I know that Noltus Innersol is actually a demon named Onailati. I know that he has assumed the form of Noltus using his Assume Shape supernatural ability. One of my players has eyeglasses from either Magic Item Compendium or Complete Champion, I can't remember which, that let her see demons surrounded by a certain color aura and undead surrounded by another color aura. My question is, will the player see Noltus surrounded by the aura which denotes he is a demon or does Alter Self somehow block that?
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I know that Noltus Innersol is actually a demon named Onailati. I know that he has assumed the form of Noltus using his Assume Shape supernatural ability. One of my players has eyeglasses from either Magic Item Compendium or Complete Champion, I can't remember which, that let her see demons surrounded by a certain color aura and undead surrounded by another color aura. My question is, will the player see Noltus surrounded by the aura which denotes he is a demon or does Alter Self somehow block that?
Depends on what kind of affect the glasses use. If they're based off true seeing, then yes, they'd see through Onailati's disguise. And since the mauhrezi's assume shape ability duplicates alter self, which is a pretty low level spell, I'd say that the goggles probably would pick up a demonic aura. At which point Onailati would either give up the deception and order the attack, or maybe he'd try to Bluff the PCs into thinking that he's been tainted by the isle's evil and that they need to help him in some way to cleanse himself of the evil. And then, when the PCs' guard is down... BLAMMO!
Depends on what kind of affect the glasses use. If they're based off true seeing, then yes, they'd see through Onailati's disguise. And since the mauhrezi's assume shape ability duplicates alter self, which is a pretty low level spell, I'd say that the goggles probably would pick up a demonic aura. At which point Onailati would either give up the deception and order the attack, or maybe he'd try to Bluff the PCs into thinking that he's been tainted by the isle's evil and that they need to help him in some way to cleanse himself of the evil. And then, when the PCs' guard is down... BLAMMO!
The lenses tell you whether or not the creature is an evil outsider or undead. So if the player turns the lenses on (Standard action with a mental command), she'll be able to see that he is, indeed, an evil outsider because he will be in a red aura (and because alter self states the creature keeps its normal type and subtype).
Whether or not he can bluff his way out of it, especially considering he's supposed to be a demon slaying cleric of Pelor, waits to be seen. :)
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*Thread Resurrection*
I'm prepping this for my group now (still in Golismorga) and am glad to find this thread. One PC has Permanent Arcane Sight, so when I intro the Innersol party I'll have to say that he's NOT a divine spellcaster but has spell-like abilities and is sporting auras of transmutation, abjuration and illusion and that the dog has an aura of illusion, and that the lizardfolk have auras of illusion and are arcane casters ...
By that time the party will have hit them with all they've got!
Should I let them enjoy their well-chosen permanency or tweak Onailati's preparations to include a pile of Nondetections. (Possibly potions from Khala)
I'm all for rewarding players and letting their choices work for them but to be honest he's had 5 or 6 levels of ambush detection already :-)
Simply needing to figure all that out, for everyone, all the time, is why I feel that detect magic at will cantrip has been the most game breaking spell for my campaign. Not because the PCs aren't entitled to that information but because I need to constantly prepare these things in case such is utilized.
I'd definitely use nondetection here, especially if as you've said, he's had 5-6 levels of ambush detection already.
Just realized something else - with nondetection Noltus will seem to be a non-caster. Is there a spell that lets you appear as, say, a high level divine caster to arcane sight, while you are in fact a spell-like ability wielding demon ghoul?
I'd have Noltus explain that he uses powerful magicks to avoid detection, how else do you think he has survived so long in these demon and skinwalker infested jungles.
Just a little point : Arcane Sight, even a permanent one, suppose that the user concentrate on a guy to determine if he is a caster of the divine or arcane type.
It means that your player will have to be suspicious enough to check in the first place. Maybe it would then be better to encourage such good thinking with the correct result (that is, arcane type) without grandfathering the module with a Nondetection potion, and let the player draw his own conclusions. You used your capacities to defuse an ambush situation? Take a cigar!
