLibrisMortis]

I think the Cloak of Khyber was last updated in the City of Stormreach, right? To this version?

If this is the most updated version, would this apply to either Minor Change Shape, Wildshape, or both? Or does Shapechange refer to the spell, and not polymorph effects? If CoK plays nice, the interaction between these and Clearsight would be interesting.

In the case of MCS, would it just be a flat DC10 to see through the disguise, as you don't benefit from the mundane parts of the disguise?

In the case of wild shape, would you just look like an average member of the race?

Edit2: Actually, now that I look at CoK more closely, it looks like they'd see through the mundane disguise with wildshape (if it qualifies) to see you as the creature you wildshaped into (average), while with MCS they'd see through the mundane disguise to see... your altered form as if it were your natural form. That is, IF minor change shape qualifies as a shapechange effect or a magical diaguise.
I'd think that cloak of khyber would work with any polymorph-like magic, including Minor Change Shape, but that wording is a bit silly.

Cloak of Khyber would prevent Clearsight from detecting your base race if you were polymorphed or otherwise in a different form, but you wouldn't be able to use a mundane disguise on top of that form. Still, you should keep the magical bonus to Disguise checks, I guess? Clearsight is a lot more limited than I thought. It doesn't really help against Disguise checks if they're made with magical help, only against high-bonus uses of Disguise with mundane disguises. For example, a rogue with 23 ranks and a disguise kit is automatically discovered by a Dispassionate Watcher, whereas a sorcerer with 0 ranks and polymorph + cloak of khyber is not, though they still need to make Disguise checks to act like the creature in question, which might be tricky.

[Doctor Despair]

No, it's not a ritual, it's a RAW suggestion. the box in the lower part of the page

Oh, I see the text you were referring to; I was at work, so I couldn't check it until now. I was thinking of the Savage Species rituals. Yes, that variant's definitely an option if the DM will approve it :) Possibly less intrusive than flaws, so maybe more likely to be approved, and definitely worth noting.



Cloak of Khyber would prevent Clearsight from detecting your base race if you were polymorphed or otherwise in a different form, but you wouldn't be able to use a mundane disguise on top of that form. Still, you should keep the magical bonus to Disguise checks, I guess? Clearsight is a lot more limited than I thought. It doesn't really help against Disguise checks if they're made with magical help, only against high-bonus uses of Disguise with mundane disguises. For example, a rogue with 23 ranks and a disguise kit is automatically discovered by a Dispassionate Watcher, whereas a sorcerer with 0 ranks and polymorph + cloak of khyber is not, though they still need to make Disguise checks to act like the creature in question, which might be tricky.

I suppose, then, that they would automatically see through the mundane disguise. Then, they would be entitled to a DC10 spot check to see through the specific disguise you made. Upon success, they would see your altered form as your true form. In the case of wild shape and friends, it would probably look different than your disguise, which would be a problem. In the case of Minor Change Shape, it should look the same as our disguise.

While CoK says they would see this as our true shape, it doesn't say they aren't still entitled to their normal spot check to see through it without Clearsight, although a DM could probably reasonably say they are automatically fooled. It would be kind of funny if the epic dragon prc ended up nerfing their spot overall inadvertantly... Ultinately that's up to DM fiat, but they could reasonably be given a spot check (probably checked at the same time as the DC10 spot check earlier) to see through the mundane disguise without magical aids, right?


I'd probably drop Improved Grapple, and just Wild Shape into something with Improved Grab...

I was reflecting on what feat we could replace Improved Grapple with. Mask of Gentility is somewhat of a wash (basically only taken for increasing the "hunch" DC to 30). Aberration Blood could be fine for the racial bonus to grapple and to qualify for Aberration Wild Shape with the floating feat... Maybe there's a spellcasting feat worth taking? We don't have very high-level slots for metamagic...

