I have never really bothered using social skills, and I've always heard about how they can be dramatically game changing/break if your score is high enough. I've heard examples of investing so much into a social skill to get Balor to have a nice cookout with the PCs.
I really never explored classes in Pathfinder/d&D before, and I have been thinking of making another character if I don't want to level up my main in PFS. The idea of using bluff to just say absurd things, and have NPC's believe me made me laugh pretty hard. I don't really know the power this skill has, or if it could be as effective in PFS, but I would like to see what can be made of this.
What I'm asking for is for people to help me find the most PFS legal way to have a character to use bluff. Race, traits, feats, archetypes, classes, items, and other skills etc to help me convince someone that I am indeed him, and this is all a dream so I need to listen to everything I say and preform it exactly how I say it, or else the matrix will win, and we'll be forever doomed to repeat the computer program.
Thoughts on the skill and how it could be used in interesting ways would be appreciated too.
(I believe the Advanced Class Guide play test material is legal to use too)
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A street performer bard gets a bonus = 1/2 level to bluff, disguise, etc.
I just use mine to say obsurd things and depending on the reaction, "Oh, you thought I was serious/joking!"
Bluff/Intimidate through perform comedy.
<-from half-elf skill focus in perform comedy and modest bardic charisma + headband.
I want to tell the person giving the party orders that I'm a time traveler who has thoroughly completed the mission they have planned out for us, but something more urgent has come up that requires all fame restrictions to be lifted and have them assist in anyway possible to allow my party whatever they want, or else not only their fate is doomed, but the entire society, which will doom the world!
Instant success, and onto the next session or module.
Developer
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I love playing socially savvy characters, and I imagine you'll be able to have lots of fun with them, too. I find the key is including some truth in your bluff so that the target finds the accompanying lie believable.
One of the guidelines I use for my social characters—especially the ones who can shut down encounters with only a few non-magical words—is that everyone else at the table should be having fun, too. If I go into a PFS scenario with such a character, I try to save my Diplomacy or Bluff trump card for one encounter, as that gives the fighter a chance to hit things, the wizard a chance to blast things, et cetera. If I dominate every encounter, is it fun for the other players?
Don't let that discourage you, though. A social character can still be very effective even when not shutting down entire encounters.
I want to tell the person giving the party orders that I'm a time traveler who has thoroughly completed the mission they have planned out for us, but something more urgent has come up that requires all fame restrictions to be lifted and have them assist in anyway possible to allow my party whatever they want, or else not only their fate is doomed, but the entire society, which will doom the world!
Instant success, and onto the next session or module.
Fun and wacky as that is, keep in mind the following:
Note that some lies are so improbable that it is impossible to convince anyone that they are true (subject to GM discretion).
It's also quite difficult to go that far off the rails in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Remember what I noted above about everyone else having a chance to have fun.
Happy gaming,
John
I'm still looking for suggestions on making such a thing, but perhaps I'll make a party of friends who will play the same game who will all do the same thing. Everyone wins!
"I am from a slightly more distant future than you, and of course am too a time traveler. I've come to tell you to make sure you use the bathroom before you travel back... that is all."
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Just remember, no matter how big a modifier you have, social skills are NOT magic. A well trained guard with specific orders is not going to let someone through regardless of how good of a liar you are, or how diplomatic you are or even how scary you are.
Too many people treat it as Diplomancy, which is ridiculous.
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Don't the rules state that the person believes you?
"Orders are to gather all men and protect the city from being taken over by evil octopus men! Pray that our families stay safe, and we come back alive to see them that way - MAKE HASTE! ...also, no pants allowed."
"You got it dewd!"
I'm on my phone but search ultimate b.s. artist. Thus far that's as high as you can get it. My current char tops at an auto roll of 95 at level 8. Completely gratuitous but hilarious to me.
I too am a phone warrior, and I will navigate to this.
Any advice or stories you wish to tell? I am very interested.
What I don't like about social skills is that it changes table to table. I would love to role play in PF, but the classes I'm interested in don't have access to these options. So often I want to do really entertaining bluffs, but it's just going to end up an utter failure with the rolls. The ability to abuse this mechanic to say the most absurd things is pretty much the only reason I am interested in it.
I personally never heard anyone tell me they've used this skill before, especially with a really great story. Maybe the internet might have some stories somewhere to inspire me, or at least give me some realistic expectations on how things normally go down, from table to table.
