Doppelganger/Changeling question

[weckar]

To a degree, the above mentioned races can take on attributes of other people (the latter using Racial Emulation of course), but I wonder if they also can change their age? If they take on the form of someone much younger or older than themselves, does that influence their ability scores at all?

[Inevitability]

I believe it doesn't. Changeling shapeshifting seems to be mostly superficial (you can't regenerate organs or anything like that either), so age changes shouldn't actually change your physical abilities: the body below that wrinkled skin is still the same.

[Necroticplague]

To a degree, the above mentioned races can take on attributes of other people (the latter using Racial Emulation of course), but I wonder if they also can change their age? If they take on the form of someone much younger or older than themselves, does that influence their ability scores at all?

No. On the first hand, neither of these abilities say they actually let you change your age, so they don't. On the second, agreeing hand, let's look at the relevant abilities:
The Doppleganger's ability is Change SHape, so let's see



A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume the appearance of a specific creature or type of creature (usually a humanoid), but retains most of its own physical qualities. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the creature’s natural form. A creature using change shape reverts to its natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. A creature cannot use change shape to take the form of a creature with a template. Changing shape results in the following changes to the creature:

The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form.
The creature loses the natural weapons and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature).
The creature gains the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form.
The creature retains all other special attacks and qualities of its original form, except for breath weapons and gaze attacks.
The creature retains the ability scores of its original form.
Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its original form, including (but not necessarily limited to) HD, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses.
The creature retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components.
The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.
Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and viceversa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped.

Pretty clear, can't change your ability scores, and your other game statistics, like age, would be unaffected.

Now, for changeling references Disguise Self, which is as follows:



You make yourself—including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment—look different. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your body type. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person.

The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment.

If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check.

A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.

So this is incredibly clearly a 'no'. They can look younger, but they can't actually be younger.

[weckar]

Fair enough. Guess you could really play this to your advantage then to conceal your physical and mental abilities :smallsmile:
I mean, you can still APPEAR to have a different age, right?

[Segev]

You absolutely can appear to be whatever age you like (within height-difference limitations; no being a 7-year-old when you're an adult, and your 7-year-old changeling probably can't mimic an adult human). You just can't change your actual age.

That hot teenaged(-equivalent) elf you've been wooing all night could, in fact, be a wrinkled old crone of a changeling, though! Heck, with Venerable's Charisma bonus, she might be more desirable than the actual teenager.

[Necroticplague]

Fair enough. Guess you could really play this to your advantage then to conceal your physical and mental abilities :smallsmile:
I mean, you can still APPEAR to have a different age, right?

Definitely. Both of these abilities place no restrictions on age, so you're free to look as old or as young as you want, within the other limits.

[Inevitability]

That hot teenaged(-equivalent) elf you've been wooing all night could, in fact, be a wrinkled old crone of a changeling, though! Heck, with Venerable's Charisma bonus, she might be more desirable than the actual teenager.

With elf age categories, that changeling may not be actually changing age, though. :smalltongue:

[Gwazi Magnum]

I would agree with the others both from a Rules and Practicality stand point.

You can change your visible age, but note your height restrictions but it won't be altering your actual abilities.
Though that whole "Old Man being a Young Girl" deal could easily be a DM trick to stop players from seducing NPCs...
Or it could do something far worse... o_o

+We already got Succubus and that clearly doesn't work. And now I'm on a tangent.

[weckar]

Stray thought: Wouldn't a teenaged elf be a practical infant?

[Gwazi Magnum]

Stray thought: Wouldn't a teenaged elf be a practical infant?

No. Cause they're a teen by Elf Standards, and by most other races standards they're still in the 60-80 range.

[weckar]

Except teen implies they are between 13 and 19 years old.... teen means.... "-teen"....

[DrMotives]

Substitute the word adolescent, it'll make things less confusing.

[weckar]

Thanks DrMotives, you got my point: An elven teen is not an adolescent.

[Necroticplague]

Thanks DrMotives, you got my point: An elven teen is not an adolescent.

Actually, they are. Humans and elves develope at the same rate physically until the early or mid twenties. Its simply that elven mental and sexual maturity is at teen level from the teens until about 100.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Actually, they are. Humans and elves develope at the same rate physically until the early or mid twenties. Its simply that elven mental and sexual maturity is at teen level from the teens until about 100.

I swear that Elves are just Medieval Fantasy's version of sexy space aliens at times. XD

[Segev]

Stray thought: Wouldn't a teenaged elf be a practical infant?

I thought of that, which is why I edited my post to say "teen(-equivalent)."