Dual Identity Feels Like Baggage


Ultimate Intrigue Playtest General Discussion

351 to 400 of 438 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | next > last >>
Grand Lodge

Michael Westen and Sam Axe are definitely cool Vigilantes.

I would like to see more social talents available whilst in the Social Identity.

It just fits.

The Social Identity shouldn't be just a straight power down, but an adjustment of abilities to empower the Social Identity.

Perhaps some talents, that are only function whilst in the Social Identity.


Where the Fiona love? She's as good as Sam.

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Manwolf wrote:
Where the Fiona love? She's as good as Sam.

I suppose. Of course, you would have to include Jesse Porter as well then.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I thought (showing my age here) you were talking about the Fiona from Shrek for a second there. Which gave me an idea for a whole other vigilante flavor—the "accursed".


I didn't read all the message, I just say 1 thing: 5 minutes to change identity are too much! In every fiction scene (Zorro, Batman, Superman, the Princess Birde) it takes only the equivalent of one or two rounds to change identity - often just wearing a mask on your face. When the criminals attack the princess during the ball, I have the need to disappear and be replaced by my alter-ego, am I not?

(please forgive my english - I'm Italian)


4 people marked this as a favorite.

What if talents granted you two bonuses, one useable in your social aspect, the other in your combat aspect?


5 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

WHERE IS CARMEN SANDIEGO? MY SCRY DOESN'T WORK ON HER!


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
LazarX wrote:

Personally I think the problem is that the costumed superhero gig is an extremely poor fit in Pathfinder in general. (Although to be fair, Galt has had at least one costumed hero in the guise of the Red Raven, or quite likely a succession of heroes playing the same role.)

Don't forget about Blackjack from Korvosa.

pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Blackjack (Couldn't get the link to work)

There is certainly a difference between superheroes and *masked* heroes. I think the Vigilante is more of the latter. Although, contrary to some assumptions, nothing says he has to be masked.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kelvar Silvermace wrote:
LazarX wrote:

Personally I think the problem is that the costumed superhero gig is an extremely poor fit in Pathfinder in general. (Although to be fair, Galt has had at least one costumed hero in the guise of the Red Raven, or quite likely a succession of heroes playing the same role.)

Don't forget about Blackjack from Korvosa.

pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Blackjack (Couldn't get the link to work)

There is certainly a difference between superheroes and *masked* heroes. I think the Vigilante is more of the latter. Although, contrary to some assumptions, nothing says he has to be masked.

It's true. People keep using Batman/Bruce Wayne as the go to example, and I play along because it's an easy reference. However for ME, the class is 100% more Zorro and/or Scarlet Pimpernel.

THOSE characters can fit pretty easy in a pathfinder world where things like Batman and Spider-man require a little more mental juggling.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

The dual identity thing just doesn't make sense in a D&D game. He is still travelling with the same group, how does the DM make this work without making everyone an idiot.

For example, I'll set this in a non D&D game to make a point.

The president is captured by the Joker. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman bust into the warehouse fighting off a dozen henchman, save the president only moments before the Joker's deathtrap kills him. Safe from danger, the president warns the heroes. "Quick, I need you to take my to Congress immediately. The joker used a truth serum on me and got a launch code for a nuclear missile. Only congress can be convinced to change the launch code. They'll never believe what he is capable of without your help, as I can not speak to them directly since I'm still under the effect of the Joker's Serum."

The heroes quickly fly to DC and Batman slips away into a nearby bathroom for 5 minutes. Superman, Wonder Woman, and the billionaire Bruce Wayne step before congress and use Bruce's social skills to win over congress. Luckily no one asked why Superman and Wonder Woman gave such information to the billionaire before then, and the President never questioned why Batman refused to go to Congress.

Association will give away the identity every time. It makes no sense unless players sit out during certain situations.

Contributor

DM_Kumo Gekkou wrote:
The dual identity thing just doesn't make sense in a D&D game. He is still travelling with the same group, how does the DM make this work without making everyone an idiot.

Well, for starters the only penalty that a vigilante takes for someone knowing his Vigilante Identity is that said character can officially scry upon the vigilante regardless of which identity he's in. This means that the Martian Manhunter, who's chilling in the Justice League HQ, can scry on Batman no matter where he is or what he's doing, because he knows Batman is Bruce Wayne. (Hypothetical, of course.)

In any case, there's no penalty to the Vigilante if someone in the party knows his secret. Its sort of a moot point to be saying that its party baggage as a result.


