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Psychic Paper
Aura faint illusion; CL 3rd
Slot -; Price 1,800 gp; Weight -
Description
This item normally appears as a sheet or paper or a small folio. With a small effort of will, the bearer can cause it to project a phantasm of a document of the bearer's choice. This is a move action.
This effectively grants a +10 competence bonus on the bearer's Linguistics check to produce a forgery.
Any creature that handles or closely inspects the paper is entitled to a Will save (DC 13) to disbelieve the phantasm.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, magic aura, silent image; Cost 900 gp
Ah, the Doctor's psychic paper! Indispensable for socialite rogues and urban infiltrators.
A thought, however: if your intent is to replicate the Doctor's item, which grants nonspecific access with no conscious effort on his part, wouldn't it be simpler to enchant a piece of paper with illusory script and implant the suggestion to "Recognize the bearer of this paper as an important authority"? That might be closer to what you're going for here -- the item you've created is more like the set of false passports and ID that Jason Bourne or James Bond might have in his kit.
Also, a bit of mechanical nitpicking: does the "+10 competence bonus" mean that you make a Linguistics check at your Linguistics skill modifier +10 every time you project a new document? Is that check made as a move action, or do you still have to spend a minute or so filling out the illusory form you've projected? If it's just a move action, the item is exceedingly useful, as it allows you to forge just about anything almost instantly -- and should probably have illusory script as a crafting requirement, with a corresponding increase in price.
Isn't that Will save DC of 13 a bit low? I have seen very few people not be fooled by psychic paper, and even a 1st level commoner would have an approximately 1 in 3 chance to see through it.
Ah, the Doctor's psychic paper! Indispensable for socialite rogues and urban infiltrators.
A thought, however: if your intent is to replicate the Doctor's item, which grants nonspecific access with no conscious effort on his part, wouldn't it be simpler to enchant a piece of paper with illusory script and implant the suggestion to "Recognize the bearer of this paper as an important authority"? That might be closer to what you're going for here -- the item you've created is more like the set of false passports and ID that Jason Bourne or James Bond might have in his kit.
Illusory script really should be the construction requirement. I overlooked it.
For The Doctor, it's never been clear how much the paper looks like the credentials he's claiming (backed by his own immense Charisma modifier and Bluff/Diplomacy bonuses), and how much might be just a compulsion effect ("This guy is important, regardless of if he's claiming to be an official, a noble, or whatever.")
My personal interpretation is that he can project an image onto the paper, with the viewer's own mind filling in any gaps (hence the phantasm, and why the camera always just sees blank paper.)
Also, a bit of mechanical nitpicking: does the "+10 competence bonus" mean that you make a Linguistics check at your Linguistics skill modifier +10 every time you project a new document? Is that check made as a move action, or do you still have to spend a minute or so filling out the illusory form you've projected? If it's just a move action, the item is exceedingly useful, as it allows you to forge just about anything almost instantly -- and should probably have illusory script as a crafting requirement, with a corresponding increase in price.
It works the same as the +10 Disguise bonus from using disguise self or alter self. So, yeah, it's a move action. (And also falls in line with knock, identify, and find traps: a +10 bonus is really nice, but doesn't let you always beat people who actually put in skill points unless you have your own skill points.)
Isn't that Will save DC of 13 a bit low? I have seen very few people not be fooled by psychic paper, and even a 1st level commoner would have an approximately 1 in 3 chance to see through it.
Side effect of the saving throw rules for magic items. It's like a hat of disguise: works great if no one looks real hard, but if someone does, the DC is suddenly 11.
However, you'll notice that the Doctor rarely lets anyone actually touch his psychic paper. He flashes it quickly, then hides it. So people can see a badge or a royal seal or whatever, but never get the chance to inspect it for flaws or touch it.
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Tweaked:
Psychic Paper
Aura faint illusion; CL 5th
Slot -; Price 3,600 gp; Weight -
Description
This item normally appears as a sheet or paper or a small folio. With a small effort of will, the bearer can cause it to project a phantasm of a document of the bearer's choice. This is a move action.
This effectively grants a +10 competence bonus on the bearer's Linguistics check to produce a forgery.
Any creature that handles or closely inspects the paper is entitled to a Will save (DC 14) to disbelieve the phantasm.
Psychic paper also has a special property as being a valid target of a sending spell or similar magic. When used as a target in this manner, the sending never fails due to distance or the plane of the sender.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, illusory script, magic aura, message; Cost 1,800 gp
You'll note the price does not match what a 3rd level spell should. Similarly, a hat of disguise costs way less than it should, because it isn't as useful as, say, at-will magic missile.
This is a highly situational item that if used to create daring forgeries has a high chance of failure due to the will save. In practice, it should be used to just speed up making a forgery that won't be inspected very well (if at all) to get a small bonus on a Bluff check for 'possesses convincing proof'. An item that just gives you +5 on bluff would only cost 2,500 gp. This costs a little more because it can be oddly versatile, could theoretically let you end up with +10 on that bluff check if you actually let them inspect the paper and they fail the save, and because it would stack with a simple Bluff item.
With the tweaks, this seems like a really neat item! I'd buy one (and might, in fact, include one as treasure the next time players in one of my home games captures an enemy spy).
I'm particularly fond of that new clause you added, that gives it the secondary effect of letting your interplanar spy receive correspondence from home. Unless it falls into the wrong hands... (Is the sending still delivered directly into your head, or does it write itself onto the paper? The latter would be thematically cool, if it can alert the bearer with a mental ping or something.)
I think D&D 3 or 3.5 may have had something similar. My shapeshifting conman rogue certainly had such a set of papers but I don't recall if it was GM-created or canon.
Brilliant! Thank you.
(Is the sending still delivered directly into your head, or does it write itself onto the paper? The latter would be thematically cool, if it can alert the bearer with a mental ping or something.)
In that case, the paper is the target, not the bearer. The message appears on the paper.