The Fiend Fantastic's page

By the nine hells, you are still going at it......

I mean, if you're arguing for fun...I'm super confused.

No arguing intended. Heck i'm seeing enough of it between colleagues at work, as of late.

I really don't understand how you expect your players to know to ask for a perception check against this NPC. Sure you made some off hand remarks, but how do they know if it's important?

There's not really an expectation, more an assumption they would do the check, but had not. Hence i needed more ideas to get the identity across via other means. The board's a trove of ideas.

Without diving into gender stereotypes, I have both questions and suggestions:

Q: Does the party know this person much at all? (If so, could they reach a point in directly confiding in them?)
S: If there is a local bath house, perhaps they wait until it is empty to use it (though I presume that they would simply go back home...) and perhaps something subtle about the bath house (like the water in one section is scented with rose petals and the other with lavender)
Q: The jewelry, you said it was "particular" - was it obviously unique?
S: A minor injury to the person requires the party healer to assist. Perhaps you send information to that person in particular (whisper, text, whatever), and see how they utilize it. Maybe they beg the healer to keep it a secret, and the healer is forced to make a choice when they learn of the assassination plot.
Q: Online or in person game? (May not have an impact, but curious)
Q: Do the players only know the contact well in their current guise, or do they know both the disguised and non-disguised person well?
S: If yes to knowing both well, perhaps a slip when the Baron's daughter mentions something only the contact would know, or vice versa.

1) They have seen her actual self from a distance briefly, at a public meeting. A point of meeting her as herself is planned, yes.

Those are some nice suggestions too.

So, my only question is this: why should the PCs be suspicious enough to wonder who this person is?

They had yet to encounter a masked or shady robed figure up to that point.

@ Claxon, i get where you're coming from with that logic. But frankly, we're pretty casual about it, we generally play things this way, whoever has the role of GM. Different people, different tastes.
And generally, perception rolls are rarely forgotten by the players.
We're aiming more for the fun than the RAW, regarding strictness of application.

Would it be society play style, then the game would be very different, indeed. There was, i recall, even a mission wherein an erinye hides their wings underneath heavy, loose falling clothes. A sarashi underneath both regular clothes and leather armor seems trivial in comparison, in my impression.

Two questions:

1. Is revealing their contacts gender really going to help them identify who their contact is? It sounds like you're trying to give a clue to a clue that may not go anywhere. The odds of the clue eliciting a "oh, neat" seem higher than it going anywhere. I'd focus on clues that point directly to her. Half your population is women, this won't narrow things down quickly.

2. Are they trying to identify their contact? It's something you want them to uncover, but where is it on their list of priorities? Right now it sounds like there's a life or death deadline to uncovering something, but the players don't know it's life or death, or that there's a deadline, hopefully they have interest in the something otherwise you're the only one at the table playing the game.

To #1: That is related to plot, actually. The baron had defeated a dream demon many years ago. Said demon, as any proper villain often does, swore revenge. 'i shall take what you and your kind hold dear'.

To #2: They have not made specific effort thus far, no. As far as they are currently concerned, it's a friendly NPC who feeds them info from time to time. Hence me asking for advice here, before i'd have to improvise something to make it more clear.

Somehow i'm getting the feeling the trail went from advice, towards 'what you aught to do'
Going over the suggestions again, it's plausibly a better angle, indeed, going the way with circumstance quirks and mannerism.

So again, thanks for the ideas and suggestions.

@ Hugo,

Failed is such a horrible word. We don't play the passive perception route this game.
Whether players inspect something or not, i leave up to them. Maybe in the future i will, but not for now.
Perceptions are also so so, we're still in the low levels.

Am i sometimes surprised they inspect something useless? Sure, but can be fun.
Am i sometimes surprised they don't inspect something important? Also sure. More often than not, they remind themselves to inspect things like that in the future.

That said, i do believe i've gotten some good ideas from the feedback.
Thank you all. :)

@ Derek, on perception vs disguise.
Usually that's the way for disguises. The baron's daughter actually uses bandages to cover up. Akin to the japanese Sarashi wraps. She is a thorough preparing type, in that regard.

The party, on their assumption from the start, hadn't even bothered for a perception check.

@ Sysryke, i was unaware there are gender related spells. Such a method of scanning could be implemented somewhere.
As to why they should be aware, it is so they can deduce it is the baron's daughter, and can warn her directly about the assassination attempt, whether they are forthcoming with seeing through her disguise or not.

@ Hugo, i'll have a look into that Alexandrian 3. Thank you.

Yelling "Kyaa!" when supersized should do the trick..

a bit subtler things might be:

- saying things like "i am not a laying\dishonest man" when talking about serious stuff. but then keep laying about a lot of things (well she is NOT a laying man)

- going gaga over cute puppies and babies.

- having matching clothes, shoes and belt pouches.

