I have an NPC - a baron in the northern hinterlands of the country - who happens to be immortal. That's his big secret. I've decided that he simply pretends to be his descendents in order to retain his position, using his ability to cast alter self at will for an indefinite duration (Raksasha bloodline via Eldritch Heritage) to change his appearance as necessary.
His majordomo is privy to his secret, but who else would need to be in on it in order to uphold the deception? To many and his secret would eventually get out, but too few and it strains credulity. He's been maintaining this deception for over 200 years, so I figure he'd have a pretty good system in place. Ideas?
Alter Self requires a piece of the creature whose form you plan to assume. With that in mind, does he keep this piece(s) with him at all times, the spell only lasts a minute per level.
Are these descendants still alive or did he kill them to assume their role or perhaps they where fabrications? If they are still alive then I'm sure they'd need to know and they'd need to work together to keep up the ruse.
I would imagine that unless he is a lich his doctor (or cleric) health care giver would probably know. I mean even immortal creatures can be hurt.
There was a king in the Eberron campaign setting that did the same, he was a vampire. There may be info on how he maintained this disguise.
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Alter Self requires a piece of the creature whose form you plan to assume.
Not as a spell like ability, which this is.
the spell only lasts a minute per level.
Not the Rakshasa bloodline SLA, it lasts as long as you want.
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Alter Self requires a piece of the creature whose form you plan to assume. With that in mind, does he keep this piece(s) with him at all times, the spell only lasts a minute per level.
The Rakshasa bloodline grants Alter Self as a spell-like ability. You don't need material components for those.
I have an NPC - a baron in the northern hinterlands of the country - who happens to be immortal. That's his big secret. I've decided that he simply pretends to be his descendents in order to retain his position, using his ability to cast alter self at will for an indefinite duration (Raksasha bloodline via Eldritch Heritage) to change his appearance as necessary.
His majordomo is privy to his secret, but who else would need to be in on it in order to uphold the deception? To many and his secret would eventually get out, but too few and it strains credulity. He's been maintaining this deception for over 200 years, so I figure he'd have a pretty good system in place. Ideas?
There's a Lovecraft-novel about a guy like yours. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. A decent read.
Anyway, there's two things to keep in mind:
First, us humans are pretty good at pretending that something isn't true. Many, maybe all of the barons subjects might know he's immortal. But they pretend he isn't. They play along in the charade, because facing the truth is too terrible. That's the Lovecraftian approach, anyway.
Second, there's degrees of privy to secrets. Maybe quite a few people know there's something fishy with the baron, but don't know what. Maybe dozens know enough to notice the baron and his father are eerily similar. The baron might need help upholding the charade, but everyone helping him might not need to know the truth or the entire truth.
I'm thinking the most important part of the charade is the switch. When the baron assumes the persona of his heir. The ageing stuff is normally a problem for immortals, but this Alter-self ability should allow the baron to grow a few new grey hairs each year.
But the switch is tricky, and probably involves several people. I have an idea. The baron fakes a birth of his an heir. So we need a wife, who to some degree plays along. I'm assuming the baron ain't brutally evil, so the heir will be allowed to live. If it isn't his own, a simple Disguise/Alter Self is all that's necessary when the baby is presented to important subjects (vassals, priests etc.) and guests.
Now, the baron sends the heir away. Maybe he's influential and clever enough to have made that a custom among nobility in the area, so it won't raise suspicion. Someone adopts the baby, and thus might know a bit about the barons secret. Maybe it's a wizard ally of the baron, who is in on the entire secret. Maybe it's a peasant couple who might not even know who their adopted son really is (but can guess, if they here about the baron).
If necessary, the heir occasionally visits the baron. This might be accomplished by the baron playing his heir - no-one ever sees them in the same room. But that's strange, and if the baron wants a spotless reputation it won't hold. So, an actor is needed. One under an alter self spell or other disguise.
The baron then fakes his death, allowing the son to return and claim the barony.
There might be need for a cover story for the son - what he was doing while growing up - and perhaps an ally to back it up.
@ChaiGuy - I'm still trying to figure out the status of his descendants. The most logical solution is for him to allow his descendants to assume his title as normal and simply rule secretly as the power behind the throne but I already did that with another NPC noble and would prefer to avoid reusing it. I dislike the idea of him being married, since it's not how I envision the character. I kind of envision him more like a recluse: Someone who is mostly uninvolved in the day-to-day administration of his Barony and instead spends most of his time pursuing his own interests, rarely entertaining any guests.
@Blymurkla - That's very interesting. You're right, the Baron as I envision him isn't so evil as to simply murder any fake heirs, but he's not above using dirty tricks. So if I understand you correctly, the "heir" the Baron sends away to be fostered is never told they will be the heir; instead the people who are fostering the heir will be included in the deception? Or is the "heir" included in the deception as well?
"This dynasty is very pious, the young make vows of isolation, and remain in seclusion until they come of age". XD
@Blymurkla - That's very interesting. You're right, the Baron as I envision him isn't so evil as to simply murder any fake heirs, but he's not above using dirty tricks. So if I understand you correctly, the "heir" the Baron sends away to be fostered is never told they will be the heir; instead the people who are fostering the heir will be included in the deception? Or is the "heir" included in the deception as well?
The "heir" should not be privy to the big sec ret, but rather grow up an unassuming but decent life. Otherwise, the heir might lay claim to the barony.
