Doppel/mimic life cycle speculations

The Complete Guide to Doppelgangers, The Hidden Truth of Doppelgangers, Dungeon Denizens Revisited, Darkness Without Form: Secrets of the Mimic, etc already go into a great deal of detail into the life cycle of the doppelgangers and mimics, so I won't try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, I will synthesis a mix of these. I will refer to these shapechangers as "metamorphs" collectively, and their individual names when specific.

Metamorphs may reproduce both sexually and asexually as circumstances permit. They may reproduce asexually through budding, fragmentation and releasing spores. The many stages or "morphs" of their life cycle are not linear. Individuals may pass through many different stages by maturing, reverting, merging, splitting, and so forth. They are comparable to plants, slime molds, sponges and the immortal jellyfish in those respects.

For example:

• doppelganger →  gestalt mimic → doppelstadt
• hunter mimic → doppelganger → doppelstadt
• spore → plasmoid → hunter mimic → lair-tyrant → metamorphic scholar → failed-apotheosis
• mimicling swarm → hunter mimic → lair-tyrant → elder mimic

Their overall behavior and reproductive methods will generally depend on the organization of the local population. The material in Dungeon Denizens Revisited is based on observations of orphaned hunter mimics that are the equivalent of feral children, whereas The Complete Guide to Doppelgangers is based on observations of highly organized and mind-linked metamorphs. The Hidden Truth of Doppelgangers logically explains that the hunter mimics cannot mature into doppelgangers without telepathic nurturing, which explains the existence of failed-apotheosis mimics seen elsewhere.

Given their metamorphic nature, there are many variants adapted to different environments. Doppelgangers come in urban and rustic variants. Mimics develop alterations and mutations. Lair-tyrants develop psychic powers. Et cetera.

Doppelgangers may reproduce sexually not only with other metamorphs but with humanoids as well, owing to their perfect shapechanging. Such children form the doppels, suitable as PCs; doppels are not hybrids or humanoids with a doppelganger bloodline, but a stage of the metamorph life cycle (obviously this is obscured behind rumors and misinformation). Some remain doppels for their entire lives, a rare few perhaps becoming sorcerers with the shapechanger bloodline/origin, while others mature into doppelgangers. It it a common practice for a doppel born to doppelganger parents to be given up for adoption by humanoid societies.

The origin of the metamorphs is unknown, perhaps even to themselves. The aboleth make extensive use of mimic slaves and symbiotes, leading some to ascribe the mimic's origin to aboleth experiments. Given that the aboleth don't make similar use of doppelgangers (the parasitic lethid already serve that role), the veracity of this origin is questionable.

Doppelganger and mimic variants

Doppelgangers and mimics are classic D&D monsters, infamous for pretending to be normal people and inanimate objects right before they attack. In various third-party bestiaries there are numerous variants that take on other forms like animals, swarms, buildings, and even equipment. By far my favorite is the suggestion that the two are actually members of the same species. It is entirely possible that other monsters like cloakers and trappers and such are mimics too, but I will be ignoring those for now.

Before I can devise an ecology for the doppelgangers and mimics, I first need to list the members of this monster family so that I can figure where they fit. A number of different variants were introduced in various supplements:

• The Complete Guide to Doppelgangers introduces the rustic doppelganger, urban doppelganger, doppelstadt, and gestalt mimic.
• Darkness Without Form: Secrets of the Mimic introduces the elder mimic, lair-tyrant, mimicling swarm, puppetmaster, and warhulk.
• Dragonstar System Reference Document introduces the doppel.
• Dungeon Denizens Revisited introduces the failed-apotheosis mimic and the mimic plasmoid.
• Exotic Encounters: Doppelgangers introduces the facestealer doppelganger, cursed doppelganger, and mind drinker doppelganger.
• Legends & Lairs: Twisted Lore introduces the feign beast.
• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 5 introduces the doppeldrek.
• Tome of Beasts introduces the dune mimic and map mimic.

