Leaving a calling card...

[Eldritch_Ent]

In a game I'm joining up, I've decided to play a Bard who goes by "The Gold Jackal" or the like and leaves either tiny figurines, plaques or literal cards depicting said animal in an attempt to gain noteriety.

However, this creates two problems-

1- How do I go about making these things? I don't have space to invest skill points in "Craft: Tiny statue", and being a bard I don't have access to any "Fabrication" spells... (Edit: And leaving an illusion or summoned creature might be dangerous and dispellable.)

2- How do I get away with it without being tracked? Spells and most objects can be used to scry, and if I get an artisan to make them for me it might be traced back to him.

Sadly, this game is limited to core only, and I'm low on options. Maybe I can get a wand of "Fabricate" or the like to make them with...? I don't know. Any suggestions

[Skjaldbakka]

You don't have enough skill points as a bard?

You could use the pigments that make what you paint become real. That involves a craft check as well.

You could invest in a higher int, which would both help your craft skill and give you more skill points to spend on craft.

You could commision the cards, etc.

[Rogue 7]

I hardly imagine that Craft: Business Card would be that hard.

[Eldritch_Ent]

You don't have enough skill points as a bard?

One can NEVER have enough skill points as a Bard. Or Rogue.

But seriously, I can't spare any skill points- I get 9 per level, (14 int + human) and they're all going to maxing 9 specific skills and keeping them there... I might be able to get away with swapping my int and CHA, but as a bard that'd be... Risky.

[TheLogman]

I don't mean to be rude and cramp your role-playing style, and even though I respect your choice of a name, it may be a little difficult. Calling cards are usually bio-matter, for the reason that they are usually difficult to trace, and if they are scryed, the scryer just gets a bush, tree, or bird.

If you like the flavor of the Jackel, or just thing it's a cool name, here are a few suggestions:

-A gold piece, treated with a minor illusion to make it seem like instead of another national symbol, there is instead a smiling jackal. This has the bonus of the recipients thinking they see the jackal, but when someone else inspects it, the illusion has worn off, and the target feels paranoid and alone.

-If you want them to be actually jackal coins, this would be more difficult, but not impossible, gold has a fairly low melting point, just get a signet ring from someone you trust with your jackal on it, and emboss the coins with them.

-If you like the style, you could obtain some jackal fur, and either paint it gold, or melt down gold, and cover the fur. Cut it up into tiny pieces, and you have tiny swatches of gold fur that you can leave that are hard to scry (They would only get the jackal).

[Rockphed]

How long do the Prestidigitation creations last? Would they be scryable to you? How hard would it be to change playing cards into "Golden Jackal" cards with Prestidigitation?

[Eldritch_Ent]

Well, it doesn't HAVE to be a "Gold Jackal", any sort of "Adjective Organism" would work, like the "Jeweled Scarab", the "Painted Falcon", or the "Fabrage Paramecium".... Just any cool Semi-political "Internation spy" type pseudonym.

The problem with scrying is, so long as I've owned it, it will still give that -4 to my will save. (Though that's made up for by the +5 bonus from people only having "heard about him"), and if something has my name/mark on it, then that's pretty obviously "one of my possessions"... However, those are some pretty neat suggestions so far- I really value the input. Thank you very much!


Edit: Actually, the whole "Putting an illusion on a coin" idea is great, since the gold piece will have been owned by the victim, but is bad for the same reasons that just leaving an illusion would be bad. Unless I acquired some form of "Signet Ring of Heat Metal"... Actually, that would be kind of cool...

[Machete]

As long as this calling card isn't expensive, you should be able to make them fairly quickly even untrained. MW Artisan's tools might help too.

[Stormcrow]

Calling cards are a bad plan. They inspire people like Hercule Poirot to track you down and ensnare you. :P

Ever considered carving your symbol into something like Zoro (only less flashy) can't track that.

[Townopolis]

arrange the bodies

paint in blood

always kill every last squirrel/rat in the instance dungeon

remove a specific body part from every foe

ALWAYS torch the place before you leave

use social skills to leave anonymous rumors about your passing after the fact

^ some ideas for alternate "calling cards"

[Karma Guard]

Unless I acquired some form of "Signet Ring of Heat Metal"... Actually, that would be kind of cool...

Or you could just punch them in the head, leaving a (semi) permanent mark in their foreheads. Maybe of a skull.

[Destro_Yersul]

Do the signet ring. Get it in a jackal design, or whatever you like. Get a few sheets of parchment and some gold sealing wax. Roll up a blank piece of parchment all official like and seal it with the wax and ring. Instant calling card, and the most expensive thing on that list is the 5gp signet ring.

[SoD]

One possible possibility...give him one level in sorcerer or wizard to give him acess to 'Arcane Mark' 'inscribes a personal rune (visible or invisible)'. Or give him a wand of arcane mark.

