Changelings and Disguise Self

[kamikasei]

I'm starting a game with a Beguiler, who's likely to pick Changeling as her race. This seems like a nicely flavorful combination to me, but I'm a little iffy on the precise limits and capabilities of the Changeling's alteration abilities, and was hoping I could tap in to your collective wisdom.

The description of the ability says that it functions like a disguise self spell that doesn't affect items. The limits on the shapechanging that allows seem clear enough, but what's the effect of the unchanging items? Will a Changeling ever need to worry about the fit of its armor, say, when changing from a stick-thin elf male to a big, burly, busty half-orc female?

The ability says it grants a bonus to disguise checks, "if you use this spell to create a disguise". Does it take as long as a normal disguise check to disguise yourself using the ability? Are you considered to be using a disguise if you're not trying to look like a particular individual? My intuition would be that it takes only a full-round action to adopt any appearance, and that you need make a disguise check only if you wish to mimic a specific individual, but that no check is necessary to adopt a persona of your own creation.

Do modifiers such as "different race", "different gender" etc. apply to Changelings?

Is the alteration of your voice assumed to be covered by the disguise check, or is there some other skill used required?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

[Lolzords]

I'd say this about the armour size: If a weedy halfling woman (example) is going to turn into a bigass muscley male ogre, then yes, I'd say that the armour is either going to be very very tight, or the ogre would burst straight out of it.

[kamikasei]

I'd say this about the armour size: If a weedy halfling woman (example) is going to turn into a bigass muscley male ogre, then yes, I'd say that the armour is either going to be very very tight, or the ogre would burst straight out of it.

Ah, but that's a change of two size categories. For a Changeling, it could only change height within a two-foot range, and from "thin" to "fat".

This still leaves a medium-sized Changeling able to take on the form of a stick-thin elf or a big, barrel-chested half-orc. My question is whether a single piece of nonmagical light armor will fit just as well across that entire range.

[Jasdoif]

My question is whether a single piece of nonmagical light armor will fit just as well across that entire range.

Yes. It's still the same size category. The only armor that needs to be specially fit to a user is full plate, which isn't light armor.

[kamikasei]

Yes. It's still the same size category. The only armor that needs to be specially fit to a user is full plate, which isn't light armor.

Right. That's what I figured; it doesn't make a huge amount of sense, but who wants to keep track of that, anyway?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Right. That's what I figured; it doesn't make a huge amount of sense, but who wants to keep track of that, anyway?

Even if it fits just well enough to continue offering protection, observers should notice that the fit isn't quite right. So don't ignore the fluff, at least.

[SMDVogrin]

Right. That's what I figured; it doesn't make a huge amount of sense, but who wants to keep track of that, anyway?

Throw in some fluff that the changeling has modified his armor with a bunch of extra adjustment straps, and call it a day...

[Nerd-o-rama]

Or buy Glamered armor. That way, you can disguise your clothes as well.

As for the rest of the questions:

The ability says it grants a bonus to disguise checks, "if you use this spell to create a disguise". Does it take as long as a normal disguise check to disguise yourself using the ability?

Technically? Yes. But as that's due to a rule of omission (the rules for the ability never say otherwise) I personally ignore it.

Are you considered to be using a disguise if you're not trying to look like a particular individual?

Not sure on this one. You might conceivably be made to make a Disguise check to pass yourself off as "not a changeling." This check will probably get a bonus over a standard disguise check.

Do modifiers such as "different race", "different gender" etc. apply to Changelings?

That's a definite yes. I believe there's a feat in Races of Eberron where one of it's effects is to eliminate the "different race" modifier.

Is the alteration of your voice assumed to be covered by the disguise check, or is there some other skill used required?

Last time I checked, this was part of Disguise.

[storybookknight]

Yeah, just because changelings change shape naturally doesn't mean that they don't also keep around disguise kits and stuff like that... occasionally they do need help in that respect.

[Shisumo]

Yeah, just because changelings change shape naturally doesn't mean that they don't also keep around disguise kits and stuff like that... occasionally they do need help in that respect.

At the same time, however, since the ability is usable at will, there's really no good reason not to let them take 20 on the Disguise check (assuming time permits, anyway).

[kamikasei]

Or buy Glamered armor. That way, you can disguise your clothes as well.

That's something I was wondering about, though as it's a first-level game it wasn't going to be relevant for a while. The description of glamered says that on command, the armor can take on the appearance of an ordinary set of clothes. Is it clarified elsewhere that the appearance is variable and can be decided when the command word is used?

And of course, that wouldn't effect other things being worn - cloaks, rings, weapons etc.

That's a definite yes. I believe there's a feat in Races of Eberron where one of it's effects is to eliminate the "different race" modifier.

Interesting. That's pretty odd, but I suppose a +10 covers a lot... I'll see what references I can find, but I'd be tempted to rule that the penalty for disguise as a different gender doesn't apply, at least. After all, Changelings are so good at that disguise that they can bear children. Still... I guess I'll be advising her to keep her disguise skill maxed out.

Oh! And here's a question: as a Changeling Beguiler, she has a supernatural ability that acts like the disguise self spell, and access to the spell itself to boot. If she uses her minor change shape, and then casts disguise self, does she get both +10 bonuses? Or is the only advantage there the option to disguise clothing as well?

At the same time, however, since the ability is usable at will, there's really no good reason not to let them take 20 on the Disguise check (assuming time permits, anyway).

I could think of a good reason. The disguise check is rolled secretly; the person attempting to disguise themselves doesn't know how good their disguise actually is. Taking 20 in that situation doesn't really make sense, because you could take long enough to be sure of rolling a 20, roll one, and then roll a 3 before the end.

[ImperiousLeader]

And here's a question: as a Changeling Beguiler, she has a supernatural ability that acts like the disguise self spell, and access to the spell itself to boot. If she uses her minor change shape, and then casts disguise self, does she get both +10 bonuses? Or is the only advantage there the option to disguise clothing as well?

I'd say yes, because using Disguise self to alter one's clothes should enhance your disguise. I think the rules cover you too, because while minor change shape references disguise self, it's a different ability, and both offer unnamed bonuses.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Oh! And here's a question: as a Changeling Beguiler, she has a supernatural ability that acts like the disguise self spell, and access to the spell itself to boot. If she uses her minor change shape, and then casts disguise self, does she get both +10 bonuses? Or is the only advantage there the option to disguise clothing as well?

No. They are both circumstance bonuses from the same type of circumstance and would, therefore, not stack.

[Scribbler]

No. They are both circumstance bonuses from the same type of circumstance and would, therefore, not stack.

While the minor shapechange ability references the spell for what it can do, I wouldn't call it the same source. It's a racial supernatural ability for one, and it also specifically says that it is an actual physical change, not an illusion like the spell.

And it's an unnamed bonus, although that works out about the same as a circumstance bonus in this case anyway, I suppose.