This postulates that you didn't allow your player to get away with crap such as a standard procedure of "scanning everything that moves" with his Arcane Sight (if you did, make sure to plan for circumstances where this paranoid behavior will misfire and bite the PC in the ass, just for the sake of it).
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His Divination specialisation gives him a chance to act in surprise rounds - in those situations he frequently goes first (spidersense tingles before the ambush happens) and uses celerity to do a proper scan.
He's done it before on mind flayers in Golismorga (I replaced the Kopru) and they have informed Khala that the caster who messed up their plans has permanent blue-glowing eyes.
The opponents are smart enough to prepare for these eventualities, though even with Khala's caster level 20, he only needs to roll a 7 to beat it and see through the non-detection. A back-up lie will also be required :-)
(Or I roll the CL check secretly and feed him either the arcane caster or the non-caster information, then let him make of it what he will.)
His Divination specialisation gives him a chance to act in surprise rounds - in those situations he frequently goes first (spidersense tingles before the ambush happens) and uses celerity to do a proper scan.
He's done it before on mind flayers in Golismorga (I replaced the Kopru) and they have informed Khala that the caster who messed up their plans has permanent blue-glowing eyes.
The opponents are smart enough to prepare for these eventualities, though even with Khala's caster level 20, he only needs to roll a 7 to beat it and see through the non-detection. A back-up lie will also be required :-)
(Or I roll the CL check secretly and feed him either the arcane caster or the non-caster information, then let him make of it what he will.)
Maybe I am a little dense here, but I don't get it... <burp, too much garlicked frog legs at lunch...>
WHat's wrong with your PC getting to make a quick scan in the surprise round, as the ambush is then already sprung ?
I thought that you were worried about your player seeing through the demon's disguise as soon as he gets within light of sight (well, within 120' given the Arcane Sight range).
If he only gets confirmation that something is amiss when the false doggie tries to eat him alive, that's not so bad, is it? Anyway, does he really even need confirmation at the time?
I am not familiar with this "celerity" thingie. I did my homework and looked over the PFCR and APG, but didn't find anything of that name. Is it a feat, a spell ?? Does it really enable your player to scan ALL the creatures in sight in a single surprise round ? Remember that he has to concentrate "on a specific creature", and that he also has the lizardmen to look over (okay, Innersol would most probably be his target of choice). Furthermore, the first action of the demon is supposed to feign surprise and turn invisible, which will twart the Arcane Sight.
That said, I agree that the demons, being smart, would prepar something to counter the Arcane Sight now that they know about it. So, go with the Non Detection. It's just that I don't get what would be so bothersome to do without.
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Oh, celerity is a 3.5 spell that gives a wizard a free standard action as an immediate action, and then penalizes him by making him take a round to recover.
If the party is ambushed he has a good chance of going in the surprise round, and also going before the bad guys (he can add Int modifier to Initiative a few times a day).
It means an occasional ambush happens, then has to be redone as if it didn't happen.
"I've got a bad feeling about this..."
<celerity>
<Arcane Sight scan>
"It's a trap!"
Fair enough, he has invested lots in his character to do this, but this is the first time the bad guys have seen it before and are superintelligent, powerful and well-equipped.
He has already contacted Noltus via a sending and I had the real Noltus say he would be difficult to scry as he is using nondetection all the time. Now the ambush will be - at the least - confusing at the start.
That's all I want :-)
Oh - and invisible won't thwart his arcane sight, since he will cast dragon senses and see invisibility before they approach the camp. Standard procedure for paranoid PC's. It's my own fault for getting them so worked up :-)
Oh, celerity is a 3.5 spell that gives a wizard a free standard action as an immediate action, and then penalizes him by making him take a round to recover. <snip>
Ok, I see the situation now. Thanks for taking the time to clarify things for me. Let them sweat !