Homebrew Doppelganger Species Details

Doppelgangers are devious shapeshifters that take on the appearance of other humanoids, throwing off pursuit or luring victims to their doom with misdirection and disguise.

Doppelganger Traits

Many cultures around the world feature terrifying stories of monsters that steal the souls of mortals to take on their appearance and destroy their lives. They whisper of the frightening, alien horror of such beings, and the pain they inflict in their wake. The truth is much less fantastic: these legendary shapeshifters are actually doppelgangers. Doppelgangers are, by and large, lazy hedonists who harm others more out of self-centered greed than deliberate malice. They are usually created when doppelgangers, who can't be bothered to put in the effort of raising their own children, seduce and impregnate women whose children grow up to, around adolescence, become doppelgangers themselves. Still, like all mortals, doppelgangers are capable of making their own moral choices, and occasionally one rouses itself to do more with its life than an endless sequence of cons and robberies.

Age

 Doppelgangers live until partway through their second century after "coming of age," but become mature at the age their parent race does.

Size

In their natural forms, doppelgangers are built like elves, tall and slight. Your size is Medium.

Ability score incrase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Speed

Base walking speed is 30 feet.

Shape changer

The doppelganger can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid it has seen, or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Ambusher

The doppelganger has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised.

Surprise Attack

If the doppelganger surprises a creature and hits it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an extra 3d6 damage from the attack.

Read Thoughts

The doppelganger magically reads the surface thoughts of one creature within 60 feet of it as an ACTION. The effect can penetrate barriers, but 3 feet of wood or dirt, 2 feet of stone, 2 inches of metal, or a thin sheet of lead blocks it. While the target is in range, the doppelganger can continue reading its thoughts, as long as the doppelganger's concentration isn't broken (as if concentrating on a spell). While reading the target's mind, the doppelganger has advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion) checks against the target.

Senses

Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11

Skills

Deception +6, Insight +3

Condition Immunities

Immune to charming

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and two other language of your choice.