Any way to change appearance with a duration of instantaneous?

[redking]

What it says on the can. I'm looking for a way for spies to change their appearance on a permanent basis that makes the new form the "true from". Same race, same gender, no special abilities, just a different look.

[Darg]

Reincarnate

[redking]

Reincarnate

That would not gel with -


Same race, same gender, no special abilities, just a different look.

[icefractal]

Hmm, I know of a couple but one is PF and the other is 3PP.

Pathfinder: Reincarnate Spy

This spell functions as reincarnate except that you can cause the new body to resemble a particular creature, matching its age category and sex and rerolling any race result that would be the wrong size category. The subject further gains a +5 bonus on Disguise checks to impersonate the chosen creature due to similar features, although it might take a penalty for being the wrong race.Honestly, it's weird to me that it matches the age and sex, looks similar, but could be an entirely different species. But you do look similar (to anyone you want) at least.

Alternately, there's Cyclic Reincarnation

Cyclic reincarnation returns the dead creature to life in a new body of the same race that the target belonged to in life, and the new body appears physically similar to the creature’s previous one, to the extent that the creature could be easily mistaken for its own offspring or kin.
This one doesn't let you control the sex, and age is presumably always young adult like Reincarnate, but you do stay the same species and close enough in appearance to look related.

Now if you're using Spheres of Power, Alteration has Permanent Transformation

When applying a shapeshift, you may spend 2 spell points to change your shapeshift into an instantaneous effect, permanently changing the creature into the new form. Because this is an instantaneous effect, it cannot be dispelled once placed. The target is still under the effect of a shapeshift, however, and any caster attempting to apply a new shapeshift to the target (except the original caster himself) must succeed at a magic skill check as usual; the second shapeshift replaces the first instead of adding to it. When the second shapeshift’s duration expires, the first shapeshift returns. A second application of a Permanent Transformation can be used to counter the first Permanent Transformation, returning the target to its original form. The Make Whole advanced Life talent, as well as polymorph any object, can also restore the target to its original form.
This does more than just change your appearance (to exactly what you want), you can also add useful abilities to yourself (at least three of them, could easily be more). It also doesn't cost any expensive components or require dying.

The downsides are two:
1) This is less durable than reincarnation - while it's not easy to remove (and even a dead-magic zone won't have any effect), it is possible, and it won't persist if you die and come back in a new body.
2) This blocks you from having any other polymorph effects unless they can overcome the CL. On the plus side, it's also a defense against hostile polymorph effects.

[Prime32]

The true mind switch psionic power.

The humanoid skin illithid graft from Underdark.

[ShurikVch]

How about the Disguise (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm)?

[redking]

How about the Disguise (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm)?

Identities obtained through the Disguise skill could fail in the rain, or fail when detained. The idea is to simply look like a different person, rather than impersonate any specific person.

[Doctor Despair]

Reincarnate definitely works; more helpfully, last breath repeated until you roll the same race would work better.

Technically, lots of acquired templates change your appearance in drastic ways (e.g. God Blooded of Vecna).

[redking]

Reincarnate definitely works; more helpfully, last breath repeated until you roll the same race would work better.

Technically, lots of acquired templates change your appearance in drastic ways (e.g. God Blooded of Vecna).


With this spell, you bring back a dead creature in another body

Being dead is less than ideal. The idea is that the character doesn't die, but gets the magical version of plastic surgery that is permanent, meaning of instantaneous duration.

[Thunder999]

Just get Coup De Graced then Last Breath-ed

You can manage permanent duration with a Hat of Disguise, Polymorph Any Object etc. but not instantaneous because that's just not how magic works, instantaneous effects are almost always either damage, healing, or creating a new non-magical thing.

[Silva Stormrage]

Not quite what you are asking for but the spell Cloak of Khyber allows spies to block true seeing and similar spells and effects for magical transformations they are wearing for 1 day per level assuming they were wearing the disguise for at least 6 hours. That with POA or similar would probably be decent for spies.

[Condé]

I am surprised nobody talked about changelings already. You have to be one obviously but there is no duration on their minor change shape ability. And it is at will. (Edit: it does not do what you want exactly. Sorry. It is not instantaneous)

You have Mortal hunter who can take the apparence of something they killed permanently. (Oddly worded how it works tho and it does not change apparence only since it is polymorph.)

[Inevitability]

Flesh to Stone, Stone Shape, Stone to Flesh, Raise Dead if necessary.

[ShurikVch]

Identities obtained through the Disguise skill could fail in the rain
Nothing in the description of Rain (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/weather.htm#rain) says so
Thus, unless you're planning to use pigment from the Nolzur's Orb (a very very specific case) - it would be a house rule


or fail when detained.
Just pump up your check results


The idea is to simply look like a different person, rather than impersonate any specific person.
Good - that's mean there wouldn't be anybody with bonus on Spot check against your disguise

Also, Book of Vile Darkness may have couple of possible variants for the original question: Green Fog evil weather, and Despoiler of Flesh major artifact

[Crake]

Nothing in the description of Rain (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/weather.htm#rain) says so

Thats a pretty disingenuous take. This is the equivalent of saying “the rules on rain dont say you get wet, so i remain dry while walking through the rain!”

Not every interaction is going to be covered by the rules, but considering that disguise kits are make up and face putty, its very reasonable to expect them to be damaged by the rain.

[ShurikVch]

Thats a pretty disingenuous take. This is the equivalent of saying “the rules on rain dont say you get wet, so i remain dry while walking through the rain!”
Does "being wet" have any mechanical effects?


Not every interaction is going to be covered by the rules
Yes - but, unless it's something pretty mundane which we can see IRL - it still would be a house rules territory


but considering that disguise kits are make up and face putty, its very reasonable to expect them to be damaged by the rain.
Not every kind of cosmetics can be washed away with water: it may be removed by oil, alcohol, or even - with nothing at all (peroxide (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide#Household_use), henna (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna), etc).
Timm Thaler (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timm_Thaler_(novel)) used pumice and soil from a flowerpot to pretend being recently recovered from smallpox; he washed the soil away with water (several times)

[LibraryOgre]

Scissors, mousse, and contouring.

[Inevitability]

Without getting into specific situations, surely everyone agrees that there exist some situations where mundane disguises will fail you while actual physical shapechanging does not? That doesn't seem like a controversial statement. Doesn't really matter whether those situations are rain, detainment, close physical inspection, carefully worded divinations, or something else.

[Troacctid]

Shaper of form (Dragon Compendium) grants an instantaneous change of appearance via the Modify Self (Ex) ability. You can also change race and gender if you want, but that's optional.

Anarchomancer (Dragon #315) can also adopt a new form with its Ritual of the Dark Infiltrator (Su) ability, including entirely new class levels and feats and everything. No duration is given (although you can reverse it at your discretion), so it's not clear whether the change is intended to be instantaneous or permanent, but it can't be dispelled, and your former identity cannot be revealed by magic except via wish or miracle. I personally would probably rule that it counts as instantaneous.