Need to convince my players one guy is many. How to?

[Renegadeshepherd]

I'm working on a session that is decidedly more mystery and intrigue in nature than combat. It's still very much a work in progress and the level hasn't been decided either so I'm sorry for not have what may well be big details.

What I do know is that I need is a NPC to have a very specific set of abilities. I need the antagonist to be able to convince the players that he is is in fact 3 different enemies while NOT giving that away. Simultaneously he is in another form that is an expert helping the players find the quest object.

What I have in mind is a synthesist summoner based mystic theurge. Fight once using divine powers, another as a synthesist, once more as his true self. But what I don't have is three things...

1) how can he mask himself sufficiently? Alter self times 4?
2) mechanically how can this rough draft work?
3) how can he disengage from an encounter effectively?

Welcome to any input.

[demontroll]

Well, if you are the GM, just make things up to be how you want them to be. You don't need to follow the rules. The rules are for the players.

[Renegadeshepherd]

demontroll wrote:

Well, if you are the GM, just make things up to be how you want them to be. You don't need to follow the rules. The rules are for the players.

Yeah I get that but as a mystery where there are clues and such you can't do that. I don't mind stretching rules a little but to just say damn the rules full speed ahead is bad IMO.

[Noctani]

You really need to give us more details about the PC's. What are their classes, tendancies, and what level are you at?

At level one this can be done rather easily. Having a green hag help the PC's from level one is quite easy. Have her be the quest giving damsel, the masked fighter, and the evil hag. A green hag has invisibility so a disappearing act, puff of smoke, or disappearance via alterself is very possible. There are also minor wondrous items that may leave the players temporarily blind. Horn of Fog is excellent at disengaging, as are trap doors, and concealed passages. A permanent minor image that was made long ago. They don't get a will save until it's interacted with and while the hag runs right through the wall. The players are left thinking where the hell did she go until a few turns go by. The Green Hag will have a +23 disguise check for the hag just to prevent the players from noticing their is something wrong.

At higher levels this gets easier and harder at the same time.

Please give more parameters to the situation.

[chaoseffect]

The disengage is going to be the hardest part because he really needs to somehow not die and PCs are an ingenuous bunch... unless he can. What about using Reincarnated Druid and combine it with Urban Druid for innate at will alter self? Some DM tweaking is necessary to make the archetypes work together (choose which ability you want at each contradiction), and you may consider lowering the cool down on how often he can respawn or place another limitation on it besides time, but you are still within sight of actual rules.

[CommandoDude]

Use a Doppelganger monster with PC levels.

[Val'bryn2]

Look back in some of the older Dragon magazine articles, specifically the ones with Core Beliefs Heironeous and, I think, maybe St. Cuthburt. They gave clerics the option of using the Summon Monster spells to call an Aasimar/Tiefling/Extraplanar race of similar power of a class level equal to the level of spell that was cast. For example, I believe Heironeous allowed Summoning a 1st level Aasimar Fighter for Summon Monster I. You can allow the same, and rule it as summoning an alternate reality version of yourself. Infinite prime material planes allow for infinite variations of yourself.

[Thomas Long 175]

shadow projection

Level 4 spell. Get a wand of it. Have a contingency set up each time with a healing spell that goes off "when your shadow is destroyed." You return to the body at -1 and at worst you heal up to 1 hp and can heal yourself from there.

Put illusions on yourself. Use the alter self spell, or disguise self spells. Make sure to put points in bluff and disguise and take the time to take 20 on the check. With disguise self and all of that its going to be really tough to beat those dc's.

Edit: Honestly Summoner, especially synthesis won't go well with this because the eidolon scales with your summoner level and you're throwing a lot of that out.

That being said and out of the way, focus on your spellcasting, going martial with synthesis will be terrible, what with between 2 3/4's and a 1/2 bab class. That said, use your points on defensive buffs

Synthesis Summoner 4/Nature Oracle 4/ Mystic Theurge X

For the first 2 fight's you'll be getting Cha mod to AC twice, while in synthesis you get a further +2 to AC, etc.

Take Summoning feats (spell focus (conjuration), augment summoning, superior summoning) and buff as necessary.

Remember, your eidolon only stops the SLA, not all summoning so have your shield and then summon to fight for you!

Take Spell Bluff

First Fight:

Eidolon [7 pts, 4th level]
1- skilled- +8 to disguise
2- Shadow form
3- Shadow Blend
4- skilled- +8 to stealth
5- skilled- +8 to bluff

So 1st fight, so long as youre in dim light you're rocking 50% miss chance, +20 to stealth, you've got major mods to your disguise, you add the incorporeal subtype (aka half damage from everything that isn't ghost touch or force damage and +Cha Mod to AC as deflection), dark vision, flight, and a strength damage attack with no saves.