Do you have any thoughts? We technically still have our level 3 feat to use as a prereq, too, if we think of something better than Improved Unarmed Strike

[ExLibrisMortis]

Ultinately that's up to DM fiat, but they could reasonably be given a spot check (probably checked at the same time as the DC10 spot check earlier) to see through the mundane disguise without magical aids, right?
Hmmm... tricky. If someone polymorphed into a troll walks up to you acting nothing like a troll (because it's actually a sorcadin using the form for the Strength and size), do you get a check to see it's not actually a troll? It's not like the sorcadin is making a Disguise check, so success should be automatic (though you might not know the sorcadin is a spellscale). Then again, it seems unrealistic that everyone just looks at them and goes "that's definitely not a troll". It could be a weird troll, after all, and who really knows all the possible trolls? Maybe a passive Disguise check (i.e. 10 + bonus) is called for?

I think that this is a problem of the type "What's the Sense Motive DC to determine that someone isn't Bluffing?", that is, it's something not covered by the rules because the writers never considered the possibility (in this case, I definitely don't blame them--it's a really niche case). If you really wanted to redesign the opposed check system from the ground up, you should organize the rules along the lines of basic experiment design: the null hypothesis is that target X is Bluffing, and my Sense Motive check can reject that hypothesis (or not), with the possibility of false positives and false negatives. Currently, you can only have true positives and false negatives, whereas false positives are impossible and true negatives are automatic, which leads to the problem that the un-disguised truth is always obvious.


I was reflecting on what feat we could replace Improved Grapple with. Mask of Gentility is somewhat of a wash (basically only taken for increasing the "hunch" DC to 30). Aberration Blood could be fine for the racial bonus to grapple and to qualify for Aberration Wild Shape with the floating feat... Maybe there's a spellcasting feat worth taking? We don't have very high-level slots for metamagic...

Do you have any thoughts? We technically still have our level 3 feat to use as a prereq, too, if we think of something better than Improved Unarmed Strike
There's a few classic feats to think about. Shape Soulmeld, Martial Study, Bind Vestige, etcetera.

For grappling, there's a few options:
Girallon Arms gives a [1 + essentia] * 2 competence on grapple checks. The arms bind adds Rend. Getting essentia is a bit tricky, though.
Kraken Mantle bound to your arms chakra gives Constrict 1d8+STR and +essentia typeless on grapple checks. Requires Open Lesser Chakra (arms) (ECL 12), which gives +2 insight grapple.
Crushing Weight of the Mountain (stone dragon 3) grants Constrict 2d6+1.5*STR. Can be picked up with two feats, but only at ECL 12.
There is a vestige that grants Improved Grapple and Constrict, but it's a 6th-level vestige.
Rogue dip + Craven + Savage Grapple + Constrict might be kinda fun. I like picking up Craven with the Coward flaw.

I'd consider utility feats like Darkstalker and Natural Spell (for somatic/material components), depending on what you want to do. Even first-level Chameleon casting gets some utility spells you might want to use while wild shaped.

Another good option is Persistent Spell, because you can get things like swift haste, swift fly, wraithstrike, strength of the true form (useful if you have 18 Dex and Wild Shape into a dragon, for example), and other spells with your Chameleon casting. You'd need some form of free metamagic, probably Spelldancer 1 (which requires three extra feats to get in, plus the Endurance you already have), but it's really good. Then again, adding Persistomancy to every build gets old after a while.

[Doctor Despair]

Hmmm... tricky. If someone polymorphed into a troll walks up to you acting nothing like a troll (because it's actually a sorcadin using the form for the Strength and size), do you get a check to see it's not actually a troll? It's not like the sorcadin is making a Disguise check, so success should be automatic (though you might not know the sorcadin is a spellscale). Then again, it seems unrealistic that everyone just looks at them and goes "that's definitely not a troll". It could be a weird troll, after all, and who really knows all the possible trolls? Maybe a passive Disguise check (i.e. 10 + bonus) is called for?

