Hooded masks; Do you think they grant complete immunity from visual recognition?

[Machiavelli]

They often seem to get used like immunity from recognition in a can. I'm just curious what people think about this.

[07paul87]

I voted no, but I think they should give immunity until the character speaks, or gives some other tell for others. For example, Sago can't really go incognito unless he is *really* focused on it. Even when he wears a mask, it's brightly colored and tends to match the rest of his clothing. Combined with his obnoxious antics, it's pretty easy for players to see through his disguise.

If he changed to dull clothes and didn't speak, I'd like for players to RP that they don't know who he is, until they start to get IC suspicion, at which point I'd roll disguise (and almost certainly fail).

[BedlamX]

I think it would depend on how well your toon knows the masked one. I do costuming and can tell who my good friends are simply by the way they walk and carry themselves. Even if they are in full face helmets or prosthetics, I can figure out who they are after a few moments watching them. I would think a character could do the same. Especially with the masked hoods. You still have to have the eye area exposed and that part of the face is very telling.

Once you speak...all bets are off without a decent disguise roll (at least in my opinion). Think of the new Batman movies. Anyone with half a brain could tell who he is under the mask once he starts talking (even though he tries to sound all gruff...or like someone with throat cancer).

But, for RP purposes, I usually just let it slide as if the mask covers everything and changes the voice enough to have no idea who it is. Much easier than getting all technical and starting a huge OOC argument. That just messes up the RP experience of everyone else present.

[Zoberraz]

Masks? No, I don't think so.

Because I can recognize you from your sword, your boots, your armor, that shield you strap over your back, that spell component pouch, the way you walk, the way you talk, etcetera.

If you don't want to be recognized, you need to be more thorough just just masking your head.

[07paul87]

Masks? No, I don't think so.

Because I can recognize you from your sword, your boots, your armor, that shield you strap over your back, that spell component pouch, the way you walk, the way you talk, etcetera.

If you don't want to be recognized, you need to be more thorough just just masking your head.

Which is why Sago carries five different outfits, and expands when necessary. Unfortunately for him, he has a strong desire to be the brightest person in the room, and lacks the good sense to just "play it cool."

[grant]

Yes and No. From a distance, yes and definitely if the toon has changed cloths as well. Up close it would depend on how well or how distinctive the toon is. Skin and eye color would reveal much even shaded. Some toons are more distinctive than others as well there are not that many orcs and half orcs running around that throwing a mask on would suddenly get one lost in the crowd. Even some humans stand out more than others. Skin tone can identify an elf at least to a tribal level.

[Zephyr]

I'm pretty sure if you don't have the disguise button active then you're assumed to be walking around as your character normally would. I think hoods give a bonus to disguise, but don't automatically make you impervious to being spotted.

Characters with a high spot would be able to discern the disguise.

[cdnspr]

//damn double-post

[cdnspr]

just to counter what zeph said, one can still use the bluff skill to conceal one's identity, for which there is no icon. (http://www.sundren.org/wiki/index.php/SkillvsSkill under Disguise)

but yeah, if you're gonna put a mask on, at least use a different armour, shield, etc. I can only suspend my disbelief so much.

[Root]

Disguise is better for things like making yourself look like a Sundren Army soldier, making yourself look like an old man, etc.

If you just don't want to be recognised, you can cover your head in a towell and wear sunglasses and a trenchcoat, then not speak. You'll look extremely suspicious, but nobody will know who you are.

Only a character with extremely high Sense Motive should be able to pinpoint exactly who you are from having met you in passing a few weeks ago when you're completely indiscernable.

Of course, a Dwarf will always look like a dwarf, and an eight-foot-tall female half-orc will never pass for anything else.

In any case...

Disguise + Bluff = Convincingly look, act and sound like somebody else
Conceal all visible features, don't speak = Stop people recognising you, but look suspicious.

All IMO, of course.

[Cornuto]

I'm kind of with Root here. Spot doesn't give you x-ray vision. If their entire face is covered you can't see it. Simple as that.

[DM_Equinox]

Agreed, though as has been said before, if a character walks around with, say a blade called Sting that glows blue when an orc nears.... well, chances are his name is Frodo regardless of whether his face is hidden or not

[Lanemeyer]

Do you guys really think bank robbers, murderes, all sort of criminals have a good disguise skill?

Nah, they just wear a hood and go to the party, and cops only find out who they are after a good time of investigation, when they catch them.

So, I did vote yes

[BedlamX]

Problem with your example, Lane: most bank robbers (well...the ones that don't leave their ID at the scene anyway) are eventually ID'd by someone that knows them and did recognize them under the mask. Bank people usually have no idea who the person is...even without the mask. But people that knew them (worked with them, hung out at the gym, whatever) recognized them from small details such as other clothes or the way they moved.

That's why I don't think there is a simple answer to this question (other than the post below option). Does a mask hide the identity of someone you may have seen a couple times, but really haven't spent much time with? Probably a good chance it will. Will it keep you from recognizing someone you are pretty familiar with (either friends or foes)? Probably not without using the disguise skill (and then I would say if the person is well known to you, there should be a penalty to stay disguised enough to fool the observer).

Sago...now he's screwwed with just a mask :P. Too many people have had interactions with him and he just won't stop wearing those fabulous outfits.

Silly notion: Superman had a disguise skill of 10 to the 25th power to get away with using glasses and a bit of gel to get that squiggly piece of hair to hang down as a disguise.

[Lanemeyer]

Makes sense BedlamX, but that makes me think of my char Marees. Well, I think you could role play the way I do. She doesnt have any skill in disguise, however, when she is hooded, I play her as being a damn of an annoying and rude person, when she is kind and cordial without the hood.

Now, if a DM come to me and say: you cant do it without the skill, I will gladly remake her.

Guess it`s not only about the skill though, but how you play it.