The Doppleganger (race)
Align: Neutral-only
Vuln: Nothing
Res: Nothing
Can only have one class - Shapeshifter, a melee class.
Stats: 22 STR/DEX/CON, 18 INT/WIS
Can not eat or drink, requires consuming samples to sustain itself. (see ahead)
The Shapeshifter (class)
The Shapeshifter core mechanic is the ability to take the form of an opponent he has faced before.
The idea is a class that has two forms - the natural form and the shifted form.
Can only interact with NPCs (trainer, quest dialogues, shops) in the natural form.
This is a bare hands (hand to hand) fighter class, with enphasis on defense.
This character can not touch rare or unique items. Can participate in PvP and Cabals but won't be able to loot or be looted from. A key dynamic for this character is sample management. Maybe add 10 or 20 inventory slots to the character, since the skins will have to be outside a bag, and there will be the need to carry multiple at any given time, both to shift into and feed.
Signature skills:
Sample
Just as the butcher skill makes rations, the sample skill makes a couple "samples" or "skins" of the corpse on the floor, destroying it. There is a chance of failure. It would cost movement to execute. Sample has ItemLevel equal to the mob who's corpse was just consumed. You may want to add a mob flag "no_sample" so that you can make sure certain mobs are not possible to sample, like possibly level 100 mobs (if they even exist) or mobs with something special about them that would otherwise make their sample overpowered.
The samples would he no_drop no_uncurse, so they can't be trade or stored away in a bag.
The use of the samples is two fold - consume or shift.
Consume
This heals the shapeshifter 2 HP per ItemLevel of the sample (level of the mob).
A mob level 50 sample would heal 100 HP like a heal spell. Consuming any sample of any level would max out hunger and thirst.
Shift
The shapeshifter would take the form of the mob who's sample it is and many of its characteristics.
This would consume the sample. This shiften, the shapeshifter can have no equipment with the exception to the float, the tatoo and a light.
Shift form would not be dispelled, and should have no duration. It lasts until voluntary return to the natural form.
These would be the monster/sample level dependent.
AC: SampleLevel x -8 (-400 @ 50)
Saves: SampleLevel/s (-25svs @ 50)
HR/DR: SampleLevel x 0.8 (40 HR/DR @ 50)
The interesting part is that it would also inherit the spells, vuls and resists of the monster. Immunities would have to be tuned down to resists only (martial artist comes to mind). An interesting part would be to also inherit the procs of the mob, either skills or spells. A sample of a fighter would probably come with disarm and trip, and a caster would come with fireball or ice storm or something. Any mob with sanct would be highly desirable. Double so if on top ir comes with nice resists and not many vulns.
Thes mob own buffs would not be dispellable, the same way mob spells aren't.
This would make the shapeshifter a very interesting character to play.
For skillchecks for mob procs such as spells, disarm, etc, the shift skill would be used.
Return or Shed (or something along these lines)
Return to the normal (unshifted) form. Possibly in the process remove all/some negative effects. Sort of a cleanse, at the cost of current sample.
Talon <slash|pierce|blunt and maybe shield>
The shapeshifter had the option to use this skill once or twice.
Single use would create in his hands a two-handed weapon that deals the mentioned weapon type and draws on the weapon type skills.
Could he used a second time to make instead two one-handed versions of the weapon, and draw on dual wield.
Could be used a second time to make a shield, making it a 1h + shield, and drawing on the weapon and shield block skills.
Other Spells & skills
Maybe two defensive skills/spells or one defensive and one offensive to round things up.
Mace
Sword
Polearm
possibly shield block
Anatomy
Fast healing
enhanced damage
two handed
dual wield
rescue
second attack
third attack
riposte
parry
dodge
In combat, you don't get active skills. You use the the procs of the monster you shifted into, if they have any, at the proc chance rate the mob has them. The only active skill would be to consume a sample to heal oneself.
The pros of this character is the versatility that comes with the different samples and their unique behaviour. One could shift into a caster for one fight, and shift into a fighter for the next. The inherited proc, buffs and resists would be the reason to go and take samples from higher level monsters, using samples from more plain monsters to keep fed and heal oneself.
The con of this character is its inability to use 90% of the equipment slots, and its inability to touch rare or unique items.
PK wise, it can fight, but can't loot or be looted from, since no rares, not even in inventory (no glimmering staff)