- having a bag of holding full with nothing but shoes\boots\sandals etc.

- always late.

and if all of this is still not enough go for the more obvious things:

- baby (or adult) unicorn follow her around and snuggle at her.
- can't look straight at a shirtless macho man without giggling.
- giggling
- when stressed her swear words seem to evolve around saying 'Oh sugar' a lot...

and when all else fail. a little boy (her younger brother that has been stalking her). runs to her crying & yelling "Aneue"

Haha, no, she wouldn't do the 'kyaa' thing. Too obvious, and unlike her.

Perhaps a little more background info on her: daddy baron is very protective/overly concerned, and she was the sole daughter among 4 siblings. She therefor not become too girly in that regard for the options you mentioned.

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Alternatively, men and women tend to have different builds. Men have Adam’s apples, we tend to have different posture and gait (due to skeletal/muscular differences). Those could be clues.

True, though she's hiding the lack thereof behind a mask and hood, when not at the castle. She's overly cautious.

I would avoid heavy stereotypes. They could easily come across as clumsy, failed disguise checks.
They might also annoy people.

The most sweet-toothed person I’ve met was my grandfather: a big man who worked at a car plant, met his mates to play snooker and darts and had a shed full of tools that he used to make/repair things for the house.

No stereotyping intended, though my experience in school and at work, is that 3 out of 5 times, rough estimate, the girls were enjoying the sweeter consumptions. I tried looking for types of food, that'd be more in favor with women than with men, and sweet things often came up.

------------------------

It sounds like you don't really need to give hints that it's a lady. ("Well, that narrows it down to half of all sentient humanoids.") You need to give hints that it's this specific person.

I expect they will deduce her identity once they figure out she's a she.

Greetings.

The layout:
Home game. The party occassionally has meetings and support from a plot related NPC, a local baron's daughter. She's disguised whenever she goes out. To the point where neither clothes nor voice give away who or what she is.

The party was convinced from the start the contact is male, despite neither side had ever been suggested in any form, and thus never inquired into it.

Plotwise, there will come an assassination attempt on the baron's daughter in the near future. She herself is unaware. The party will soon learn though.

I need the party to figure out their contact is her, before this happens.

Hints i had given, but no response in return:
Glimpse of hairless arms.
Bandages.
A sudden impulse of buying a particular set of jewelry, and wearing those in altered form of a young woman.
Likes sweet things.
Does not share rooms.

I'm running out of inspiration for small hints. Anyone got more ideas?

What's going on in M&M7?

Group of adventurers wins a castle in a region of strife, after performing a set of deeds. Given by a noble, and they must make sure they establish a proper rule for the region.

Sound familiar? ^^

They do various quests and save the world from an invasion. All the while becoming total bad@sses in the process. :)

Ok.

Ever played Might & Magic 7, for blood and honor?

Hi Rysky.

5 years and the thread's still alive.
Do you think it will hit 7, 8, 9, 10 years, maybe? :)

Almost weekend....just 2 hours and 25 mins.

Oh, hello TFF. It's been a while, how are you?

*Ponders for a moment.*

You're not stuck in Jumanji as well are you?

Doing okay.

And no, it's been a while since i saw that movie.

--------------
[qute=Vamp Schism]

I don't know of anything that can hold him against his will.
If he is here, it is because he wants to be.

Which means he is up to something nefarious.

Me? I would never.

...

Hello mr Jacobs,

Have you ever watched epic rap battles of history?

I have not.

The Fiend Fantastic wrote:

Theodore Roosevelt or Sir Winston Churchill?

No preference.

May i present to you, Theodore Roosevelt vs Sir Winston Churchill, in a verbal duel of leaders.

That completely aside,

With Nocticula changing from evil to her current position, do you think it plausible other deities/demigods change a moral course in the distant future?

Theodore Roosevelt or Sir Winston Churchill?

Hello mr Jacobs,

Have you ever watched epic rap battles of history?

When you need to get rid of said village, call -ME-.

*display of fire and brimstone*

Or unleash a horde of goblins on it, that will often work as well.

α. Mister Banderas' been so seriou-sss lately, can't we unwind him in some way?

β. I had a man with an identity crisis at my practice last week. All dolled up. He couldn't imagine why his girlfriend stood up and left in the restaurant. What would be the most subtle way to put the reason to him/her?

γ. The most explosive vorpal boomerang has been invented, and we're looking for a sponsor.

Next poster, hereby your answers.

1) Well, that happens when Wendy stuffs Ronald's rek-tum with his own greasy burgers, feeding Chuck-E's dead body to the animal shelter, and plucking Colonel Sanders clean before tossing him into the frying fat for a good hour.

2) Contrary to the general belief, the moon landing was a fake.
Space may be the final frontier, but it's made in a Hollywood basement.

