Fake Monster and Unarmed

[MerlinCross]

Okay so this is gonna be a weird question. Could go into rules but I'd like to se how one would run this.

So, I have some baddies that are going to dress up "monsters". Like enough wraps and they're a mummy, or some seaweed + junk to be a Floatsam terror. I'd probably allow a Perception check to see through it. But that's not the issue.

The issue comes with combat. The disguised goons are going to at first make Unarmed attacks to look like they are using "Slam Attacks". Now if I really wanted to go full in on this, I'd give them the feat but that got me thinking.

If the goons don't have Improved Unarmed Attack, how would you run this? The moment they go to "Slam" the PCs would get a free swing and probably see through the disguise even if it's on a meta level.

Would you wave that rule to keep up the disguise, give them all the feat, or maybe have a Perception roll during the attack to catch how clumsy they are? I'm actually a bit interested in seeing how others would do this.

[Scrapper]

Improvised Weapon for attack? Part of the costume?

[Meirril]

Are you're bad guys willing to fight bare handed against armed adventurers? That might be going too far. Have the mummy pull out a bandage wrapped club. The players might notice something is odd about that, but most won't stop to really question it during a fight.

The same with other weapons. The players shouldn't be instantly suspicious until you have a non-humanoid creature using an obvious weapon. And if its a disguised weapon, just put in a DC for them to notice and then see if their passive perception is over that number. Even if they notice a "wooden staff that looks like a tree branch with leaves and twigs sticking out of it" they might not get that it is part of a disguise if you never mention the world 'disguise'.

[Dave Justus]

I find it pretty unlikely that this would be convincing at all. The disguise skill is really intended for someone to disguise themselves, someone else doing it would at best be an 'aid another' attempt. Unless the goons are quite skilled I would expect the PCs to realize instantly, regardless of the precedents from Scooby Doo.

I am also very cautious with 'lying' to the players. The GM is the only means the players have of apprehending what their characters are experiencing. Sometimes what the PCs believe isn't true of course, but it is something to be used very cautiously, because it can erode trust between the GM and the players.

To answer your question though, it appears to me that whether your attack causes an attack of opportunity is at least partly how your opponent perceives it as well as what you are doing. If you are wielding a cestus, a punch doesn't provoke, but the same action on your part does if you are not wielding one (and don't have IUS.) This is probably based on the need to 'honor the threat' as it were. I could certainly see ruling that if a PC genuinely believed they were faced with a dangerous slam attack they would not get an AoO even though in reality it was just an unskilled punch.

That said, it would still be pretty obvious that it was 'off' if the attack hit and then did non-lethal damage. I would probably have it be automatic to realize that it wasn't a real mummy or whatever.

[MerlinCross]

Hmm I hadn't thought about improvise weapons. Could work.

[Dragonborn3]

If they are dressing up then flotsam gauntlets solve the issue.

[santherus]

Dragonborn3 wrote:

If they are dressing up then flotsam gauntlets solve the issue.

Cestus perhaps - people still provoke using gauntlets, but a cestus does not, and can still do bludgeoning damage, and could be wrapped in bandages etc.

Interestingly, this sort of attention to detail might be just the thing that prevents the need for a perception check - the 'if you don't draw attention to yourself, others do not get to make perception checks' vs 'f you come to the attention of people who are suspicious (such as a guard who is watching commoners walking through a city gate), it can be assumed that such observers are taking 10 on their Perception checks.'

Just depends on whether we consider your PCs suspicious in context. Stuff like Knowledge (Religion) checks (for the mummy) might help put them in that pot, if they're not already there. I'd suggest that the PCs be treated as suspicious - especially if in combat

The monster disguise check (made at -2, for different race) needs to beat the passive perception (score+10) for the PCs.

The 'monsters' could offset the -2 with a disguise kit, and simulate slam with a cestus, (just how are they hiding their armour?).

... What are the 'monsters' trying to achieve? Are they bluffing/scaring people away? If so (and they need to fight) then they've already failed and may just as well pull out actual weapons at that point.

Hope this helps!

[Mysterious Stranger]

A person with no training (does not have improved unarmed strike) is fighting without weapons is going to attack a armed person without a weapon? Even without taking AoO into account only a very stupid person is going to do this. They should at least build in a weapon into the disguise. Not only will this avoid the AoO it will increase the damage. This also makes it easier to maintain the disguise. If they don’t have improved unarmed strike not only will they be doing less damage, they will be doing non-lethal damage. That in itself is probably going to be a dead giveaway.

[Danny StarDust]

If they have martial weapon proficieny, make them have scizores as weapons and included into the disguise as well.

[LordKailas]

Danny StarDust wrote:

If they have martial weapon proficieny, make them have scizores as weapons and included into the disguise as well.

This is a good thought. A blunt/blunted scizore that's wrapped up in banadages would pretty effectively simulate a slam attack.

[Knight Magenta]

Use Spiked gauntlets disguised as bone spurs :D They could even be spiked gauntlets made of bone!

[VoodistMonk]

Regardless, the Scooby Doo charade is up once they kill the first one and see it's a humanoid playing dress-up.

But to solve the unarmed issue make them monks/brawlers... problem solved.

[LordKailas]

VoodistMonk wrote:

Regardless, the Scooby Doo charade is up once they kill the first one and see it's a humanoid playing dress-up.

But to solve the unarmed issue make them monks/brawlers... problem solved.

They could be super dedicated to the disguise and use Shrouds of Disintegration

Shrouds of Disintegration wrote:

These burial wrappings are indistinguishable from shrouds of the holy; however, the body placed inside is turned to dust when the command word is spoken. The magic of the shrouds is useable only once, after which the wrapping becomes ordinary, fine cloth.

Then again, maybe they stole them from an assassin not realizing what they actually are, what with it technically being a cursed item.