Help! Strange/monstrous PC: handling npc reaction?

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Brandi
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Re: Help! Strange/monstrous PC: handling npc reaction?

Post by Brandi »

There's also subtler forms of shunning as well. NPCs don't talk to the lizard guy, and ask how the others manage to "tame" him. Or someone assumes one of the other PCs is his "handler" and talks about him as if he's not there while asking all sorts of frankly impertinent or rude questions. Even if Lizard Guy is the designated spokesman or known expert on a given thing, people will talk to someone else in the party who they think "looks" more qualified.
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ewancummins
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Re: Help! Strange/monstrous PC: handling npc reaction?

Post by ewancummins »

Skyrock wrote:As you play a 3.5 game, you could just slap an Outsider Rating on the character and have others react one step less friendly (see the NPC attitude chart under the Diplomacy skill), so the average NPC reaction would be Unfriendly. Market tenders will not allow him to touch their wares to not spoil them, inn keepers will be mysteriously out of rooms when he wants to stay, kids will pelt him with rocks, guards will harass him and look for an excuse to be difficult, and locals will claim not know the way when he asks for directions. The sort of passive aggressiveness that isn’t an open attack, but is also making it clear that such freaks are not welcome here.

I generally encourage players to make characters who can pass as humans, or disguise themselves to make it through civilized society in the background while others do the talking.

If you just care about playing down that issue, you can just drop a Hat of Disguise into the next loot pile and use that to handwave the issue without changing the character or breaking the setting logic.
Solid advice.

Though I would carefully consider dropping a hat of disguise into a loot pile. It's a potent item in any campaign involving investigation and skullduggery.

Maybe a minor item?

Cloak of Mannish Seeming

These magic cloaks were created by elves of Sithicus for those of their race travelling in other domains as spies and messengers.
It alters the appearance of any demi-human or near-human wearer to a human semblance. The disguised wearer resembles a human version of his normal self, and will retain any distinctive scars and similar marks but not anything non-human, such as pointed ears or furry feet. The magic does not alter apparent sex. Nor does it greatly modify apparent height and bulk.
A dwarf wearing such a cloak would appear to be a short, burly man. An elfmaid would resemble a slim human girl.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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