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Character Advancement Help?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
softly22
Jan 30, 2011 12:20:12 Ok first of all, hello everybody , I am new to the forum, as well as D&D.

So I am looking for some advice from senior players, I am joining my first D&D game and I wanted to be outside of the box.  "Human Warrior" has been done to death and I wanted to have some fun with an interesting character.

So I talk my DM into letting me be a Doppleganger Druid. Now my question is to advanced players, what would be a good path to take to maximize my Dopplegangers inate ability?

My original plan was to find a way to read memories and be able to shapeshift into the people from the memories, but I havent been able to find any ability that allows me to do that. (are there any?)

I also would like to know exactly how Detect Thoughts work?

And lastly i read about a doppleganger monster that had 1.) the ability to eat the brain of the dead to steal all memories and 2.) had a special move in combat called "Perfect Replica"  but I cant find that ability anywhere.

Any sugestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.   Thank you.
#2
brassbaboon
Jan 30, 2011 17:27:33 What level are you starting at?
What version are you playing?
What else is in your party?
#3
softly22
Jan 30, 2011 18:12:22 I am a level 2 currently, ECL is lvl 6

we are playing version 3.5

I dont know what else is in the party because I havent played with them all yet, just a trainning session.
#4
softly22
Jan 31, 2011 8:15:09 Wow, I cant believe with all the people on this forum that i havent gotten any answers. Am I on the wrong forum???
#5
pluisjen
Jan 31, 2011 8:20:00 You could consider asking in the Legacy forums, that's where you're more likely to find the 3.5e players.

Perhaps here:
community.wizards.com/go/forum/view/7588...

#6
ukplayerx
Jan 31, 2011 8:33:42 there are several druid sources available for 3.5/d20 and a d20 doppleganger guide :D

things to think about:

1 Does the pc appear human, elvish or doppleganger?

2 Are you playing a character class - druid - or race - doppleganger - i.e choosing race at character creation then just being concerned about class advancement or concerned about RACE abilities/advancement?

3 Are you role playing (character and class) or roll playing (mini-maxing with abilities and die rolls)?

when i've had players who want to play such 'out of the box' characters i have asked for a decent biog, at least on side A4 in bullet points, of the pc's life prior to playing, otherwise the pc is just numbers on a sheet - when players turn up the next week (they've had 7 DAYS to write a bio!!) without any background the usual response from myself and other players is - 'well you ain't really thought beyond the ROLL playing - then the one player said 'erm....i'll have a dwarf fighter instead...' Half an hour later he'd written a character bio

good luck with this character concept and enjoy D&D!!! bear in mind you are playing a race known for deceit and mimickry - look what the changelings tried to achieve in deep sleep 9 :D
#7
Krusk
Jan 31, 2011 8:44:21
You are a doppleganger druid with ECL 6? thats not really possible.

Races of Destiny has doppleganger at +4 LA and 4 Racial HD. Playing a doppleganger means at minimum you need to be ECL 9 to have a single class level.

A level 2 Doppleganger should be an ECL 10 character.

Even if your group ignored the racial HD or the LA (what I think ended up happening) your character will probably still be underpowered compared to everyone else. You are a full caster, who is 4-8 caster levels behind.

My advice is to find a new race, and start over if you can.

If not, take the feat practiced spellcaster twice, and natural bond a few times as well. Mybe your animal companion will end up decent, and your spells will have a duation worth casting.

To read thoughts and shapeshift into people from memories, you will need to use your detect thoughts SLA and your change shape power. Detec thoughts lets you, if you are in 60ft, point your hand at someone. Immediately you detect if they are capable of having thoughts. in 6 seconds you know their int score, and whether or not there is anyone else nearish them. 6 seconds from that you learn any surface thoughts if they fail a save.

You will probably need to go deeper with more powerful spells (Things you won't get as a doppleganger) if you want to get older or specific memories.
#8
Fireclave
Jan 31, 2011 19:31:12
If not, take the feat practiced spellcaster twice, and natural bond a few times as well. Mybe your animal companion will end up decent, and your spells will have a duation worth casting.

Not sure about Natural Bond, but I'm almost certain you can't take Practiced Spellcaster more than once. Though I do agree with your advice on starting over.

OP, instead of a Doppelganger, I think you would be more statified with a Changeling. Changelings are a race from the Eberron Campaign Setting and are basically Doppelganger-lite. You get a slightly weaker at-will disguise ability and no mind-reading, but exchange you don't get LA or racial HD to weaken your class features. For both mind reading and increasing your ability to change your shape, instead of druid, I suggest playing a class with access to either the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list or the Psion power list.

