The rogue swaggered down the alley and examined his prize, a sapphire liberated from a wealthy widow. He stopped short on hearing a squeak. A pair of rats glared at him from further down the alley.

He drew his dagger and strode towards the creatures, but his eyes went wide as the 2 rats became 8, the 8 became 32, and the 32 quickly became uncountable. The sudden horde of rats overwhelmed him, and his screams echoed through the alley. When the authorities arrived minutes later they found the rogue’s body, as well as the gem and dagger… and dozens of dead rats.

Doppelrat (CR 1)

XP 400
N Tiny animal
Init +6; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +1 …

DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 4 (1d8)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1

OFFENSE
Speed 15 ft., climb 15 ft., swim 15 ft.
Melee bite +4 (1d3−4 plus disease)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks arcane mitosis

STATISTICS
Str 2, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 2
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 6
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Climb +10, Stealth +18, Swim +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth, uses Dex for Climb and Swim

ECOLOGY
Environment any temperate
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Arcane Mitosis (Su) A doppelrat under duress creates clones of itself at the beginning of its turn. Each round for 4 rounds, the number of live rats quadruples but never exceeds 20. Each duplicate appears in the same square as any other rat, can take a move or standard action the round it appears, has 1/4 the main rat’s current hp (minimum 1), and lives for 10 rounds.

Disease (Ex) Degenerate cloning—injury; save Fort DC 11 (Constitution-based); onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Str damage, 1d3 Con damage, and the victim becomes shaken for 1 hour (Will DC 11); cure 2 consecutive saves. The rats created through arcane mitosis can transmit this disease.

Typical Characteristics
The result of a clone spell gone awry, a doppelrat uses short-lived duplicates to overwhelm its competitors. An easy battle against a single rat soon spirals out of control as the rat clones itself into a swarm and hides while combat rages. Rat-bitten survivors suffer from a frightening disease: the victim sloughs off a stillborn clone each day and his vitality soon fades. Clones cannot be raised from the dead in any manner.

Doppelrats settle in large city alleys and sewers after they have killed off or driven out their normal cousins. They have an instinctual sense for others of their kind; helpful, since litters born to doppelrat parents produce only 1 such creature out of 10. The rest provide sustenance for their parents and siblings.

In cities with known doppelrat lairs, magistrates hire spellcasters to scour alleys and sewers and quickly obliterate any rats they find. Terrifying rumors of a dire doppelrat have never been substantiated.

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