I'm brainstorming character concepts for an upcoming campaign and I thought of something I'd find entertaining to play but I'm unsure if it could even work.
I'd like to build him as a bard using oratory as his performance, and the idea is he'd be monologing about what a great and powerful wizard he is as magic Springs to life around him.
Is there a way I can conceal/bluff my casting so that my party members and anyone we come across would believe I'm a wizard?
Is monologing even a valid Bardic performance?
I've been browsing the feats bit so far I haven't found anything that could let me feasibly pass myself off as a wizard once I "cast" my first spell.
Secondly if my character was raised and trained (incorrectly) to believe that he is indeed a wizard, would a bluff check be necessary to state he is one?
Thanks for any tips you can give me.
If this is a terrible concept please let me know too. I'm not sure how this would float in a party especially once one of the members manages to see through his unknown charade
"Is there a way I can conceal/bluff my casting"
Feat: Spellsong. Exactly what you want.
"so that my party members and anyone we come across would believe I'm a wizard?"
Cast an obvious spell = arcane caster. Class is not directly determinable. There are many arcane casters, Just tell them which of those you are (with a good bluff check ;-) )
"Is monologing even a valid Bardic performance?"
Yes. It is Perform (Oratory). You can also dance (Dance), tell dirty jokes (Comedy) or bang a drum (Percussion) or pantomime (Act) as your performance.
"I've been browsing the feats bit so far I haven't found anything that could let me feasibly pass myself off as a wizard once I "cast" my first spell."
Class is not directly determinable. Only your abilities. Show abilities that the class you want to impersonate has. Roll for Bluff to cover therest. Get a big book with arcane symbols, fill it with arcane writings stuff, wear it on your belt. Wear a wizardish robe. Wear a pointy wizard hat. Cast spells that are also on the wizard spell list.
"Secondly if my character was raised and trained (incorrectly) to believe that he is indeed a wizard, would a bluff check be necessary to state he is one?"
A DC 10 (common knowledge) will tell you that wizards need to use their books to do their casty stuff. You dont. You dont even need ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) to not fall for this misconception. Your character will know that he is not a wizard.
"If this is a terrible concept please let me know too. I'm not sure how this would float in a party especially once one of the members manages to see through his unknown charade"
Not really. It is viable. You are a Bard. Wizards are more powerfull. They get more respect, instead of the often not taken for full Bard. Pretend you are more dangerous, and of higher social prestige than you really are. Use your existing bard abilities for this they have a good overlap with what a real wizard would be able to produce.
Like if a trained Nurse would claim to be a full-fledged Physician with a Doctor in medicin. Ordinary Joe will have a hard time telling the difference without direct detailed investigation, and even then you might be able to bluff him.
In real life, what class are you?
You might have a profession. Me, I'm a software engineer. But what class am I? Am I a fighter who put skill ranks into Profession (Software Engineer)? Not likely, although I have a black belt so maybe I'm a monk with ranks in Profession (Software Engineer). Or maybe I'm a bard because I do like to sing, especially in the shower - but I can't cast spells so I must be some archetype that traded out that ability. Chances are I'm just an Expert with ranks in Profession (Software Engineer).
But if I met someone, how would HE know that?
He wouldn't. He would have no idea what my class is. Probably have no idea what my profession is unless he met me at my job.
Likewise, when your bard is walking around talking about his great wizard skills and casting arcane spells, nobody is going to say "Aha! you're not a wizard class, you're a bard class!". Now, if you're grinding out your performances on an electric mandolyn, then they might have suspicions, but if you're just orating your spells, nobody will have any idea what class you are.
Ahh great advice everyone on the whole 'what is a wizard' in in-game terms. I hadn't actually thought of that.
Perhaps my character could believe himself a sorcerer!
I'll roll up a bard who believes himself a sorcerer, using the spellsong feat and ranks in bluff for the other stuff.
Thank you all for your input.
Surprised that nobody mentioned the Magician archetype of Bard, which does part of what you want, and even snags spells from the spell lists of other arcane spellcasting classes.
In real life, what class are you?
You might have a profession. Me, I'm a software engineer. But what class am I? Am I a fighter who put skill ranks into Profession (Software Engineer)? Not likely, although I have a black belt so maybe I'm a monk with ranks in Profession (Software Engineer). Or maybe I'm a bard because I do like to sing, especially in the shower - but I can't cast spells so I must be some archetype that traded out that ability. Chances are I'm just an Expert with ranks in Profession (Software Engineer).
But if I met someone, how would HE know that?
It's more fun to imagine a barbarian with ranks in Profession (Software Engineer), or perhaps Craft (Computer Program). Or a druid.
He wouldn't. He would have no idea what my class is. Probably have no idea what my profession is unless he met me at my job.
Likewise, when your bard is walking around talking about his great wizard skills and casting arcane spells, nobody is going to say "Aha! you're not a wizard class, you're a bard class!". Now, if you're grinding out your performances on an electric mandolyn, then they might have suspicions, but if you're just orating your spells, nobody will have any idea what class you are.
Hell, even if he's wailing away, all you need to do is say of course you have a hobby. About the only thing you could do wrong here is picking a lawful alignment to go with it all. And bards have great UMD ability, so whip it out if you have some naysayers in the audience.