How would a Wizard fake being a lower level wizard?


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

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alexd1976 wrote:
Torbyne wrote:
alexd1976 wrote:

Regarding the Slayer, or really any ability that grants a character knowledge of game information:

I describe hitpoints as Full, Half, Less than Half, heavily wounded etc. NOT ACTUAL NUMBERS.

Level, I describe as lower, similar, higher... Always compared to the person using the ability.

I don't actually hand out game information, as the character wouldn't have this metagame knowledge, but they are entitled to learn a description of this information...

This isnt the Deathwatch spell, the ability explicitly states they know exactly how many hit points the target has left. All isnt an exact number, neither is half or 8 from full. If that is how you rule it at your table just remember to tip off players who might want the ability before they spend resources on it.

Huh. Stupid ability if you like roleplaying. I understand its utility, but that sounds... dumb. I didn't realize it actually states your character learns a mechanic of the game.

"Jondar the Mighty has determined that the Dragon has an armor class of 38"... just seems odd to me...

Jondar: It has an AC of 38 guys!
Rest of party: What is AC?
Jondar: It's the number you have to hit to lower his hitpoints!
Rest of party: What are hitpoints? Jondar, are you drunk again?
Jondar: Look out, he's breathing, hope you guys have good REF saves!
Rest of party: WTH Jondar, are you eating the magic mushrooms again?

and so on...

My table has always done this, we don't have/use characters that would obtain actual game information like this. Wounds on NPCs are described as 'he looks bloodied, maybe half-dead', not 'you have inflicted 38 hitpoints on him, he looks like he has 38 remaining'.

So yeah, my players are all on board with how I do it, it increases our immersion in the game.

If someone played a class/used an ability that specifically told them actual game numbers, I wouldn't actually alter that, I'm not a jerk.

I just don't DEFAULT to using numbers to...

I smell badwrongfun. Don't think that your roleplaying is the only way to roleplay.

Look at it this way. PCs very quickly exceed the capabilities of any person who ever existed. "Half", or "A quarter" does not have nearly enough granularity to represent the incredibly detailed knowledge that your PCs can possess. There isn't an "In character" way of expressing the state of a creature with the precision a PC with the relevant ability actually knows. The PC knows their state so well, infact, that if they were told the metagame details of their weapons, they could probably work out the HP of the target to within a couple of points. Given that there isn't an in character way of expressing the enemy's state accurately enough, and given that the character knows the state well enough to work out their HP if they knew about the game mechanics, why not just give the player the damn HP and say that it is the meta-game representation of their PC's amazing knowledge of another creature's anatomy.

Sovereign Court

High level casters, can cast fake magic auras or even protect themselves from scrying...so not really an issue here. Just don't cast high level spells. Non detection best part it is a very low level spell, so people can believe a low level wizard would cast it. The only time, they would know that it is a high level magic item, would be if they get to cast identify and examine the item closely...which shouldn't happen.

That's without taking into account that said powerful/high level caster can just planeshift somewhere else, if being on her homeplane is such a problem.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

If this is really important to you, I would talk to the GM about a variant mythic ability that would allow you to put up false info for detection spells.

As a GM, I would allow something like this where you would get a Will Save against anything that allows somebody to determine the nature of you or things in your influence. If you save, you can determine what you're putting out there and if you fail, maybe it just doesn't notice you.

Or maybe it works against things with no more mythic tiers than you. Or something like that. Details would differ based on what you're really after.

Sovereign Court

Berinor wrote:

If this is really important to you, I would talk to the GM about a variant mythic ability that would allow you to put up false info for detection spells.

As a GM, I would allow something like this where you would get a Will Save against anything that allows somebody to determine the nature of you or things in your influence. If you save, you can determine what you're putting out there and if you fail, maybe it just doesn't notice you.

Or maybe it works against things with no more mythic tiers than you. Or something like that. Details would differ based on what you're really after.

Funny enough when you talk about it this way...I guess the warlock specialization for the Vigilante might work great for this. In your social persona, you have no magic, considered different person for every divination spells purposes, even can have different alignment. Switch back to Warlock persona to use spells.

Shadow Lodge

Eltacolibre wrote:
The only time, they would know that it is a high level magic item, would be if they get to cast identify and examine the item closely...which shouldn't happen.

Detect Magic gives you the aura strength of items in the area. That doesn't necessarily match item power (for example a +2 headband and +6 headband have the same CL and thus aura strength) but if an apprentice is walking around with multiple moderate-strength auras it might raise some eyebrows.

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