I want to make a character who is a 'master of disguise'; combining the Charlatan background, Actor feat, and Thief/Assassin to at least level 13. I would also like to have at least Warlock 2, for the 'at will Disguise Self' option.
That leaves me five levels to play with, and I am looking for opinions on character planning. Some options include...
1) Rogue 18/Warlock 2; Assassinate/Deathstrike and Eldritch Blast seem to go well together on first glance for combat capability
2) Rogue 17/Warlock 3; Trade 'elusive' for a 2nd level Warlock spell (Invisibility, Suggestion, or perhaps Mirror Image) and a Pact Feature... a familiar to 'aid' me? A pact weapon to summon on command while in disguise 'unarmed'?
3) Rogue 13/Warlock 2/Bard 5; trading the combat abilities (both sneak attack dice and Assassinate) for a healthy selection of spells, more Expertise, more Skills, Jack of All Trades (great for pretending to be able to do something), and Cutting Word's ability to punch other people's Insight down 1d8
4) Something Else??
In practical play, what do you think the best approach would be for this sort of build?
I can't offer much help with the build, but wanted to drop in and say that sounds like a fun character concept.
I think less multi-classing is better, giving you more access to ability improvements or feats. There are a number of feats that are very helpful to an assassin. Of the variations you listed, I think 18/2 is your best bet. Of the patrons, Archfey is really strong for you, thanks to Fey Presence.
If I were to make this character, they would be a dex and charisma based Rogue 2/Battle Master fighter 18 (variant human) with a custom background using the pirate variant feature of the sailor. He would sneak into towns disguised a normal looking fellow and rip off his mask and cloak for an awesome suprise round/menacing attack to scare the crap out of everyone!
Character: Dread Pirate "Chameleon Beard"
Background: Pirate with a thousand faces
Skill proficiencies: Deception, Performance
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise Kit, Vehicles Water
Equipment: A parrot, an eye patch, and a bag of stolen clothes for disguises.
Feature: No matter where you go people are affraid of at least one of your faces/disguises due to that personas reputation as a fearsome pirate. When in a civilized settlement etc...
Variant Human
Feat: Actor
starting stats str 10, dex 15+1, con 10, int 13, wis 10, Cha 14+1 (variant human), plus actor +1 cha = 16
level 1&2 rogue
the rest fighter Battle Master (menacing attack and rally) are such great Pirate Captain Maneuvers.
Stats increase in dex and cha up to 20
Feats possibilities: mobile/inspiring leader/skilled/linguist. Although Keen Mind and Linguist really have the best role-playing potential for a cunning and worldly pirate that can navigate water and use various languages for disguises, and Keen Mind brings int up to 14
I think the best part about this is that as Chameleon Beard's notiriety (or infamy) grows, no one will trust anyone because that person could be the Dread Pirate Chameleon Beard in disguise :D World wide attitude went from indifferent to hostile bwahahahaha.
*I think bard with the actor feat would get you the highest checks with disguise though, add in some magic for glibness and im pretty sure your ruse will never be discovered.
Here's a crazy idea: changeling (from Eberron), charlatan background, rogue or even monk (since you can get away with carrying no weapons).
Note that according to the rules in the players handbook, your ability check rolls using the disquise kit are intelligence checks.
demon_idol wrote:
So... the new Diplomancer?
HeirRaktus wrote:
SpedGuy wrote:
Actor Feat + Awakened Mind = Jedi mind trick. "The merchant hears his own voice in his head saying that it'd be good business if he gave this fine gentleman a discount."
I run this with a Warlock 1/ Rogue 1. Expertise in Performance and Deception and advantage on those checks. Think they might catch on? Hex their Wisdom. Much fun! Can't wait for level 2 Warlock for Mask of Many Faces. Don't think I'd go with Assassin, though. You already have Actor, why would you need Imposter? I think I'm gonna go with Arcane Trickster.
The Actor Feat does seem to be tailor made for a RogAss 9 or 13.
Rather specific, but right up the alley for a Face Rog concept.
I'm curious about the use of Intelligence to craft a disguise. Does this seem wrong or clunky to anyone else? The pdf says "pull together a disguise;" what is the Int check really for? Is it to find the materials for the disguise? Is it to determine if you know what the disguise/uniform should look like? Is it to determine the quality of the disguise; if so, does failure impose disadvantage on Deception checks while wearing it or render it totally useless?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwO4B_pxI7s
I don't know if this has been said, but you could also have Disguise Self with a Trickery Domain Cleric.
Just sayin', more options in the fiction creation.
L4ND0K_111 wrote:
Stick with rogue and warlock, skip bard and go with moon circle druid. You can take enhance ability to give advantage on skill checks like a bard would, but wildshape gives you disguises beyond humanoids.