If the baron isn't much for marriage, maybe he adopts his bastard sons. A woman is needed, but her degree of involvement can vary. The mother will need to support the baron's claim of a child born out wedlock, so either she is in on the deception or she did actually sleep with the baron and got pregenant around the same time. The baby, where ever it comes from, need not be the barons own, but it probably helps.
Another option for the baron might be to assume another persona completely. Play a violent rival who overthrows himself. Or a knight who claims the barons, after the old, heirless baron dies. This only works if the barons is sufficiently remote and independent for there to be no duke, king or other upholder of law that might want otherwise.
I would just use a few constructs with alter self as a SLA to fill in for any people that would be needed. As an immortal leader of a country it is very conceivable to have been able to afford them over the years.
Rakshasa bloodline also includes nondetection, which prevents one of the easy ways of detecting him.
15th level is requires for the indefinite Alter Self. It's also the level that sorcerers get 7th level spells. Simulacrum is a 7th level spell. Coincidence? I think not.
The baron has a child, which is sent off in childhood. This can be for protection or for education. Eventually this will be considered a tradition.
When the baron is getting ready to change, he creates two simulacrums. One of himself and one as the child. He will regularly put nondetection on the simulacrums when they go out in public. This allows him to act in either identity and have the appropriate simulacrum to fill in for the other. This allows this to go on for an extended time. A couple of years if needed. For their most person servants, more simulacrums! Or constructs, or unseen servants.
A Rakshasa sorcerer has Charm Person, Suggestion, Mass Suggestion, Silver Tongue, and Mind Reader. Deceitful is a bonus feat. This should cover up most slip-ups.
When it's time for the final transition, an accident or illness can fell the old Baron. Sculpt corpse can be used for evidence. A leaded glass coffin will allow for mourners to view the corpse while preventing divinations and introducing just enough distortion to make people deny their senses. In a world with magic, cremation is a good tradition.
@Blymrkla - I've done more thinking and decided one thought is that the ruler of this Barony traditionally names his own heir. That gives the baron more freedom to manipulate the succession process - especially if it was he himself who started the tradition - but potentially creates other issues, such as individuals trying to position themselves to be named heir.
@Dastis - For clarification, he's not the ruler of the country; he has a liege.
The "heir" should not be privy to the big sec ret, but rather grow up an unassuming but decent life. Otherwise, the heir might lay claim to the barony.
It could even be one of the PCs...
Two of them even, if the age difference is large enough.| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
@Blymrkla - I've done more thinking and decided one thought is that the ruler of this Barony traditionally names his own heir. That gives the baron more freedom to manipulate the succession process - especially if it was he himself who started the tradition - but potentially creates other issues, such as individuals trying to position themselves to be named heir.
That's a nice solution. If it's custom to appoint heirs, it won't raise suspicion.
People trying to get appointed aren't that much of a trouble. They can be useful pawns. And if the baron is odd and a bit unpleasant, he might drive most of them away. It's even better if the barons is poor or apperes poor.
The switch becomes really easy with this method. The baron ventures off on a long journey. While he is away, a gallant knight arrives and charms the village. Does some mighty deed. The baron then return and learns about the knight. Impressed, the baron vows to travel to the distant land from which the knight came and meet him in person. Upon returning, the baron confirms that the knight is indeed gallant and names the knight as his heir, to be summoned after his death.
Of course, the baron is the knight all along.
Only a handful of servants who accompanies the baron on his travels needs to be privy of the secret. With some delicate choosing or a murder or too, some of those few servants might die while away or shortly after returning.
I have an NPC - a baron in the northern hinterlands of the country - who happens to be immortal. That's his big secret. I've decided that he simply pretends to be his descendents in order to retain his position, using his ability to cast alter self at will for an indefinite duration (Raksasha bloodline via Eldritch Heritage) to change his appearance as necessary.
His majordomo is privy to his secret, but who else would need to be in on it in order to uphold the deception? To many and his secret would eventually get out, but too few and it strains credulity. He's been maintaining this deception for over 200 years, so I figure he'd have a pretty good system in place. Ideas?
A lot of it is simply not being seen. Unlike the modern world, we don't have selfies, social media, television coverage, to deal with. Even in normal circumstances, a Baron isn't that much seen by the local populace. This would be simply more of the same.
Thing is how powerful is this Baron? Strahd of Ravenloft was practically an open vampire, but no one challenged him during his centuries of rule. As far as this Baron goes, who would benefit if the secret is known? Whom you have to hide from may determine how you hide.
Also... in Golarion at least, life extension IS a thing for the ultra rich and powerful.
He could be a simulacrum and construct crafter.
All his servants and family are just constructs, he reshapes and repurposes them as necessary.
Updating their abilities appearances and personalities is his defining hobby, and what grounds him to this reality when not deep in sorcerous meditations and research.
He thinks he would love a fellow immortal companion, free from his whims, and may actually try to program his creations with independent leanings, but he's actually far too used to unquestioning obedience, and can react terribly if his manipulations go awry from his internal script.
@Blymurkla - Good idea, I think I can make this work.
@Drahliana - The baron in question is a 20th level Monk of the Four Winds (hence his immortality - 20th level capstone ability), which puts him near or at the top of personal power in this country. Politically his Barony is small, relatively remote, and not very populated, so it doesn't get much attention from the rulership. However since he's over 250 years old, he's got lots of knowledge and experience and provides occasional counsel to his liege, the duke. I've already decided however that the duke is not aware of his secret.