Pathfinder 1E Implausible Vigilante Disguises

[Fauchard1520]

I don't know how many blue tieflings there are running around Korvosa. All I know is that one of them is in my game, and the dude is a vigilante. Seems to me that a vibrant azure hue is a pretty strong hint towards the ol' secret identity.

How do you justify this mess? Is it really just "suspend your disbelief" a la Clark Kent's glasses? And don't even get me started on non-humanoid vigilantes. If an awakened cat puts on the cape, how can we reasonably expect NPCs to carry on in ignorance? It's great as farce, but what about when you want to play it straight? Any helpful approaches to plausibility here?

(Comic for illustrative purposes.)

 

[Gilladian]

Hats of disguise.

 

[Fauchard1520]

Hats of disguise.

But that's the thing: The Dual Identity Ability specifically calls this mess out.

"The change is as much a state of mind as of body, so items such as a hat of disguise and similar spells and effects that change the user’s appearance do not reduce the time required to change identities."

I'm just having trouble conceptualizing how that's enough to make a rare and exceptional creature suddenly unrecognizable.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Quoting an old Phil Foglio strip, “Special shoes!”

I have an idea for a PC that would run into similar difficulties, what with him being a 2-headed wolflike humanoid. A hooded cloak would help, but…

Blue skin? Long sleeves and pants legs help. Maybe body paint would fool some into thinkin ALL of the unusual skin tones were applied. A gaiter, mask or helm on the head would also help.

 

[billd91]

It's a bit like keeping your cake and eating it. The player wants to have their character be DISTINCTIVE^TM but then be anonymous at the same time. My recommendation is to tell them that their distinctiveness as a blue tiefling kind of mandates their other ID obscure that as much as they can - like the Crimson Hood!

 

[Fauchard1520]

It's a bit like keeping your cake and eating it. The player wants to have their character be DISTINCTIVE^TM but then be anonymous at the same time. My recommendation is to tell them that their distinctiveness as a blue tiefling kind of mandates their other ID obscure that as much as they can - like the Crimson Hood!

I guess the tail would make a plausible "belt." Sort of Goku style....

 

[MattW]

Special armour (and keeping your mouth shut)

We only know that "Iron Man is Tony Stark" because Tony Stark is indiscreet.

 

[wellis]

Is it really just "suspend your disbelief" a la Clark Kent's glasses?

Doesn't Superman vibrate during photos of him so no one can see his facial features clearly?

 

[prabe]

Play the long game. Make it so that being a blue tiefling is cool, then when people start deploying makeup and/or spells to make themselves look like you ...