This fight will be vicious. You can phase through walls when you need to move around to avoid AOO's. Even when you don't, you're a Cha caster with his Cha added to AC, a 50% miss chance, and 50% on damage taken even when they do hit.

Focus on your spells they still work on full effectiveness and just summon things to fight your enemies for you. If possible, try to disguise another one as the BBEG so they target him down. This is a stealth and deceit guy so STAY UNDER THE RADAR.

2nd Fight:

Nature Oracle 4

Revelations
Nature's Whisper
Friend to the Animals

The switch between summon monster and summon nature's ally here is on purpose. Its a little weaker, but the sudden switch between the two will really throw them off.

The +4 to DC to identify your spells should make it really hard for them to identify just what you're casting.

Last Fight:

Last fight you're gonna be hurting for spells. The gig is up, they've found you, no more of the curtain crap. Throw out your biggest baddest summons and buff them to high heaven.

Have an alarm spell or two even at the ready so he knows they're coming. Buff your summons as hard as you can with every trick you can pull between the two.

DO NOT SUMMON JUST ONE CREATURE. GO ONE STEP LOWER AND SUMMON 4 OR 5 OF THEM SO YOUR BUFFS ARE THAT MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE.

With the sheer number of summons you'll have out plus every buff in the book between the two classes (get a wand of heroism as well) These things will have great saves and fairly solid to hits.

Best of luck and I hope this is helpful.

[Renegadeshepherd]

Wow Thomas!!!! Great stuff. Ill definitely be using something from the material you provided, especially loves first fight section.

[Corvino]

Honestly, the disguise aspect of it is simple. You can pick up and abuse an item that many PCs love: The Hat of disguise

Once the enemy is defeated they can even get to keep this fun little item.

[GypsyMischief]

If you're going to follow rules remember to give the player characters a chance to see through this villains disguises. There's no point in finding a complex RAW way to pull this off if you're just going to advance the plot through GM fiat.

Anyway, doppleganger wizard, or just any shapechanger/disguise master with a few pouches of glitterdust or potions of invisibility will do.

[Nearyn]

If you want three seperate cases to have a totally different feeling, such as one mystery involves divine magic, one involves arcane, and the final mystery involved someone with almost ghost-like stealth, just have the villain be a rogue with UMD and access to magic items :)

-Nearyn

[Corvino]

If you want to be "fair" with opposed Perception and Bluff/Sense Motive rolls without giving the game away you'll likely need to be a little sneaky. Make sure you know everyone's Perception and Sense Motive scores and modifiers and make the rolls for them behind your screen when necessary. If you need to, just ask to see their character sheet and jot down the score.

Telling your players "Roll for Sense Motive" is just telling them that an NPC has lied to their face, just as "Roll for Perception" on meeting an NPC is basically admitting they're in disguise. And given they're automatically meant to get these rolls when appropriate - you do the rolling and don't tell them why unless they succeed.

[Berti Blackfoot]

You may want him to have a Ring of Mind Shielding, or the casters may figure it out in the 2nd encounter and ruin your plans.

As someone said, disguise ranks and hat of disguise, or maybe even without the hat. Remember any magical transformation will show up with Detect Magic (as transmutation probably), which will be a clue. Now maybe you want to give that clue away, just make sure he has a convincing excuse "I have a belt that makes me stronger" etc

[Sereinái]

Could you achieve the effect using Magic Jar?
It's not disguising oneself but might be good enough for your bad guy on the keeping him/herself from giving their identity away with some small Bluff assistance.

[revaar]

An Eldritch Knight could pull this off fairly well.

Wizard (scryer)1/ Trapper Ranger 1/ Eldritch Knight X

While acting like the "expert" who helps them, he is a simple divination focused wizard. He memorizes only utility and scrying spells, helps them, then sends them on their way.

Then, he fights them the first time like a skirmisher, setting traps and using minions to keep the party busy while he hits and fades. He memorizes hit and run spells (mobility enhancers, invisibility, etc) and when it looks like the party is wining, he gets out of there.

Second fight, He puts on some heavier armor, and fights more like a fighter. He memorizes mostly long term self buffs that he can put up before the fight that the party won't notice (Heroism, etc), but keeps a couple escape spells for when the party starts to win. If your party is sharp, the end of this fight is where they should pick up hints.

Third fight, he is in his "true form." Full Eldritch Knight mode. Casting and fighting at the same time.

[demontroll]

Three evil people performed a vile ritual to be more powerful. They got their power, but they became fused together into a single being. Only one of the three is in control at a time, line a Dr Jeckle and Mr. Hyde, along with another facet. The abilities of the 3-fold person changes, depending on who is in charge.

When the rules don't fit the story you want to tell, break the rules.

Late in the story, the player characters may witness the bad guy transform before their eyes, and they get the big reveal that it has been this one menace all along. *cue evil laughter*