Dark Doppelganger
Dark Doppelgangers are evil magic made flesh, formed from shapeless memories and fragmented souls. They are created to focus on a single person – either to test them, to replace them, or to slay them.
Lacking a visage of their own, they take on the appearance, skills, and power of their fated foe, appearing to all the world like a silent, shadowy copy of the original person.
Preparing a Doppelganger
Dark Doppelgangers are a special kind of monster, copying the appearance and abilities of a single foe. As such, they do not have a single statblock – rather, they have the same Traits, Feats, Songs, Spells, and Techniques as their copied target.
When a Dark Doppelganger copies someone, they gain shadowy, ephemeral weapons and armor based on what the foe would wield, all of a Rank appropriate to challenge the original. Their weapons are often enchanted with the Elemental Weapon (Dark) enchantment, and their armor enchanted to match the copied foe’s gear.
They cannot copy the original’s Pack and its contents, nor can they copy Magical Tools.
Dark Doppelgangers are “Heavy” monsters.They’re more durable than their originals – they have 2x the HP, 1.5x the MP, and 1.5x the SP of their copied target. They also count as Evil, Undead foes.
We recommend preparing fights with Dark Doppelgangers well ahead of time.
Because they require the GM to copy the Heroes’ character sheets, it’s best to work out their exact equipment, stats, and abilities between game sessions, if you can.
Playing a Doppelganger
Dark Doppelgangers are totally intangible until they copy someone’s form. Copying someone’s form is a Standard action, and requires entering their shadow akin to the Twili Transit spell – at which point, they rise up, immediately ready and able to fight.
Once a form is selected, the Dark Doppelganger cannot select another form to copy until the end of an Extended Rest.
Dark Doppelgangers cannot speak, but are otherwise of Rational Intelligence, able to form new plans on the fly, knowing full well what tactics their originals might attempt.
They can silently communicate with other Dark Doppelgangers, and with their originals. Unless otherwise ordered by some greater evil force, they will strive with all their might to kill their original.
Regardless of the copied target’s original Vulnerability, Dark Doppelgangers have a Vulnerability to Light damage.
In addition, Dark Doppelgangers have all of the following Spells and Techniques:
- Bellum’s Consumption (Spell)
- Doppelganger’s Movement (Technique)
- Twili Transit (Spell)
Dark Doppelgangers possess Darkvision. In addition, they can sense when their original is nearby, though not their exact location.
Rewards of a Doppelganger
When defeated, Dark Doppelgangers’ equipment evaporates, as do they themselves. They each leave behind one Onyx and four Doppelmotes (Monster Parts), of a Rank equal to their shadowy equipment.
At the GM’s discretion, defeating a group of Dark Doppelgangers may also free a grateful Small Fairy (or a group of them).
Dark Doppelgangers are used in some temples, shrines, or other places of power, as a final test of a true Hero’s power. They serve as a symbolic opponent, as well as a very real and deadly one: by defeating a Dark Doppelganger, a Hero also defeats their darkest impulses, purifying their body, mind, and soul for still greater trials.
Because of this, Dark Doppelgangers often serve as the final challenge that stands between a band of Heroes, and some powerful item or ancient artifact. As such, the final reward for besting your own shadow may be the key to saving everyone.