But any spellcaster could sit out the whole combat and not be able to react too because he either

a. wasted all his spells.
b. has no spells appropriate for the situation.
or c. feels there is no need to participate because the fight is going so quick anyway.

The warrior who didnt pick up a ranged weapon might have to sit out of a combat involving flying creatures.

the bomb alchemist may have used all his bombs and has no other means of attacking.

the monk used all his ki points and now is useless without them.

All of these examples and more are made by a players choice, effectively not allowing him to use half his class abilities. This is no different then choosing to be in Social mode and being ambushed. It was a choice and an accepted risk. the great thing about the vigilante is that he only requires 5 min to change back, whereas the rest need a full nights rest to gain back their resources, and they could be stuck without them for a few more encounters.

and yes as someone said most encounters only last at most 1 min, thats 10 rounds and thats only if the monster is extremely tough or your lacking resources. Most encounters dont last more than 3 rounds. and as soon as they are done unless the AP or the GM setup multi encounters 1 right after the other then sitting out 1 encounter really shouldnt matter.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Alric Rahl wrote:

But any spellcaster could sit out the whole combat and not be able to react too because he either

a. wasted all his spells.
b. has no spells appropriate for the situation.
or c. feels there is no need to participate because the fight is going so quick anyway.

The warrior who didnt pick up a ranged weapon might have to sit out of a combat involving flying creatures.

the bomb alchemist may have used all his bombs and has no other means of attacking.

the monk used all his ki points and now is useless without them.

All of these examples and more are made by a players choice, effectively not allowing him to use half his class abilities. This is no different then choosing to be in Social mode and being ambushed. It was a choice and an accepted risk. the great thing about the vigilante is that he only requires 5 min to change back, whereas the rest need a full nights rest to gain back their resources, and they could be stuck without them for a few more encounters.

and yes as someone said most encounters only last at most 1 min, thats 10 rounds and thats only if the monster is extremely tough or your lacking resources. Most encounters dont last more than 3 rounds. and as soon as they are done unless the AP or the GM setup multi encounters 1 right after the other then sitting out 1 encounter really shouldnt matter.

Past extremely low levels i.e. 1 perhaps even 2 most of your suppositions are ludicrous unless varying in large amounts from the stated game assumptions.

Casters will not fall prey to these situations because:

a.) Money/preparation means never being out of spells.

b.) If you are a caster you should always have appropriate spells unless you have very very low system mastery.

c.) This could be true, however that means that you could most likely have solved this by using hirelings so why is your party here again?

d.) Warrior without flight/ranged weapon is yet again an example of bad system mastery not bad game design.

e.) Alchemists + Bombs: See A, B, D, and also Thrown splash weapons.

F.) I assume you mean new monk here, and this is another example of bad game design. I.E. the Ki pool is tiny and demand is large.

Being in social mode means you are either locking out your ability to play one half of the game or you are forcing others to play your game, or you get a special one person party adventure while people have to twiddle their thumbs.

This is all bad and creates a bad environment. That means it is bad design.

Saying "It's ok my group will just all play vigilantes/ conform to the social/vigilante switch/ go play XBOX." is the same as saying, "Who cares if this car does not have windows or AC, I live in perfect weather all the time, snow/110 degree weather may exist but who cares!" The game should cater to as broad an audience as possible. Deliberately making something weaker/less usable/more difficult/more annoying is not good design. Remember Grod's law.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Couldn't the dual identity stuff just be an unchained skill unlock for the disguise skill?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I don't see why the dislike over the dual identity. It's kind of the whole point of said class. Or that's how I see it.


Hiro Animation wrote:
I don't see why the dislike over the dual identity. It's kind of the whole point of said class. Or that's how I see it.

Because it is totally unworkable in actual play. Very few people have issues with the concept, but the execution purely sucks.


Hiro Animation wrote:
I don't see why the dislike over the dual identity. It's kind of the whole point of said class. Or that's how I see it.

You kind of answered your own question there.

Dual Identity is the whole point of the class.

Dual Identity is largely nonfunctional.

Dual Identity is disliked.


Hiro Animation wrote:
I don't see why the dislike over the dual identity. It's kind of the whole point of said class. Or that's how I see it.

"I get these cool new powers like mystic bolt! too bad i can't use them with Dual Identity and by the time i get out of it the fight is over so I never use it..."