I think that this is a problem of the type "What's the Sense Motive DC to determine that someone isn't Bluffing?", that is, it's something not covered by the rules because the writers never considered the possibility (in this case, I definitely don't blame them--it's a really niche case). If you really wanted to redesign the opposed check system from the ground up, you should organize the rules along the lines of basic experiment design: the null hypothesis is that target X is Bluffing, and my Sense Motive check can reject that hypothesis (or not), with the possibility of false positives and false negatives. Currently, you can only have true positives and false negatives, whereas false positives are impossible and true negatives are automatic, which leads to the problem that the un-disguised truth is always obvious.

I'd think that the sorcadin troll would be the sort of situation that the DC 20 sense motive check is called for, right?


This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another’s behavior that something is wrong, such as when you’re talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy.

Then again, if we use that reading, that assumes that no amount of spot will ever see through a wildshape or other change-shape effect if the character never rolled a disguise check, which doesn't seem right, as spot would presumably see through it if they DID roll a disguise check. That sense motive usage is annoyingly vaguely worded, as it seems like you could automatically see through ANY disguise if you can hit that DC20 relatively consistently (taking 10, that's only a +10 modifer needed...)

There's no line in sense motive, disguise, or bluff to allow you to raise the DC of that hunch, but under the disguise skill, folks only get to make spot checks if they know the original person or if they are suspicious of you. Arguably, the hunch sense motive is what allows someone to become suspicious, which means it doesn't let them see through your disguise -- it just lets them make a spot check opposed to your disguise (where, according to the disguise skill, they take a 10.)

Where does that put us with the sorcadin troll? If folks make the DC20 sense motive check, they'd be entitled to a spot check against the sorcadin's disguise, but what do we use for the disguise? Perhaps, as you said, the passive disguise check is the most appropriate thing as, even though they aren't trying very hard, they are still "disguising" themselves as another race... That'd be 10 + 10 (for changing their shape) + 5 (minor details only, as you're a generic member of the race rather than a specific person) - 2 (different race) + any other applicable modifiers, so a base of 23 if they have neutral charisma and no other items, ranks, or abilities to modify it. Maybe an 18 if we don't give them the +5 (as they are technically changing MAJOR details if we look at it in another sense). Does that seem fair?

With regard to determining if someone is telling the truth, that, at least, seems appropriate for the Hunch DC, based on the last line, right? Although again, if we use that, it technically suggests that even though a high bluff means you can convince people you believe what you're saying, someone with a DC 20 sense motive can still decide you're untrustworthy... I suppose, very technically, it never explicitly says that a hunch lets you figure out someone is UNtrustworthy, so it can technically, by RAW, only confirm that someone is telling the truth, not confirm they are sketchy. That is probably a fair reading, too, because it suggests that in cases where someone is not telling the truth, they use bluff to convince the other person that they are trustworthy.



There's a few classic feats to think about. Shape Soulmeld, Martial Study, Bind Vestige, etcetera.

For grappling, there's a few options:
Girallon Arms gives a [1 + essentia] * 2 competence on grapple checks. The arms bind adds Rend. Getting essentia is a bit tricky, though.
Kraken Mantle bound to your arms chakra gives Constrict 1d8+STR and +essentia typeless on grapple checks. Requires Open Lesser Chakra (arms) (ECL 12), which gives +2 insight grapple.
Crushing Weight of the Mountain (stone dragon 3) grants Constrict 2d6+1.5*STR. Can be picked up with two feats, but only at ECL 12.
There is a vestige that grants Improved Grapple and Constrict, but it's a 6th-level vestige.
Rogue dip + Craven + Savage Grapple + Constrict might be kinda fun. I like picking up Craven with the Coward flaw.

Definitely some strong combat options! As you said, essentia seems hard to come by, but the Rend could be strong, although there are lots of grapple-based options for damage-boosts.

We gain 1d6 Sneak Attack from Chameleon 3 (which we are probably adding in to get access to Cloak of Khyber if there isn't easy access to wand/Eternal wands of it), but I think Necropolitans would be disqualified from taking Craven due to the non-fear-immune prereq, right?



