The table for Disguise Check Modifiers on page 56 lacks a fundamental variable: the Size of the creature.
It's almost unbelievable that a Cloud Giant (a Huge creature 18 feet tall) can disguise as a frail old lady with only a -2 to his modifier if she's a female Old Cloud Giant, and a -4 if he's a male Old Cloud Giant; what, a difference in age imposes a cumulative -2 penalty, a difference in gender imposes a -2 penalty, a difference in race imposes a -2 penalty (only), and a difference in size does not ?
It's true that there are spells that can change size to creatures (and so, our lovable old lady COULD have been bumped in size by someone), but some penalties should be added to the table anyway, IMHO.
Perhaps a -4 cumulative per different size (and so, a Huge that wants to impersonate a Medium creature has a -8 to his Disguise check)? A -8 cumulative ? What do you think ?
Of course, this should impose a Bluff check anyway - something along the line of 'impossible lie' "Wait Billy, it's me, your old, lovable granny May... Don't be fooled by my Huge size, my cavernous voice, and the wrinkles on my face that seem drawn with black ink..."
It was the same in 3.5, there was no mentioning of size differences. The only reference I know that discussed this aspect of the rules are the epic skill usage stuff in the SRD.
It says that the modifier to make your height/weight look 11% to 25% different from your actual height/weight has a -25 modifier and to have it look like 26% to 50% different has a -50 modifier.
Thus I would say that without those epic rules it is just not possible to adjust your looks by more than 10% in both categories, height and weight.
I know that in 3.x this was not written either; I missed the Epic part, though (I don't look at my ELH very often, and so I don't look at the Epic rules in the SRD either). However, you match exactly my point: if it's not possible without Epic rules, it should be made clear in the plain, 'non-Epic' rules as well.
Two days ago I was brewing an Osyluth (Bone Devil - but I prefer the 'technical' name)for one of my groups - and suddely I realized that I could give him Disguise as a skill (altough not a class skill) and he could camouflage itself as a peasant with only a -2 to his check (and he is a Large skeleton-thingy with a scorpion tail) !
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Well.. I would say in those situations... use your head!
come on... need a rule to apply a penalty to a giant playing dress-up into an old frail Irish woman?!? (sorry, no such thing... err... English woman then?)
Can someone say: add 150 to this DC, Gilligan? or better: you can't do that, Einstein!!
Arg it ate my post!
Ok, short version, because Im too annoyed to retype. In my games, I expand the table for bonuses on opposed spot checks to apply to racial familiarity as well. So intimate would be your own race, close freinds would be symbiotic/partnership races like ettercaps and spiders, associates/freinds would be races that deal with each other often like drow and mind flayers or half-elves and elves, and recognizes would be anyone who can firmly recognise the race you are trying to be on sight. This is all of course assuming your disguise is trying to cross racial lines. If not, no harm no foul. And yes, these stack with all the other modifiers, including standard familiarity.
I find this works very well to solve a lot of the abuse issues, and seems quite realistic. Yes, it means the mind flayer attempting to disguise itself as your beloved granny is taking a -20 on the check, because its a person you are close freinds with (I reserve intimate for people you are INTIMATE with) of a race that is both one that is not its own and one you are intimately familair with. It seems to make sense, since -20 is generally considered the "impossible difficulty" modifier, and this scenario seems "impossible" to me. At least, "this is impossible!" is probably the first thing I'd yell if it were revealed to me!
And against strangers who are human, its only taking a -12, and against strangers who are not human, a -8 at worst. Those seem to make sense to me. If the mind flayer doesnt have a +20 bonus or higher on disguise, why is it trying to be your granny, and not some random bum in the street no one knows or cares about? Conversely, trying to infiltrate the mindflayer city isn't that bad, sure, theres a -2 for different race, and they know their own, so thats a +12, but thats about it as long as you aren't trying to be a particular mind flayer. And remember, if you dont draw attention to yourself, they don't get to opppose it unless they are suspicious about you! Yeah, mind flayers might be suspicious by nature, but thats overall; they probably don't have a racial predisposition to constantly obsessing over who might be in disguise near them.
This also makes disguise worthwhile to invest in down the line, for just those sort of infiltration missions. Scaring goblins by pretending to be orcs isn't too bad, only a -6 to 8. Scaring goblins by pretending to be drow, even easier at only a -2, if the goblins have never seen drow but have heard of them. Any other modifers would be on the intimidate checks of that particular scenario, but overall, I find this works well. Your mileage may vary.
This is why the Hat of Disguise is almost mandatory for any disguise beyond the plausible.
Similarly, you're not going to have a gnome able to disguise himself as a minotaur without magic, not even with a horned helmet and stilts.
As for the mind flayer disguising itself as your granny, with a high-necked gown, a poke bonnet and a muff, maybe in dim lighting, but once it came to looking it in the face, the gig would be up.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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The giant could use it's hand only, dress up it's hand in a "frail old lady" costume, and slide that through a hole in a wall that the rest of the giant is hidden behind. Sort of like a sock puppet! :)
In all seriousness though, the answer is "no, a giant cannot impersonate your granny" (unless your granny happens to also be a giant). The disguise skill doesn't allow you to change size, so the giant wouldn't be any smaller. The giant could still disguise itself as a giant granny, and still appear less threatening though.