Creating a balanced changeling species?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

The current Changeling in the Eberron UA seems a bit overpowered. https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/UA_Eberron_v1.pdf

Ever since DS9 went overboard I have wanted a good balanced Changeling character.

Random ideas I am having include:

Your natural appearance is a smooth skinned, slender lightly haired cross between elves and humans with small features. (less extreme than Odo) It is not unsightly but strikes fear into many. In your natural state you have disadvantage when dealing with other humanoids.

Dex & Cha can increase by 1

Size - Medium

Speed - 30

Proficiency in Deception seems fine

Shapechanger: Once a long rest as an action you can polymorph into any humanoid of your size which you have at least seen.
-If you have touched a creature of that species you can duplicate it.
-If you have touched one and seen multiple of a species you can polymorph into a realistic variation of those you have seen
-If you have only seen a species you can only mimic the portions you have seen. Unseen features hidden under clothing will be created on a "best guess" basis and will obviously be incorrect if exposed but will look correct under clothing. The same goes for an individual. If you have touched them you can duplicate their body.
-A person intimately familiar with an individual (spouse, sibling, friend, long time confidant or friend) you are polymorphed into may be able to tell something is amiss. A typical roll will be their perception vs your charisma with advantage or disadvantage based on your portrayal and the DM's discretion.
-A change of more than 10% gain in weight takes one hour per 10 pounds gained and consumes a gold piece per five pounds gained.
-You can lose weight at will but if you lose more than 10 pounds in an hour you leave behind a gel like slime of material which will rot and stink of equal weight to that you lose.
-You can partially mimic the voice or small portions of an individual you have touched or a species you have seen numerous times in a day. Eyes, voice head, or hands are small portions which may be useful to mimic. (I may include a D20 roll here allowing you to do so as long as you roll a number equal to or less than your level)
-When you are Polymorphed you have the strength and other physical characteristics of what you have become. If you transform into a species which can not speak common you can not speak it. Transforming into a species does not grant you any proficiencies instantly but you can learn how to swim better or potentially fly with advantage or disadvantage to your skill checks at the DM's discretion.
-Upon death you return to your natural foam.
-Being exposed to electricity or electrical attacks may force you from your polymorphed form or expose you as polymorphed temporarily. If a spell is involved it is over DC 10 modified by caster's level + casting bonus (if applicable) - your level + Charisma bonus. On a 16 or higher you revert to your natural form. 11 to 15 you maintain your form but it is obvious you are a shape shifter.

You can speak and write three languages of your choice. Your species has a knack for picking up regional dialects and languages. Over the course of a day you can speak many of the words you have heard. If you have been studying a language for between a week and two weeks you stand a chance of learning a language based on rolling a D20 under your intelligence with disability. After two weeks you roll normal. After more than a month you have an advantage. The roll can be made once a week.

I'm essentially trying to thing of how to have Changelings without making them suck, or making everyone want to be one. I need at least one more drawback.

No doubt it needs fine tuned to say the least. I am up for all ideas and suggestions.

[Regitnui]

The UA changeling is not overpowered at all. 3.5 changelings actually had more traits relating to their shapechanger nature, like Polyglot, which made learning languages easier.

But you're forgetting the chief drawback of changelings in D&D; their transformations are cosmetic only. A changeling cannot gain the abilities or modifiers of the races they imitate. They cannot become as strong as an orc, gain the poison resistance of a dwarf, breathe fire like a dragonborn, or trance like an elf. The changeling can appear to do all these things, but they're still a changeling underneath. Neither can they become small or large in size, can they change their clothes (no, they can't do the shapeshifter wardrobe thing), nor sound like their assumed form. They could look like a triton, but put them underwater and they'd drown. They could look like a yuan-ti, but they'd have no protection against snakes.

The changeling's shapechanging ability is basically a permanent disguise self that cannot be dispelled and doesn't affect clothes. Hardly overpowered at all.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

The UA changeling is not overpowered at all. 3.5 changelings actually had more traits relating to their shapechanger nature, like Polyglot, which made learning languages easier.

But you're forgetting the chief drawback of changelings in D&D; their transformations are cosmetic only. A changeling cannot gain the abilities or modifiers of the races they imitate. They cannot become as strong as an orc, gain the poison resistance of a dwarf, breathe fire like a dragonborn, or trance like an elf. The changeling can appear to do all these things, but they're still a changeling underneath. Neither can they become small or large in size, can they change their clothes (no, they can't do the shapeshifter wardrobe thing), nor sound like their assumed form. They could look like a triton, but put them underwater and they'd drown. They could look like a yuan-ti, but they'd have no protection against snakes.

The changeling's shapechanging ability is basically a permanent disguise self that cannot be dispelled and doesn't affect clothes. Hardly overpowered at all.

All valid points, especially in high combat worlds.

