The role of disguise in a LARP.

[Nelkie]

My personal feelings are the disguise skill should be removed and the person must try to disguise themselves in game. An adventure will stick out like a source thumb with peasants, even when they are disguised as peasants.
By removing the skill, we would have the age old debate when it comes to PC vs. PC. I know that you killed my friend, even though you where disguised. The disguise skill is most useful against PC vs. PC, but it does not work. It is only slightly useful when dealing with NPC’s.

Now if the disguise skill is going too kept, this is my suggestion. Make it so the person must disguise themselves as another race (human is not included). The PC must check in at NPC camp before entering game, and must check out at NPC camp before entering back into game as their original character. This hopefully will let the NPC’s know what is going on somewhat.

Now some ideas on replacement skills.

Minor Black Market Ties – can fence stolen items, buy poisons, and get illegal (thief) equipment. Is not as good as the fence, but they still can get and sell the certain equipment.

Hide in shadows – takes a 10 count and be in a shadow or behind something that might partial conceal a person. The person must put their arms over their head (as if out of game because for the most part they will be) and can not move or say anything. If they do the power is broken. The power last as long as the person can hold their arms over their head or move.

Poison Maker – A very limited version of alchemy in which the person of this can only make poisons. The level of poisons is based off their level in the discipline this skill is in.

Spot Skill – Gain the spot skill as per thief, if have it lower the time it takes to use it, and can have 2 concealed items on body

Resist detect lie – only for the spy, can resist detect lie by spending 1 or 2 life points

[GM_Chris]

I thought of an idea.

Once per an event an assasin can hire an NPC of equal level to do one job. This can be tracked by the spy

-Chris

[WayneO42]

I thought of an idea.

Once per an event an assasin can hire an NPC of equal level to do one job. This can be tracked by the spy

-Chris

I like it but it kind of goes against one of our original themes of the game. The PCs are on their own.

I am kind of at a loss though for an alternativ.

[GM_Chris]

Yep I agree wayne, but atleast this way the killer gets anamosity to a point which is interesting.


We could have it so that an assasin goes to NPC camp to plan the assasination. Once an NPC is available the NPC will play a shadow of the assassin with all the same skills of the player. The PC decides how long the assasin should last up to say a half hour. At this point the assassin goes to a spot of his or her choosing and sits there for a half hour and cannot move even if attacked. The shadow does its job for a half hour then dissapates wether job is finished or not.

We could add in that this action can be tracked between events by a say a spy or wilderness survival. We can also say a spy or wilderness survival can block.

Make sence?
-Chris

[Dallid]

I think disguise would make more sense. I think it could also work well if not cheesed. I think a disguise should last for only one objective. Get in, and get out, as you don't want to hang around and risk recognition. An NPC should probably be with the disguised person to make any necessary rulings.

[Peace420]

The 1 problem that I see with a PC's disguise having to fool other PC's is that noone at FH is a makeup artist. No matter what I did to myself everyone at FH would know it was me. I guess I could wear a mask and paint my hands but still, noone at the game has anything close to my build. But the hundreds of peasants and gaurds and other passer's through might. I think that if a person can describe the attacker IG and can communicate a good desription then there is no problem with whoever going around looking for people that fit that description buildwise. Disguise should not be a get out of jail free card, it should make it very hard to figure out exactly who the culprit is, but not at all impossible. The person that got taken away at the fire fit the build of the person we were looking for, if he turned out not to be the one then we would have moved on to other's that fit the bill.

[WayneO42]

How about the disguise skill allows a PC to come to NPC camp and switch with an NPC. The NPC would go in to complete the objective given and then leave. In essence, the NPC would play the PC and the PC would fill in at NPC camp in the mean time. Thoughts?

[Kale]

If I am out to kill someone, I want to make the kill, I don't want to have someone else play my character, risking his life, and making the kill.

The shadow thing is interesting, but, well...again, it makes the assassin discipline kinda worthless if you just hire people to do it instead of using the skills already at your disposal.

I didn't know the guard I was speaking to was Roland, but I knew for a fact IG that the guard was out to get me (for reasons I will not discuss on an open forum).

I think the Disguise skill should take 1-5 hours to put on, give or take. During such time, you should be NPCing.

Let me think here....you're NPCing, soooo...they don't know when you come in and you are you.

[WayneO42]

Brad, I think you might be on to something here. The PC must spend x hours to use the disguise skill. During which time they can NPC. They can be themselves in disguise at any time during the npc duty as long as they complete all of the duty. I like

[GM_Chris]

The NPC thing I like.

As Bill mentioned to me though anyone who is NPC'ing has to wear a tag notifing people to ask what they see it is the only fair thing.

-Chris

[GM-Mike]

Yeah I like where this is going. That would mean the disguise skill will in effect take you out of the game for a long period of time (which I don't mind since we can always use another person to be a monster). So I guess 5 hours is way too long, but I would be good with twoish.

[Kale]

By 1-5 hours I mean, they get to choose, 1-5 hours.

That way it varies, making it more difficult to know if they are playing their character in disguise or not.

And, if you wanted to allow them to disguise as other races, you could say that disguising yourself as your own race only takes at least 1 hour your choice if you want longer) and disguising yourself as another race takes at least 2-3 hours (your choice if you want longer).

[Nelkie]

I think we have a winner. It sounds like a great idea. It would be very diffucult to determine if the PC is an NPC or a PC in a disguse. It would be very hard to cheese it than and give the PC some leway.

Great Idea

[Kale]

Well, it was really Chris's idea. I just took it to the next level

[Eilonwy]

Following the discussion, I have to say that this sounds cool, for the one disguised as well other PC's. I definitely agree with the tag thing. A character would notice a monster walking in vs. NPC x. Also, no confusion about whether it is just that NPC/PC in different clothes or an actual, different character/monster.