@Matt, I was thinking of disguise self to say I was like a king trapped inside a gorilla suit, but I actually prefer the new look, and there were more important matters to attend to.
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In PFS, I have a similar character concept, except he is a cleric of the goddess of illusion, so he lies about absolutely everything. Mechanically if you want to lie all the time, complete once game and get yourself a stone mask (+10 to lying, +5 to feint, -5 to try to use bluff for a secret message, 500gp). Now, I lie all the time with this fellow and it passes for most of the craziest options possible, I became a slaver, a Lion Blade, a Cheliaxian aristocrat, a barbarian story teller, and even flirted with an Oytug (kinda...). While people state that this isn't "magic" it can get pretty close with the craziness of the rolls and how the DM reacts.
I usally use the bluff skill during introductions to introduce myself as another player's character, trying to one up their introduction (rp wise, I pick the person with the most interesting introduction, and playfully poke at it) you CAN however take a level of bard and get the pagent of the peacock ( a social skill miracle, but even the most liberal of people would find it cheese). There is also a trait (I forget the name/location)that allows a bluff skill to do something crazy (like say a rock is solid gold).
Anyway, I find it that bluff is best used if you have a strong personality and don't step on others toes. When you are crazy and fun with your lies, the whole table has a blast, and the skill lets you do what it might not allow =)
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I had attempted a character that was supposed to be a compulsionary liar. I had tested the character out once in an online pfs game and was really fun. However, when testing it out with a local gaming store, I had my character completely shut down by the running GM, saying that no one believed me, even before bluff/sense motive rolls. That table discouraged me so much that I stopped playing that build. Because the GM had the final word, I could not say anything that would disrupt the flow of the game. It was disappointing.
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Not sure if I should start a new thread since this one is old, or if I should post here because this is so on-topic.
I have a Tiefling with 3XP in PFS that I haven't "locked in" to level 2 yet.
One of the concepts I am working on would have a 53 or 55 take-ten bluff at level 10.
At level 10:
- 10 - Take 10
- 10 - Ranks
- 3 - Class Skill
- 8 - Charisma (Assuming +4 Enhancement headband)
- 4 - Beguiling Liar: Racial
- 4 - Deceitful: Feat (Bonus Rakshasa Bloodline feat, lv 7)
- 6 - Skill Focus: Bluff: Feat
- 5 - Silver Tongue (Rakshasa Bloodline ability, 13/day w/ Improved Fiendish Sorcery)
- 2 - Enchanting Conniver (Target must be under a Charm or Compulsion effect)
- 3 - Circlet of Persuasion (Competence bonus to all CHA-based checks)
TOTAL = 55 +/- modifiers. or 53 if not under the effects of a Charm or Compulsion
And, because having your target charmed is super-helpful:
Charm Person/Monster DC:
- 10 - Base DC
- 10 - Charisma (w/ Improved Fiendish Sorcery, Rakshasa + Infernal stack because they're untyped bonuses)
- 2 - Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment: Feats
- 2 - Infernal Bloodline bonus to Charm spells
- 4 - Heighten spell to 4th level (or just flat 4th level spell for Charm Monster)
- 1 - Trait: Empty Heart, Full Heart (Technically they get a -1 penalty on the save but it's automatic if your outfit is pricey.)
TOTAL = Effectively DC 29 (Technically DC 28 with a -1 penalty)
Bonus Shenanigans: Rakshasa Bloodline means you can make your target think you're casting Detect Magic or some nonsense unless they're decent at spellcraft. The DC to identify your 4th level spell would be 24.
Opposed CHA checks vs. charmed targets (to get them to do something they wouldn't ordinarily do):
- 8 - CHA
- 3 - Circlet of Persuasion
TOTAL = 11
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Well, Tiefling is no longer an option.
Halfling with the Shiftless alternate Racial Trait, or Human with the Silvered Tongue alternate Racial Trait is what you want.
The Propitiation trait will give you the biggest bonus to Bluff, all day, or Inner Beauty, for an once-per-day use.
Negotiator Bard works well, with it's constant ability to add half your level on on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), and Sense Motive checks. It also gives you access to Rogue Talents, like Rumormonger. Combined with various spells, it's a good choice.
Items, such as Mask of Stony Demeanor, Magenta Prism Ioun stone, and Masterwork Tools, all will help.