The Adventurer’s New Clothes
Fooling the mundanes is always hilarious, but it’s the wise wizard who chooses his time and place. Take the expert dickery of Jim Darkmagic. Much like Wizard in today’s comic, he tricks an obnoxious character into believing he’s got magic powers, then watches him get stomped by the enemy. The all important difference is that Jeff the intern is just a peon. While there’s always a chance that DM Perkins will have him return one day as a villain, it’s even money that the poor schlubb is dead. Fighter, on the other hand, is a PC. If he survives he’s going to take revenge, and the dreaded PVP cycle will begin.
So here’s the deal. If you’re going to indulge in magical malfeasance, you’ll have to find ways to deflect retribution. No one wants to take a greatsword to the dome while they’re asleep, right? Right. So here’s some advice:
- Put ranks in Bluff. Learn phrases like, “The spell went haywire!” or “The sea serpents must have true seeing!”
- Take the silent spell and still spell feats. Together they form a single feat called “plausible deniability.”
- Remind your victim that he doesn’t have ranks in Spellcraft. He can’t prove diddly.
- Use bribery. You were going to take craft wondrous anyway, so crafting your way out of a drubbing is smart play.
- Just don’t do it, you impossibly smug wand fondling pointy eared prick.
THIS COMIC SUCKS! IT NEEDS MORE [INSERT OPINION HERE] Is your favorite class missing from the Handbook of Heroes? Maybe you want to see more dragonborn or aarakocra? Then check out the “Quest Giver” reward level over on the The Handbook of Heroes Patreon. You’ll become part of the monthly vote to see which elements get featured in the comic next!
Unfortunately Pathfinder has taken a “no fun allowed” approach with their official FAQ clarifications.
So a still, silent spell with no components whatsoever, puts off a magical light show, seen and spellcraft checked by all.
even charm person… 🙁
Well I was gonna make a homebrew call to allow it, but I’m getting pretty sick and tired of SKR swinging through my window on a rope and stopping me.
Cunning Caster (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/cunning-caster/)
Conceal Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/conceal-spell/)
Improved Conceal Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/improved-conceal-spell/)
Spellsong (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/spellsong/)
Also, SKR hasn’t been a part of Paizo for a while, long before this FAQ was made, and this FAQ prevents casters from being even MORE overpowered than they already are by limiting their ability to destroy social situations unchecked without significant investments in feats and skill checks.
You know, like how everyone else is required to invest heavily in feat trees and skill checks to wreck social situations. It’s a basic balance decision and it’s a perfectly acceptable addition to the game.
By the way, in case an onlooker is curious, here’s the FAQ in question: http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9tza
Good links dude!
As for SKR, of course Paizo disavows him. You can’t go swinging through people’s windows and tossing tear gas canisters without inviting lawsuits. It’s an Ethan Hunt sort of situation: “As always, should you be captured or killed, Paizo will disavow all knowledge of your actions.” Get woke, man!
“I’m invisible!” -Elan
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0025.html
The gamer’s new clothes, man. It’s a classic.
This is apparently a string of comics that is unusually relevant to my gaming history. Or I’m just talkative this morning.
So, remember my tale from a couple comics ago? The one with Galaxy-brain (who used a giant loincloth to disguise himself as a slave on an island with no slaves) and Gordian the warlock half of an ettin? When our group was playing through Rise of the Runelords, GB made* a dumb oread barbarian (intentionally), and after a near-TPK, Gordian made a Machiavellian tiefling alchemist. GB’s oread latched on to the party leader† until they fell out over some accidental friendly fire, at which point Gordian’s character made overtures of friendship to the oread.
Something that Gordian discussed with other players when GB wasn’t around was the spell Detonate (or something like it, I don’t remember the exact spell) and mixing an extract‡ of that with a buffing extract. Basically, in a pinch, Gordian’s character would give this extract to GB’s, tell him it would make him strong, and run the other way. The oread would rush into combat, and then explode a round later.
For better or for worse, Galaxy-brain dropped out of the game before Gordian got a chance to do that. But the lesson is clear; lead up to this tomfoolery with in-character trust, design it to serve a tactical purpose, and make sure most of the people at the table will be laughing with you before you start.
*After I took over as DM from Galaxy-brain. Let’s see if I ever get an excuse to talk about some of the fun (in retrospect) failures that lead to.
†In case this campaign comes up again, he was a fetchling hunter played by my dad, because my town doesn’t have that many gamers.
‡Basically a potion that works by Vancian magic rules instead of costing cash and XP.