Homebrew Doppelganger Species Details

The origins of the doppelganger race are unclear, a problem exacerbated by the lack of inclination for doppelgangers to bother keeping records themselves. Nonetheless, the age of many legends surrounding them indicate they are at least as old as humanoid civilization.

Although not usually evil, many are quite selfish and think of others as playthings to be manipulated and deceived. Doppelgangers are particularly fond of invading humanoid societies in order to indulge in their desires — some enjoy the complex dance of politics while others are incorrigible casanovas and svengalis who seek constant change in the race and gender of both themselves and their romantic companions.

While uncommon, doppelgangers who use their gifts for cruel and sadistic purposes that are most notorious, and these shapeshifters are the primary cause of the race's sinister reputation. Certainly, a creature capable of changing its shape has a handy way to avoid capture for its crimes, and some particularly malicious doppelgangers enjoy disrupting relationships by posing as unfaithful lovers or luring others to their dooms in ambushes and robberies.

Doppelgangers do not really possess a civilization of their own, instead infiltrating and manipulating the societies of others. For some, this is a matter of seeking ease and "the good life," while others feel an overwhelming need to fit in and belong.

A small number of "open" doppelgangers have found success in legitimate professions, usually performance arts like acting, or, occasionally, prostitution. One notorious inn and brothel, run by a changeling known only as "Velvet," purports to supply any customer with an "ideal mate..." so long as no questions are asked regarding its natural state.

Those familiar with doppelgangers have claimed that many of them actually have trouble developing personalities of their own, finding it easier to imitate the identities of others or to create "false" personas out of whole cloth. Some doppelgangers have supposedly become "lost in character," going the rest of their lives in one shape and one personality until they remain trapped in it forever and don't even remember who they used to be. Other horror stories talk about creatures slowly realizing they are doppelgangers, with slow, personal dread.

Fear at these outcomes, which some evidence suggests may not be entirely legendary, is what drives them to constantly shift and change throughout their lives.

Doppelganger Traits

Doppelganger

Shapechanger

Shapechanger. As a bonus action, you can polymorph into any humanoid of your size that you have seen, or back into your true form. However, your equipment does not change with you. If you die, you revert to your true form. You retain all of your normal statistics while in this form.

Read Thoughts

Read Thoughts. You can cast the detect thoughts spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Manipulator

Manipulator. You are proficient in either the Insight or Deception skill.

Languages

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