Changeling

Changelings were a fey or humanoid race related to doppelgangers who had a natural ability for shapeshifting, making them effective as actors, spies, and criminals.
==Description==
When in their true or natural form, a changeling looked rather like a doppelganger, with a lesser resemblance to a regular humanoid; in comparison to a human, they appeared faded and lacking detail and might be mistaken for someone with albinism. A typical changeling had skin of a pale grey hue, thin hair of a light silvery shade, and large eyes that were blank white. Their nose and mouth were small, even barely noticeable, so they seemed expressionless and almost featureless. In contrast to doppelgangers, changelings displayed sexual characteristics in their natural form, though could alter these as they pleased. A changeling had a humanoid build some in height, but seemed gangly and ill-proportioned, having limbs that were slender and somewhat longer than a similarly sized humanoid. Some could change their height from human to halfling size. Despite this, they did not lack for grace or agility. Of course, given their shapeshifting talents, changelings were rarely seen like this.
==Personality==
Changelings were subtle and deceptive in their ways. How a changeling chose and used each new guise they adopted was up to each individual. It might be for mischief, for entertainment, or for heroism, or it could be for terrible misdeeds. To one changeling, it might be no more than a disguise, but to another, it could be another facet of their soul. They had different terms for different kinds of guise. A 'mask' was a guise that lacked a backstory and deeper personality; it was created on a whim to display a mood or to fulfill a need and could be discarded, never seen again. A 'persona' was a full identity with a backstory, depth, and beliefs of its own. A changeling could maintain a number of personas for different applications and situations, and changelings and changeling communities could share them (for example, three changeling healers could play the one physician persona in shifts) or bequeath them to their descendants (so a young changeling could have the benefits and contacts of an older persona).
A typical changeling was careful and wary of dangers, only undertaking a risky endeavor if the rewards or the odds of success made it worthwhile. On the other hand, they had expensive tastes, especially enjoying the comforts and luxuries that riches could bring, and sought them out whenever they could afford it.
Changelings loved learning new languages and building collections of ones they knew. These linguistics also aided their disguises and personas.
==Abilities==
Changelings had the magical ability to change their appearance. Although similar in effect to a disguise self spell, this was no illusion but a small physical transformation of their bodies, so their clothing and possessions are unaffected. It was also not as extensive as a doppelganger's transformation and they were limited to a humanoid form. They could alter their facial features, skin coloration and texture, hair length and color, race, sex, and their size, height, and weight, within limits of human or human and halfling scales. Though it took several seconds, a changeling could change their form as often as they liked and the new appearance lasted until they changed again. If they died, their bodies reverted to their natural forms. True seeing would also expose them.
Unsurprisingly, this power gave a changeling a great facility for disguise and impersonation, with them able to create a highly convincing disguise on cue. They could take on any face they wanted, even those of other people, but of course could not look like someone they'd never laid eyes on.
They had an innate resistance to sleep and charm magic.
A changeling spoke softly, but when they talked to someone they had a knack for getting them to give away more information than they intended to share. They tended to be skilled in areas of deception, intimidation, sensing motive and deceit, persuasion, or performance.
They also had a gift for languages and could learn new tongues with ease.
==Combat==
A changeling avoided combat if they could and would rather bluff or bully their way to a peaceful resolution. When pushed to fight, they favored ambushes and sneak attacks and would remain on the defensive while they weighed up their odds and looked for a way out. If defeat was likely, they would retreat or run away.
==Society==
The discovery of a changeling child—whether due to a changeling biological parent or by being swapped at birth for a human or other child—was not welcomed by all parents. Unwanted infants such as these and others might be abandoned at a local temple or monastery of a good deity, most often Selûne, and these foundlings would be taught and raised in the faith, with some even becoming monks. The lands most likely for this were Aglarond, Amn, Calimshan, Cormyr, Damara, Impiltur, Mulhorand, Lake of Steam, Luiren, and Silverymoon in the North. In harsher lands, unwanted children might simply be left to the elements.