Something like that. replace with all my "combat feats" turn off, "Special abilities" or "spells" and you've covered the whole class.


Hiro Animation wrote:
I don't see why the dislike over the dual identity. It's kind of the whole point of said class. Or that's how I see it.

Yes, the concept is one person with two sets of skills separated into two different identities.

The implementation is one identity is a PC class and the other is an NPC class that falls somewhere between commoner and the rest of the NPC classes.

If your other identity was a full PC class the 5 minute change time would be a bargain. I mean swapping between Paladin and Vigilante would be well worth 5 minutes of time.

As for it being awkward in parites with non-Vigilantes, try imagining the power rangers where only one of the rangers changes into his civilian identity and the rest just go around in thier ranger identities all the time.


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

you can tell an opinion isn't liked when 4 people quote it in a row.


lol ^^^ comment of this whole board...


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Bandw2 wrote:
you can tell an opinion isn't liked when 4 people quote it in a row.

If you'd have quoted it to make that comment, it would have been 5. Opportunity missed. ;)


Vigilante can be more than just batman.

Most obvious is Zorro, which fits the world perfectly
Dread pirate roberts is another one.

League of extraordinary gentlemen. ALthough Jekyll and hide is only one really with an alter ego.

Now at really high level you get Game of Thrones like transformation ability, or at least really damn close. That whole religion that aria joins is all about being vigilantes. Changing shape and assassinating villains then returning to a humble life of a priest.

So I can see vigilantes working quite well in pathfinder. Just have to look beyond the standard super heroes. Although i've seen great art of batman in the middle ages as a knight and even a steampunk version. So if you can imagine it you can do it.


...Dread Pirate Roberts? Really? I must have missed that scene where he disguised himself as Wesley to win over the soldiers.

Wesley isn't Roberts's alter ego. Wesley is Roberts*. He's an ordinary, "mild-mannered" farmboy only at the start of the movie. Then he becomes a pirate. They aren't alter egos—if anything, they're just character evolution.

That said, I do think the comparisons to Batman are making people focus way too much on the "superhero" side of things. But that's probably just because of the very concept of the secret identity.

*I know, I know, but you know what I mean.


I just suddenly remembered something for the Warlock...

Lalouch from Code Geass....


Kobold Cleaver wrote:

...Dread Pirate Roberts? Really? I must have missed that scene where he disguised himself as Wesley to win over the soldiers.

Wesley isn't Roberts's alter ego. Wesley is Roberts*. He's an ordinary, "mild-mannered" farmboy only at the start of the movie. Then he becomes a pirate. They aren't alter egos—if anything, they're just character evolution

Well, Humperdink never knew he was ACTUALLY* the Dread Pirate Roberts. The closest he got to 'that' secret was when Buttercup told him he was a 'sailor' on the ship Revenge...

There's a difference between 'pirate' and 'most feared/wanted pirate anywhere!!!'

Soooooo a weak Dual identity, but something....


PIXIE DUST wrote:

I just suddenly remembered something for the Warlock...

Lalouch from Code Geass....

Lelouch could use his geass with or without his Zero costume. Indeed, it was in costume that he couldn't be identified or tracked easily, so it's almost as though Zero was his social identity...


It's a good think Humperdink didn't know Wesley's true identity. He mighta tortured 'im or something.


Scythia wrote:
PIXIE DUST wrote:

I just suddenly remembered something for the Warlock...

Lalouch from Code Geass....

Lelouch could use his geass with or without his Zero costume. Indeed, it was in costume that he couldn't be identified or tracked easily, so it's almost as though Zero was his social identity...

Well, to be fair, if that's the case his costume did hamper his ability to use his Geass, if only slightly. =)


Rynjin wrote:
Scythia wrote:
PIXIE DUST wrote:

I just suddenly remembered something for the Warlock...

Lalouch from Code Geass....

Lelouch could use his geass with or without his Zero costume. Indeed, it was in costume that he couldn't be identified or tracked easily, so it's almost as though Zero was his social identity...
Well, to be fair, if that's the case his costume did hamper his ability to use his Geass, if only slightly. =)

It all makes sense. :P


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
phantom1592 wrote:
Kobold Cleaver wrote:

...Dread Pirate Roberts? Really? I must have missed that scene where he disguised himself as Wesley to win over the soldiers.

