Cloak of the Doppelganger
wondrous item (cloak), rare (requires attunement)
This sleek grey leather cloak appears unassuming at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the faint shimmer of iridescence can be seen dancing across its surface. Fashioned from the flayed skin of a doppelganger, this cloak bears the uncanny ability to shroud its wearer in deception.
Shapechanger's Veil
As an action, you can use the cloak to assume the form of any Medium humanoid you have seen before, or revert to your true form. This functions as the doppelganger's Change Shape ability, allowing you to alter your appearance and voice while retaining your statistics. You can maintain this form for up to 1 hour, requiring no concentration, and you can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest.Curse
Upon attuning to this cloak, it subtly binds itself to your skin, adhering with an unsettling intimacy. Attempting to remove the Cloak of the Doppelganger by ordinary means proves futile as it melds seamlessly with your flesh, becoming an indistinguishable part of your form. If you attempt to remove the cloak willingly, you suffer excruciating pain and gain a level of exhaustion. The only way to sever this unnerving connection is via a spell or similarly potent magic.Lore
The creation of the Cloak of the Doppelganger is an unassuming but widespread occurrence, attributed to a cadre of doppelganger cultists known as the Shifting Shades. Contrary to legendary origins, these cloaks emerged not from a singular grand event but from the collective endeavors of these clandestine groups scattered across the realms.
The Shifting Shades, a network of doppelganger devotees, delved into rituals blending doppelganger essence with the craft of leatherworking, aiming to replicate the innate abilities of their elusive kindred. Through generations of meticulous experimentation and study, these cultists developed a process to harvest and fashion the skins of doppelgangers into cloaks imbued with mimetic enchantments.Each cloak bore the imprint of its creators' mastery over deception and shapechanging, the culmination of their fanaticism and dark insights into the doppelgangers' mutable nature. As such, these cloaks circulated throughout the world, finding their way into the hands of spies, assassins, and those who sought to traverse the treacherous paths of intrigue and subterfuge.
Yet, with each new cloak created, whispers of the Shifting Shades' existence echoed faintly, hinting at a clandestine network thriving in the shadows, perpetuating the legacy of the doppelganger through their craft.
Related content
The Eye of the Past
gemstone, legendary
This glass eye is embedded with a fragment of a chronolite, a rare mineral that resonates with the flow of time.
Shapechanger’s Amulet
wondrous item (amulet), rare
The Shapechanger’s Amulet is a finely crafted pendant adorned with iridescent gemstones and swirling fluid designs. It emits a faint aura of illusion ...
Space Pirate
Background Feature: No Honor
You have spent a good portion of your life sailing the astral sea, raiding ships and plundering treasures. You are a space pirate, a freebooter who li...
Amulet of the Shifter
wondrous item (amulet), rare
This amulet is made of natural materials, such as wood, bone, or stone, and has a carved animal motif.
Translator's Journal
wondrous item (book), very rare
An old and worn tome covered in runes, writings, and scripts in a wide range of languages. The pages are yellowed and brittle, but the text is still l...