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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 9616101" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/eIwhJWM.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 349px" />While rare in terms of numbers, doppelgangers are incredibly spread out and can be found in almost every humanoid society. Their vaunted shape-changing ability lets them seamlessly blend in with the majority population, which gives them a reputation as untrustworthy manipulators. While such types exist and use their powers for these purposes, doppelgangers have a variety of outlooks, codes of conduct, and life goals. Due to their small numbers and lack of doppelganger-only settlements, these monsters don’t have as much of a unifying cultural element as others in this book. In fact, most doppelgangers often never know of or meet other doppelgangers besides their own parents.However, what is common is that doppelgangers tend to not necessarily call themselves as such, given that the default name for their species implies that their existence is self-deceiving. A more popular term gaining ground is “prismsoul.” Like a prism reflecting light in many colors, so too does a doppelganger reflect many forms and perceptions while still remaining the same being. This term originated among the Prismsoul Exemplars, a movement of doppelgangers who wished not to be defined as “being someone’s double.” The exemplars believe that their kind help act as a mirror to greater society, and fight against stereotypes. They are one of the PC-friendly factions of doppelgangers, the two others being Conspiracists (seek to arrange their kind into a hierarchical structured society), and Usurpers (seek to learn as much about a person and “replace” them). These 3 have backgrounds in 5th Edition.The 4 backgroundless ones are Faceless (seek to live a live detached from social connections or any position of notability), Personas (don’t identify as doppelgangers, but as the species of their preferred form, usually due to having a non-doppelganger parent), Unchanging (those who refuse to ever change form, usually due to a vow of some kind), and Voluptuaries (hedonists who wish to use their powers to indulge in material pleasures). While many of these philosophies can use nefarious and practical means as justification, they can still be used for less selfish goals. For example, a Usurper might choose to take on the shape of a deceased loved one to spare their family and friends emotional turmoil, or kill a tyrannical figure and take the reins of society to institute fairer reforms. A Faceless, meanwhile, might choose to eschew social connections when doing good deeds to avoid their altruism being tainted by reward and praise.Thoughts: As quite a few names for monsters carry the connotation of an outsider’s perspective, I do like the name “prismsoul” catching on among doppelgangers in viewing their state of being as but a different state of truth rather than inherently deceptive. I also find the diversity of groups and philosophies to be refreshing, as it helps reinforce the statement of doppelgangers not being a monolith while giving them a variety of justifications and reasons to make use of their powers. But it does lead into the question of how such outlooks spread, given their race’s isolation; it’s hard to form an organization when the only ones of your kind that you know of are yourself and your parents!In terms of mechanics, the base ancestry grants a bonus to Charisma and one other score, has an average movement speed, low-light vision in Pathfinder 2e, and both systems grant the ability to transform their body into a Small or Medium Humanoid over the course of 1 minute. At character creation they can mimic a single humanoid form, known as their “preferred form,” which they can transform into via an action instead. In 5th Edition doppelgangers are proficient in disguise kits but don’t need the tool to disguise themselves, while in Pathfinder 2e this ability doesn’t have the polymorph trait because “that would make it difficult to use other polymorph effects.”Doppelgangers have 4 subspecies/heritages representing enhanced facets of disguise. Bladeclaws can change one or both hands into unarmed claw attacks, Darkshifts gain darkvision, Mindtaps have better empathetic abilities which manifest as additional skill proficiencies in 5e or gaining the Read the Air cantrip in pf2e, and Thricefolds have three preferred forms at character creation instead of one.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/EHnEtzT.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 312px" />Doppelgangers have 22 feats in D&D and 27 feats in Pathfinder. Most of their feats center around expanded uses of their shapeshifting ability along with being better able to blend into a variety of social situations. The 1st level feats consist of situational but nifty traits, such as Tiny Shift letting them take the form of a Tiny-sized humanoid, Shift Claw granting a variety of alternate traits for a Bladeclaw’s unarmed attacks like increased reach, Aquatic Disguise granting a swim speed (5th level in Pathfinder), Darksight Disguise granting darkvision (5e version is 60 feet, doubles to 120 if part of the Darkshift subspecies), Olfactory Disguise granting the ability to better discern by smell (5th level in Pathfinder), and Shifter’s Tongue granting three additional languages (5e grants advantage on checks to impersonate other voices, pf2e grants a bonus language every time Multilingual feat is taken). Some feats are gained at different levels due to system expectations: for example, Ascending Disguise is a 4th level feat that lets a doppelganger gain a climb speed as part of an additional preferred form in D&D, while in Pathfinder it’s a 9th level feat that works with assuming the form of any humanoid that normally has a climb speed. In the latter system, it’s common for 9th level Ancestry feats to grant climbing speeds.I should note that in the 5th Edition version, several of the feats explicitly grant bonus traits while shapechanging, but restrict their use to an additional preferred form. There is no such text for Pathfinder, where the text instead specifies that the benefit is gained when the doppelganger transforms into a humanoid that would ordinarily have such traits. What this means is that 5th Edition doppelganger PCs who take such feats gain a new form they can take on as an action, While their Pathfinder counterparts do not, but can more easily take on a wider variety of humanoid disguises with that trait.The iconic Change Shape which the doppelganger monster is best known for is a 4th/5th level feat, letting them spend an action to take on non-preffered forms and bonuses on checks to keep up the ruse, while Mind Reader grants Detect Thoughts/Mind Reading as a once per long rest/day spell. There are differences between systems for both feats: Change Shape in 5th Edition only lets the doppelganger quick-change into