Identity Storage?

[clee19892]

I'm playing D&D 3.5 and I have talked my DM into letting me play as a Greater Doppelganger (he's given it a LA). I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to get around the limitations of Consume Identity, in that you can loose identities if you try to consume any more of them. Does anyone know of a way to store an identity to re-consume it later? I'd prefer any suggestions be RAW.

Thank you for any help.

[Uncle Pine]

If you can secure a way to safely bring people whose identity you plan to store to a shriver (Fiendish Codex II 52), you can grant them the regeneration ability which, among other things, will let them regenerate lost portions of their body. This includes lost heads. Once your targets gain regeneration from the shriver, feel free to chop their heads and remove their brains for later use. Just remember to not use a good or chaotic weapon, as that would bypass regeneration and kill your identity.

[Doctor Despair]

Would the thought bottle be helpful here?

[Inevitability]

No need to trek to the Abyss, just polymorph them into a five-headed hydra, chop off a head, eat the brain, and wait for the spell to end.

[Uncle Pine]

No need to trek to the Abyss, just polymorph them into a five-headed hydra, chop off a head, eat the brain, and wait for the spell to end.

Greater Doppelgangers get no benefits from eating the brain of a magical beast.

[Segev]

Detached parts of polymorphed beings return to their natural form.

[Inevitability]

Greater Doppelgangers get no benefits from eating the brain of a magical beast.

There's two-headed polymorphable humanoids too. Dvati, for one, have two bodies as a natural ability. Turn people into one, extract one brain, return them to their original form.

[clee19892]

@Everyone: Thank you for the responses, some are very interesting.

@Uncle Pine: While the Shriver idea is intriguing, I think it'd be hard to find an person who could survive nine rounds in it that I'd be able to over-whelm once they have recovered (then there is the problem of them escaping my clutches after)

@Doctor Despair: Thought Bottle unfortunately won't help, it can only store up to a days memories, some EXP or specific ideas, communications, or conclusions. I'd thought of it myself.

@Inevitability: Very interesting idea, although not sure how my DM would take it. I'd have to cross-class in wizard or sorcerer far enough to get to CL 4 (or some other combination of classes). The solution of Polymorph turns into the second one for the Shriver, how to keep the person from getting away from me to always have them near by.

[Inevitability]

@Inevitability: Very interesting idea, although not sure how my DM would take it. I'd have to cross-class in wizard or sorcerer far enough to get to CL 4 (or some other combination of classes). The solution of Polymorph turns into the second one for the Shriver, how to keep the person from getting away from me to always have them near by.

Out of interest, what is your current class and level distribution? If there's caster classes in there cheesing in polymorph may be possible without wizard multiclassing.

[clee19892]

Out of interest, what is your current class and level distribution? If there's caster classes in there cheesing in polymorph may be possible without wizard multiclassing.

I haven't started figuring out the level arrangement yet. I think I have seven or eight levels to play with. I was going to do rogue, wizard and assassin's. Then go into arcane trickster. But I am open to suggestion.

[Inevitability]

I haven't started figuring out the level arrangement yet. I think I have seven or eight levels to play with. I was going to do rogue, wizard and assassin's. Then go into arcane trickster. But I am open to suggestion.

How about wizard 1/unseen seer 7? Enough casting to get Polymorph, 3d6 sneak attack (only 1d6 behind rogue 8), a few off-list spells and free Silent Spell.


If your DM doesn't let you force people to accept Polymorph with threats/diplomancy/enchantments, things get a little trickier. In that case, you can get Polymorph Any Object by taking seven levels in Ur Priest and then a level in Contemplative, picking the Trickery or Renewal domain from the latter class.

[Uncle Pine]

If your DM doesn't let you force people to accept Polymorph with threats/diplomancy/enchantments, things get a little trickier. In that case, you can get Polymorph Any Object by taking seven levels in Ur Priest and then a level in Contemplative, picking the Trickery or Renewal domain from the latter class.

You don't need to make people accept to be polymorphed: just beat them up and then cast the spell on them.

Aiming A Spell
You must make some choice about whom the spell is to affect or where the effect is to originate, depending on the type of spell. The next entry in a spell description defines the spell’s target (or targets), its effect, or its area, as appropriate.

Target or Targets
Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target. You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.

