Rakshasas hiding in Arcanix

[Kestrel]

So, I need some ideas on how a pair of Rakshasas (Rakshasi?) could pose as professors in Arcanix. I put in rules because it mainly deals with how they could stay hidden when True Seeing can see through thier Change Shape ability.

So far, all I could come up with is that they use mundane disguises in addition to thier Change Shape. Maxing thier skill, I came up +19, not including thier Change Shape. Just seems odd to me that they could mundanely hide thier tiger features and backward hands.

Any ideas?

 

[Shayuri]

Bear in mind too that True Sight is pretty high level for wizards, and that high level NPC's in Eberron are uncommon. I'd think their immediate concerns would be more along the lines of scry attempts at awkward moments from mischevous students or prying staff, or various detection spells which might be cast out of petty malice or curiosity by lower level wizards.

Particularly awkward spells might include Protection from Evil inexplicably working on them, or getting caught in a carelessly cast Dismissal or Banishing.

And Traveller forbid they stray into an antimagic zone.

 

[Kestrel]

Hmmm...even more complications. Would like to stick with the idea, but not sure how its going to work.

I read some more...they are Outsiders (Native), so the Protection from Evil wouldn't affect them any differently than any evil person (which I assume that Arcanix has a few). Dismissal and Banishment wouldn't work because they aren't extraplanar. They would definitely be screwed by a Anti-Magic Zone though.

 

[Rackhir]

What's Arcanix and how is True Seeing so readily available? Are there other shape shifting races like Shifter's in Eberron? Perhaps they could pretend to be one of them.

True Seeing is specifically designed to penetrate the disguises of creatures like Rakshasa though, so I'd hesistate before giving them a simple way around it. The limitations on it are that it's a high level spell, has a minutes/lvl duration and a 250 gp cost per casting. So it's not something that should be getting tossed around casually or running 24/7.

If it is, then you've got an extremely high magic enviroment, most likely with numerous epic level casters. So it would not be out of line to permit an epic level spell to defeat it. Perhaps it actually transforms them into something else so that the new shape is their "true form"

 

[Kestrel]

Arcanix is the home of a floating magical college in Eberron. My game has been treating it a lot like Hogwart's.

Being a center of magical knowledge, I figured that there would be a few wizards that were high enough level to cast the spell and was trying to figure a way around it.

But as you say, I might be making a mountain out of a molehill. There's relatively few 11th level casters in the world and I would guess the Rakshasas would know to avoid them.

 

[IcyCool]

But as you say, I might be making a mountain out of a molehill. There's relatively few 11th level casters in the world and I would guess the Rakshasas would know to avoid them.

That, or they killed them, shapeshifted to look like them, and replaced them at the academy.

 

[Rackhir]

Arcanix is the home of a floating magical college in Eberron. My game has been treating it a lot like Hogwart's.

Being a center of magical knowledge, I figured that there would be a few wizards that were high enough level to cast the spell and was trying to figure a way around it.

But as you say, I might be making a mountain out of a molehill. There's relatively few 11th level casters in the world and I would guess the Rakshasas would know to avoid them.

Well, given the limitations on the spell as I listed above, it's not the kind of thing that would be cast casually. It's something you only use if you have a reason to.

250 gold might not be a lot of money for an 11th lv caster, but if you're casting it 1/wk that's a thousand a month. Which adds up after a while. It also only lasts 11 min. That kind of duration means unless the Rakshasa are right in the area when it's cast they are unlikely to wander in front of it. So the Rakshasa's would just have to work to make sure there wasn't a reason to cast it when they were around or to quickly make excuses and leave if it is. "Hey where did Prof Clark go? He's always disapearing."

Or as mentioned they could kill and replace one or more of the people capable of casting the spell.

 

[Kestrel]

While I love the idea of them replacing the casters that could detect them, they already have specific identities they are playacting. (Reminds me of FaceDancers in Dune)

Thanks for the input...I guess I was really wanting a sanity check before continuing to design the plot background.

 

[shilsen]

Check out the Mask of the Misplaced Aura in the "Sharn: City of Towers" book. It's specifically designed to deal with this kind of problem (deals with True Seeing too), and the item description references the Lords of Dust as ones who may use these.

 

[Kestrel]

Thanks for the suggestion! (Runs off to read the item in Sharn book)