Is there more to the ability limits than I read on page 1 of the UA_Eberron?

I see, "Shapechanger. As an action, you can polymorph into any humanoid of your size that you have seen, or back into your true form. However, your equipment does not change with you. If you die, you revert to your natural appearance."

"Shifting. On your turn, you can shift as a bonus action. Shifting
lasts for 1 minute or until you end it on your turn as a bonus action.
While shifting, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution bonus (minimum of 1).
You also gain a feature that depends on your shifter subrace, described below.
You must finish a short or long rest before you can shift again."

In some ways I was valuing the use of Shapechanging in Roleplay. Imitating a guard or magistrate for example.

The 1 minute duration is limiting though....

[Regitnui]

The second taken from the Shifter species, who are the descendants of lycanthropes. Don't confuse the two.

And nope. The limits are size. However, you don't transform into NPC humanoids like archmage and gain 9th level spellcasting. You look like a different race.

[Markoff Chainey]

IMO, the changeling is not really OP, it is just a little ominous how to interpret the rules as written. We made a slight change in our houserules, especially the "you can take the form of anybody you just met" is weird... because even as a "master perceptionist", you cannot render a 100% copy of someone you saw for a second..

here is our approach:

Race: Changeling

Shapeshifter
Change text to: As an action, you can assume the form of any humanoid of your size (+/- 15%) that you have seen, or back into your true form. However, your equipment does not change with you. Only if you die or lose consciousness, you revert back to your natural form.

The longer you can study the target of your shapeshift, the better you can deceive others. Starting with a DC of 10 + CHA, you can assume the form of anybody that you saw briefly. If you have a minimum study time of one minute, you may add your deception modifier instead of CHA. Others that know the target of your shapeshift well, may roll when they first see you. If you give no special reason with your acts to attract suspicion, only people that know the original well may repeat the check every hour or at “intimate moments”. After 3 successes, they will not have further suspicion, but after 3 fails, they are sure that “you” are not the other person.

Darkvision
As a race closely related to elves, you gain Darkvision

The rest remains unchanged (DEX, CHA +1), Duplicity, medium size, ..

[Regitnui]

Changelings are human-doppelganger hybrids though. Where do they get darkvision?

[Markoff Chainey]

Changelings are human-doppelganger hybrids though. Where do they get darkvision?

In 3.5 they had 60' Darkvision and in our gameworld, they are (dark) fey creatures. And besides that, it is to balance their rather weak stat bonus.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Interesting take. I like your study time.

I honestly would give them darkvision when in elf or drow form. They will have "drow eyeballs" afterall....

Something which keeps pulling on me is, in a high combat world in the hands of an inexperienced player Changelings are not overpowered. In a high roleplay world with an experienced Bard player a Changeling can shine.

Whats a drawback which would hurt roleplaying but not combat? If you stay shifted for too long ???? It consumes 50 gp every time you shift??? I dunno.

[Regitnui]

Interesting take. I like your study time.

I honestly would give them darkvision when in elf or drow form. They will have "drow eyeballs" afterall....

Something which keeps pulling on me is, in a high combat world in the hands of an inexperienced player Changelings are not overpowered. In a high roleplay world with an experienced Bard player a Changeling can shine.

Whats a drawback which would hurt roleplaying but not combat? If you stay shifted for too long ???? It consumes 50 gp every time you shift??? I dunno.

Few enough people roleplay over rollplay. I'd hesitate before any 'roleplay drawback' was added, simply because roleplay drawbacks say either "don't play this class" or "houserule this out".

[Markoff Chainey]

Interesting take. I like your study time.
Thanks



I honestly would give them darkvision when in elf or drow form. They will have "drow eyeballs" afterall....

No, either they always have it or not, because it only changes form, it does not gain any abilities. Otherwise it is not explainable why it cannot use its horns when in the Form of a Minotaur, etc. and allowing that would make it way OP.



Something which keeps pulling on me is, in a high combat world in the hands of an inexperienced player Changelings are not overpowered. In a high roleplay world with an experienced Bard player a Changeling can shine.

They are not OP in a "high combat world" because their stats are not good. In my book, roleplay should trump stupid hack and slash anyways and emphasising roleplay with an ability that can be very strong if you actually roleplay is great. Its really easy to invent issues for the player if you really need to. - A changeling is an alien in an alien world without home, but has a long story based on deception, took advantage of many people and did not make many friends.. they are a feared and hunted race.. what else do you need? :)

[JackPhoenix]

In 3.5 they had 60' Darkvision and in our gameworld, they are (dark) fey creatures. And besides that, it is to balance their rather weak stat bonus.

Uh? Where did you get that? They didn't have eitner dark- or low-light vision. Fair enough for your homebrew, though... just saying it doesn't have any precedent in previous edition.

If anything, 5e changelings are underpowered. I suggest giving them +1 Cha to get their ASI in line with other races.