Disguise
Typically used with: Presence.
In short: play dress-up. If a character wants to look like someone else, or at least not look like herself, the Disguise skill is a necessary tool. The fugitive blending in with the locals, the super spy posing as the (recently, tragically deceased) king, and the undercover martial artist gathering secrets from a rival clan all make use of the Disguise check to its fullest.
Impersonating
You can make a Disguise check to assume the guise of another, whether that's a specific person, a class of person (e.g. aristocrat, commoner), or a type of occupation (e.g. city guard, beggar). It's all about how you carry yourself: your demeanor, your voice, your mannerisms. You may be able to look like somebody else, but without ranks in Disguise or points in Presence, you probably won't be fooling anybody.
Gather together your outfit, and make a Disguise check. As long as you're adopting that persona, people you meet get a chance to see through your charade. They make Discern checks against your original Disguise check. If yours is higher, your new persona is convincing. If they meet or exceed your roll, they figure out that you're pretending ("Is that a wig?"). You can't retry a failed Disguise check, but you could go find a different outfit and try that one instead.
The following table lists situational bonuses and penalties to the Disguise check.
| Situation | Check |
|---|---|
| Different gender | −2 |
| Different race | −4 |
| Per point of Size difference | −5 |
| Employing a Disguise Kit | +4 |
Penalties and bonuses are cumulative. For example, a male firna, 4 feet tall and 60 pounds (Size −1), with a Disguise Kit, attempting to pass for a female kulgeri, 8 feet tall and 300 pounds (Size 1), would take a −12 penalty to Disguise.
When you impersonate a specific character, anyone making a Discern check who actually knows the person is granted bonuses to detect a disguise. This is based on their Disposition toward the one being impersonated.
| Example | Check |
|---|---|
| Benign/Malign | +2 |
| Friendly/Hostile | +6 |
| Enamored/Hateful | +8 |
Be careful when you're incognito, because people might expect specific knowledge of you. Often times you'll need to be good at both Bluff and Lore to really sell that you're someone else.
Collecting Information
The Disguise skill can also be used to blend in for the purposes of recon and gathering intelligence. If you're dressed as a soldier in an enemy camp, chances are you'll hear some battle plans. If you're dressed as a local in a xenophobic city, they'll probably be more likely to speak with you.
