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View Full Version : DM Trick: Doppelganger Switch. How should I go about doing it?



Denkal
2010-02-08, 05:52 AM
I've rolled up some monsters for my dungeon, and I got a couple of Doppelgangers. This got me thinking: How can I make an effective character switch?

I've got it down to three stages.

Stage One. The Ol' Switcheroo.
This part seems to be the most difficult to execute. I need to isolate the character being switched from the party, and I'm thinking of using sliding wall traps. The character is the last one making the reflex save to dodge out of the way, so everyone is focused on their own life to notice the switch, and the character being switched isn't aware of the switch, because he's now actually playing the Doppelganger.

Stage Two. The Doppelganger in the Party.
This is the easiest. The character is now playing a Doppelganger. My players aren't worth crap when it comes to separation of gamer knowledge and character knowledge, so the easiest way to make this effective is just to switch up the abilities of the character and apply the effects myself. As far as I can tell, the physical abilities of the Doppelganger don't conform to those of the character, nor does the Doppelganger gain any spellcasting abilities of the assumed shape, so this might end up being more frustrating for the player than I would like. But, it seems to set up a nice surprise.

Stage Three. Which one is the real one?
This is where the character is re-united with the party, and the player re-assumes control of his/her actual character. The sudden switch in perspective seems like it will ad just enough confusion to emulate the confusion of the character at seeing another "me" with their adventuring group. The only potential problem I see here is the party accidentally icing the ACTUAL player, leaving a Doppelganger in the party.

So, have any of the veteran DM's out there been able to successfully pull something like this off? What do I need to be more careful about? I'm sort of new at this DM'ing thing, and most of my players are new. If it matters, I'm running 3.5.

Narazil
2010-02-08, 06:04 AM
I pulled it off once. Got my intended target isolated through open choices, and briefed her of what was happening. She then played the Doppelganger as her character instead, with a clear briefing of habits, skills, flaws, ect.
She was later exposed by means of Divine Magic, as the others concluded she was acting off. This was 6-7 sessions later.


It requires a damn good player to pull it off. They have to drop subtle hints that something is off, but not enough to make it obvious. I did a ton of rolling, and had my player describe in detail what she did - it was the little things, the order in which she ate her food was different, her politeness towards some individuals, ect.

The most important thing is to not make a big deal out of it. Don't say "Melinda appears perfectly ordinary, as she has the last two weeks." It'll tip off your players, and once they know out of character, they are just looking for something their character would pick up on it.

Harperfan7
2010-02-08, 06:12 AM
I say, once the player gets separated, let the doppleganger(s) attack him (either kill him or knock him out).

Do this by separating the player (probably best if rogue, because I think plenty of dopplegangers are rogues, and those who aren't can at least mimic some rogue skills).

Once he is on his own, have the other players leave the room. Once you have determined whether or not he won against the dopplegangers, tell him he did and have him "escape" either by climbing out of the pit, going back through the sliding wall, whatever.

He thinks he's playing his character, and any doppleganger should know how to act like his prey. Once you decide the doppleganger should turn on the other players, take control of his character.

They won't like it, but thems the brakes.

ondonaflash
2010-02-08, 06:37 AM
Just have a look alike join with the party. All of a sudden they have two identical rogues. Boom de yada.

Grumman
2010-02-08, 07:02 AM
If you're going to do this, keep in mind that subjecting them to a save-or-suck trap and then coming back and saying "Oh, BTW, you were captured and replaced with a doppelganger." is not going to make you any friends. Be sure that the rewards outweigh any displeasure at such tactics. And whatever you do, don't take Harperfan's advice.

I'd like to suggest an alternative: have the doppelgangers use the party to help do their dirty work. They've presumably got a reason for being in this particular dungeon, so why not disguise themselves as a pair of humanoids that need the party's help? It also means they can actually survive if they are discovered, since they haven't burnt their bridges by kidnapping or killing one of the party members.

Narazil
2010-02-08, 07:09 AM
Your players are just as interested as keeping the campaign fresh as you are. Don't work against them, work with them.
If you have a competent role player who wants a challenge, who would be interested in keeping the campaign going OOC, give him the opportunity to play it.

