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Burley
2008-01-07, 01:45 PM
For those of you who have (or have read) the Complete Mage, I hope you've taken a look at the Master of Masks. After looking through it, trying to decipher a few things I didn't understand, and having a sandwich, I've decided that it's a great Prestige Class to get into. It's a lot like the Chameleon in some aspects (which I know most people drool over), but it is a bit more versatile, since you can switch masks any time, not just once a day.

Please, discuss. I'm trying to decide if it would be a good choice for a future character.

Also, if you have an idea for a new Persona Mask, lay it on me. :smallsmile:

If you'd like to read about the class, try looking here. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070105a&page=3)

Reel On, Love
2008-01-07, 03:15 PM
You're kidding, right? Master of Masks isn't versatile, it's useless. The class doesn't DO anything useful. Meanwhile, the Chameleon can do almost anything, and gets access to absolutely any spell in the game under sixth level, at its lowest level.

Taking Master of Masks inevitably gimps your character at his party role, or at filling any other role. A one-level dip for proficiency with exotic weapons is as good as it gets.

Telonius
2008-01-07, 03:16 PM
I've played a MoM character before, it was a lot of fun. The one thing that I would really caution about it is that two things should be thought out very, very carefully before you enter this class. Number one: what will your primary role within the party be? Number two: what will your feat progression look like?

For example, I entered this class as a Rogue5/Wizard1. Our party wizard had just quit the campaign, and my character was a skillmonkey, face, and conman. Thinking that the PrC could help me shore up the loss of our wizard (Ooh! Look! Caster levels! Shiney!) I went for it. My feat progression had, up to that point, been mainly archery-based (more chances for sneak attacks if I have my ring of Blink up). As the campaign progressed, the party was leaning more and more heavily on me for spell support, which I was unable to provide. Casting spells as a Wiz5 at 15th level does not a wizard make.

At the same time, my original role (skillmonkey) went to pieces. For a trap-finder, UMD type, the skill selection of the MoM sucks. Hard. The only reason our party was not blown up by traps every step of the dungeon was that my high intelligence bonus allowed me to buy skills cross-class. Even this would have been fine, if I had really just been playing a supporting spellcaster/skillmonkey. But as it was, I wasn't really good at anything, and was capable of being poor at two or three different party roles.

Two additional Persona masks would have helped the class greatly.

Thief. A carved wooden mask, with a painted-on stubbley beard and a wide black line running across the eyes.

You gain a +2 competence bonus on Search, Move Silently, Disable Device, and Use Magic Device checks. As you advance in the master of masks class, you become more proficient with these skills: This bonus improves to +4 at 4th level, +6 at 7th level, and +8 at 10th level.

Your alignment appears to be chaotic evil when you wear this mask.


Troubador. This mask is carved of ivory, with jewels on its eyes. Its mouth and tongue are painted silver.

You can use the following abilities a number of times per day equal to your Bard level plus half your Master of Masks level (minimum 1): Inspire Courage +1, Inspire Competence. As you advance in the master of masks class, you become more expert in the use of Bardic Music. At 4th level, you can use Inspire Courage +2, Inspire Greatness, and Suggestion. At 7th level, you can use Song of Freedom and Inspire Courage +3. At 10th level, you can use Inspire Heroics, Mass Suggestion, and Inspire Courage +4.

You must still meet the required ranks in Perform listed under "Bard" in order to use the higher Bardic Music abilities.

You may add half of your Master of Masks level (minimum 1) to Bardic Knowledge checks (as well as similar checks such as the Loremaster's "Lore" ability) while wearing this mask.

You may add half your Master of Masks level (minimum 1) to your Caster Level when casting Bard spells.

Your alignment appears to be chaotic good while you wear a troubador mask.

Person_Man
2008-01-07, 05:15 PM
I've used it as a BBEG. It worked quite well because I could pump its power by just giving it more class levels (ah, the joys of optimizing as a DM), and the PCs couldn't figure out what they were fighting in all the re-occuring battles.

