Doppelganger
@ doppelganger 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 11 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 1d12 |
| Base level | 9 |
| Base experience | 191 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 5 |
| Base MR | 20 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Human |
| Resistances | Sleep |
| Resistances conveyed |
Causes polymorph |
|
A doppelganger:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line2173 |
- For the player race in SLASH'EM, see Doppelganger (starting race).
The doppelganger is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is a human shapeshifter that possesses sleep resistance in its default form, in addition to any resistances conferred by its current form. In its normal form, it has a single weapon attack.
Each turn, doppelgangers have a 1⁄6 chance to change form - they have a 1⁄7 chance of becoming a monster that can be summoned via the summon nasties monster spell, and a 2⁄3 chance to become a random player monster with the appropriate rank title for that role based on its monster level (e.g. a doppelganger imitating a fourth-tier Healer appears as a "dresser", while one imitating an equivalent Wizard appears as a "magician"); the rest of the time, they will become a random monster.
Eating a doppelganger corpse or tin will cause you to polymorph, and is considered cannibalism for human characters.
Contents
Generation
Doppelgangers will usually begin appearing midway through the dungeon, and are always hostile.
In addition to random generation, if the corpse of a unique monster would be left in a bones file, it is replaced with the corpse of a doppleganger, and a statue of a unique monster found in bones will turn into a doppleganger in the guise of that monster if revived via stone to flesh.[1][2] Trying to wish for a statue of a unique monster and reanimating it will also produce a doppelganger disguised as that monster.[3]
Strategy
Doppelgangers are the source of a majority of player monsters that you will encounter in the main dungeon and other branches. Unfortunately, like chameleons they are also responsible for out-of-depth encounters with summonable "nasties" - this makes finding one in the Sokoban zoo a potential unwelcome surprise. Unlike chameleons, dopplegangers are more likely to take the form of such monsters and also cannot be tamed.
As with other shapechangers, deal with doppelgangers cautiously and quickly - the ring of protection from shape changers or some form of cancellation will force them into base form, which is only slightly more damaging than a chameleon and much less lethal than most of the nasties it can imitate. Thankfully, a doppelganger will more often elect for the form of a player monster, which they can still deal decent damage with if they picks up any suitable weapons while making its way to you.
As they are considered human, those playing human characters should be careful not to sacrifice them unless they are chaotic, and should not eat their corpse or meat unless they are a human Caveman that intends to polymorph. Additionally, be wary of leaving their corpses near carnivorous pets, especially rare ones such as purple worms.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.
Pets will no longer eat corpses that would cause them to polymorph unless they are starving or on the verge of untaming.History
Doppelgangers first appear in NetHack 3.3.0.
Origin
"Doppelgänger" (sometimes spelled "doppleganger) is a German word that literally means "double-walker", and refers to a biologically unrelated look-alike or double of a living person. The concept of alter egos and double spirits has appeared in the folklore and traditions of many cultures throughout human history. In fiction, doppelgängers are often portrayed as ghostly or paranormal phenomena, and are usually seen as harbingers of bad luck; other traditions and stories equate a doppelgänger with an evil twin. A closely related concept is the changeling, a look-alike fairy that is usually left in place of a human child stolen by other fairies.
The doppelgangers of NetHack originate from Dungeons & Dragons, where they appear as early as the 1st Edition and its Monster Manual. Doppelgangers are usually solitary and appear as tall, elven and androgynous gray-skinned humanoids in their base forms; they have bulbous heads with formless faces and bulging yellow eyes that lacked pupils. Doppelgangers possess a strength and agility that belies their seemingly weak appearance, and their mutable form could take on the likeness of any humanoid between 4 and 8 feet tall, including their clothing and equipment (though not replicating the abilities of those items). However, doppelgangers could not duplicate mental traits such as personality or mannerisms, which often required them to keep the victim alive and close by.
A doppelganger's most common targets are usually humanoids that they plan to kill and replace. They possess a continuous spell-like ability similar to ESP that lets them detect the thoughts of their foes, and gave them resistance to sleep and charm-based spells; this was frequently used to learn everything they could about their chosen target after replacing them. In combat, doppelgangers prefer the element of surprise, which lets them close in on foes and slam them around with their brute strength.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, doppelgangers are a playable race, with high stats, natural protection, and the ability to polymorph at will via the "#youpoly" extended command (which costs 20 power). Both player and non-player doppelgangers also benefit from polymorph changes in SLASH'EM, where killing a polymorphed monster reverts them to their base form instead.
NetHack brass
In NetHack brass, doppelgangers instead always imitate the player, copying your inventory and attributes; the items a doppelganger duplicates usually disappears upon their death as soon as they hit the ground. Items stolen from a doppelganger (e.g. via #bereave) will remain in your inventory, but will disappear if they leave the inventory in any way - this technically makes it possible for "duplicate" artifacts to exist, though they will revert to their base item once stolen from the doppelganger, and also disappear once they leave your inventory.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, doppelgangers are classified as fey creatures. They may appear among the court of an elven monarch-ruled throne room.
Dopplegangers are one of the many quest monsters encountered on the Anachrononaut quest: 1⁄7 of the randomly generated monsters are aberrations, and of those aberrations 1⁄5 will be doppelgangers.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, killing a shapeshifter such as a doppelganger reverts them to their base form as in SLASH'EM, but a doppelganger "killed" this way revives as cancelled and cannot shapeshift again.
Encyclopedia entry
"Then we can only give thanks that this is Antarctica, where there is not one, single, solitary, living thing for it to imitate, except these animals in camp."
"Us," Blair giggled. "It can imitate us. Dogs can't make four hundred miles to the sea; there's no food. There aren't any skua gulls to imitate at this season. There aren't any penguins this far inland. There's nothing that can reach the sea from this point - except us. We've got brains. We can do it. Don't you see - it's got to imitate us - it's got to be one of us - that's the only way it can fly an airplane - fly a plane for two hours, and rule - be - all Earth's inhabitants. A world for the taking - if it imitates us!
Xander: Let go! I have to kill the demon bot!
Xander Double (grabbing the gun): Anya, get out of the way.
Buffy: Xander!
Xander Double: That's all right, Buffy. I have him.
Xander: No, Buffy, I'm me. Help me!
Anya: My gun, he's got my gun.
Riley: You own a gun?
Buffy: Xander, gun holding Xander, give it to me.
Anya: Buffy, which one's real?
Xander: I am.
Xander Double: No, _I_ am.
