Well, basically?
They stand there and take the hits. Nothing in Transformation Sequence protects you from damage, so you better transform somewhere no one can attack you. You could probably abort the transformation to protect yourself, but then you're still not transformed.
The good news is that you can just use your vigilante abilities in your social identity. Sure, the bugbear gets a chance to recognize that you are actually a vigilante, but he'd notice that anyway if you transform in front of him.
As a side note - if your friend wants to play an anime style magical girl, that's better done with a warlock with Transmutation Sequence social talent (from Blood of the Beast, works like the Magical Child one) and the Familiar vigilante talent (possibly the Sage familiar archetype).
The Magical Child is a buffer with a squishy familiar that's not really suited for combat, not a blaster like "classic" magical girls. Warlock allows you to actually blast people with your spells.
If the Vigilante is in social identity in a region where bugbears might appear, it's the player's fault.
Seriously, it's a pen & paper game - there will be no flashy animeesque transformation sequence no matter what. Even if you play with the light switch and have some stuff on your phone or something, you could do that when leaving the town.
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Heresy. Everyone, friend and foe alike, should stare and gasp at the sequence for the full duration. That's how these things work!
...but I suppose, by the rules, they don't have any extra defences. It doesn't say that they've any penalties to their defences, but their actions are occupied. As a Su, do they even need to make concentration checks if hit?
DM here, I've got a player who wants to play a Magical Child Vigilante (basically as a magical girl who will avoid the first 5 rounds of combat by initiating Transformation Sequence to change from social to combat form), however, they don't know, and I can't find what happens if the character is attacked while switching identities.
WHY would they ever try to transform in combat? Changing ID's "must be done out of sight from other creatures to preserve the vigilante’s secret." All Transformation Sequence is 1/2 the time needed, it doesn't negate the other restrictions. So it can't be done in front of your party members OR the bugbear OR a random bird, cat or dog. If ANY CREATURE can see you, you can't do it.
All Transformation Sequence is 1/2 the time needed, it doesn't negate the other restrictions. So it can't be done in front of your party members OR the bugbear OR a random bird, cat or dog. If ANY CREATURE can see you, you can't do it.
That's not true, unless you want to preserve your secret identity.
If a vigilante doesn't care about such matters they can change in front of a live studio audience made up of bugbears, birds, cats, and dogs.
All Transformation Sequence is 1/2 the time needed, it doesn't negate the other restrictions. So it can't be done in front of your party members OR the bugbear OR a random bird, cat or dog. If ANY CREATURE can see you, you can't do it.That's not true, unless you want to preserve your secret identity.
If a vigilante doesn't care about such matters they can change in front of a live studio audience made up of bugbears, birds, cats, and dogs.
The ability doesn't give the option to do it with an audience. "Changing from one identity to another takes 1 minute and must be done out of sight from other creatures to preserve the vigilante’s secret." Nothing about being able to do it without "preserve the vigilante’s secret". Pathfinder tells you what you can do, and it doesn't say you can change ID's while observed by ANY creature.
I can't tell you how much I HATE Dual Identity... :P There is a reason my vigilante never changes ID's.
All Transformation Sequence is 1/2 the time needed, it doesn't negate the other restrictions. So it can't be done in front of your party members OR the bugbear OR a random bird, cat or dog. If ANY CREATURE can see you, you can't do it.That's not true, unless you want to preserve your secret identity.
If a vigilante doesn't care about such matters they can change in front of a live studio audience made up of bugbears, birds, cats, and dogs.
The ability doesn't give the option to do it with an audience. "Changing from one identity to another takes 1 minute and must be done out of sight from other creatures to preserve the vigilante’s secret." Nothing about being able to do it without "preserve the vigilante’s secret". Pathfinder tells you what you can do, and it doesn't say you can change ID's while observed by ANY creature.
I can't tell you how much I HATE Dual Identity... :P There is a reason my vigilante never changes ID's.
It must be done in private to preserve the secret. I don't see how you are limited by that if you don't care. By the logic you can only do X because the game says so, leaves many issues, hence RAI. If you are a total RAW guy, maybe so.
However if that is the case, the game doesn't tell you that you can refill waterskins, so you better make sure you're stocked up when you hit the wilderness.
However if that is the case, the game doesn't tell you that you can refill waterskins, so you better make sure you're stocked up when you hit the wilderness.
False equivalency: the game specifically tells you what you CAN'T do in this case and gives no option to not do it.
I agree it's pretty dumb, but I think the whole idea that you MUST have a dual ID with a vigilante is pretty dumb too...
Also notice that it doesn't give exemptions to creatures that already know your ID. By the way it's written, you aren't allowed to change in front of your own familiar or players that know your secret. Note how they have a section on Talent use in the wrong form but NO mention of what happens if you are caught mid-change: You're either one ID or the other and people looking at you somehow stops the change.
PS: I'm all for an 'open' vigilante that doesn't have a secret ID, as it's just poorly supported.
However if that is the case, the game doesn't tell you that you can refill waterskins, so you better make sure you're stocked up when you hit the wilderness.False equivalency: the game specifically tells you what you CAN'T do in this case and gives no option to not do it.
I agree it's pretty dumb, but I think the whole idea that you MUST have a dual ID with a vigilante is pretty dumb too...
Also notice that it doesn't give exemptions to creatures that already know your ID. By the way it's written, you aren't allowed to change in front of your own familiar or players that know your secret. Note how they have a section on Talent use in the wrong form but NO mention of what happens if you are caught mid-change: You're either one ID or the other and people looking at you somehow stops the change.
PS: I'm all for an 'open' vigilante that doesn't have a secret ID, as it's just poorly supported.
The game tells you what must be done to ensure a certain end, which is preserving your secret identity. However there are other ways for NPC's and the like to find out your identity so it's not a rocks fall scenario if they do here. At least not unless it's a supernatural effect to put on your union suit.
I'm reading it as You must change in secret lest your identity gets out. Obviously you disagree. At any rate, I'm not interested in circlejerking until I get the last word and I don't think you are either. I'm going to agree to disagree in general and agree with you that Vigilante could be better worded, and based on your interpretation, could be better built.
Now I'm stuck with a mental image of Batman in his bat boxers unable to get into costume because Superman has X-ray vision. Damnit.
Of course, flavor-wise, the Magical Child archetype is based on the Magical Girl genre, where changing in-combat is a staple. It's not unreasonable for players to expect to be able to do so, but like so many archetypes, it completely fails at doing the one thing people choose it for.
Of course, it's pretty bad at emulating any Magical Girl anyway.
Hence my "Warlock with Transformation Sequence social talent and (Sage) Familiar vigilante talent" suggestion above.
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I'm reading it as You must change in secret lest your identity gets out. Obviously you disagree. At any rate, I'm not interested in circlejerking until I get the last word and I don't think you are either. I'm going to agree to disagree in general and agree with you that Vigilante could be better worded, and based on your interpretation, could be better built.
I can agree with that. ;)
At least not unless it's a supernatural effect to put on your union suit.
While it SAYS EX, it allows alignment shifts and immunity to scry... It's skirting the line between EX and SU.
Now I'm stuck with a mental image of Batman in his bat boxers unable to get into costume because Superman has X-ray vision. Damnit.
Me, I'm seeing a Magical Child 4 rounds into a transformation when her familiar turns around to break the cycle because he's a little bastard.