How would I do this weird thing?

[TremorFang]

Alright so here is the story as simply as I can explain it. I was told to prepare a character so I recently told my DM that I wanted to play as a rogue that specialized heavily in disguise. Fairly normal I know, but he suggested something odd but intriguing.

He said, "I think your character should cut the faces off of people, use them as masks and keep them for later."

Now, this was only a suggestion and it is more for flavor than anything. A weird suggestion at that, but it sounds pretty fun actually.

Here is my question. Our characters are starting out at level 3 and thus 3,000 gold. I need a way to store and maintain the faces that he has already collected so that they do not rot and decay. I mean, if a person were to walk up to you with a decayed face, I think most would notice.

Also if I am to play Guise the Face Stealer, do you guys think that there are any other things I need to consider for this. I assume I would still use the disguise check when wearing the "masks".

Thanks and have a great day. Sorry about the creepy subject matter.

 

[paradox42]

Without making any immediate mechanical suggestions, I have to say that my first thought is: this is a great excuse to make a new Rogue Archetype. Obvious name for this would be "Face Stealer." Since your GM suggested the original idea, he should be amenable to working one up; it'd be a cool addition to any world featuring creepy stuff (and besides- if you help make this now, he'll be able to use it for villains in the future- it'll be the gift that keeps on giving). Keep in mind, for creating this, that Druids get A Thousand Faces at level 13, and this new type of Rogue should certainly be able to accomplish something very much like that by the same level (whatever methods he actually uses to do it).

Preservation of the faces should be possible with the right alchemical mixture; in other words you'd effectively make an alchemical item specifically to store the cut-off faces or anything else organic and perishable. No existing alchemical item in Pathfinder does this, but I think there was one in 3.5 that did (I don't recall the name). And, face it: in our real world, we'd use a flask of formaldehyde, done and done- so it should actually be pretty easy to do by 3rd level.

I'd think a price of 50 gp would be reasonable for this, assuming a new item is necessary. If you want to closely duplicate real-world formaldehyde, stipulate in the description of the item that it only stops rot, and any food items preserved in it become inedible and poisonous. But that second effect might mean it should cost more than 50 gp, depending on the precise effects of the poison. This is something to work out as you create the precise game effects of the concoction.

 

[TremorFang]

I like the archetype idea. Any suggestions for the abilities?

I was thinking maybe something like.
Studied Victim (need a cooler name) - The face stealer may choose to study a person for 1 minute. If the face stealer uses the targeted persons face as a disguise later, people who know the target personally get their bonus against disguises but reduced by 2.

Now, I know the syntax is pretty bad but, basically it symbolizes the face stealer gathering information so that he can better act like the person whose face he or she is stealing.

Any better suggestions?

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Unguent of Timelessness seems prefectly suited to your needs:
Wondrous Items - Pathfinder_OGC

 

[paradox42]

Excellent point on Unguent of Timelessness- I completely forgot about that. It's relatively cheap, and each vial gives you 8 uses. It's perfect, even at 3rd level.

I like the archetype idea. Any suggestions for the abilities?

I was thinking maybe something like.
Studied Victim (need a cooler name) - The face stealer may choose to study a person for 1 minute. If the face stealer uses the targeted persons face as a disguise later, people who know the target personally get their bonus against disguises but reduced by 2.

Now, I know the syntax is pretty bad but, basically it symbolizes the face stealer gathering information so that he can better act like the person whose face he or she is stealing.

Any better suggestions?

Ability suggestions require nailing down exactly what else the Archetype does- and more importantly, what about the normal/standard Rogue does it not do? The only character I can think of, offhand, who is similar to this, is Darkman.

Perhaps, as a start, this Face Stealer gets Poison Use- one would think that exposure to all the weird chemicals necessary to preserve and use faces would give them something like that. This could replace Trapfinding, or perhaps something else. If you delay it to 3rd level, it could replace Trap Sense +1.

"Studied Victim" is, of course, the core of the Archetype, unless you want to specify that the character gets Steal Face as a special action? Perhaps like a coup de grace, or only useable on a dead target? Not sure which Rogue abilities either of these should replace. And actually, perhaps this is all one ability, since the "Studied Victim" you wrote refers to stolen faces directly.

As for wording, don't worry about the viewers' Perception bonuses (from familiarity or otherwise)- the same game effect would come from giving the Face Stealer a bonus on Disguise checks. Make it 1/2 levels (minimum +1)- that would bring it into line with Trapfinding as an ability. So from 1st-3rd level, the Face Stealer gets +1 bonus, at 4th and 5th it's +2, and so on. And actually, since this does mimic Trapfinding so closely, say Poison Use is delayed until 3rd, and this is at 1st (and replaces Trapfinding).

For a higher-level ability, I do think something like A Thousand Faces is a Good Idea, but I don't know what it should replace. Perhaps the bonus to Trap Sense given at 12th? In fact, if you're replacing the Rogue's anti-trap abilities with this Face Stealing stuff, it's probably best to just rip out the whole Trap Sense sequence and replace it at each of the appropriate levels with something cool in the Face Stealing "idiom."