Disguise

Disguise

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Disguise allows a character to attempt to conceal their identity. Arelith has a robust system of disguise and counter-disguise to add depth to role play.

Disguise Command

-disguise (OR -dis) | Disguises character.

Your character attempts to conceal their identity. If you use -disguise, then whenever someone Inspects you, they will roll Spot and you'll roll the higher of your Bluff and Perform; if they roll lower then they won't get any details about you.

Being disguised means that your character is making an active effort to either appear inconspicuous, shroud their identity, or outright pretend to be somebody else. This effort must also come from the player and be reflected in the roleplay, for a character that acts, speaks and looks the same way as they do without the disguise will beckon for common sense. As always, excessive silliness will be culled with fire.

Inspecting (right click on character>Examine) is considered an act of passive observation, in contrast.

Disguise Masking generates a random username string to prevent username overlap.

A character may make use of the -disguise command, even if they haven't invested points in Bluff or Perform, but the disguise will be bland and likely to be pierced even by untrained characters. Skilled disguise artists have a chance of breaking exiles.

A character in disguise will have their name wrapped in quotes "SomeDisguiseNameHere", and your portrait will change to the generic hooded male/female.

Slaves in disguise will tag as (slave). If they reach a high Bluff or Perform score, they will appear with the normal disguise tag.

Descriptions may be saved and automatically switched when entering different disguises. Using Disguise under the same name as a saved description will automatically load that description. Going out of disguise will automatically reload the standard description (but just the same, it may be wise to save your normal description). Information about this is in the Description article.

Note: True Seeing doesn't pierce normal disguises, but it negates the extra +10 ranks that polymorphed characters get whilst disguised.

Note: Disguise persists across server transitions. Disguises last until the server is reset.

Disguise Race

-disguise_race (OR -disguise_r) allows you to disguise your race as a similar one when covered (Shield Dwarf -> Gold Dwarf, Drow -> Sun Elf, etc.), breaking the cover without breaking the disguise will not reveal your real race.

Requires 20 hard ranks invested into Bluff or Perform

Disguise Race Group

-disguise_race_group (OR -disguise_rg) allows you to disguise your race group (Moon Elf's group is Elf, as it is for Drow and Sun Elf, so forth) as any other race group for tracks.
This is done at a -25 to the normal DC's (10 minimum, so -15).

Note: Input another race's exact name, and it'll swap your tracks race to that of the disguise race. It only works for tracks and not for your character's disguise.

Disguise Matrix

How the varying levels of disguise and the information in the examine window interact.

Also see Fully_Covered#Disguise_Race for the -disguise_race options.

Examine	Cover Note	Stat block	Subrace	Character Name	Description
No disguise no cover	N/A	Visible	Visible	Name	Set with -description
Cover, no disguise	"This creature's body is fully covered, you can tell very little about it."	Invisibile	Parent	Name	Alternate -description +save_cover if setup
Break cover, no disguise	"This creature's body is fully covered, but you spotted some details despite it."	Visible	Visible	Name	Alternate -description +save_cover if setup
Disguise, no cover	N/A	Visible	Visible	"Disguise Name"	Alternate with -description +save [NAME OF DISGUISE] if setup
Break disguise, no cover	N/A	Visible	Visible	"Disguise Name" with note that uncovered disguise and Name	Alternate with -description +save [NAME OF DISGUISE] if setup
Cover and disguise	"This creature's body is fully covered, you can tell very little about it."	Invisibile	Parent	"Disguise Name"	Alternate -description +save_cover if setup
Break cover, not disguise	"This creature's body is fully covered, but you spotted some details despite it."	Visible	Visible (or -disguise_race subrace if setup)	"Disguise Name"	Alternate -description +save_cover if setup
Break cover and disguise	"This creature's body is fully covered, but you spotted some details despite it."	Visible	Visible	"Disguise Name" with note that uncovered disguise and Name	Alternate -description +save_cover if setup

Disguise Check Equalization

Disguise Checks now use an equalization formula to allow lower level characters who have invested in disguise to defend against spot checks of higher level characters. What this means...

• Characters who are lower than level 30 will receive invisible bonuses to bring them in line with level 30s for opposed Disguise checks (Spot and Bluff/Perform respectively). This only functions for the disguise checking mechanic on examine and nothing else.
• The invisible bonus gained is based on the character's RANK INVESTMENT in these skills (meaning a mechanical investment is actually required to receive the bonus).
• You won't receive the benefits of feats you don't have, such as Epic Skill Focus.

The detailed equation is as follows:
[hard ranks] / [possible max ranks per level (or level+3)] * [level difference between now and 30]

Rules and Boundaries

See Rules#Disguises.

While the Disguise feature may be used for many things, there are some limitations as to what should or shouldn't be done with it.