[reorith]

you could use craft: origami. just write it in in one of the blank spots on your skill column. unless you roll a 2 or lower, your character will do fine.

1. get some paper
2. make it gold(paint, glamer, gold paper, etc)
3. beat a dc 5 craft check
4. ????
5. profit

[Flawless]

[...] "Gold Jackal" [...] "Jeweled Scarab" [...]

Secret of Evermore?

[Techonce]

Signet ring and candle wax or sealing wax.

Leave your mark on the door, forehead, etc.

Have a couple of specially made up "cards" to leave in special places when the wax isn't enough.

Even though adventurers don't use them, candles are probably a very common item found.

[spotmarkedx]

I think your best bet to avoid having the "object has been owned by the person" has pretty much been mentioned here. Leave your mark in or on one of the victim's possessions. Use the victim's candle for the wax to put your seal in. Use a small brand (magical, or use the victim's fireplace to heat it) to burn your mark into their wooden table. No magic left over, nor any of your possessions.

[Fishy]

Isn't the point of leaving a calling card "I did it, and I don't care that you know, because you'll never catch me!" If you're going to be afraid of Scrying...

[CaptainSam]

I once played a monk who had a signet ring with his Orders emblem on it. He used to leave calling cards all over the place. Mostly on foreheads.

If you're going to go down that route, why not get a cookie cutter type affair? you could use it on all sorts of surfaces, wood, paper, flesh. The possibilites are enldless!

[kamikasei]

Isn't the point of leaving a calling card "I did it, and I don't care that you know, because you'll never catch me!" If you're going to be afraid of Scrying...

In D&D, leaving a "calling card" that could be scryed is like in the real world leaving one with your address and social security number on it. There's a difference between "haha, it was me!" and "...and here's where to find and catch me!"

[Foxpaw]

You could get an Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location, or a wand of Nondetection and just keep casting it continually :P

[SpikeFightwicky]

Secret of Evermore?

Better an obscure source than not. Imagine if his bard was called the 'Night Fox' and his calling card was an ebony fox figurine. Only a level 20 Danny Ocean could stop him.

[Mewtarthio]

Four words: Wand of Arcane Mark. You could also get your DM to accept a homebrewed Signet Ring of Arcane Mark, but that takes up a ring slot. Maybe you could get him to let you use a stamp-shaped wand...

[The Mormegil]

Wand of Arcane Mark is your best bet. Definitely.

Now go and make the women cry for those pesky golden jackals on their precious floor...

[The_Werebear]

With some gold ink, you could just draw a simple, stylized drawing wherever you need one. It avoids the issue of owned property and can literally go just about everywhere (underwater and lava excepted)

[Mr. Friendly]

All things considered, I like the Arcane Mark idea the best.

In a slightly different direction than others have gone....

Have you talked to your DM about this? Would they let you custom design your own Bard spell(s)?

If so you could have a scaling series of "Calling Card I - VI" spells, each fundamentally does the same thing, each becoming fancier and fancier and having longer durations, with more protections against scrying and the like.

The Calling Card I could be say, a plain business card that disintegrates when someone tries to cast scry.

Calling Card VI could then be a life size statue of a golden jackel complete with a Magic Mouth and deliberately misleads people trying to scry you.

Thats my thought anyhow..

[cupkeyk]

It was inspired by an episode of batman the animated series, I buy masterwork caltrops the shape of an animal.

[Eldritch_Ent]

Secret of Evermore?

Great, now I'm going to have to use the "Mighty Mudpepper" as my pseudonym... Or perhaps "Metal Mosquito"...
Okay, I honestly wasn't thinking of SoE when I came up with the name, but I still stand by "The Jackal".

I think I'll go with a signet ring and make it myself- even if I have to take 20 for it. (It's what, half cost for making it myself times 20 for taking 20... So 50 gold? :P )

[Chronos]

One possible possibility...give him one level in sorcerer or wizard to give him acess to 'Arcane Mark' 'inscribes a personal rune (visible or invisible)'. Or give him a wand of arcane mark.

Even better, if you can pull it off, is to convince the DM to let you have Arcane Mark on your bard spell list. It's not like a cantrip is overpowered, and it'll add flavor to the game, so most DMs will go along.

There's a question... If Wizzy the Wizard makes a wand of Arcane Mark, and I use it, does it leave my personal mark, or Wizzy's?

[Eldritch_Ent]

There's a question... If Wizzy the Wizard makes a wand of Arcane Mark, and I use it, does it leave my personal mark, or Wizzy's?

I think it would leave whatever sort of Mark was "programmed" into it. IE the Wizard could program it with his mark, or with your mark if you comissioned it from him...