Experiment: Incognito Monster

[Corsair]

Here is the deal: My current party is all 9th/10th level. I'd like to find a monster that could join the party in disguise somehow, and be a competent member of the party. Minimal LA is ideal, and the best choice should fit the following criteria:

1) Source Material: Core, Complete Series, MM 2, MM 3, Fiend Folio, Monster Series (Libre, Drac, Lords). Other material is maybe at best.

2) Wierdness: The wierder the better, but it has to be plausible and have a reason to be adventuring with a primarily good aligned group.

3) Power: It needs to be able to keep up with a party average level 9.5. Warrior type is prefered, but not required.

4) Incognito: My goal is to be able to hide what the character is from the rest of the party as long as possible. Obviously as players they will figure out quickly that I'm not what I say I am, but I want them guessing as long as possible.


Ideally it should be something with some sort of at will disguise/alter self ability, or that looks essentially human/elf/dwarf/whatever. Also if it matters, the party has an anti-devil focus.

Entire monsters are better than template options, but I'm open to any crazy ideas. And just to nip it in the bud ahead of time: No dopplegangers. Thats too obvious.

 

[Grogtar]

Arcanoloth from the MM II

Fantastic with Shapechange at will. Lousy in Melee though, but can easily pass for a sorceror.

 

[Corsair]

Except its CR 17, and an evil outsider. Doesn't fit the 9th/10th level good aligned party though.

 

[Bauglir]

How about an imp with a human form as one of its alternate forms?

Outsider HD means it'll make a respectable fighter. Not sure what ECL it would be as the LA isn't listed in the SRD, but it should be doable in a 10th level party, and it's a devil.

 

[Sejs]

Mimic.

Pretending to be a guy in heavy armor, hence the low, low movement.

Maybe tell the party that the armor is cursed and he can't take it off, but he was lucky enough to have on one of those rings that makes it so you don't need to eat and use the washroom on before he got trapped. On the down side, since it's under the armor, he couldn't take it off even if he wanted to, but still... could be worse.

 

[Graf]

A more creative version would be a non-shapechanger....

In one game we were playing when I was either in grade school or early HS we got attacked by 20 something doppelgangers (wandered right into the trap, involved some old lady). There were more than 10 players and desperate combat ensued. I think most of the players made it but we lost 3.

Anyway the three dead PCs was a dwarfs, after we started wrapping up his body we discovered it was covered in makeup. So it turned out he was a dark dwarf (this was in the days before there were LAs for overpowered races).

We left him to molder among the corpses of the evil shapechangers.

Sometimes not being a "tricky monster" is both more interesting and memorable.
Just my two cents.

 

[Ceska]

Perhaps a Changeling from MM III, its LA +0 and with a Ring of Mind Shielding it would be very nice.... They have the shapechanger subtype but are not Dopplegangers per se...

 

[Nifft]

How about an Air Mephit Rogue who disguised himself as some sort of fey-touched Halfling?

Werewolf is also cool.

-- N

 

[Nifft]

Ooo, actually, if it's an anti-devil party, perhaps they're infiltrated by an Incubus (or Succubus, whichever you're comfortable playing) Blackguard who pretends to be a Paladin. This is a Xellos-type bad guy who's mainly interested in helping the party kill its enemy: devils!

-- N

 

[Prism]

A wyrmling gold dragon gets alternate form, 8d12 hit dice and a fighter attack bonus - counts as an ECL 12 character. Or even a silver dragon

Or with some disguise you could allow a Bralani Eladrin to be passable as an elf