Doppelganger Harvester
Doppelganger Harvester (CR 15)
| Neutral Evil - Large - Protean |
|---|
| Lore: | Know (Local) | ||
| 32 | 48 | ||
| Basic DC | Full DC | ||
| Initiative |
28 |
| Perception: | |
| 35 | +25 |
| Passive | Active |
| Ambush: |
| 10+ |
| on a d20 |
Senses:
Movement Types:
Defense
| AC |
37 |
| Man Def |
|
37 |
| Monster Health | ||
| 429 | 214 | 29 |
| Hit Points | Bloodied | Hit Dice |
| Saving Throws | |
| Fort: | +17 |
| Refl: | +12 |
| Will: | +14 |
Strong Against:
- None, or, as Stolen Form
- None, or, as Stolen Form
Weak Against:
- None, or, as Stolen Form
Offense
| Size: | Large | ||
| 10 ft. | 10 ft. | ||
| Space | Reach | ||
| To-Hit |
+22 
|
| Man Off |
+25
|
| Action |
| 0 |
| Points |
Standard Attack (Melee):
- 1x Changing Bite +22 (3d10+23/x2)
as undefined damage type
Full Attack (Melee):
- 1x Changing Bite +22 (3d10+23/x2)
as undefined damage type - 2x Shifting Claws +22 (3d6+9/x2)
as undefined damage type
Standard Attack (Ranged):
- 1x Vile Bile +22 (3d10+23/x2)
as undefined damage type
(Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 150 ft.)
Acid damage
Full Attack (Ranged):
- 3x Vile Bile +22 (3d10+23/x2)
as undefined damage type
(Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 150 ft.)
Acid damage
Siege Damage: Not siege capable
Statistics
| 26 |
| STR |
| 14 |
| DEX |
| 20 |
| CON |
| 10 |
| INT |
| 10 |
| WIS |
| 14 |
| CHA |
Skills:
- Bluff: 28
- Intimidate: 25
- Perception: 25
- Sense Motive: 25
- All other skills: 20 (no ranks)
Languages: Kern, plus up to three others as Stolen Form
Feats:
- Run (EFFECT: Faster walk speed, do not become flat-footed when running, and gain a bonus to running jumps.)
- Mobility (EFFECT: +4 AC against attacks of opportunity from movement)
Special Abilities
| Stolen Form (Ex) |
|
As a standard action, or by using Skinship in combat (see below), a Doppelganger Harvester may assume the form of any other size large or larger creature up to CR 15. 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, weaknesses, AC, and saves, with that of the assumed form (just not its hit points). It keeps its skills and feats, and may gain more from the Stolen Form. If the Stolen Form has a better skill than the Doppelganger does, it uses the better skill.
|
| Skinship (Ex) |
|
While attacking with melee in its true shape the Doppelganger uses the stats listed in this Blueprint. In addition, once per round as a swift action, the Doppelganger may make a touch attack (rolling a d20 + vs touch AC) against one adjacent foe, regardless of the form it is using. 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. 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. |
| Flood of Flesh (Ex) |
|
When in its true shape, during odd-numbered combat rounds, as a full attack action, the Doppelganger Harvester may loosen its grip on the fabric of its flesh even more than usual, and surge around the battlefield as a semi-liquid mass of writhing tendrils and globules and tumors. While using Flood of Flesh, the Harvester may move up to 60 feet (a double move), it may pass through the space of enemy creatures without penalty, and it does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It must end Flood of Flesh in a space large enough to contain it without squeezing. All enemy creatures it crosses over take of physical biting damage and are knocked prone. All effected creatures are allowed a Reflex save against a DC of . If this save succeeds, they are not knocked prone, but the damage is not reduced. Even if passed over multiple times by a single Harvester, a creature is only affected by Flood of Flesh once in a given combat round per Harvester.
|
| Unquiet Flesh (Ex) |
|
Harvester's are even more loosely tied to their meat than most Doppelgangers, and as such, they waver on the edge of existing at all. This makes them hard to affect with many effects, and thus Harvesters have Spell Resistance. If they are targeted by any spell or spell-like effect (see link for details), their attacker must make a Caster Check against a DC of . If the attacker fails to equal or exceed the DC, the effect does nothing to the Doppelganger. |
Doppelganger Harvester
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 4) 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.
- Despite their relatively high power levels and great size, Doppelganger Harvesters seem to be fairly lowly creatures in the Doppelganger hierarchy. Since they are size Large, they cannot assume the shape of a size medium creature, unlike most of their fellow monsters. As a result, in many cultures Harvesters are forced into the role of lowly animals, and often take the guise of horses, cows, camels, llamas, and many other size large domesticated creatures. As a result, Harvesters dislike human cultures and instead are frequently found in clans of Giants. In a Giant society, Harvesters assume traditional Doppelganger roles, namely, as pampered and frivolous as possible.
- Harvesters, unlike basic Doppelgangers, are keenly aware of their great War, and once they have made themselves comfortable (whether in a barn or in a mansion) they relentlessly work to participate. Many a late-night mission will be undertaken by the Harvesters as they seek out and battle other doppelganger factions. Harvesters are frequently aided in these roles by Dictators, have been known to work with Overseers, and are occasionally found with a mighty Consul. In all cases, the Harvesters seem more than willing to allow these other Doppelgangers to 'call the shots' and will act as muscle and agents for them. It is not uncommon for Harvesters to assume the guise of horses or other riding beast and serve as mounts for other Doppelgangers. This puts a whole new twist on caravans....
Combat Tactics
Harvesters are fairly simple creatures. If they are pressed into battle, they will drop their Stolen Form at the first opportunity and attack relentlessly. If they are damaged (from a surprise round, for example) or tactically hemmed in at the beginning of combat, they will use Flood of Flesh in the first round to move to a better place, otherwise, they will save Flood of Flesh until later.
- In all cases, they will maneuver in the first two rounds of the combat so they can get as large a number of victims as possible in the third round with their Flood of Flesh. They do this to gain the healing, and to use Flood of Flesh as a 'finishing blow' for the combat.
- Harvesters, like all Doppelgangers, will rarely start a fight with adventurers, but if they are pressed into it they will fight savagely and without fear to the death.
- Note: Doppelganger Harvesters have Spell Resistance! They are very aware of this ability and will tend to treat spellcasters with utter contempt. Note as well that Harvesters are very sought after in Doppelganger 'society' if there are many Vampires to be dealt with, as the spell resistance makes that onerous task smoother.
Out of Combat
Harvesters seem to spend a lot of time impersonating things like cows and horses, and seem...weirdly content, doing it.
Rewards
XP: 51,200
Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 32,125 gp.
- Weight: 150 lbs. Volume: 6 cu. ft.
- Doppelganger ichor is very, very valuable, especially the high-potency stuff that high level shapeshifters give off.
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) |