Doppelganger
Medium Monstrosity · · CR 3
- Monstrosity
- Medium
- Tier 1
Doppelganger at CR 3 is logged as a medium monstrosity; alignment neutral. Habitat: underground and urban. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 3
- Type
- Monstrosity
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Underground, Urban
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Doppelgangers live among mortal societies, replacing isolated individuals to feed on social position, secrets, and occasional flesh. They reproduce rarely, with births occurring among hidden enclaves rather than within human society. They prefer urban environments where they can blend in, though some lurk in remote villages. They feed on memories and identities as much as physical flesh, growing more skilled at impersonation with each replacement. They live for centuries if undetected.
Behaviour
Doppelgangers are calculating, patient, and emotionally distant. They study targets for weeks before replacing them, learning mannerisms and routines. They feel little kinship with each other and often prey on rival doppelgangers for territory. They take pleasure in deception itself, not just the rewards. They never fight to the death, always preferring betrayal and escape. They form temporary alliances with criminals, cults, and corrupt officials. They despise truth-detection magic, fleeing detection-zones immediately.
Origin
Doppelgangers' origins are debated. Some sages claim they are the result of hag rituals gone wrong. Others argue they are remnants of an ancient shapechanger race, possibly related to changelings but darker in nature. Planar scholars connect them to the Plane of Shadow, suggesting they are corrupted reflections of mortals. They share some traits with mind flayers, leading to theories of ilithid breeding programs in the deep past. Their true origin remains hidden, fittingly.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Doppelganger
- What is the challenge rating of Doppelganger?
- Doppelganger has a challenge rating of 3. It fits parties at the start of their adventuring careers.
- What type of creature is Doppelganger?
- The bestiary type for Doppelganger is monstrosity, medium size.
- Where does Doppelganger live?
- Doppelganger is typically encountered in Underground, Urban.