As said above, -disguise exists for disguising purposes. If your character is not, in any way, trying to disguise, then you should not use -disguise. Some fleeting creativity is okay, but otherwise try to keep those things to a minimum.

Good forms of Disguise

• Invented Personas - fictional identities that your character can take to shroud his real identity.
• Other Characters - disguise pretending to be an existing character, either NPC or PC.

Use Sparingly

• Generic Disguises - Using names like [Shrouded Rogue] or [Elven Assassin] instead of defined identities. These are fine for one-shot disguises or brief encounters. Consider changing to an actual identity if you find yourself using these tags repeatedly, as the people that you interact with would start to notice that the character is, in fact, the same person.
• Breaking WYSIWYG - If you emote having the fanciest ball dress while your character is actually wearing rags, don't expect the people to go along with it. The same if you perform a cross-race disguise; you can do it, but don't expect it to hold. Some players may let you go along with your disguise, while others will call you out, even without making the spot check. In these cases, the spotter is in their right to dictate what they actually see.

Forbidden

• Any situation where your character is not attempting to actually disguise.
• Nicknames - 'John "Fury" Doe', "Big Mama"
• Titles - 'Commander Richard', 'High Minister Crassius Vinegar'
• Added Descriptions - 'Tarina Tal (Bloody)'

On Polymorph

When a character is polymorphed, they receive a bonus +10 to their disguise strength. Having True Seeing active will negate the extra +10.

If a character fails to break the disguise, they are for all purposes and intents a creature belonging to that race, but if they do manage, then they may become suspicious about said creature. This does not mean that they get to see through the disguise and tell who the character is, but they may find small flaws or oddities that may lead a character to believe that something is off with said polymorphed creatures. Particularly perceptive characters may go as far as to call out the creature as being, in fact, polymorphed, but consider that it is always good form to stack the perception against you, specially if the RP going on is well worked or simply good.

Disguise roleplay notes

When it forces the character to see something that is not mechanically there

Mithreas:

"I spoke to a kobold who was wandering the surface RPing being disguised as a Dwarf. Now, he was RPing it just fine, and I didn't have issues with his approach. But his character still looked like a kobold... and anyone who saw him from a distance or from stealth (or before he pressed his quick-slotted emote) would just see a kobold.

To me, this is a great example of RPing beyond what the mechanics of the server allow. -disguise doesn't allow you to change your racial appearance (a half orc is still obviously a half orc, a kobold is still a kobold) and thus if you RP your character as resembling another race, you're now in the territory of 'can only be done with the consent of other players' - i.e. they are freely allowed to ignore your claims to look like something that you plainly don't resemble mechanically.

Or the simple version: No using -disguise to resemble a different race except for the subrace -disguise_race mechanic that is now available. -disguise means that people should ignore the floaty name over your head, but does NOT let you ignore what your avatar physically looks like.

And before you ask, yes, -disguise may be extended in future. But until that time, the above holds."

..."the decision is what it is because of the need to preserve the overall RP environment of the server."

Recognizing disguise Situation 1

Mithreas:

"Person A is wanted in town X.

Person A is in town X and is recognized by person B. Person B points out that person A is, in fact, despite appearances, person A. Guards must choose whether to believe person B or not.

i.e. if your source is good, you can trust them. NPCs will by default continue not to respond. (I'm looking forward to someone accusing some random bystander of being Krad in disguise)."

Situation 2

Person A spends 90% of his/her time in disguise. Person B has recognized them a few times, and sees them yet again, but this time rolls poorly. A is wearing the same clothing A always wears.

Mithreas:

"If A is using the same disguise as always, B can recognize the disguise. If you have enough information without the floaty name to conclusively recognize someone, then you have enough information. A good RPer will occasionally mistake A in disguise for someone other than A who wears similar clothing, if applicable.

In all cases, we have logs that will be used as the ultimate arbiter, if people are playing silly buggers (on either side). Good advice to all players is to try and bias yourself AGAINST your own character in cases like these."

Mimicry

Through the -mimic command, characters may attempt to replace the stats that are usually shown when examined with a fake result. This is specially useful to lead people off from your real orientation and actual abilities - so for instance a rogue may appear as strong, hale and hearty as a barbarian, or a wizard as charming as a sorcerer.

A character can disguise one of their four exposed attributes (Strength, dexterity, constitution, charisma) for every hard 7 ranks in either Perform or Bluff, using whichever is higher as the strength of their mimicry. The two can be combined to get access to the 4 mimicries as soon as level 11 in a bard.

When other character examines, they will roll the stronger of their Search or Spot against the mimicry to get through it. These rolls are completely silent and not reported. If the roll is failed, The perception rolls last for as long as an hour, before they can be rolled again examining.