Although these appear to be many different variations, they may be generally condensed into a few recurring roles: those that mimic humanoids (e.g. doppelganger, elder mimic), those that mimic objects (e.g. mimic, map mimic, mimicling swarm), those that mimic terrain and buildings (e.g. doppelstadt, lair-tyrant, dune mimic) and those that mimic beasts and plants (e.g. doppeldrek, feign beast). They will generally vary in what they mimic based on their size and the environment to which they are adapted.

The life cycle varies according to which source you peruse:

• According to The Complete Guide to Doppelgangers, the doppelganger has a three-stage life cycle. The doppelganger is the "youth," the gestalt mimic is the "adult" (the dungeon mimic is an "orphan" severed from the gestalt), and the doppelstadt is the "elder." The Hidden Truth of Doppelgangers claims this is misinformation and that the dungeon mimic is the precursor to the doppelganger.
• According to Dungeon Denizens Revisited, mimics pass through three life stages: spore, plasmoid, and hunter (the stage typically encountered). The majority remain hunters, but some may advance into lair-tyrant, metamorphic scholar, and failed-apotheosis. According to Darkness Without Form, there is an additional stage of elder mimic. Presumably, metamorphic scholars that fail to advance into elder mimics become failed-apotheosis.

I posit that the life cycle isn't so linear. However, that will be left to a later post.

Miscellaneous links:

• http://filbypott.tumblr.com/post/116052462998/mimics-may-pass-through-six-distinct-lifephases
• http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/2013/02/on-ecology-of-doppelganger.html
• https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/35iqcm/mimic/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/3kz6gb/doppelganger/
• http://greatalliancearchives.blogspot.com/2012/03/shapeshifter-doppelganger-mimic.html
• https://basalt-dnd.tumblr.com/post/157457036382/mimics-let-the-record-show-that-the-tyrant-is
• https://web.archive.org/web/20171123190700/http://www.headinjurytheater.com:80/article73.htm
• https://dmwordoftheweek.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/doppelganger/
• https://d-dplothooks.tumblr.com/post/137552709212/monster-mondays-5-the-doppelg%C3%A4nger
• https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Doppelganger
• https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Mimic
• https://web.archive.org/web/20070928001321/http://www.goodman-games.com/3000preview.php

Doppelgängers & mimics the same?

D&D has a history of monsters whose shtick is to mimic other things: doppelgänger, mimic, etc. Quite logically, The Complete Guide to Doppelgängers posits that doppelgängers and mimics are different stages of the same species. This is such a fascinating idea that I have to borrow it. The two monsters have received plenty of variants in 3pp since that was published, which I would like to integrate. I don’t imagine that the two are linear stages: instead, I would write them as morphs that may be assumed due to environmental pressures. A mimic might mature into a doppelgänger or vice versa, then back again!

I will try to detail this further in future posts, with citations.

OGL substitutes for changelings, shifters and warforged

The changelings, shifters and warforged are races from the Eberron campaign setting that proved quite popular. However, they are not open game content and thus 3pp cannot reference them. Not to worry, there are substitutes under the OGL out there.

It was quite easy to find substitutes for the warforged. For whatever reason, there are many construct races out there. There are too many to list here, so you’ll probably need to search on your own until you find one you like.

I could only find one substitute for the changeling: the doppel race from the Dragonstar campaign setting. Their backstory and traits are essentially identical. Doppels are the descendants  of humans and doppelganger, displaying limited shapeshifting suitable for disguise as a result.

I could only find a couple substitutes for the shifter: the wereblooded race in the Bite Me! supplements by Misfit Studios and the skinwalker race in the Blood of the Moon supplement by Paizo. Their backstory and traits are essentially identical. Skinwalkers and wereblooded are the descendants of humans and lycanthropes, displaying limited shapeshifting into partial animal features as a result.

Obvious these are written for specific rulesets, but they should serve well enough as inspiration.