If the target of a spell is yourself (the spell description has a line that reads Target: You), you do not receive a saving throw, and spell resistance does not apply. The Saving Throw and Spell Resistance lines are omitted from such spells.

Some spells restrict you to willing targets only. Declaring yourself as a willing target is something that can be done at any time (even if you’re flat-footed or it isn’t your turn). Unconscious creatures are automatically considered willing, but a character who is conscious but immobile or helpless (such as one who is bound, cowering, grappling, paralyzed, pinned, or stunned) is not automatically willing.

Some spells allow you to redirect the effect to new targets or areas after you cast the spell. Redirecting a spell is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
However, if you plan to turn your unconscious targets into hydras, you'll want to have access to an easy way to drop one of their mental stats to 0 beforehand, as "upon changing, the subject regains lost hit points as if it had rested for a night"*.

EDIT: *And hydras also have fast healing.

[Inevitability]

However, if you plan to turn your unconscious targets into hydras, you'll want to have access to an easy way to drop one of their mental stats to 0 beforehand, as "upon changing, the subject regains lost hit points as if it had rested for a night"*.

EDIT: *And hydras also have fast healing.

Hydras are unideal polymorph targets anyway. One can only turn creatures with at least 5 HD into them, and arguably them being magical beasts makes the whole Greater Doppelganger thing not work (as you already pointed out). Dvati are superior in all respects, except if the DM were to rule that eating one of the creature's two brains causes it to be lobotomized upon reverting to its true form.

[Uncle Pine]

If your target doesn't have at least 5 HD, why are you bothering to steal his identity? It's probably a minor NPC. If OP is going to play a greater doppelganger with class levels, it's unlikely that any of the stored identity will have less than 5 HD.
Moreover, Segev correctly pointed out that any body parts detached by a polymorphed creature reverts back to its true form (in this case, a humanoid's head/brain).

The reason why I'm suggesting hydras over dvati is simply because dvati are from Dragon Compendium, which is a way more obscure source compared to the Monster Manual. We aren't even sure that dvati exist in OP's world.

[clee19892]

If your target doesn't have at least 5 HD, why are you bothering to steal his identity? It's probably a minor NPC. If OP is going to play a greater doppelganger with class levels, it's unlikely that any of the stored identity will have less than 5 HD.
Moreover, Segev correctly pointed out that any body parts detached by a polymorphed creature reverts back to its true form (in this case, a humanoid's head/brain).

The reason why I'm suggesting hydras over dvati is simply because dvati are from Dragon Compendium, which is a way more obscure source compared to the Monster Manual. We aren't even sure that dvati exist in OP's world.

My DM is allowing from any first party source material and certain books from third party.

As for classes I'd rather keep to rogue, I like the idea of being the sneaky skill monkey who won't be seen till I want to be (taking deep stalker feat).

[Inevitability]

As for classes I'd rather keep to rogue, I like the idea of being the sneaky skill monkey who won't be seen till I want to be (taking deep stalker feat).

The thing is: Unseen Seer is basically a rogue who's giving up a small amount of roguishness in exchange for full wizard casting (which can be used to add to your sneakiness and skillfulness).

[MaxiDuRaritry]

There are a few ways I can think of to pull this off. You could always just swallow 'em whole. Nothing prevents you from eating the rest of them along with their brain, storing them in a hoard gullet spell, and yakking 'em up later. Or you could clone 'em using shape-altering magic into an ooze with the split ability, giving 'em a whack, and then eating one when the magic wears off.

[Segev]

Another possibility would be to create one-shot items of mind seed (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mindSeed.htm) that are command-activated. Force your victims to use them to transform hapless others into copies of themselves. Now you have a use for those dirty peasants whose identities are, themselves, worthless: they're storage chambers for more interesting identities.

[clee19892]

I like the ooze and mind seed ideas. Would be possible since we have been permitted to take leadership. It'd be possible to turn them into devote followers with a high charisma score and then have them go through it.

[Segev]

I like the ooze and mind seed ideas. Would be possible since we have been permitted to take leadership. It'd be possible to turn them into devote followers with a high charisma score and then have them go through it.

Leadership is a bad source for it, as it can cause your score to suffer. If you can swing it go for Thrallherd. I don't know if you can get into it or not, but it is worth a look. Believers won't be driven away by demands that they sacrifice themselves for your convenience.