Optimizing a non-optimezed character

[quaestiuncula]

Hello everyone,

I'm new her, I've picked this forum in the hope that my fellow players don't read this. So if you are Dutch and the next three sentences sound oddly familiar, please don't continue reading.

Currently I am playing a level 8 paladin. She's focussed on ranged fighting and nearly useless in combat. The only thing she does is be the meat shield because of above average hitpoints, play cleric and utterly refuse to kill the evil cultists and werewolves once they've fallen. We're playing D&D 3.5.

I want to replace her with an imposter. I have build a changeling-factotum 5-chameleon 3, who might work for at least a session or two. But I want to try to fool the rest of the players a little longer, both in and out of character. So I need your help. What are things I need to think of?

Stats: str 10, dex 14, con 12, int 18, wis 12, cha 14

Bluff is at least 15 and max 22 (11 ranks, 2 cha, 2 racial, 2 item 3/day, 5 if I spend an inspiration point) A least one other player has maxed his sense motive, so any ideas on how to improve this?

Disguise is 35, or 37 to act in character (11 ranks, 2 synergy to act IC, 2 disguise kit, 10 ring (or hat) of disguise, 10 racial) I've also got the skill tricks Assume quirk which ignores the bonus friends get for seeing through an impersonation, at least for 1 hour a day and Second Impression, which lets me rol a bluff check after a failed disguise to re-establish the disguise.

Feats: I am not happy about my feats. I have to take able learner at level 1, to qualify for the chameleon prestige class. So I have three feats left, one of which I can change every day. So far I like Jack of all trades, font of inspiration (if allowed by the DM) and persuasive. Taking point blank short and precize shot might be a good idea as well. Or combat expertise and improved feint.

What I don't have is an aura of good, detect evil at will, an aura of courage, divine health, remove disease once a week, and decent saves. Any ideas on how to fake these? I've got a potion of remove disease, a cloak of resistance and detect evil once a day.

I'm not sure about which rules to apply for using scrolls and wands. A chameleon can cast divine or arcane spells, if he decided to choose an arcane or divine focus for the day. I will not choose one of these as long as I pretend to be a paladin. I think I can still use lower level divine and arcance wands without making a use magic device check, but I am not completely sure about this. I do need to use a wand of Magic Aura to change the magic aura's of my ring of disguise and some other items. You can't have a paladin walking around with an illusion aura around her.

Last but not least, I want to play her a little longer than two sessions. So she still needs to be useful after they've found out she's an imposter. Any ideas about that? I didn't put much thought into this yet. I think I'll start by ditching the full plate and greatsword, get a light armor, a rapier, gloves of dex and weapon finesse.

I am allowed to use pretty much all rulebooks, as long as it's not overpowered or too odd.

Thanks in advance for any input

 

[Hassassin]

What I don't have is an aura of good, detect evil at will, an aura of courage, divine health, remove disease once a week, and decent saves. Any ideas on how to fake these? I've got a potion of remove disease, a cloak of resistance and detect evil once a day.

Aura of courage is the main problem, since that is something the other characters ought to feel even outside combat. I can't think of anything to reproduce or mask the effect on a permanent basis, so the only chance would be to never be within 10' of anyone. Maybe you should talk to the DM about how to play out the chance of the others noticing it?

I do need to use a wand of Magic Aura to change the magic aura's of my ring of disguise and some other items. You can't have a paladin walking around with an illusion aura around her.

That's not really a problem. If anyone asks say you have a potion of hide from undead, a scroll of silence or whatever seems to fit. They're not likely to think much about it. Better yet, have N and say you have N+1, so you have something to show.

Edit: BTW, a cool solution to all your problems would be to claim you've angered your deity and lost all paladin abilities. If you can come up with a good rationale (and have the DM "tell" you about it, of course), the others may be sympathetic enough to overlook any other oddities.

 

[quaestiuncula]

I really like your solution of angering my deity. It would be a lot of fun to play that out. However, my DM's bluff check isn't high enough for that and it would make the others more suspiciouso of me, I think. I've said for months that I wanted to play a blackguard, so if there'sa big change, they will remember that. Especially since I played my paladin quite convincingly at the same time, so it's weird if she does something bad.

For aura of courage: I didn't realize it could be felt continously. There is another paladin in the group, so I think I can use him to mask it.

Thanks for the idea about the scroll of silence. I didn't think about illusions and glamers a paladin could use. I am definitely going to use that.

 

[nijineko]

there is a crossbow (deathwand crossbow, iirc), and maybe a bracer which allows you to put a wand in there and use it whenever. use a cure light wand and bluff the usual laying on of hands. bracer would work better obviously, unless in combat.

a heroism spell or scroll might pull off the "aura of courage" bit... trying to think of something similar. anything that protects from fear should do the trick.

intimidate checks might be bluffed as an aura of good if you only intimidate bad guys. a bit of illusionary glow and echo effect to your voice.... there is a feat that allows you to bluff everyone within a certain range of you, too.

ideally, you want to have dual focus on the chameleon side, so that you can pull both divine and combat focus simultaneously.

a fun trick to pull is to get offended at some of the less ethical and moral shenanigans of the party, and "refuse to use" your abilities to benefit the party until they show sufficient repentance.... that'll get you out of having to duplicate the effects, for a while anyway.

 

[Dandu]

Commit a morally dubious act in front of your party so they will think that you have lost your Paladin powers until you Atone.

 

[Hassassin]

I really like your solution of angering my deity. It would be a lot of fun to play that out. However, my DM's bluff check isn't high enough for that and it would make the others more suspiciouso of me, I think. I've said for months that I wanted to play a blackguard, so if there'sa big change, they will remember that. Especially since I played my paladin quite convincingly at the same time, so it's weird if she does something bad.

How would they react if they thought you are trying to become a blackguard? That would pretty much guarantee they don't notice the changeling, but isn't very useful if the other paladin will throw you out.

For aura of courage: I didn't realize it could be felt continously. There is another paladin in the group, so I think I can use him to mask it.

That could work. Stay either next to the other paladin or >10' from everyone.

 

[quaestiuncula]

How would they react if they thought you are trying to become a blackguard?

The DM has explicitly forbidden me to become a blackguard. He has enough problems managing two paladins. At least they are predictable. Well, sort of...

Commit a morally dubious act in front of your party so they will think that you have lost your Paladin powers until you Atone.

Morally dubious act has been committed. Confusion spells are great. It's not enough to need atonement, but she's going to seek repentence anyway. The changeling can then bluff that her god asked her to not use some powers for some time to strengthen her willpower.

[MENTION=52240]nijineko[/MENTION]
A factotum can mimic lay on hands. I was thinking about a wand of detect evil or a wand of hast to fake rapid shot though. If you can remember the name of the bracers, that would be nice. So far I've only found the casting gloves, but those are way too expensive.

 

[nijineko]

bracers of wands run 60,000gp, dragon 291.

you already found mic item.

deathwand crossbow is in a&eg, iirc. somewhat cheaper. 10,355gp. you are considered to be wielding the crossbow or either wand it stores in it's stock. just make the command word something the paladin would say... like "in" or "by" or "the" or "name" or "power" or "of"... ^^ that should cover you for loud proclamations. but you have to be 'wielding' the crossbow for it to work.

there is a rod of many wands from comp mage, but it drains charges fast.

there is a purely mundane wand bracer too, but it just shoots the wand into your hand, which is not the same effect.

 

[Dandu]

Morally dubious act has been committed. Confusion spells are great. It's not enough to need atonement

The question is, do the others know that?