I'd consider utility feats like Darkstalker and Natural Spell (for somatic/material components), depending on what you want to do. Even first-level Chameleon casting gets some utility spells you might want to use while wild shaped.


Natural Spell could be useful. I would THINK we'd be spending most of our wild shapes in forms that can cast spells, but that may not necessarily be the case, so that could be a strong utility option. It also means we won't be giving ourselves away by our inability to cast, which is nice. Darkstalker could be strong, although I'm usually tepid on investing too much into stealth-based options given the strength of detection abilies and special senses in 3.5.



Another good option is Persistent Spell, because you can get things like swift haste, swift fly, wraithstrike, strength of the true form (useful if you have 18 Dex and Wild Shape into a dragon, for example), and other spells with your Chameleon casting. You'd need some form of free metamagic, probably Spelldancer 1 (which requires three extra feats to get in, plus the Endurance you already have), but it's really good. Then again, adding Persistomancy to every build gets old after a while.

Technically we have our level 3, 9, 12, and floating feat available for playable levels, although that's still one shy of the four feats we need to do Spelldancer Persists, so 15 may be the earlier we could get this would somehow getting access to racial feats from our forms. Given we have limited spell levels to begin with though, and given persistomancy is a well-trodden path as you said, we may be best served going to a different well, I think.



ECL/Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Base Fort
Base Ref
Base Will
Notable Skills
Feats
Class Features
Notes


1
Half-Elf Paragon
+0
+0
+2
+0
Bluff 4
Racial Emulation, Able Learner
Elven Vision
The build starts as a Changeling with 1 Humanoid hitdie and the Racial Emulation feat. Then, upon becoming an adventurer, the Changeling exchanges the hitdie for its first class level, using Racial Emulation to qualify, and using Racial Emulation to qualify for Able Learner. In addition to the bonus feat, this gives us Bluff as a class skill (which is important later).


2(3)/2
Wildshape Ranger (Elf substitution level, Urban Tracker ACF, Voice of the City ACF)
+1
+2
+4
+0
Bluff 5, Disguise 2, Sense Motive 2, Spellcraft 2
-
Elf Favored Enemy (Undead +3), Track, Wild Empathy, Fast Movement
We use Racial Emulation to qualify for the substitution level; it grants us extra skill points in exchange for a lower HD (which will be swapped for a d12 later). Notably, the skill point adjustment should arguably persist for future Ranger levels, too. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?313513-Racial-substitution-levels)

Upon reaching level 3, we apply the Necropolitan template. This sets us back to halfway through the last level (2000xp) -1000xp (or, in other words, the beginning of level 2). We then fluff the character's backstory with a century or two of wandering the wilds to gain the Evolved Undead template, making it an ECL 3 character. This is when it would begin play. This is also when we can afford a Chameleoweave Vestment of Many Styles, conveniently enough.

The fast healing is meant to offset the key weakness of being undead: low hp. Additionally, through the use of Racial Emulation, we should register as a living creature to any Detect Undead spells or abilities, so we should have much less to worry about with regard to Command Undead/Greater Turning/etc, while still reaping all the benefits of being undead (such as an immunity to mind-affecting abilities, helping to cover our weak will save, and immunity to many abilities that require fort saves).


4/3
Wildshape Ranger
+2
+3
+5
+0
Bluff 6, Disguise 3, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 3
Improved Unarmed Strike
-
Depending on our disguise, we may not be able to carry a weapon on us; additionally, adding unarmed strikes into our attack routine when we have multiple natural weapons to use as secondaries could be helpful later on.


5/4
Wildshape Ranger
+3
+3
+5
+1
Bluff 7, Disguise 3, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 3
Endurance
-
-


6(5)/5
Wildshape Ranger (Urban Companion ACF)
+4
+4
+6
+1
Bluff 8, Disguise 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4
Alertness (with our familiar secreted away on our person somewhere outside of LoE/LoS from others)
Urban Companion, Level 0 Spells
If level-buy-off is in play, at this level we could reduce our level-adjustment by 1 and proceed with our ECL equal to our HD.

