Character pretending to be another class. (Concept)

[R. Shackleford]

So, we had a DM change tonight, and we had to make level 5 characters under without any house rules, meaning that we had to use point buy. (Normally we do 18-down.)

I went Rogue, and rebuilt a character I built back when our group first formed: Drowguy Drowington, who had last been seen at level five. In that game, he was running a con that went wrong, and the party's paladin ended up giving him a concussion that was never properly treated. On top of that, as a result of the DM's railroading, the group were unfairly arrested, jailed, given a bounty and given the title of Chickenheart, by the town's racist Ranger's Guild. Last time he was seen, he vowed revenge on the rangers, and had a permanent -4 HP from the wound.

So now he's back, a little more insane, but still looking for his revenge. He's been going around disguised as a normal Elf Ranger, and doing general Chaotic Evil things in the name of the guild that arrested him. So, in short, a Chaotic Evil Drow Rogue who pretends he's an Elf Ranger.

The problem is how do I best convey this in game? Especially in a group that thinks Chaotic Evil is always Chaotic Stupid?

[The Glyphstone]

Don't tell them you're Chaotic Evil. If you have to, write something else on your character sheet, or just have two character sheets entirely. Only the DM knows your true alignment.

[BobVosh]

Don't tell them you're Chaotic Evil. If you have to, write something else on your character sheet, or just have two character sheets entirely. Only the DM knows your true alignment.

Just tell the dm.

Also remember to get a necklace of undetectable alignment.

[Kylarra]

In terms of practical utility, I'll second just not telling people your alignment or bluffing if they ask. You'll need to use the normal repertoire of things to hide your alignment etc.


From a meta-standpoint, I'd reconsider if [re]playing this character is the best idea for the enjoyment of the game overall, since as you said, they don't like CE characters in general.

[Lycanthromancer]

If you don't mind a bit of a rebuild, factotums are actually pretty good at being rangery, especially with ranks in Handle Animal and a trained critter of your own.

[Stormageddon]

Max your bluff skill, and if anyone asks you to do anything to rangerist roll your hide your die while rolling and than anounce that you rolled a natural 1.

[Kylarra]

Max your bluff skill, and if anyone asks you to do anything to rangerist roll your hide your die while rolling and than anounce that you rolled a natural 1.

He's got UMD to do rangerish things.

[Lycanthromancer]

He's got UMD to do rangerish things.

And skills. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of skills.

Even more, as a factotum...

Pump Bluff, Hide, Move Silently, Knowledge (Nature), Handle Animal, and UMD. Maybe Survival (bleh). This should be alright to start. Just make sure you can either TWF or use bows reasonably well.

Also better as a factotum (simulate high BAB through +Int to attacks...).

Get magic to use rangery spells and such.

Also better as a factotum.

Really, this is all better done as a factotum.





...Have I mentioned factotum yet?

[R. Shackleford]

From a meta-standpoint, I'd reconsider if [re]playing this character is the best idea for the enjoyment of the game overall, since as you said, they don't like CE characters in general.

I don't think it affected too much once we got going and they noticed I didn't go "RAWR I KEEL U MORTELS! *STABLOL*"

Sorry I didn't mention this in the first post, but we're playing 4e.

I didn't realize 3.5 had so many options. Good god, 4e feels bare bones now that I see that I can mechanically make myself pretend to be a Ranger in 3.5.

[Lycanthromancer]

I don't think it affected too much once we got going and they noticed I didn't go "RAWR I KEEL U MORTELS! *STABLOL*"

Sorry I didn't mention this in the first post, but we're playing 4e.

I didn't realize 3.5 had so many options. Good god, 4e feels bare bones now that I see that I can mechanically make myself pretend to be a Ranger in 3.5.

And I suddenly have no interest whatsoever in this thread.

[Temotei]

And I suddenly have no interest whatsoever in this thread.

Factotum? Poor factotum...

[BobVosh]

And I suddenly have no interest whatsoever in this thread.

I'm curious if they could even come close in 4ed. They have the benefit of most classes resembling each other a lot closer than in 3.5, but the disadvantage of feats and utility magic not really doing anything.

*Edit* Also what is the factotums role in 4ed? Striker? Controller?

[Jack_Banzai]

One advantage you have in playing this character in 4e is that, aside from a few traps, there are no alignment-detecting creatures or abilities in the game. That works for you. I appreciate the more nebulous, "shades of gray" approach to alignment in 4e.

It is certainly possible for a character to masquerade as another character class in 4e, though if you are actively looking to hoodwink the other players OOC, you had better pick and choose your powers wisely, or they will be on to you in no time.

[Tyndmyr]

Sorry I didn't mention this in the first post, but we're playing 4e.

I didn't realize 3.5 had so many options. Good god, 4e feels bare bones now that I see that I can mechanically make myself pretend to be a Ranger in 3.5.

That'd be the main draw to 3.5. It's a very, very flexible system with a lot of options available. You could happily fake a ranger of a different alignment as any class whatsoever.

In 4e, the classes are pretty locked-in mechanicallly, and I frankly don't know exactly how you would fake being another class well enough to hide it from say, a party member. I mean, you could multiclass to sorta do so...but that's not really faking any more.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

*Edit* Also what is the factotums role in 4ed? Striker? Controller?

Int-based striker, with mostly powers from the Rogue list, one Wizard encounter power of level-2(swappable daily), a couple Leader powers off the Cleric list, and possibly the Martial power source.

[Sir Homeslice]

In 4e, the classes are pretty locked-in mechanicallly, and I frankly don't know exactly how you would fake being another class well enough to hide it from say, a party member. I mean, you could multiclass to sorta do so...but that's not really faking any more.

He could always play tricksies with the DM and have a habit of handing off cards and making up codewords/phrases/signals.

[Tyndmyr]

He could always play tricksies with the DM and have a habit of handing off cards and making up codewords/phrases/signals.

Eh, you could. But this is essentially a huge red flag that something fishy is going on.

I mean, I know when the DM hands out notes to everyone in the party but me, my paranoia dial jumps up to 11.

[Kylarra]

Well he could always pretend to "quarry" things when he actually just does extra damage because of flanking, but uh, anyone paying attention to his power use is just going to know that ranger and rogue powers don't really overlap.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Well he could always pretend to "quarry" things when he actually just does extra damage because of flanking, but uh, anyone paying attention to his power use is just going to know that ranger and rogue powers don't really overlap.

Wouldn't that be meta-gaming though? It's not like the characters themselves will notice "Hey, he just did way too much damage. He must be a sneak-attacking rogue!"

[Tyndmyr]

Wouldn't that be meta-gaming though? It's not like the characters themselves will notice "Hey, he just did way too much damage. He must be a sneak-attacking rogue!"

Well, either you're lying in character or out of character.

In character, if you're using the blind attack, you're a rogue of a given level or higher. Sure, you could come up with some improvised thing to imitate it as a member of another class...but you'll suck at it. And if you suck at all your class stuff, the other characters will assume you're either incompetent, or not who you say you are.

Out of character...it's just not going to work unless players are relatively ignorant of both your real and pretended classes.

[Kylarra]

Wouldn't that be meta-gaming though? It's not like the characters themselves will notice "Hey, he just did way too much damage. He must be a sneak-attacking rogue!"

Well, the whole hiding your class thing is inherently meta, since in-game there's no real representation of it, see Miko and her "I am a samurai but not of the samurai-class" schtick.