Wesley isn't Roberts's alter ego. Wesley is Roberts*. He's an ordinary, "mild-mannered" farmboy only at the start of the movie. Then he becomes a pirate. They aren't alter egos—if anything, they're just character evolution

Well, Humperdink never knew he was ACTUALLY* the Dread Pirate Roberts. The closest he got to 'that' secret was when Buttercup told him he was a 'sailor' on the ship Revenge...

There's a difference between 'pirate' and 'most feared/wanted pirate anywhere!!!'

Soooooo a weak Dual identity, but something....

Not weak at all! Even though multiple people played the role of DPR over the years, whenever someone bothered to scry the dastardly pirate, they always got the same DPR. ;P

Something to think about. :)


Alexander Augunas wrote:
thorin001 wrote:
The whole mechanic seems forced. Also it does not really seem to accomplish anything.

Except for being a foolproof way to completely thwart divination magic that tries to connect you to your secret identity?

I mean, seriously, this is a martial class (3/4 spellcasting if you take warlock or zealot) that has an ability that LITERALLY does something that no spell can currently do: foil divination effects so hard that they only pop up as "black." How is that nothing?

This isn't a class that you're going to be able to drop in Shattered Star and have it work, no. But Kingmaker? Hell's Rebels? Wrath of the Righteous? Those are ALL APs where having a secret identity that no one expected would be super useful.

From his lair in the City of Locusts, Deskarii slams his fist into his table.
"What do you MEAN you can't find him?! Work your magic, Abyssal worm! I WANT THE GOLD BARON'S HEAD AND I WANT IT NOW!"

ACtually speaking of Kingmaker, could both of your vigilante identities take on different kingdom roles?


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Archangel62 wrote:
ACtually speaking of Kingmaker, could both of your vigilante identities take on different kingdom roles?

Conceptually speaking, I imagine they could (not sure if a specific rule specifically forbids the specificity of such an act) though it would be rather time consuming, eating up over 14 days a month.

I think it would be best if the vigilante identity was that of the Kingdom's spymaster. ;D


I like dual identity. But the speed needs to be tweaked. 5 mins is way too long. Yes it makes sense but it is not something that works in an adventure.

Maybe they get an item or spell that allows them to either instantly change or keep their gear with them.

The problem is that this isn't modern day with spandex, so you can't wear your chain mail and scale under your pantaloons and doublet. Think about the logistics of hiding a great sword under a ball gown. It doesn't work.

So the question that needs to worked out is how do they change not just a blanket time.

I think the same way wizards have familiars vigilantes should have some magic item or gear that allows them to travel with their persona hidden. Or it could be a higher level thing and they just have to get into persona long before they go out


Kobold Cleaver wrote:

...Dread Pirate Roberts? Really? I must have missed that scene where he disguised himself as Wesley to win over the soldiers.

Wesley isn't Roberts's alter ego. Wesley is Roberts*. He's an ordinary, "mild-mannered" farmboy only at the start of the movie. Then he becomes a pirate. They aren't alter egos—if anything, they're just character evolution.

That said, I do think the comparisons to Batman are making people focus way too much on the "superhero" side of things. But that's probably just because of the very concept of the secret identity.

*I know, I know, but you know what I mean.

The old one retired and wesley took his place. It is a persona each dread pirate roberts takes and leaves behind for the next so it is an alter ego that they spend their lives in and discard when they retire. So he is an example of wearing a costume always. Eventually inigo will take on the costume and become the dread pirate and wesley and the princess will go on to live happily ever after.

Grand Lodge

Setting the Stage wrote:

I like dual identity. But the speed needs to be tweaked. 5 mins is way too long. Yes it makes sense but it is not something that works in an adventure.

Maybe they get an item or spell that allows them to either instantly change or keep their gear with them.

The problem is that this isn't modern day with spandex, so you can't wear your chain mail and scale under your pantaloons and doublet. Think about the logistics of hiding a great sword under a ball gown. It doesn't work.

So the question that needs to worked out is how do they change not just a blanket time.

I think the same way wizards have familiars vigilantes should have some magic item or gear that allows them to travel with their persona hidden. Or it could be a higher level thing and they just have to get into persona long before they go out

I feel about the same after two sessions. I tried using the social portion but after about an hour during the first session, I just switched to the vigilante's persona and stayed in it for the rest of the adventure. For the second, I never bothered using the social portion because it didn't offer anything. They do need to be 'balanced' out for any variety of situations (whether a society adventure or a campaign).


4 people marked this as a favorite.