At this level, we are punished a little if we don't have at least 10 wisdom to allow us to cast our Ranger spells. If we have less wisdom than that, we can compensate a little by trading it out with the Champions of the Wild ACF for a bonus feat. None of them are particularly useful to us, but it's the thought that counts.


6
Wildshape Ranger
+5
+4
+6
+1
Bluff 9, Disguise 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4
Extra Wildshape
Wildshape, Elf Favored Enemy (Undead +6)
As Wildshape comes on, we officially stop being punished for dumping physical stats. We take Extra Wildshape to allow us to turn this into an all-day buff (15-hours instead of 5 hours, then 24 hours next level).


7
Master of Many Forms
+5
+6
+8
+1
Bluff 10, Disguise 8, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4
-
Shifter's speech, improved wild shape (humanoid)
At last, disguise is a class skill for us! Just in time to qualify for Chameleon next level, too.

Here, we have the WBL to purchase a Ring of Misdirection. Between Racial Emulation and this ring, our disguise should be more or less fool-proof save for:

1. Urban Savants, and

2. Situations where those who try to detect our alignment both know the alignment our persona should have and have a different alignment than that of the person we are impersonating and a different alignment than us (as we could just remove the ring to register appropriately).


8
Master of Many Forms
+6
+7
+9
+1
Bluff 11, Disguise 11, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4
-
Improved wild shape (giant; Large)
We get access to large forms at this level, expanding our ability to disguise ourselves to anything medium or medium-adjacent. We also have the WBL to purchase an Eternal Wand of Cloak of Khyber, further perfecting our disguise.


9
Chameleon
+6
+7
+9
+1
Bluff 12, Disguise 12, Sense Motive 12, Spellcraft 4
Natural Spell
Aptitude focus 1/day (+2), level 0, 1, and 2 spells
Here we are again punished a little for having less than average stats if we don't have at least a 12 in Int and Wis respectively to allow us to use our new spells. With that said, by this point in the game we'll have had two new attribute points to distribute, so providing we had at least one 10 to use (presumably for wisdom), we can drop those in to qualify for our level 2 spells.


10
Chameleon
+7
+7
+9
+1
Bluff 13, Disguise 13, Sense Motive 13, Spellcraft 6
-
Daily adaptive bonus feat
Our floating feat can let us take Assume Supernatural Ability for any of our forms, Frozen Wild Shape, or anything else we'd like.


11
Chameleon
+8
+8
+10
+2
Bluff 14, Disguise 14, Sense Motive 14, Spellcraft 7
-
Mimic class feature 1/day
Here, we get native access to Cloak of Khyber (protecting our disguises from Trueseeing and its cousins) in the event that we are unable to get an Eternal Wand of the spell at an earlier level. This is assuming, of course, we have at least a 16 in our intelligence. Our ability to mimic class features gives us even greater ability to emulate specific individuals who may have distinctive class features.

For the last 9 levels, we'll probably fit in 8 levels of MoMF and 1 level of something else (maybe Chameleon for build elegance, and to advance our divine and arcane casting? Mindbender would probably advance our arcane casting at least, although arguably it might advance our divine casting as it comes from our "arcane spellcasting class.")

[ExLibrisMortis]

We gain 1d6 Sneak Attack from Chameleon 3 (which we are probably adding in to get access to Cloak of Khyber if there isn't easy access to wand/Eternal wands of it), but I think Necropolitans would be disqualified from taking Craven due to the non-fear-immune prereq, right?
Aha, this is where the Coward flaw comes in. The "benefit" is that you automatically fail saves against fear effects. If you would be immune, you instead get to make a save at a -4 penalty (-6 with Craven).

Of course, it's not 100% clear-cut, because where would be the fun in that? The flaw specifies that "an ability that makes you immune to fear" grants a save instead. Are racial traits abilities? Does immunity to mind-affecting effects "immune to fear" for the purpose of Coward?

I think it's best to go with "yes" for both--otherwise it's a free flaw for any necropolitan. Still, YMMV.