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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other New Persona Masks for Master of Masks



ShriekingDrake
2014-03-14, 09:43 PM
I always thought that the Master of Masks (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070105a&page=3) was a prestige class with possibilities. Sure, as it stands now, it's flavorful, interesting, and not an insignificant skill investment. It is fairly week as prestige classes go, but still interesting in an artsy-phantom-of-the-opera sort of way. Anyhow, I thought it might be fun to add to the set of possible Persona Masks and was hoping that others have given this some thought as well. I welcome both your thoughts and Persona Mask ideas

For my first foray, I offer the Sleuth Persona:

Sleuth: This sealed wax mask depicts a nondescript, unobtrusive physiognomy with attentive eyes.

When you pass within 5 feet of a mechanical or magical trap or a secret or concealed door, chamber, or compartment, you are entitled to make a search check to locate it. You add an insight bonus of 3+1/2 your Master of Masks level (rounded down) to all search checks.

Your alignment appears to be Lawful Neutral when you wear the Sleuth mask.

Amnoriath
2014-03-14, 11:15 PM
I actually was in the middle of a full out fix for it but then my computer crashed and lost all of its work.
As for this mask it is weak even compared to other masks. Search isn't a class skill for the PrC and a +8 isn't going to get you that far at that level. Also finding things sometimes just doesn't cut it in actually solving the issue.

ShriekingDrake
2014-03-15, 08:49 AM
Thanks for the feedback. I hope you come back to your project.

Here's what I had originally, but thought that it looked too robust compared to the other masks. That said, I think many of the current masks could use a step up or two. Let me know what you think.

Sleuth: This sealed wax mask depicts a nondescript, unobtrusive physiognomy with attentive eyes.

When you pass within 10 feet of a mechanical or magical trap or a secret or concealed door, chamber, or compartment, you are entitled to make a search check to locate it. While wearing this mask you add three skill ranks to the following skills and you add an insight bonus equal to your Master of Masks level to skill checks for: Appraise, Craft (Alchemy), Decipher Script, Disable Device, Gather Information, Knowledge (local), Listen, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, and Spot. Once per day you can use Suggestion and Zone of Truth as spell-like abilities.

Your alignment appears to be Lawful Neutral when you wear the Sleuth mask.

Amnoriath
2014-03-15, 06:15 PM
This is better but you could probably omit Appraise, Craft(Alchemy), and Sleight of Hand as it doesn't really fit the archetype. You could also up the uses of the spell-like abilities as you advance in the PrC.

ShriekingDrake
2014-03-15, 08:11 PM
Fair enough. I had included the Sleight of Hand and Craft (Alchemy) skills because I saw them as akin to Sherlock Holmes skills. But I'm not wedded to them.

What are you thinking for the spell like abilities?

Amnoriath
2014-03-15, 10:11 PM
Well, like the other masks it should get up to at least 3/day.

ShriekingDrake
2014-03-16, 09:41 AM
Sleuth: This sealed wax mask depicts a nondescript, unobtrusive physiognomy with attentive eyes.

When you pass within 10 feet of a mechanical or magical trap or a secret or concealed door, chamber, or compartment, you are entitled to make a search check to locate it. While wearing this mask you add three skill ranks to the following skills and you add an insight bonus equal to your Master of Masks level to skill checks for: Appraise, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Gather Information, Knowledge (local), Listen, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot. Once per day you can use Know Opponent, Know Vulnerabilities, Suggestion, and Zone of Truth as spell-like abilities.

Your alignment appears to be Lawful Neutral when you wear the Sleuth mask.

Amnoriath
2014-03-16, 09:53 AM
Sleuth: This sealed wax mask depicts a nondescript, unobtrusive physiognomy with attentive eyes.

When you pass within 10 feet of a mechanical or magical trap or a secret or concealed door, chamber, or compartment, you are entitled to make a search check to locate it. While wearing this mask you add three skill ranks to the following skills and you add an insight bonus equal to your Master of Masks level to skill checks for: Appraise, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Gather Information, Knowledge (local), Listen, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot. Once per day you can use Know Opponent, Know Vulnerabilities, Suggestion, and Zone of Truth as spell-like abilities.

Your alignment appears to be Lawful Neutral when you wear the Sleuth mask.

This, I approve. It may be better than most of the masks but often those didn't match up to what they were suppose to do or be anyway.

Mith
2014-03-17, 11:31 AM
Is the idea of the Master of Masks that you can take the appearance of a specific individual to the point of deceiving everyone who knows them, with True Seeing being the only way to tell the difference? Or is it just the benefits of the roles? I am wondering about that distinction based on the special, and wonder if a homebrew capstone should be made that allows you to take the appearance of an individual you know with the archetype, and have a certain skill level at being convincing.

Amnoriath
2014-03-17, 01:18 PM
Is the idea of the Master of Masks that you can take the appearance of a specific individual to the point of deceiving everyone who knows them, with True Seeing being the only way to tell the difference? Or is it just the benefits of the roles? I am wondering about that distinction based on the special, and wonder if a homebrew capstone should be made that allows you to take the appearance of an individual you know with the archetype, and have a certain skill level at being convincing.

