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 touch for a few seconds. Doppelgangers like handshakes and hugs and even more intimate forms of touching, and one of the very few indicators of a doppelganger takeover is a sudden change in a person's demeanor to one more outgoing and friendly.

Perhaps the most alarming thing about Doppelgangers is that their mimicry includes a complete knowledge of the mimicked creature's memories and mannerisms. A simple handshake is all that a doppelganger needs to learn your darkest secrets, or the location of your most precious treasures. For this reason alone, doppelgangers are mercilessly culled from any community that learns of their presence. Luckily, doppelgangers are so lazy, they rarely resort to blackmail for the maintenance of any long-term identity. They'd rather luxuriate in their own wealth and indolence than have to maintain some ongoing intimidation scheme that might backfire and expose them.

Doppelgangers will often murder those they replace, and, since finding the bodies of their victims is a dead giveaway, 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 and 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 other languages. Their minds work so differently from normal folk that they aren't able to teach Kern to anyone else, although they treat Kern speakers with a modicum of respect.

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.

It isn't clear what motivates doppelgangers besides a desire for sloth. They seek out civilized societies, and bask in the company of humanoids, despite the danger of being exposed. They rarely attempt to rise too far in the ranks of power, or exploit their extensive knowledge of their impersonated subjects, beyond petty larceny or using their knowledge of a person's daily routine to take them out while they're alone. Given the ease with which they could subvert a bureaucracy with their abilities, it is strange that there has never been a recorded instance of them doing so.

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 Protean

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 (even in Stolen Form)

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

Stolen Form

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 6. 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 abiltiies, 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 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 above. 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, 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 current CR(4). 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.

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.

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....