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This might be addressed in the update,but I do have to wonder how this will work. Will there be a mechanical reason to try to keep your social identity private? I imagine that most people will just start in their vigilante persona unless the scenario is a social one. Personally, I will likely start in my social persona most of the time, but that is because it just makes sense for the character. Plus I may take the Brute archetype, assuming that it will be legal.
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Having your social identity to not be a Pathfinder (and your vigilante is) would be an incredible asset when sneaking your character into Bloodcove or other Pathfinder-hating place (Cheliax, Rahadoum, Razmiran, Ustalav, etc). With seamless guise, no one's ever gonna suspect you of being a Pathfinder, unless your party members start doing obnoxiously Pathfindery things, like waving a wayfinder around or burning Bloodcove buildings justifying it with "They're all evil anyways", my party's paladin was bit of a--nevermind, not on topic anymore.
I do suggest having your non-Pathfinder identity (whichever you end up picking) do make a point of employing themselves with Pathfinders even on a contract or casual basis, so there's a reason why that identity would be on the Grand Lodge grounds or even claim a civilian contractor job in mission meetings. Bring it up with table GM's early so they can help smooth things over, just like it's a courtesy to bring up any weirdo optimization builds/features to a GM so they don't get completely surprised by combat shenanigans.
For example, the Crimson Falcon's identity is a Chelaxian lawyer that occasional assist Pathfinders with legal matters on missions (this turns out to be pretty useful and common considering how often Pathfinders commit murder-hobo actions or occasionally actually being innocent of wrongdoing and getting framed for crimes). A useful social identity can be played out for the whole scenario with clever roleplaying. He'd occasionally switch out to vigilante identity when in urban settings and obvious his talents aren't needed, or I'd start and finish with the vigilante identity, and the vigilante identity would in turn have a disguised identity (even at level 1, it's awesome to max out disguise) that's a registered Pathfinder. The Falcon takes Pathfinder missions as great opportunities to bust slave-trading operations and slavers' skulls. Otherwise, between scenarios he's actively engaged in vigilante activities in Misery Row and the Puddles in Absalom. Brokering slave trades by day and harassing clients (his own or those of others he learns about in social identity) at night.
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I haven't seen the "replace characters in the middle of the scenario and surprise the other PCs!" thing work so great with playtest characters, but if you spend most of your game time in the vigilante identity and then use social for things like gathering information or knowledge checks or seeding places for renown, that seems to work better. And Bloodcove is a very good point.
I doubt there'll be any additional in-game limitations but I'm not John so who knows?
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Will the venture captains be considered the Commissioner Gordons?
Will the roof of the Grand Lodge in Absalom be weighted down with multiple "Vigilante Signals"?
Will the mask industry spike within the next few years?
Tune in next time, same Pathfinder time, same Pathfinder channel!
But no seriously one way a Vigilante might work in the Society is if the venture captain of the faction the Vigilante works for knows both the social and vigilante identity. That way if John Dandy, rich social dilettante goes on the mission, then at the same time the venture captain can report that Masked Mangler will also be on the same mission and he may arrive late so the other allies on that mission can catch Mangler up later on the details.
Now if you play in a stable group that meets every time like me, I am sure the other characters will start to figure out that Dandy and Mangler is never in the same place at the same time unless Dandy/Mangler really buckles down and buys some illusion magic so that Dandy and Mangler ARE in the same place.
Could always be funny for a group joke that they never catch that Mangler and Dandy are the same man and are always awe struck when Mangler shows up.
But that is just my two cents.
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But no seriously one way a Vigilante might work in the Society is if the venture captain of the faction the Vigilante works for knows both the social and vigilante identity. That way if John Dandy, rich social dilettante goes on the mission, then at the same time the venture captain can report that Masked Mangler will also be on the same mission and he may arrive late so the other allies on that mission can catch Mangler up later on the details.
