To clarify my statement, the mythical backround of the doppelgänger defines it as a phenomenon, not as a creature. An evil twin of sorts, a ghostly manisfestation of devilish energy.
Even though D&D later considered it as a race, it belongs to those very peculiar forms of life that would require a drastically different storyline to really make sense, like Ilithids, Githyankis, Devas, Dragons, Lichs, etc. A human, a gnome and an elf can have a very similar life, but a magical horse? A god? It becomes unlikely that such a character can find itself in the BG storyline.
Not only that but it simply won't happen. : )
You make it sound like your mythical background is what BG intends when it introduces doppelgangers when the fact is the 2e interpretation of doppelganger should be what you are looking at and forget everything else. Doppelganger in BG is a race, that is it.
Half Doppelganger is no more fantastic than Charname themselves or Haer'dalis the tiefling arriving on the last shuttle from Sigil (or wherever). If someone said lets add a half-devil to the game would also say no? Then you would be saying no to Haer'dalis.
The logic behind every npc is that Charname by his/her very existence can draw the fantastic to them. It is the reason why almost every npc joins you and stays with you all the way into Hell (and back).
I agree it won't happen but that doesn't mean it isn't a plausible and interesting option as opposed to yet another dwarf/elf/human.
Well, Haer'Dalis isn't a half-devil. He's sort of a quarter-devil. If he were a half-devil, he'd have red skin, horns, and probably some leather wings and a tail.
Who cares if dopplegangers are a race or not? I always get pissed when people tell me to respect stupid d&d rules. The idea that only humans can be paladins, that golems are a race or that gnomes have to be illusionists is just stupid IMO. If extra-ordinary people weren't allowed to exist in d&d, we wouldn't have people like Drizzt. Stereotypes exist so they can be broken. Hell, you're playing a friggin' DEMIGOD, and you think a doppleganger NPC is "unlikely"?
If anything, I think a doppleganger NPC to infiltrate your party makes perfect sense.
We have to respect the set rules of each edition in reason of Wizard of the Coast copyrights if i'm not wrong. WotC only allow games to be produced in D&D system if they respect the settings of the used version. As BG is made in AD&D, it must be bound to AD&D restrictions.
I kinda of like the restrictions a bit and we can always break those with mods, but it isn't a matter of preference in fact those restrictions are imposed (if i made any wrong statement, someone please correct me).
This was one of the main feature requests i gave support before the release of the game, so if people don't mind in retake the issue, whom would like the idea?
I actually like half-doppleganger more then pure duppleganger.
" Alternate forms (Su): Upon gaining maturity, the half-doppelganger learns to take three humanoid forms in addition to its own shape. These three forms may be that of any Medium or Small humanoid, but once a form is chosen, it permanently becomes one of the half-doppelganger's three alternate choices. For example, if a half-doppelganger learns to take the shape f a female halfling, male elf, and male orc, those three forms are his alternate forms, and he may not later choose the form of a female gnome. "
Switching race or gender isn´t nothing new in BG games ( Edwin/Edwina, Adalon and Drow spell ). So there isn´t any technical problems with engine.
No matter which one is produced (if any will be produced anyway), they would vastly enhance the game history, not only the main quest of the game is filled with tons of doppelganger, Durlag's Tower has a huge amount of them as well.
I can see a lot of nice banters and D&D lore being worked in Durlag's Tower with an Dopple (or half) NPC in the party.
What Bhaaldog/Samus said. I've no idea what I voted in September, though I was probably against. Not because the idea has no merit (it does, dopplegangers and generally neutral, can blend in better than most other partymembers and it'll open the door for many interesting banters and quests) but implementation is a problem. I'm also not a fan of copping out and saying "Well, it's a half-doppleganger then!" (as I'm really tired of the half-anythings, fantasy DNA is apparently made from silly putty).
I wouldn't be opposed to the shapeshifting being in total control of the NPC itself and thus regulated via scripts. The NPC could shift form when entering certain areas (human in Beregost, dwarf in the mines, elf in Suldanesselar, etc) or when undergoing certain quests. This keeps its special abilities bar free from 14 combinations of race/gender/class and will give the NPC some more personality (as opposed to being a funny plaything with buttons). A quest in BG2 might boost it to Greater Doppleganger status, giving it inherent Mirror Image a few times per day, some immunities and small ability boosts.
Apparently I was opposed to this back in September and now that I know this I agree with myself. I guess I just don't see it adding anything to the game. Either game really.
Although an interesting concept I just don't see how a doppleganger could be a unique character. I guess you could use it to launch sneak attacks, exactly as any thief would. I guess it could be an evil thief to compensate for a lack thereof in BG2. Maybe I'm just not imaginative enough. However I would totally go for a recurring dopple character. Kinda like Garrick or he could be involved in one of those class based quests that you get, that would be interesting.
Comments
Half Doppelganger is no more fantastic than Charname themselves or Haer'dalis the tiefling arriving on the last shuttle from Sigil (or wherever). If someone said lets add a half-devil to the game would also say no? Then you would be saying no to Haer'dalis.
The logic behind every npc is that Charname by his/her very existence can draw the fantastic to them. It is the reason why almost every npc joins you and stays with you all the way into Hell (and back).
I agree it won't happen but that doesn't mean it isn't a plausible and interesting option as opposed to yet another dwarf/elf/human.
I agree with everything else you said though.
If anything, I think a doppleganger NPC to infiltrate your party makes perfect sense.
I kinda of like the restrictions a bit and we can always break those with mods, but it isn't a matter of preference in fact those restrictions are imposed (if i made any wrong statement, someone please correct me).
This was one of the main feature requests i gave support before the release of the game, so if people don't mind in retake the issue, whom would like the idea?
" Alternate forms (Su): Upon gaining maturity, the half-doppelganger learns to take three humanoid forms in addition to its own shape. These three forms may be that of any Medium or Small humanoid, but once a form is chosen, it permanently becomes one of the half-doppelganger's three alternate choices. For example, if a half-doppelganger learns to take the shape f a female halfling, male elf, and male orc, those three forms are his alternate forms, and he may not later choose the form of a female gnome. "
Switching race or gender isn´t nothing new in BG games ( Edwin/Edwina, Adalon and Drow spell ).
So there isn´t any technical problems with engine.
I can see a lot of nice banters and D&D lore being worked in Durlag's Tower with an Dopple (or half) NPC in the party.
I've no idea what I voted in September, though I was probably against.
Not because the idea has no merit (it does, dopplegangers and generally neutral, can blend in better than most other partymembers and it'll open the door for many interesting banters and quests) but implementation is a problem. I'm also not a fan of copping out and saying "Well, it's a half-doppleganger then!" (as I'm really tired of the half-anythings, fantasy DNA is apparently made from silly putty).
I wouldn't be opposed to the shapeshifting being in total control of the NPC itself and thus regulated via scripts. The NPC could shift form when entering certain areas (human in Beregost, dwarf in the mines, elf in Suldanesselar, etc) or when undergoing certain quests. This keeps its special abilities bar free from 14 combinations of race/gender/class and will give the NPC some more personality (as opposed to being a funny plaything with buttons).
A quest in BG2 might boost it to Greater Doppleganger status, giving it inherent Mirror Image a few times per day, some immunities and small ability boosts.