Doppelganger

From Epic Path
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Doppelganger (CR 3)

Pure Evil - Medium - Protean
Lore: Know (Local)
6 21
Basic DC Full DC
Initiative
Initiative Icon 2.png
5
Perception:
15 +5
Passive Active
Ambush:
10+
on a d20

Senses:

  • Standard Senses
  • SPECIAL: Has all senses of their current Stolen Form (see below)

Movement Types:

  • Walk 30 ft.
  • SPECIAL: Has all movement types from their current Stolen Form

Defense

AC
Shield Icon 3.png
18
Man Def
Shield Icon 3.png
17
Monster Health
51 25 4
Hit Points Bloodied Hit Dice
Saving Throws
Fort: +6
Refl: +1
Will: +6

Strong Against:

Weak Against:

Offense

Size: Medium
5 ft. 5 ft.
Space Reach
To-Hit
+6
Sword Icon 3.png
Man Off
+5
Sword Icon 3.png
Action
0
Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

  • 1x Bite +6 (1d10+2/x2)
    as crushing (physical, common)

Full Attack (Melee):

  • 1x Bite +6 (1d10+2/x2)
    as crushing (physical, common)
  • 2x Claw +6 (1d6/x2)
    as slashing (physical, common)
    plus Skinship, or as the stolen form

Standard Attack (Ranged):

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

12
STR
14
DEX
14
CON
12
INT
12
WIS
14
CHA

Skills:

Languages: Common, Kern, up to 3 more from stolen form

Feats:

Special Abilities

Stolen Form (Ex) Standard Action, or Special

As a standard action, or by using Skinship in combat (see below), a Doppelganger may assume the form of any other creature up to CR 8. While using Stolen Form, the Doppelganger effectively becomes the creature being imitated, except that the Doppelganger's hit points never change and it always retains the use of its Stolen Form and Skinship abilities. While mimicking another form, the doppelganger replaces its own abilities, senses, movement, defenses, AC, and saves, with that of the assumed form (just not its hit points).

If a Doppelganger using Stolen Form is engaged in combat, it will endeavor to flee as soon as possible. If the Doppelganger is reduced to half hit points while in a Stolen Form, it loses control and will revert to its own true form. When this occurs, the creeping unnatural appearance of this reversion induces paranoia in humanoids. All creatures who see it must make a Will save against a DC of 15 or gain the Nervous condition until the end of the combat, as they wonder who among their allies and friends might be a doppelganger as well.

Skinship (Ex) Swift Action 1/Rnd

Once the Stolen Form is lost, the Doppelganger will usually attack in a terrible frenzy. While attacking in its true shape it uses the stats listed above. In addition, once per round as a swift action, the Doppelganger may make a touch attack against one adjacent foe at 1d20 + 10 vs. AC (always hits on a 17+ on the die). If this touch attack is successful, the Doppelganger's shape will begin to shift toward that creature's appearance, it gains a +2 bonus to to-hit rolls against the touched creature until the beginning of the creature's next turn, and the doppelganger will heal hit points equal to its Hit Dice (4 hit points). If any creature touched by Skinship is reduced to negative hit points by any Doppelganger, any Doppelgangers who have touched it with Skinship may reactivate Stolen Form as a free action, instantly assuming the form of the fallen creature, and instantly healing the doppelganger an amount of hit points equal to half the impersonated creature's maximum hit points.

Doppelganger

Doppelganger

Doppelgangers are a strange race of shape shifters that act as parasites of entire civilizations. Their mindset is alien compared to most humanoid races, and their ability to steal the identity of others triggers nearly universal revulsion. Doppelgangers may exactly and perfectly mimic anyone they have had a chance to touch for a few seconds.

What is not widely known about Doppelgangers, is that they come in many castes. They all have the ability to perfectly mimic other creatures, and they are all parasites that subsist upon the civilizations of others, but the Doppelgangers do not care very much about that at all.

The reason that Doppelgangers are so little engaged with the other societies is two-fold:

First, Doppelgangers are really, truly alien, both in their natural appearance and in their mental and spiritual processes. They have no souls, nor do they have spirits. They aren't even really alive in the same way as other races, and it is unclear if they even eat food or breathe air. They have very little in common with other races.

Second, Doppelgangers are utterly and completely consumed by their war. Plain Doppelgangers (CR 3) are little more than mindless drones, pawns that exist to breed and infiltrate the world. The higher level Doppelgangers are the ones who are aware of their secret war and they are responsible for prosecuting it, to the exclusion of all other tasks. Everything is devoted to the War, every waking moment consumed with prosecuting the War or building up to make another attack.

On the very rare occasions when a Doppelganger has been captured and interrogated, their answers, made in Kern, make no sense at all. The Doppelgangers seem to be at war with themselves, absolutely and implacably. No outsider has ever figured out what factions or divisions exist in Doppelganger 'society', if such a thing can even be said to exist.

Most Doppelgangers placidly subsist on the largess of the societies they infest. But other Doppelgangers are much more sinister and menacing, and are ruthlessly driven to seek out and destroy other Doppelgangers. Whether a Doppelganger will see another as foe or ally seems completely random.

It should be noted that Doppelgangers and Vampires, where they co-exist, are unrelenting enemies as well. Doppelgangers and Vampires both infest and feed off of larger societies, and so they see each other as competitors. Both factions will seek to destroy the other whenever they come into contact.

Combat Tactics

Plain Doppelgangers like these generally avoid combat as much as they can, preferring to hide instead. If forced into combat they will try to flee, and if they cannot, they will drop their Stolen Form and attack like cornered rats, hoping to blitz their way out of any problems, using Skinship to try and take a new face they can use to disappear. Under no circumstances will they submit to capture, fighting to the death without hesitation if they cannot get away.

Out of Combat

Doppelgangers live as their stolen forms, seeking to 'get by' in as much ease and comfort as possible. They seem to have no higher goals or ambitions in the slightest.

Rewards

XP: 800

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 813 gp.

Weight: 30 lbs.     Volume: 1.2 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10 Nothing Found
11 - 14 1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17 1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19 1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20 Roll on Table 2
### Nothing to see here!
### Or here. Move along.
Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5 3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10 3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14 1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17 1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19 1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20 Roll on Table 3
### Or here. Move along.
Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5 3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8 3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11 3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14 3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17 1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19 1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20 1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)