Lacking settlements of their own, changelings used their shapeshifting powers to live in secret amongst others, including humans, goblinoids, and others. Their abilities made them adept at infiltration and criminal activity, and many made the most of it, gravitating toward being rogues. They served as deep-cover spies and made up the core of a local criminal underbelly. Nevertheless, others preferred reputable professions, and they excelled as entertainers, spies and agents of their government, and occasionally as adventurers.
Big cities were where changelings were most often found, but even there, they did not gather in great numbers. Those without families operated alone or in small changeling gangs of only about five members under one charismatic leader. Those with dependent children or elders came together in 'clans' for mutual protection and aid. These clans were not bound by blood, but by voluntary association. A clan head governed the clan and set a common purpose, but only with the consent of its members, so the role was replaced regularly. Clan bosses helped organize and keep order in the clan. The clan comprised anywhere from 10 to 60 capable adult members; an additional 30% children, elders, and non-combatants; a boss for every 10 adults, two elders, and one clan head.
===Relations===
Humans and elves were suspicious of changelings, owing to their criminal associations and deception, yet most would still deal with them if they had need. Halflings and gnomes could have some fun in battles of wits with changelings, though those in the criminal underworld were as likely to be rivals. Meanwhile dwarves didn't have much patience for changelings' subtlety and tricks.
===Significance===
"Changeling" was often a byword for other shapeshifters, such as true doppelgangers and individuals with the ability, such as Nylaersyn "the Changeling" Floshin. The elven deity of change and trickery, Erevan Ilesere, was titled "the Green Changeling" for his own shapeshifting habits.
More generally, "changeling" was also used as a term for children who'd grown up different or unnatural in the eyes of their kin, thought to be possibly fey; a cambion, alu-fiend, or other demon offspring; or a descendant of wicked mages, particularly if they had been adopted. The young Abdel Adrian, a Bhaalspawn, was rumored to be such a changeling as a child. Green hags and annises were known to swap their offspring for human infants; suspected children were known colloquially as changelings. Similarly, the name "malenti", for those mutant sahuagin who were indistinguishable from sea elves, meant "changeling" in the Elvish language and "ugly one" in the Sahuagin language.
==History==
In one account of their origin, the first changelings anywhere came into existence in the Feywild, as a manifestation of that plane's magical, mutable nature. Accordingly, their shapeshifting power and whether they use it for good or for evil channeled either the joys or the dangers of the Feywild.
More prosaically, however, another version holds that changelings began as the offspring of doppelgangers and humans. They evolved, ultimately becoming a distinct race in their own right.
==Notable Changelings==
* Orin the Red, a murderous Bhaalspawn and would-be Chosen of Bhaal in the late 15 century DR.
==Appendix==
===Background===
The changeling race is based on the real-world myth of changelings, which are children claimed to have been swapped (that is, changed) by fairies and displaying unusual traits or behaviors, and the term is often conflated with shapeshifting. Changelings were created for the Eberron setting and first appeared in Eberron Campaign Setting in June 2004. They were introduced to core D&D in the 3.5-edition Monster Manual III in August. Here, they were shapeshifting descendants of doppelgangers. Later books such as Races of Eberron expanded on them significantly, with suggestions of changeling babies being abandoned, adopted out, or swapped incorporating the real-world legend. (An unrelated changeling race based on the swapped-by-fairies myth was presented a year earlier in Dragon #304.)
For the 4-edition Monster Manual, doppelgangers were revised, being downgraded in power and depicted similarly to the earlier changelings. Most likely, they were intended to be merged and 4-edition Eberron Campaign Guide and Eberron Player's Guide followed suit, declaring its changelings to also be called doppelgangers and using the terms interchangeably. These changelings are not included above, but at the doppelganger article.
For 5 edition, changelings were reintroduced twice, first in Eberron: Rising from the Last War, where they were an independent race from which doppelgangers were created, and Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, where they were a fey race, with no relation to doppelgangers. It is unclear if they are meant to be the same. This article adopts the latter.
Meanwhile, the original senses of the word 'changeling' have often been used in D&D and the Forgotten Realms for other shapeshifters and strange children, while there have also been a few mentions of doppelganger-based changelings in Realms sources. Fittingly enough for a shapeshifting race, they can be very difficult to identify.
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