The Changeling racial traits let's you physically change yourself. You actually change, but your clothing and gear are unaffected.
With Disguise Self, it is only an illusion that covers both you and your clothes/equipment.
If you you alter yourself with your racial traits, then use disguise self, you would have an illusion over your physical changes from your racial ability.
Could be handy to use both by changing your body with your racial and your gear with the spell, since that way you would still be able to do some physical interactions with others around you, like a handshake, without reveling your illusory disguise.
Generally you don't have to worry about a handshake blowing Disguise Self anyways, unless you've significantly shifted your apparent size. It's more stuff like someone attempting to touch a hat or coat that isn't there that'll blow it.
Disguise Self doesn't hold up to physical interaction whereas Shapechanger will.
Disguise Self lets you change your height by 1 foot whereas Shapechanger lets you fully change between small and medium.
Disguise Self affects your outfit whereas Shapechanger doesn't.
I don't know if there is anything explicitly preventing you from pulling a Mystique and shapechanging into mock clothes, but I wouldn't count on it.
Detect Magic won't detect Shapechanger.
Dispel Magic and Antimagic Field won't affect Shapechanger.
Other effects that see through Disguise Self might not be able to pierce Shapechanger (evaluate on a case-by-case basis).
That said, Disguise Self is going to override your current appearance. Apart from the outfit issues, Shapechanger is superior. You can still layer disguises. If someone dispels your Disguise Self and detect no further magic, they aren't going to suspect a second disguise via Shapechanger. You can use this to cast suspicion on someone else or to fortify your disguise (Shapechanger into a certain person and use Disguise Self to appear as that person in a different outfit). If you are in an area that distrusts Shapechangers, you can use Disguise Self to explain Shapechanger.
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I'm making a bard changeling character and was wondering, what if I chose the spell disguise self? What would happen if I casted it while transformed?
The Changeling racial traits let's you physically change yourself. You actually change, but your clothing and gear are unaffected.
With Disguise Self, it is only an illusion that covers both you and your clothes/equipment.
If you you alter yourself with your racial traits, then use disguise self, you would have an illusion over your physical changes from your racial ability.
Could be handy to use both by changing your body with your racial and your gear with the spell, since that way you would still be able to do some physical interactions with others around you, like a handshake, without reveling your illusory disguise.
Generally you don't have to worry about a handshake blowing Disguise Self anyways, unless you've significantly shifted your apparent size. It's more stuff like someone attempting to touch a hat or coat that isn't there that'll blow it.
There a few differences between the two effects.
That said, Disguise Self is going to override your current appearance. Apart from the outfit issues, Shapechanger is superior. You can still layer disguises. If someone dispels your Disguise Self and detect no further magic, they aren't going to suspect a second disguise via Shapechanger. You can use this to cast suspicion on someone else or to fortify your disguise (Shapechanger into a certain person and use Disguise Self to appear as that person in a different outfit). If you are in an area that distrusts Shapechangers, you can use Disguise Self to explain Shapechanger.