My biggest problem with dual identity is actually conceptual. These kinds of characters are either lone wolves or are part of a group of dual-identity people. It's rather antithetical to adventuring party idea.

Within a party, when does it make sense for single person to have a dual-identity? "Oh look, there's that pesky group and some civilian who keeps hanging out with them when the masked guy is around..." It might be funny the first time, but it'll quickly get annoying.

Which is why I don't think a single class should be devoted to it. You might as well just have a book that modifies all classes to have a dual-identity with new archetypes and feats and new uses of skills and add on rules to run such a campaign around the party of secret identities.

The reason it keeps getting compared to supers is because the only well-known groups of vigilantes (or just people with secret identities) are Justice League and Avengers.


Ragnarok Aeon wrote:
The reason it keeps getting compared to supers is because the only well-known groups of vigilantes (or just people with secret identities) are Justice League and Avengers.

You would think there would be more Power Rangers comparisons. Except with only one ranger morphing into civilian identity and the rest of the group going about their daily business in their ranger identities. I mean no one would ever suspect the guy hanging out with 4 of the 5 rangers is the 5th ranger.


Ragnarok Aeon wrote:

My biggest problem with dual identity is actually conceptual. These kinds of characters are either lone wolves or are part of a group of dual-identity people. It's rather antithetical to adventuring party idea.

Within a party, when does it make sense for single person to have a dual-identity? "Oh look, there's that pesky group and some civilian who keeps hanging out with them when the masked guy is around..." It might be funny the first time, but it'll quickly get annoying.

The answer to your question can be summed up in one character: Faceman Peck.

Another character that can answer your question: Michael Westen.

There are tons of examples of assassins, saboteurs, spies, etc., all working with groups of "adventurers".

Conceptually, having a dual-identity character is great for a group - they're the infiltration & espionage specialist; they're the one you send in when you need information, either in high society or in the Underworld; they're the ones who can move into a social gathering and maneuver around unnoticed, in order to place traps and other pieces in place for a sabotage.

The Vigilante is - or rather CAN be, if the Devs bother to try and make it so - so much more than simply a "Superhero" class. It really could be the ultimate "Face" class.

Of course the Vigilante can STILL be The Superhero class, or the Power Ranger class, or the Magical Girl class... but it can be a lot, lot more if the Social Persona is made into a kind of super-spy thing with its own stealth & social abilities separate from the Vigilante Persona.


Ragnarok Aeon wrote:
The reason it keeps getting compared to supers is because the only well-known groups of vigilantes (or just people with secret identities) are Justice League and Avengers.

It couldn't also be that the Class is one gigantic love letter unsolicited drunken sext to Batman and Daredevil, could it?

I mean, Renown makes everyone in your area-of-operation more friendly to your well-known Social Persona, while more fearful of your Vigilante Persona. And all the Appearance abilities only activate when you make suddenly make an appearance, probably from the shadows, with a single bolt of lightning probably flaring behind you.

I don't see anything about those abilities that scream "Batman", do you?

---

Seriously, when was the last time you saw this scene:

(A Power Ranger beats the living hell out of a Mugger)

(Power Ranger hog-ties and hangs the Mugger upside-down from a streetlight)

Ranger: (In a raspy voice) I want you to tell all your little friends about me.

Mugger: WHO ARE YOU!?

Ranger: I'm the Pink Ranger.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
chbgraphicarts wrote:

(A Power Ranger beats the living hell out of a Mugger)

(Power Ranger hog-ties and hangs the Mugger upside-down from a streetlight)

Ranger: (In a raspy voice) I want you to tell all your little friends about me.

Mugger: WHO ARE YOU!?

Ranger: I'm the Pink Ranger.

If that were what it were like, I'd have to start watching it again.


So just throwing this out here, as a possible early level solution. What if you could switch for a couple of rounds at low level.

Bruce ducks under the table as a full round action, bad guy comes to kill bruce, batman punches him in the face....

You have the ability to reasonably hide and change as a full round action BUT its not long until some NPC or enemy is going to ask "hey what happened to Bruce?" I thinking Attribute bonus plus level in rounds (or a bit longer) where one can replace the other before someone becomes suspicious.

before your time limit you need to hide again and step out from behind a column going "I think I bonked my head on a table leg, what do you mean Batman was here?" or some other lame excuse that will always work.

thoughts?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
chbgraphicarts wrote:

Seriously, when was the last time you saw this scene:

(A Power Ranger beats the living hell out of a Mugger)

(Power Ranger hog-ties and hangs the Mugger upside-down from a streetlight)

Ranger: (In a raspy voice) I want you to tell all your little friends about me.

