A perfect disguise is just a name away
This hardback book is completely blank. When written in, the words vanish when the book is closed.
However, when the words ‘My name is” followed by a full name is written inside, the person turns into an exact replica of the name written, down to the most petty physical mannerisms, including handwriting and manner os speech. This lasts until the book is closed. This only works if the person is still alive, and if the person does not have a unique name (titles, such as Dr., Jr., Sr., help to lower ambiguity, although they are not necessary), there is an even chance of becoming anyone who shares the name.
This is unnerving, requiring a rank-4 unnatural check at first, and then rank-4 self checks later at the GM’s discretion.
In addition, tied to the book is another magick item.
This fountain pen never keeps any ink, and bears the initials “S. O. Z.” There are three ways to fill it.
1. Press the pen to wet blood. (doesn’t have to be fresh, a splash of water on a 20 year old bloodstain works)
2. Press the pen to someone’s fingertips or face. (this stings, as blood is extracted)
3. Trace someone’s handwriting.
In the third case, a minor charge must be spent to activate the pen, unless the handwriting was written in the blood of the writer.
When the pen is filled, the initials are replaced with the full name of the sample, and the pen automatically makes the writer use the sample handwriting.
When combined, they have additional synergy.
For one, when the pen is filled and pressed to the paper in the book, the pen automatically writes ‘My name is’ and then the name inscribed on the pen. If the writer did not intend to do this, a rank-6 unnatural check is in order. This is useful, because the name on the pen is in the native language of the sample.
In addition, when a disguise is taken in this matter, it is tenacious, lasting for 33 minutes after the book is closed, with opening the book and turning to the appropriate page restting the timer.
Also, when a person so disguised is asked a question that the disguise would know but the person doesn’t, there is a 20% chance that the person suddenly knows the answer. This only occurs if the person asking the question is unaware of the disguise.
Finally, both artifacts are even more useful in the hands of a personamancer. A personamancer can merely spend a minor charge to fill the pen, no sample required, if they know the subject sufficiently to use The Basics. Also, they can spend a single minor charge to extend the duration of the book disguise by 33 minutes after the book is closed. Together, that minor charge can extend the duration of the disguise for 24 hours after the book is closed, and another charge can dismiss it. Also, the question-answering check becomes a personamancy roll, with a minor charge buying a reroll, and the Thespian can use the formula spell ‘I Play One on TV’ to imitate any mundane skill of the person imitated, but the skill can not exceed the subject’s skill.
The artifacts are currently in the hands of their creator, a personamancer sleeper named Samson Zimmerman who has a custom formula he calls ‘I Knew That’, which allows him to know the answer to a question he is asked if the person asking it thinks he is a person who knows it. This formula costs on minor charge. He usually uses the artifacts to harass his targets, as they are useless to generate charges.
At the GM’s discretion, this disguise can also lower the cost of other personamancy spells designed to enhance the disguise (such as I am, Therefore I think) by 1 charge.
Bibliomancer major charge, definetly.
The book isn’t valuable, it’s a three-dollar blank diary. The magick doesn’t increase it’s value to booksellers.
I think mattias was speculating about how the artifact was created–via the use of a bibliomancy major charge.
I submit that an Infomancer or Personomancer could have created it as well.
I noted at the end that the artifacts are in the hands of their creator, a personamancer.
The personamancer, who is a character of mine, has a quirk that when he is psyching himself into a long-term disguise, he writes in that book ‘My name is’ and then the name, and thrice if he was doing his own name afterwards. After it was filled and he got a major charge, he dropped it on the book.
The artifact is essentially an endless-use artifact of the Personamancy formula spell ‘The Basics’ with somewhere about twenty minor charges dumped on it for features.
The pen is the same, except it only copies handwriting, and can tell you someone’s name from a blood sample.
The synergy was just for fun.