Doppelganger

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Doppelganger (CR 4)

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 study carefully and touch. Doppelgangers like handshakes and hugs and more intimate forms of touching, and one of the very few indicators of a doppelgangers takeover is a change in a person's demeanor to be nicer and more friendly.

But make no mistake: Doppelgangers are parasites. They add nothing to the society they infest. They have no worthwhile skills and really only want to take advantage of the most comfortable and wealthy position they can assume without much effort or risk of being caught. For this reason, Doppelgangers frequently assume the role of young wives or younger sons of nobility. They are also fond of impersonating clergy, although they have to be very careful of that sort of thing, as getting a God mad at you is NOT good for your health.

On the very rare occasions when a Doppelganger is revealed without its shape shifting, the true extent of their alienness can be seen.

General

CR 4 Hit Dice 5

XP 1,200

NE, Medium, Monstrous Humanoid

Init +2; Senses Senses as the Stolen Form, Perception +6

Defense

AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor, +3 dex, +3 natural, +0 deflection)

hp 50

Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +7

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: -

Immunities: -

Weaknesses: -

Offense

Speed 30 ft., or as the Stolen Form

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft., or as the Stolen Form

Single Melee Bite +8 (1d8/x2) +Skinship, or as the Stolen Form

Full Melee Bite +8 (1d8/x2), 2x Claws +8 (1d6/x2) +Skinship, or as the Stolen Form

Ranged None, or as the Stolen Form

Special Attacks Skinship, Stolen Form

Action Points 0

Statistics

Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14 , or as Stolen Form

Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 18

Feats -

Skills Bluff +8, Sense Motive +8, Intimidate +8

Languages Common, Kern, up to three other languages based upon Stolen Form

Special Abilities

<special abilities should have a save DC 13>

<special attack damage (standard action): 2d6+1>

<special attack damage (aoe’s, swift actions or inflicting status effects): 1d6>

Stolen Form

As a standard action, a Doppelganger may assume the form of any other creature between CR3 and CR6. While using Stolen Form, the Doppelganger effectively becomes the creature being imitated, to the extent that they do not even use their own Blueprint: Instead, use the Blueprint of the creature being mimicked. The Doppelganger gains the use of all abilities, senses, movement, etc, of the assumed form, including all defenses, AC, and saves. The Stolen Form only has one half the normal hitpoints of such a creature, however.

If a Doppelganger using Stolen Form is engaged in combat, it will endeavor to flee as soon as possible. If the Stolen Form is reduced to half hitpoints, the Doppelganger will lose conntrol of the Stolen Form and will revert to its own true form. This forced shapeshift will force all creatures who see it to make a Will save against a DC of 13 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

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 on this Blueprint. In addition, once per round as a swift action, the Doppelganger may make a touch attack against one adjacent foe. If this touch attack is successful, their shape will begin to shift toward that creature's appearance, that creature is rendered flatfooted against the Doppelganger that touched it until the beginning of their next turn, and it will gain hitpoints equal to its CR (usually 4). If any creature that has been touched by Skinship is reduced to negative hitpoints by the Doppelganger, the Doppelganger immediately assumes that creature's shape as Stolen Form reactivates and it's hit points are increased by half that creature's hitpoints.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 1,125 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

Doppelgangers don't like to fight, ever. An infestation of Doppelgangers will not confront a party unless that party has figured out their identity. Doppelgangers will often murder those they replace, and finding the bodies of their victims is a dead giveaway, so Doppelgangers are usually at least a little careful about hiding the evidence. In daily activities, Doppelgangers rely heavily on Sense motive and Bluff checks to make their way through the day. They tend to be lazy and lackadaisical, as they have no interest in work or toil. Only a truly desperate Doppelganger will ever mimic a ditch digger!

Doppelgangers speak Kern amongst themselves, which is a language made up of and teaches them all other languages. Sadly, they can't teach Kern to anyone else, although they treat Kern speakers with a modicum of respect.

If forced into combat, Doppelgangers will use all the abilities of their Stolen Form to escape. if they lose their Stolen Form, they will immediately attack, using their bite and claws to damage their foes and Skinship to heal themselves. If at all possible they will concentrate on the weakest foe they can reach, and if they drop him, all of them assume that same form, to maximize the confusion as much as possible.

Sadly, this tactic usually means they take the form of the weakest member of a party, and they rarely last too much longer after that....