Now if you play in a stable group that meets every time like me, I am sure the other characters will start to figure out that Dandy and Mangler is never in the same place at the same time unless Dandy/Mangler really buckles down and buys some illusion magic so that Dandy and Mangler ARE in the same place.
Could always be funny for a group joke that they never catch that Mangler and Dandy are the same man and are always awe struck when Mangler shows up.
Now I want to make a PC like that who is NOT a vigilante.
Venture-Captain, Missouri—Springfield
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See, what you do is have both of your identities work for the society. That's double pay!
You'd be a team, so you're always on all your missions together. And you 'take turns scouting ahead'.
That's actually ingenious! I was going to go kind of Daredevil style with my character as a Gray Paladin by day, but dealing justice by night.
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That's actually ingenious! I was going to go kind of Daredevil style with my character as a Gray Paladin by day, but dealing justice by night.See, what you do is have both of your identities work for the society. That's double pay!
You'd be a team, so you're always on all your missions together. And you 'take turns scouting ahead'.
Or get a familiar, know how to cast alterself and have lots of ranks in disguise. ^.^
Since vigilante(cabalist) familiars do also get social identities, it's even easier.
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No, Jeff. We've seen them together.Alfred dresses as Batman when Bruce Wayne needs a cover story.
I've also seen a few other things in my time roaming the internet...
Vigilante with a social identity that is a member of the Aspis would be fun.
get intel about Aspis operations in the area as your social identity and have your vigilante identity lead a masked group to break up the OP
kind of reminds me of a reverse thing you do in Prototype 2 when doing the main story at some points and with the //Blacknet side missions
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Concept for a Vigilante: the social side is a well to do scholarly intellectual, and the vigilante is the sock-puppet on his hand. They swear they do not know each other and deny each other's existence.And the legend of Banjo lives on.
I'd say it's Mr. Hat, not Banjo.
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Unfortunately, the social identity can never cast because it's deity never exists at the same time.Banjo could work with the Mythic rules.
Your (mythic) vigilante identity gets Divine Source so that your (non-mythic) social identity has a deity to worship.
I think it's less about having a social identity that can cast spells, and more about having Banjo actually being able to grant spells and be a deity.
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I think it's less about having a social identity that can cast spells, and more about having Banjo actually being able to grant spells and be a deity.Unfortunately, the social identity can never cast because it's deity never exists at the same time.Banjo could work with the Mythic rules.
Your (mythic) vigilante identity gets Divine Source so that your (non-mythic) social identity has a deity to worship.
Sock of the Avenger is incompatible with a zealot and I suspect a zealot still needs to have a legal deity, but an oracle of Banjo is still on the table!
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I'd say it's Mr. Hat, not Banjo.Concept for a Vigilante: the social side is a well to do scholarly intellectual, and the vigilante is the sock-puppet on his hand. They swear they do not know each other and deny each other's existence.And the legend of Banjo lives on.
But there's a social talent that gives you a third identity. So why not both? Dual wield puppets. Justify the +20 to Disguise checks by putting a tiny beaglepuss on each of them.
Personally I'd go the Mich Foley route and just have three identities that are all professional wrestlers.
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And here I thought it meant that they had to get something cast so they could ritualistically fight themselves, at some point...The Vigilante's duel identify in PFS?Why are vigilantes so combative in PFS, constantly challenging people to duels? Maybe we need to pass anti-dueling laws... ;)
Obviously, .57% Tar is the missing ingredient.
I've had Pryor experience with that and it doesn't turn out well.Obviously, .57% Tar is the missing ingredient.You couldn't just leave it unknown?
Ouch! Clearly your Vigilante identity is based on the PUNisher.
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Vigilante with a social identity that is a member of the Aspis would be fun.
I've recently been considering rolling up a Vigilante with and Aspis social identity that works as a double agent for the Pathfinder Society. Any suggestions on how to make this a viable option, assuming it could even be considered a legal PFS character? Maybe high ranks in bluff, disguise and linguistics would be enough to pull off the concept.