Mugger: WHO ARE YOU!?

Ranger: I'm the Pink Ranger.

Fake Power Rangers Reboot

No, this isn't anything official. They were briefly asked to take this off the web before the powers that be decided otherwise. But I've totally seen Rangers put bullets through heads, blood splatterring on the camera.


Anyone familiar with "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde?

.. because the vigilante totally lets you go bunburying like nobody's business. For those not aware: One of the characters in the play (Algernon), being a well-off gentleman in London, wants a way of avoiding different appointments, and comes up with a solution that he coins "bunburying", or in other words:

Algernon wrote:
I have invented an invaluable permanent invalid called Bunbury, in order that I may be able to go down into the country whenever I choose.

He then proceeds to demonstrate that he cannot attend different events, simply because he needs to visit his sickly friend, to the point where people comment that it is rather rude of his friend to not just bite the bullet and die, seeing as he seems very indecisive about the whole "dying" thing. Of course, in the play, this scheme gets torn to pieces, but it is an interesting premise.


Sheldon Cooper's fake cousin Leopold, who is a recovering addict who can conveniently relapse anytime Penny asks them to hear her sing.


Ragnarok Aeon wrote:

My biggest problem with dual identity is actually conceptual. These kinds of characters are either lone wolves or are part of a group of dual-identity people. It's rather antithetical to adventuring party idea.

Within a party, when does it make sense for single person to have a dual-identity? "Oh look, there's that pesky group and some civilian who keeps hanging out with them when the masked guy is around..." It might be funny the first time, but it'll quickly get annoying.

This is a concern... but it's one that's already mirrored in the game. We have a master Spy in our Kingmaker game right now that frequently gets all disguised up and infiltrates various noble houses without taking the paladin and the rest of the party. I've seen the burglar classes... in fact in nearly every game I've played SOMEONE wants to be super stealthy and the rest of the party does/can not so they have to ditch the party to accomplish the sneaky goal.

This class would have been pretty good for her.

Games are inherently more fun when the whole party stays together and everyone gets to play all the time... but that already isn't feasible for a lot of campaigns.

And as CHB points out, Faceman was the ideal 'conman in a party.'

My biggest concern with the class is that it simply isn't ideal for ALL games. I couldn't even consider something like this for PFS and their one night games... Most of our home games it isn't likely to see play either...

But for the players that look for it... in the campaigns that are long enough and city based and ideal for it... The concept here is AWESOME. It's just a case of finding the right game to use the concept...


Setting the Stage wrote:
Kobold Cleaver wrote:

...Dread Pirate Roberts? Really? I must have missed that scene where he disguised himself as Wesley to win over the soldiers.

Wesley isn't Roberts's alter ego. Wesley is Roberts*. He's an ordinary, "mild-mannered" farmboy only at the start of the movie. Then he becomes a pirate. They aren't alter egos—if anything, they're just character evolution.

That said, I do think the comparisons to Batman are making people focus way too much on the "superhero" side of things. But that's probably just because of the very concept of the secret identity.

*I know, I know, but you know what I mean.

The old one retired and wesley took his place. It is a persona each dread pirate roberts takes and leaves behind for the next so it is an alter ego that they spend their lives in and discard when they retire. So he is an example of wearing a costume always. Eventually inigo will take on the costume and become the dread pirate and wesley and the princess will go on to live happily ever after.

I don't know if they so much return to their old mode as take their fortune and go where nobody cares, but I see what you're saying. It certainly wouldn't work well as a PC, though—you'd only get to use your social identity after retiring from the life of adventure.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

This seems like a funny class for dip builds.

"Sir Robert! You're really...You're really... a slightly more powerful adventurer!!!"


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Dual identity doesn't make any sense to me. The way it's implemented, is not like a Michael Weston or any other spy, it's more like the incredible hulk - the social identity doesn't have any of the powers of the other identity.

I feel the both identities should have the majority of all powers with the possibility of a minority of powers available to only one identity.


To me the only way dual identity makes sense is if the change time is a free action or at most a swift action.

351 to 400 of 438 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Archive / Pathfinder / Playtests & Prerelease Discussions / Ultimate Intrigue Playtest / General Discussion / Dual Identity Feels Like Baggage All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.