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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 7582510" data-attributes="member: 3400">The doppelganger can certainly use the skills, the question is, as a DM, how do you implement the results.Deception is easy - you just tell the player that, as far as they can tell, the doppelganger is being sincere, they can spot no signs of deception. It's up to the player to decide how his or her PC reacts to that. The DM has simply told them what they can and cannot tell about the doppelganger's attempt to deceive them.Intimidate and Persuasion are harder because their resolutions aren't as obvious. For intimidate, I'd consider imposing one of the effects of the Frightened condition - disadvantage on skill/combat checks or inability to move closer - concrete effects that still give the player choices in how to control the PC but impose difficulties they may have to figure out how to work around. I'd also use any bravery ability a PC might have (like with halflings) in my adjudication of the intimidate check. For persuasion used directly on a PC, I'd characterize the NPC's speech in particularly positive or negative ways similar to the deception check and leave it up to the player to make their decision. But if a notable effect would be suggested by the interaction and result, I'd impose it. For example, the Al-Qadim setting encouraged the practice of haggling - even had a separate skill for it. Prices were listed in 3 columns - low, medium, high - and the results of the checks determined the price the PC got when buying stuff - PC success/NPC fail = low price, both succeed/both fail = medium price, PC fail/NPC succeed = high price. If a doppelganger tried to bargain the PC up, I'd be imposing a higher cost at the completion of the deal. If the doppelganger tried to convince the PC on something in front of witnesses, the NPC witnesses would be convinced even if the player refused - and that, in turn, might create complications for the PC. Basically, I don't hold with auto-affecting how the player and PC feel about the situation or exactly what they do - but I will declare penalties, discernible information, and impose indirect effects based on how the situation is playing out.</blockquote>

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