What you don’t know, You can’t ruin!
The Dungeons and Dragons game is a wonderful game in the sense that there is a lot of flexibility in it. You can create your monsters and name them. You can create your campaigns, choose languages, etc. What’s the gist? There is a way around any obstacle. The earlier you figure it out, the better for you and your party members.
Speaking about maneuvering your way through obstacles and enemies, the Disguise Self is the perfect spell for this. There are instances when you need to go into the enemy’s den either to get secret intelligence or to perform a duty for your team. However, you really want to go unnoticed. If there is a changeling in the group, this could be a very good opportunity for their character to be used. However, what if there is no changeling? This is the perfect time to use the Disguise self spell.
What is Disguise Self?
The disguise self spell can be used to change your appearance as seen through the naked eyes. After using this spell, nobody can tell who you really are. This spell is usually conjured when there is an urgent and important need to get information from an enemy. This is why you have to be super careful so as not to divulge information to just anybody until they have been tested and tried.
Who can use the Disguise Self?
The Disguise self is useable by these classes; the Bards, Wizards, Artificers, and the sorcerers. It is also available for the following subclasses; Eldritch Knight, Arcane Trickster, and the Trickery domain according to the Player’s handbook. This spell is an illusion spell. It can only change the way you appear but not your original person.
Some races however can cast the disguise self. Races such as the Elf, Firbolg, Tiefling (Dispater), and the Tiefling (Glasya).
According to the Players handbook which I think is a very important book to have, the Disguise self basic statistics are excerpted for your perusal. It is important to get a player’s handbook. If you don’t already have one, you can get one through this link. If you need the Players handbook with DND dice and a complete printable kit-DND core rule book all in one pack, click this link This will save you some cash than having to go buy them separately but you will have to pay more upfront. However, if you don’t have the funds at this time to purchase one, we got you covered as we will supply you with the most important statistics for the Disguise self spell excerpted from the Players handbook.
The Disguise Self spell statistics
Spell level: 1st-level illusion (Illusion in the sense that what you see is not what it is)
Casting time: 1 action
Range: Self
Component: V, S
Duration: 1 hour
Disguise self spell explained
This level one spell gives you the leverage of changing your appearance, clothing, weapons, armor, etc.
It is important to note that the Disguise self spell does not grant a change of body type. Therefore, if you are a humanoid creature, it cannot make you look like a dragon or a centaur.
Furthermore, if as a result of your disguise you made an armor, and you are planning to infiltrate the enemy camp. If for example before you enter the camp you will go through a body check, the enemy can only see that you’re holding an armor but cannot lay hold on it. This is a very dangerous situation as you may be caught.
So what are we saying in essence, the Disguise self spell illusion is only valid upon sight. If the enemy decides to go physical with you, they may uncover your cover. To discern that you are disguised, the creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.
Attributes
How to use the Disguise self spell?
For starters, this spell is only meant for you. You cannot use it on other creatures. Hence the name Disguise “SELF”. When you use this spell on yourself, your appearance will be changed and you will take the appearance of the creature of your choice. However, there are limitations as to what creature you can transform into.
You could transform reduce or increase your height by one foot: This simply means that if you are 5ft tall, the disguise self spell can reduce or increase your original height by only one foot. So depending on your decision, you will be 4ft or 6ft in height respectively after using the spell.
You could transform to lose or gain weight or in-between: You can decide to lose or gain weight depending on your choice. However, if you decide to gain weight, remember that creatures that know you may crash into you.
You cannot change to a different body form: If you are a humanoid creature, you cannot turn into fishes. You can only disguise yourself to look like another humanoid creature.
To activate and use the disguise self spell, you need at least an available level one spell slot. If for instance, you use a spell slot for a higher level spell for disguise spell, it will still have the same effect as if a level one spell slot is used.
Is Disguise self reliable?
Depends on what you do. Like we stated earlier, if you try to infiltrate an enemy camp and you are subject to scrutiny, your cover may fail especially if they know you in person or have been in close contact with you. Apart from that, the Disguise spell is a nice one.
Disguise self and Alter self the same?
No. the Disguise self is a totally different spell from Alter self. Disguise self can change only your appearance but Alter self changes your actual physical body.