non-preferred forms once per short rest, but in Pathfinder it’s an at-will ability. The Mind Reader feat is 4th level in 5th Edition and grants at-will telepathy, while in Pathfinder it’s 9th level and doesn’t grant telepathy.The 8th and 9th level feats see a marked increase in broader-purpose utility. Rejuvenating Shapeshifting lets the doppelganger automatically heal hit points every hour in 5th Edition or while resting for 10 minutes in Pathfinder, and Soaring Flight grants a fly speed for 5 minutes once per day (or 10 minutes once per long rest in 5e). Additional Changes is a 5e-exclusive feat that removes the short rest refresh rate for the Change Shape feat.At 12th to 13th level we see some broadly-appealing choices such as Adaptive Disguise (prior feats that specify working only in a preferred form work with all forms), Internal Shapeshifting (increased resistance/ability to reduce or negate the damage of critical hits or precision attacks depending on system), and “This Isn’t Even…” (changes into a “final form” upon reaching 0 hit points, regains hit points and has either +1 or advantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and AC or ability checks depending on system).The 16th and 17th level feats include Giant Shift, which grants an indefinite Large size form or a limited-duration Huge form, with increased damage for both and reach for Huge; and Undetectable Form, which grants immunity to magic that reads thoughts, detects lies, and similar methods that might detect the doppelganger’s true form. In Pathfinder, magic of 10th level or higher can see through this last feat. Adaptive Flight requires Soaring Disguise and grants an indefinite fly speed, and in Pathfinder it’s 13th level instead of 16th.The Pathfinder-exclusive feats include Preferred Weapon Familiarity (gain level 1 Weapon Familiarity ancestry feat associated with their preferred form), Adaptive Ancestry (5th level, gain Adopted Ancestry feat for preferred form’s ancestry and a 1st-level ancestry feat pertaining to that choice), Doppelganger’s Fashion (5th level, once per day can alter one’s outfit as part of the shapeshifting process), Perfected Change Shape (9th level, overcome Perception DCs and a bonus on Deception DC when disguising themselves as non-preferred forms), Greater Darksight Disguise (9th level, gains greater darkvision while impersonating a humanoid with darkvision), and Flurry of Fashion (13th level, no limit on Doppelganger’s Fashion but each use reverts the previous change),Thoughts: Unlike the entry on demons, doppelgangers are a much more tightly-themed ancestry, with the bulk of new mechanics revolving around shapeshifting and subterfuge. There’s still a good variety of choices for roles outside of the roguish sort, particularly for martial characters. That being said, I do feel that several options are going to be much more appealing in most campaigns. In worlds with a large number of non-human and darkness-dwelling races, a doppelganger hoping to infiltrate such communities pretty much needs Darksight Disguise or the Darkshift heritage unless they plan to rely on magic for this. And Soaring Disguise is going to be much more appealing than Ascending Disguise even if the latter’s climb speed is indefinite. Furthermore, the Pathfinder-exclusive Doppelganger’s Fashion is not only situational, a character can easily buy a Hat of Disguise/Masquerade Scarf to achieve a similar effect, which would make using a feat slot on it a lot less compelling.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/XGCEo0i.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 281px" />Doppelborn are non-doppelganger species with limited shapeshifting abilities. They have strong connections to doppelgangers in some way, with the most common being known as “child doppelborns.” This represent doppelborn who have a doppelganger parent or ancestor. Their “true form” is usually the same as their non-doppelganger parent race, but many often have common physical features of doppelgangers such as smooth skin, and many look like younger identical twins of their non-doppelganger parent. Their knowledge and acceptance of their doppelborn nature can vary, particularly depending on whether or not their doppelganger family member sticks around or is truthful about their heritage. The ability to shapeshift is an innate talent, but requires learning and practice, so a child doppelborn’s capability to master it can be anywhere from the time they’re toddlers with a doppelganger teacher, to adolescence if unknowing or self-taught. In the latter case, a doppelborn’s “first change” is usually an involuntary one brought about during a particular “trigger” that differs from individual to individual.The other most common doppelborn type are clones of someone else, usually part of an alchemical or magical process that may not even involve doppelgangers at all. Such clones usually gain a distinct personality and free will due to a malfunction in the cloning process, or if left unused for too long. They are formed in adolescence or fully-grown with some basic knowledge but no memories of their original copy’s life. Cloned doppelborn usually possess a naive view of the world due to a lack of lived experiences. Unlike doppelborn who are born to a parent, clones are instinctually capable of shapeshifting upon creation.In both systems, a doppelborn can belong to any species that is not a doppelganger. In 5th Edition, a Doppelborn PC is represented by a feat* which grants +1 to Charisma, they count as a doppelganger for the purposes of feats and magic item attunements, gain proficiency with disguise kits, and can take the form of another Small or Medium humanoid via a 1 minute process and can return to their default form via an action (or fall unconscious, but only in 5th Edition). In Pathfinder 2nd Edition, it is a heritage (subspecies) that grants the aforementioned shape-changing ability, but not any ability score bonuses or proficiencies, which is in line with how heritages work in the system. We also get a feat, Doppelborn’s Disguise, that grants them a preferred form in both systems. In 5th Edition it grants the benefits of a doppelganger subspecies, and in Pathfinder it grants a 1st-level doppelganger ancestry feat. In Pathfinder 2e, Doppelborn also gain access to most Ancestry feats of doppelgangers.*with the book suggesting granting it for free at 1st level for PCs who want to start play as one.Thoughts So Far: I like this book’s take on doppelgangers for both systems, and in regards to 5e it feels more “balanced” than the prior chapter’s demons which varied quite a bit in appeal and function. While magic and magic items can still fill the role of a shapeshifting infiltrator, the doppelganger’s ability to do so at will and with more lenient refresh rates than spellcasters helps solidify their role for PCs who invest in the feats.Join us next time as we cover living Dungeons!</blockquote>

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