Tweaking the doppelganger to remove the +4LA

[MrUberGr]

A player wants to make a doppelganger, however I like playing story based leveling system, i.e. when a "chapter" is finished the players lvl up. So an LA char would be too much a fuss to deal with.

so, what do you propose we change to the doppelganger in order to remove the LA? I deffinately do not like the Detect thougts(su) thing. We could remove the extra HD, bab, and the tons of bonus ability point bonuses but we might end up with a worse than LA 0 race.

[Xerlith]

The Eberron Campaign Setting gave us the Changeling, which is basically half-human/half-doppelganger with LA +0. Check it out, it's a pretty fun character race.

[MrUberGr]

Changelings have no ability bonuses? That seems a bit weird.

[atemu1234]

The Eberron Campaign Setting gave us the Changeling, which is basically half-human/half-doppelganger with LA +0. Check it out, it's a pretty fun character race.

Seconded. I don't like setting-specific things anyway. Make it open to all.

[weckar]

Just so you know: you COULD remove the HD, but that would make it better, not worse.

[AmberVael]

Changelings have no ability bonuses? That seems a bit weird.

Little bit unusual, yeah. You could probably toss some on there and not break anything, as changelings aren't exactly the most powerful race out there.

[weckar]

Also, I do not think there is another playable race that gets at-will Detect Thoughts. Removing that would be a major waste.

[Segev]

If all he wants is the ability to physically change his appearance the way doppelgangers do, then Changeling is definitely the way to go. It is not particularly beholden to the Eberron setting; if you have doppelgangers in your world, Changelings can fit in just fine. You could out-and-out replace doppelgangers, or make the MM doppelganger a race-specific PrC, or you could call Changelings "lesser doppelgangers," or any number of things.

[Darrin]

I don't like setting-specific things anyway.

Yeah, if WotC wanted them in non-Eberron campaigns, they should have printed them in one of the monster manuals. Like, say... Monster Manual III p. 24.

[Necroticplague]

What type of doppleganger? The kind that only takes your apperance, or the one that can eat your brain in order to get your skills, or the one that puts you in stasis while it copies you, right?

[Sliver]

Yeah, if WotC wanted them in non-Eberron campaigns, they should have printed them in one of the monster manuals. Like, say... Monster Manual III p. 24.

Putting Changeling between Cadaver Collector and Charnel Hound? That's crazy talk.

Besides, what WotC wants to be outside of specific settings is hardly relevant. If the DM wants/allows it, so be it. I'm going to play my Warforged in any setting I want!