Both arcane casters and have psionists have access to shapechaning and mind reading. For shapechanging, wizards and sorcerers have the whole Polymorph tree, while psions have the psionic counterpart in the Metamorphosis line which, unlike polymorph, can also transform you into inanimate objects as well. And for reading mind, arcanists have Detect Thoughts and Probe Thoughts while psionists have Read Thoughts and Mind Probe.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 softly22 Jan 30, 2011 12:20:12	Ok first of all, hello everybody , I am new to the forum, as well as D&D. So I am looking for some advice from senior players, I am joining my first D&D game and I wanted to be outside of the box. "Human Warrior" has been done to death and I wanted to have some fun with an interesting character. So I talk my DM into letting me be a Doppleganger Druid. Now my question is to advanced players, what would be a good path to take to maximize my Dopplegangers inate ability? My original plan was to find a way to read memories and be able to shapeshift into the people from the memories, but I havent been able to find any ability that allows me to do that. (are there any?) I also would like to know exactly how Detect Thoughts work? And lastly i read about a doppleganger monster that had 1.) the ability to eat the brain of the dead to steal all memories and 2.) had a special move in combat called "Perfect Replica" but I cant find that ability anywhere. Any sugestions or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
#2 brassbaboon Jan 30, 2011 17:27:33	What level are you starting at? What version are you playing? What else is in your party?
#3 softly22 Jan 30, 2011 18:12:22	I am a level 2 currently, ECL is lvl 6 we are playing version 3.5 I dont know what else is in the party because I havent played with them all yet, just a trainning session.
#4 softly22 Jan 31, 2011 8:15:09	Wow, I cant believe with all the people on this forum that i havent gotten any answers. Am I on the wrong forum???
#5 pluisjen Jan 31, 2011 8:20:00	You could consider asking in the Legacy forums, that's where you're more likely to find the 3.5e players. Perhaps here: community.wizards.com/go/forum/view/7588...
#6 ukplayerx Jan 31, 2011 8:33:42	there are several druid sources available for 3.5/d20 and a d20 doppleganger guide :D things to think about: 1 Does the pc appear human, elvish or doppleganger? 2 Are you playing a character class - druid - or race - doppleganger - i.e choosing race at character creation then just being concerned about class advancement or concerned about RACE abilities/advancement? 3 Are you role playing (character and class) or roll playing (mini-maxing with abilities and die rolls)? when i've had players who want to play such 'out of the box' characters i have asked for a decent biog, at least on side A4 in bullet points, of the pc's life prior to playing, otherwise the pc is just numbers on a sheet - when players turn up the next week (they've had 7 DAYS to write a bio!!) without any background the usual response from myself and other players is - 'well you ain't really thought beyond the ROLL playing - then the one player said 'erm....i'll have a dwarf fighter instead...' Half an hour later he'd written a character bio good luck with this character concept and enjoy D&D!!! bear in mind you are playing a race known for deceit and mimickry - look what the changelings tried to achieve in deep sleep 9 :D
#7 Krusk Jan 31, 2011 8:44:21	You are a doppleganger druid with ECL 6? thats not really possible. Races of Destiny has doppleganger at +4 LA and 4 Racial HD. Playing a doppleganger means at minimum you need to be ECL 9 to have a single class level. A level 2 Doppleganger should be an ECL 10 character. Even if your group ignored the racial HD or the LA (what I think ended up happening) your character will probably still be underpowered compared to everyone else. You are a full caster, who is 4-8 caster levels behind. My advice is to find a new race, and start over if you can. If not, take the feat practiced spellcaster twice, and natural bond a few times as well. Mybe your animal companion will end up decent, and your spells will have a duation worth casting. To read thoughts and shapeshift into people from memories, you will need to use your detect thoughts SLA and your change shape power. Detec thoughts lets you, if you are in 60ft, point your hand at someone. Immediately you detect if they are capable of having thoughts. in 6 seconds you know their int score, and whether or not there is anyone else nearish them. 6 seconds from that you learn any surface thoughts if they fail a save. You will probably need to go deeper with more powerful spells (Things you won't get as a doppleganger) if you want to get older or specific memories.
#8 Fireclave Jan 31, 2011 19:31:12	If not, take the feat practiced spellcaster twice, and natural bond a few times as well. Mybe your animal companion will end up decent, and your spells will have a duation worth casting. Not sure about Natural Bond, but I'm almost certain you can't take Practiced Spellcaster more than once. Though I do agree with your advice on starting over. OP, instead of a Doppelganger, I think you would be more statified with a Changeling. Changelings are a race from the Eberron Campaign Setting and are basically Doppelganger-lite. You get a slightly weaker at-will disguise ability and no mind-reading, but exchange you don't get LA or racial HD to weaken your class features. For both mind reading and increasing your ability to change your shape, instead of druid, I suggest playing a class with access to either the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list or the Psion power list. Both arcane casters and have psionists have access to shapechaning and mind reading. For shapechanging, wizards and sorcerers have the whole Polymorph tree, while psions have the psionic counterpart in the Metamorphosis line which, unlike polymorph, can also transform you into inanimate objects as well. And for reading mind, arcanists have Detect Thoughts and Probe Thoughts while psionists have Read Thoughts and Mind Probe.