Unfortunately, the original just mimics roles. That was one of the major pitfalls of the class in that it had no real specialty but its variety only amounted to a couple of spell-like abilities while having a crappy frame. It for some reason advanced spell casting but at a paltry 4/10 unless you had the Archmage in which it was 6/10. It required disguise but apparently it was only flavor and no function. Then the big kicker was none of them stacked they only switched more easily making physical fighting that much harder. In the end you had a great weapon mask, a couple with useful spell-like abilities on a frame you would never want to wade into battle making it a dip and run PrC.
My fix added several more masks and gave a non-illusory disquise self which incrementally allowed you disguise your self as different creatures, specific people, and even voices. It also allowed to customize your masks to act like items you crafted in addition to its usual property. Then finally it had a class advancement to unlock other abilities in select masks so while you could have a whole mess of them at your disposal you were only so good with a few at your choice.

ShriekingDrake
2014-03-17, 01:21 PM
I hope you'll consider trying to resurrect, even from memory, that effort at redoing the class.

Gorfnod
2014-03-17, 02:54 PM
Here is a revised Master of Masks called the Thespian of Many Roles (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263388) by the forums very own T.G. Oskar.

It always seemed to me to be a good substitute if not at least a place to start.

ShriekingDrake
2014-03-18, 12:06 PM
That's quite cool. Thanks for sharing it. I'm working on updating the various persona masks on WoTC's build at the moment. I'd like to add a few more as well. I got some nice ideas from what you posted.

Hanuman
2014-03-18, 03:54 PM
Djinn's chameleon class, pretty nice IMO.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100597

Mith
2014-03-18, 06:22 PM
A question about the wording in the Thespian of Many Roles (I don't want to cast Raise Thread and post there). It says that the Lich mask can be made by a Level 4 character. I find that an interesting word choice since it implies it can only be made at level 4. Is that common?

Gorfnod
2014-03-18, 06:39 PM
A question about the wording in the Thespian of Many Roles (I don't want to cast Raise Thread and post there). It says that the Lich mask can be made by a Level 4 character. I find that an interesting word choice since it implies it can only be made at level 4. Is that common?

I believe the intent is that you must be at least level 4 in the prestige class in order to make the mask unlike most of them which you can create at level 1.

droppedbutnot
2014-03-18, 07:20 PM
Sleuth: This sealed wax mask depicts a nondescript, unobtrusive physiognomy with attentive eyes.

When you pass within 10 feet of a mechanical or magical trap or a secret or concealed door, chamber, or compartment, you are entitled to make a search check to locate it. While wearing this mask you add three skill ranks to the following skills and you add an insight bonus equal to your Master of Masks level to skill checks for: Appraise, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Gather Information, Knowledge (local), Listen, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot. Once per day you can use Know Opponent, Know Vulnerabilities, Suggestion, and Zone of Truth as spell-like abilities.

Your alignment appears to be Lawful Neutral when you wear the Sleuth mask.

If Holmes is your guide, here, I would recommend dropping all the spells, except for Know Opponent, which I'd allow only once per day as a caster of your character level.. I would add the Trivial Knowledge and Lunatic Insight feats while wearing the mask. I would most definitely add Craft (Alchemy) and Sleight of Hand back in and add Autohypnosis. This would be a very useful mask, though still not as useful as some of the other masks.

So, it would look like this:

This sealed wax mask depicts a nondescript, unobtrusive physiognomy with attentive eyes.

When you pass within 10 feet of a mechanical or magical trap or a secret or concealed door, chamber, or compartment, you are entitled to make a search check to locate it. While wearing this mask you add three skill ranks to the following skills (even if you exceed your rank limits) and you add an insight bonus equal to your Master of Masks level to skill checks for: Appraise, Autohypnosis, Craft (Alchemy), Decipher Script, Disable Device, Gather Information, Knowledge (local), Listen, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, and Spot. You gain the Trivial Knowledge and Lunatic Insight feats. Once per day you can use Know Opponent, as a spell-like ability of a caster equal to your level.

Your alignment appears to be Lawful Neutral when you wear the Sleuth mask.

:cool::cool::cool:

ShriekingDrake
2014-03-19, 07:22 AM
That's good. I wonder if it's too powerful, but it definitely pursues the flavor I was anticipating. Even the feats have names that I equate with Holmes.

ShriekingDrake
2014-03-31, 09:52 AM
Edit: Aaack--sorry for the double post. I was thrown off by our little hiatus.

I made a few adjustments. I think a sleuth is more likely to have Track than Lunatic Insight. I also added disguise to the list of skills.

Sleuth

This sealed wax mask depicts a realistic, nondescript, unobtrusive physiognomy with attentive eyes.

When you pass within 10 feet of a mechanical or magical trap or a secret or concealed door, chamber, or compartment, you are entitled to make a search check to locate it.

While wearing this mask you add three skill ranks (even if you exceed your rank limits) and a competence bonus equal to your Master of Masks level for the following skills: Appraise, Autohypnosis, Craft (Alchemy), Decipher Script, Disable Device, Disguise, Gather Information, Knowledge (local), Listen, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, and Spot.

You gain the Trivial Knowledge and Track feats. Once per day you can use Know Opponent and Know Vulnerabilities as spell-like abilities of a caster equal to your level.

Your alignment appears to be Lawful Neutral when you wear the Sleuth mask.