As a PC, its a gimped class. The 5/10 BAB makes melee combat very difficult. The spell-like abilities are a joke compared to any most other casters (including strait Bards). And the Skill bonuses are pretty minor.

As has been mentioned, Chameleon (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20041210b&page=1) is a far superior PrC. A Demonbinder (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070430a&page=3) is also very versatile, in that it gives you 9/10 progression on your Warlock Invocations, and it gives you some impressive special abilities; telepathy, tongues, gaseous form, true seeing, extra limbs, and flight. I'd also say that a strait Bard with the right supplements is now pretty potent, and can pretty much pull off any any party role (though it'll never be as powerful as a full caster).

TheBlackDog
2008-01-07, 08:34 PM
While Master of Masks is a fun class to play, I have to agree that it is underpowered compared to most other classes. You can do almost anything, but you lose the ability to do anything well.

Personally, I love the flavor of the class. The idea of a consummate actor slipping in and out of different party roles simply by changing masks is extremely appealing to me in terms of roleplaying. I just wish it was a bit more appealing mechanically.

If you really want to fill multiple party roles and be effective doing so Chameleon is a good bet. Or you could be a Factotum, and have the ability to do anything, anytime, anywhere.

JackMage666
2008-01-07, 08:42 PM
Thief. A carved wooden mask, with a painted-on stubbley beard and a wide black line running across the eyes.

You gain a +2 competence bonus on Search, Move Silently, Disable Device, and Use Magic Device checks. As you advance in the master of masks class, you become more proficient with these skills: This bonus improves to +4 at 4th level, +6 at 7th level, and +8 at 10th level.


This doesn't really make sense for a Thief persona. It should probably Hide, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Open Lock. I don't even know how Use Magic Device got in there.

Reel On, Love
2008-01-07, 08:49 PM
Personally, I love the flavor of the class. The idea of a consummate actor slipping in and out of different party roles simply by changing masks is extremely appealing to me in terms of roleplaying. I just wish it was a bit more appealing mechanically.

Take Chameleon. Have your character put on masks. Voila! You're not limited to the masks the Master of Masks gets as class features, and you can actually be good at stuff.

Wordmiser
2008-01-07, 10:50 PM
Take Chameleon. Have your character put on masks. Voila! You're not limited to the masks the Master of Masks gets as class features, and you can actually be good at stuff.Seconded.

Or just be a Rogue, Bard or Factotum.

And if you must take MoM levels, look at something like Rogue 2/Duskblade 3*/Chameleon 7/Master of Masks 8

*Or Cloistered Cleric or Beguiler for Extra Spell qualification.

Merlin the Tuna
2008-01-08, 05:10 AM
The Gladiator mask gives proficiency with all exotic weapons -- that ain't bad. But yeah, over all, MoM is pretty lousy.

Hashirujuju
2008-01-08, 11:09 AM
Sorry, but I would NOT use a master of masks as an entire party in one, it might not be to bad in a large party, but it will not fill that need.

Personally if I need an entire party in one I generally use a Human (Changeling if it is a BBEG) Factotum 1/Cloistered Cleric X and the build I generally use is

Alignment LN, N , CN

1) Able Learner, Feat to specialize(often skill focus bluff)
2) Magic Domain, Spell Domain, Knowledge Devotion, Spontaneous Cure
3)Spontaneous Wounder
6)Feat(often Elder Giant Magic or a metamagic)

Also I usually take a few skill tricks including false theurgy and concealed spellcasting.

This is incredibly fun if you fill a blank spellbook with wizard scrolls and act as an arcane caster.

Also if you wanted you could PRC out of cloistered without to much of a loss.

nargbop
2008-01-08, 11:10 PM
I just finished an epic evil campaign and one of my friends was a sorcerer-rogue-MoM . He couldn't do anything particularly well, but he survived the game because he became the mindbender's willing lackey.

Generic PC
2008-01-08, 11:23 PM
The general concensus, i think, is that MoM sucks, but is sometimes fun. I think, looking it over, it is an... average class, which looks much worse than it is because of Factotum and Chameleon. My opinion, which has no actual experience.