Radar
2010-02-08, 09:03 AM
If you're going to do this, keep in mind that subjecting them to a save-or-suck trap and then coming back and saying "Oh, BTW, you were captured and replaced with a doppelganger." is not going to make you any friends. Be sure that the rewards outweigh any displeasure at such tactics. And whatever you do, don't take Harperfan's advice.

I'd like to suggest an alternative: have the doppelgangers use the party to help do their dirty work. They've presumably got a reason for being in this particular dungeon, so why not disguise themselves as a pair of humanoids that need the party's help? It also means they can actually survive if they are discovered, since they haven't burnt their bridges by kidnapping or killing one of the party members.
So very much this. The player, who is to be abducted will be more then willing to cooperate, if you give his character some nice stuff afterwards. He might even accidentially be playing in character, when he will try to play his character while knowing better.

You can also subvert the Swicheroo and make the tied up version a doppelganger.

For the inevitable stage 3, either you or the player has to act as both the real character and the doppelganger - that will prevent others from trying to solve the problem out of character.

Swordgleam
2010-02-08, 09:33 AM
This happened to me in a game once, as a player. The DM asked me the session beforehand, "If something happened to your character, would you mind playing a different one that I give you for a little while?" Well, after a question like that, just being replaced by a shapeshifter didn't seem so bad.

On the one hand, there were no hard feelings and the whole thing was very dramatic. On the other hand, we ended up one permanently traumatized healer away from a TPK, and that's counting the NPC who went in with us.

So use with caution. Your PCs are not as perceptive as you think they are - this was a very plot-heavy game with characters who had known each other for a long time, I made sure to "screw up" some of my character's more obvious traits once or twice in a way the shapeshifter would have, and none of the other PCs even slightly suspected what was going on.

magic9mushroom
2010-02-08, 09:38 AM
The DMG has reasonable advice. Let the character in on it if you can trust them. If you can't, don't do it.

paddyfool
2010-02-08, 09:47 AM
A gentler form of the switcheroo:

Have a one-off campaign which explicitly will feature dopplegangers, maybe making some hints about having watched BSG recently etc. At some stage, possibly following capture by the enemy, hand each player a sealed envelope with a note saying either "you are a doppleganger" or "you are not a doppleganger" inside in whatever ratio you choose (although you might need an explanation for multiple dopplegangers not recognising each other, or, without the capture bit, the switch happening), with instructions not to reveal the contents to other players (if you want to, you can blind yourself to who is and isn't a doppleganger in this fashion). Watch the paranoia commence.

Sipex
2010-02-08, 10:12 AM
A gentler form of the switcheroo:

Have a one-off campaign which explicitly will feature dopplegangers, maybe making some hints about having watched BSG recently etc. At some stage, possibly following capture by the enemy, hand each player a sealed envelope with a note saying either "you are a doppleganger" or "you are not a doppleganger" inside in whatever ratio you choose (although you might need an explanation for multiple dopplegangers not recognising each other, or, without the capture bit, the switch happening), with instructions not to reveal the contents to other players (if you want to, you can blind yourself to who is and isn't a doppleganger in this fashion). Watch the paranoia commence.

Even better, make the one off obvious that you are interested in dopplegangers.

Then make nobody one.

Players may try to 'outsmart' you by all openly declaring their roles...but who's going to believe who if you make them all not dopplegangers?

Naturally, take away their notes afterwards.

paddyfool
2010-02-08, 10:15 AM
Then make nobody one.

Yes, both "all" and "none" have their temptations as tricks to play. Although "all" in particular might make them throw dice at you once they figure it out... and you'd better have a whole other mission planned for your new team of dopplegangers.

Denkal
2010-02-08, 05:15 PM
Thanks for the tips. The general consensus I'm getting is to let the player in on it, otherwise the player in question just ends up feeling picked on or screwed with, unless they get something worthwhile. Is that accurate?

I might be able to swing this, depending on which player ends up getting the swap. I know the whole party is horrible about metagaming (I can't even have one player finding a shiny stone that no one else saw without the party going inquisition on the poor guy), but I think we can pull it off it there's just one player in on it.

And I like the idea of the Doppelgangers shapeshifted into two adventurers. Might lead up nicely to the switch, or even just see how it goes.