Doppelgänger
This aberration has the supernatural ability to mimic the physical appearance of another demi-human. Cunning and wicked they can easily infiltrate in human society to pursue their evil schemes. Might: 3 Nature: 6 Descriptors: Mimicking, Scrutinizing, Beguiling
Instinct: Kill the target. Take its place. Special: The doppelgänger can take the appearance of any demi-human, real or imaginary, as long as it can observe the creature first. When taking another person’s appearance a character that had familiarity with the original person (or grows suspicious of the impostor) can test her Will against the doppelgänger’s Might to know that the creature is not what it claims to be.
I’m planning in having this guys as future villains. Not sure if the stats are too “monothematic.” What do you think? What would you add to this creature? I have to wrap this up soon because they might be the result of a failed Circles test for the next session.
I’d be inclined to have the doppleganger roll for successes based on some scale of how long the victim has been under its observation (e.g., one hour = 2D; one day = 4D; one week = 6D; etc). Then, the test to discern it’s a fake would test perception against the mimicry successes, but the test could only be done if there’s good cause (e.g., the doppleganger is observed acting contrary to the victim’s Belief or Instinct).
I gave it a low Kill dispo because I can’t think of any other weak conflict for the monster to have.
The idea is that if the characters manage to find out about the true nature of the doppelganger, it’s easy to run him through. But yeah, I guess it would be totally anticlimactical to have the characters confront the shapechanger only to smash his skull in one swift blow.
Why would the climax be a kill conflict? If the doppelganger could run away, it would, making a kill conflict not on the table. Plus, he’s bound to have tricks up his sleeve, minions more powerful that have been fooled into loyalty. Of course if you convince the minions of the treachery then you don’t even need to run the kill conflict, the climax was the convince conflict and the killing is just a narrative falling action and resolution.
You could also create a weakness that could be discovered and used as a weapon by the party.
For example, what if a doppleganger was fixed into it’s true form until the next moon by the use of its True Name? That could deprive it of its “Shapchanger” weapons in conflicts. You could also have the True Name serve as a weapon for the party in conflicts, the way Ged intimidated the dragon in A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA:
Like a sword in sharpness but five times the length of any sword, the point of the dragon’s tail arched up scorpion-wise over his mailed back, above the tower. Dryly, he spoke: “I strike no bargains. I take. What have you to offer that I cannot take from you when I like?”
"Safety. Your safety. Swear that you will never fly eastward of Pendor, and I will swear to leave you unharmed. . .
A grating sound came from the dragon’s throat . . . “You offer me safety! You threaten me! With what?”
“With your name, Yevaud.”
Ged’s voice shook as he spoke the name, yet he spoke it clear and loud. At the sound of it, the old dragon held still, utterly still.
I also did a Doppleganger. Here’s what I did. Maybe we can combine ideas. Mine is a little more restricted than yours. He can only take the form of a victim that recently died, (most likely at the doppleganger’s hands). He absorbs the released soul to take the form. Then, he has a limited time that he can maintain the form before he becomes physically ill, eventually dying, if he doesn’t take a new form. Here’s the stats:
Doppleganger These mysterious creatures are a form of shapeshifter that takes its forms from the life essences of its victims. Able to take the form of any humanoid from a halfling to a troll, many dopplegangers make their way through the world as assassins, spies or thieves. Might: 4 Nature: 6 Descriptors: Deceiving, Murdering, Thieving Conflict Dispositions
Capture 10 Convince 10 Drive Off 8
Flee 10 Kill 8 Trick/Riddle 10 Conflict Weapons
Capture Weapons Defend: +1D, Oily Skin
Feint: +1s, Disorienting Aura
Convince Weapons Feint: +1D, Misleading Babble
Defend: +1D, Believes Its Own Lies
Drive Off Weapons Attack or Feint: +1D, Sword
Defend: +1D, Oily Skin
Feint: +1s, Disorienting Aura
Flee Weapons Defend: +1D, Oily Skin
Feint: +1s, Disorienting Aura
Kill Weapons Attack or Feint: +1D, Sword
Defend: +1D, Oily Skin
Feint: +1s, Disorienting Aura
Trick/Riddle Feint: +1D, Misleading Babble
Weapons Defend: +1D, Believes Its Own Lies Instinct: Always steal the identity of a victim. Special: If a doppleganger has one uninterrupted turn with a freshly killed corpse, it can steal the body’s identity, with no visible differences appearing for 1-3 weeks, at which point it shows signs of illness that could give it away to suspicious eyes.
Your doppelgänger is much more powerful than mine! It has Might 4 and no weak disposition!
I’m tempted on augmenting my monsters Might, but as more as I see it, more I like the idea of it being really weak in physical conflicts.
Also the ones I’m preparing will be posing as clerics, so they’ll have armor an weapons. In secret they are servants of Abhot, The Source of Uncleaniness, an elder god. Not sure if it will be alright to give them, prayers, though.
I wanted mine to be a little more powerful. They are extremely rare and I wanted this one to be a recurring villain. However, mine are more limited in how, how often and how long they change, so it balances out a bit.