SpedGuy wrote:
Weapon pact gives us a good finesse weapon (Rapier I'd guess, though Whip has it's charms and... Hand Axe if I wanted to throw something? Probably Rapier) to summon on command, always lovely for an Assassin. Then again, Eldritch Blast serves a similar 'surprise weapon' role, and with the right invocations may be comprable in damage to the Sneak Attack.
Chain pact gives a familiar that can either be invisible (so doesn't ruin the disguise) or shapeshift (to fit with a variety of disguises); and can 'help' with a variety of tasks. Probably still the least useful.
Tome gives us three cantrips... Guidance is the obvious choice, helping everything pretty directly. As for the other two... Minor Illusion and Friends have some 'direct' application; but I also wonder how much 'oomph' Prestidigitation, Thaumaturgy, and Druid-Craft can give the appropriate disguise. Truestrike also has some value when your schtick is (at least somewhat) alpha-striking a surprise attack.
I also wonder at where my last Invocation should go. Clearly Mask of Many Faces is my first, but Agnozing Blast will up my Blast damage (if I focus on that instead of Sneak Attack); Armor of Shadows makes my disguises Unarmed AND Unarmored; Misty Visions adds more deception to my repitoire, and Devil's Sight is great rogue-tech in general.
Read "Lies of Locke Lamorra" for tons of RPing ideas.
Ashrym wrote:
Wouldn't at-will Alter Self be way better than Disguise Self?
Psikerlord wrote:
Danny_Montanny wrote:
Ashrym wrote:
The Noble background, have one of the Commoner's "Help" action refer to you as Mrs. Doubtfire.
SpedGuy wrote:
Ashrym wrote:
Master of Myriad Forms requires the character can be taken at 15th Level, as long as you are taking a Warlock Level of 2+. So Hypothetically you could do Levels 1-13 Rogue, then go 1-2 Warlock- you could have Master of Myriad Forms and Devils Sight or you could choose Witch Sight and Visions of Distant Realms or for the shifter guiser experience- Mask of Many Faces and Master of Myriad Forms
Those Invocations have level prerequisites, but it does not specify that they are Warlock Levels. Also it is not implied either.
A couple of Warlock levels could be tempting to other classes- Wizards would like:-
Abjurer- Armor of Shadows
Diviner-Visions of Distant Realms, Devils Sight
Illusionist- Misty Visions and Mask of Many Faces
Necromancer- Whispers of the Grave
spanglemaker wrote:
If you took Bard and Actor, you could use the Cantrip Friends to get someone to talk to you for a minute so you could mimic their speech...
HeirRaktus wrote:
warlock 2 / bard 18 for me personally, SA and EB both seems a bit redundant. Many options for spells and some interesting ones from your warlock levels to add. College of lore gives you a whole lot of interesting options as well.
EDIT: I realized you do not get the impostor feature then, which might be a bump in the road if you want to copy specific people.
Ashrym wrote:
HeirRaktus wrote:
HeirRaktus wrote:
SpedGuy wrote:
Locke Lamora
Race: Human
Class: Rogue 20
Starting Attributes: STR 10 / DEX 15+1 / CON 10 / INT 13 / WIS 10 / CHA 14+2
Ending Attributes: STR 10 / DEX 20 / CON 10 / INT 14 / WIS 10 / CHA 20
Background: Charlatan (Feature: False Identity)
Skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Intimidation, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, Stealth
Weapon: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longsworels, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Disguise kit, Forgery kit, Poisoner's kit, Thieves' tools
Armor: Light
Progression
lvl1: Expertise (Deception, Stealth), Sneak Attack, Thieves' Cant
FEAT: Actor
lvl2: Cunning Action
lvl3: Roguish Archetype (Assassin - Bonus Proficiencies, Assassinate)
lvl4: +2 Cha
Lvl5: Uncanny Dodge
lvl6: Expertise (Performance, Sleight of hand)
lvl7: Evasion
lvl8: +2 Charisma
lvl9: Infiltration Expertise
lvl10: +2 Dex
lvl11: Reliable Talent
lvl12: +2 Dex
lvl13: Imposter
lvl14: Blindsense
lvl15: Slippery Mind
lvl16: FEAT: Keen Mind
lvl17: Death Strike
lvl18: Elusive
lvl19: FEAT: Linguist
lvl20: Stroke of Luck
Not a bad build, but I'd want Persuasion on my list. Being an Orc general gets me in the door; Persuasion skill gets the orc commanders to follow my orders. Also, depending on the game; Linguist might be better served by being 'Alert' or 'Lucky'; and train necessary languages on your off time.
SpedGuy, I posted something similar to this on another thread. Take a look and see what you think: http://community.wizards.com/forum/player-help/threads/4148666