3) The only way to defeat the megadragon is to alter the timeline.

१. Sorry sir, why did you want to walk down Axe-tershave boulevard?
२. Sir, sorry to bother you, but, what if the shark won't be caught using that bottle?
३. Right, you so provoked the guy wielding a banana. You shot him for coming at you with it.... now what?
४. What's the latest selection of loyal customer gifts, on a membership on 'book of the month club'?
५. Military fairy, ooh!

Next poster, here are our answers.

1) Hearing Rammstein, while eating some serious chocolate.
2) People say it was Bill Clinton, but we all know it was Beyonce.
3) Holy fcknuggets! Get out of here!

1. Sure, in the spirit of retro and old-school tech, scanners are making a comeback.
2. Sure thing sir, one tour of all there is to see in Tokyo. A quest worthy of your eyes.
3. Behold, the frog that is annoying, tiny, and grows hair for you to groom.

Next poster, hereby thine answers:

A) The phattest loot of all.
B) Gnomish geisha barbarians, of course.
C) No, miss Leatherwhips, i don't think -that- is meant to be put -there-.

ᚨ. Who is -de kerstman- ?
ᛒ. Who is this girl?
ᚲ. Erm, what does معدن ثقيل mean?

So, next poster, here are the answers to your questions.

1) Goth girls in pink outfits.
2) Trump and Putin cuddling in a ferris wheel.
3) GET OVER HERE!! *chain spear toss*

You can place an illusion covered Sphere of Annihilation blocking the path to the McGuffin, cause you're the GM!

Aduro, Good Wizard of Avantia 's title is but the reflection of his skills, his alignment is actually quite evil.

Schism puts her fingers in the fuse box to get that hair style.

KanyeOrc is on Absalon's Most Wanted list for various crimes.

The Fiend Fantastic wrote:

Mr. Jacobs,

With Pathfinder Kingmaker now a game on retails, perhaps 3D games/simulations won't be inevitable.

Suppose, with that angle, a company eventually makes a 3D version of a city from Golarion. Which city would you say you'd like most to walk around in?

Sandpoint.

Even at the point of the goblin attack? :)

Thread hasn't hit 5k count yet, how come? :o

Mr. Jacobs,

With Pathfinder Kingmaker now a game on retails, perhaps 3D games/simulations won't be inevitable.

Suppose, with that angle, a company eventually makes a 3D version of a city from Golarion. Which city would you say you'd like most to walk around in?

*HELLFIRE INFERNO*

I return once more to gaze upon this place.
Good grief, the number stands at 26770.

I see the fright of farm animals is still around, back to your cellar, this instant!

Fester and Reiner, you're missing out on juicy maiden necks, back at the corner 2 streets down to the right.

Vid & Pulg, both hairy as ever and.... are you guys using lavender shampoo? O_o'

IHIYC, i hear you've a clown-off with Pennywise in an hour, what's happened that it came to that?

Clowns.

*Torches Chuck Les with a dual scorching ray for that comment*

Grapple = Grabbing onto someone and doing some wrasslin'

Cuddling and Hugging = rolling a nat 1 on your CMB check.

But the lovely succubus holding you in her arms, is what matters in the end. :)

*Plays the guitar, hellfire bursts occasionally emerging*

Cuddling is an act of comfort, not of passion.

We're talking succubi in grapples....

Step 1: The false sense of safety.
Step 2: She then grips you tight.....
Step 3: Level drain!

Heh, and then she holds you longer than that timespan, cause you're so cuddly.

PASSION-ALITY!!

*Explosion of hellfire*

(Inhales and exhales)

"I have...returned."

Korea's knocked out of a skating competition, but that's no reason to take it out on us! :/

(Brings out flak cannons)

If done properly, have said lavatory be a mimic.

They'll never want to risk going to one down there ever again. ^^

They've got the referee on their payroll, it wouldn't work.

Perhaps trying to cause infighting with (fake but very convincing) pictures?

Incidentally, a party i GM a game for is now fighting the woodland critters.

;D

Fiery eye lasers & sadism, huzzah.
HAIL SATAN! ASMODEUS!

Coins filled with explosives that go off when exposed to body heat for a full minute.

A teddybear that explodes when hugged.

(Looks around)

Still nothing new...

Pray he doesn't serve you chili.

The woodland critters from South Park.

*Picks up the banana-with-a-string from his shoulder*

Gorilla Grodd is over there, you know.

Anything of interest happening around here?

(Looks around)

(Sips from coffee)

Not much new, it seems.

Which are on a special contract basis.

They never run out.

Cousin it is the ruling champion in that RPG.

No, he'll be channeling Jim Curry, from what the rumors say.

Certainly.

Legolas, with his looks, aims to dominate all the fangirls into his personal harem.

Next poster, would you kindly foil evil Legolas' plan.