4e:Mimic

Descended from simple dungeon-dwellers, the mimics are a strange race whose chameleonic personalities have helped them not so much integrate as sidle into society.

Play a mimic if you want...

• to look like a treasure chest.
• to be the semi-proud heir of an ancient dungeon ecology niche.
• to be the party's semi-official loot repository.

Physical Qualities

All mimics look broadly the same, like large treasure chests with bare arms and legs. However, the shade and grain of the wood, the design of the metalwork, even the shape of the keyhole all go to differentiate individuals. It can still be slightly tricky for people not entirely familiar with mimics to tell two apart. Their arms and legs, though they look to be made of flesh, are composed of the same hardy material as their pseudo-wooden bodies, meaning that they do not require shoes or boots to protect their feet against rough terrain. It can still be somewhat disconcerting to see a weary mimic start sanding down his soles at the end of a day's travel, regardless of how often one has kept company with them.

The internal workings of the mimic are a mystery to most people (and most mimics). When they open the lid that serves as their mouth (which can warp and distort to allow them to speak words), they reveal an empty space within that seems to stretch down further than it should. Indeed, it does, for mimics can carry more within themselves than they should by outer dimensions alone. This increases with age, to the point where elder mimics often keep all their worldly possessions within themselves. Mimics also have the innate ability to find whatever they want after a brief moment of fishing around inside their mouth, as if the entire contents rearrange themselves at the mimic's subconscious whim to hasten the search. Others reaching in (which the mimic will allow on a basis of personal trust) will take longer to uncover the item they seek.

There is a limit to what a mimic can take in, as heralded by the old mimic saying "Never eat anything bigger than your own head." Recent magical research has demonstrated that enlarging the mimic to unnatural sizes can work around this - so long as the mimic is large enough when consuming or disgorging the item, their size when carrying it is of no concern. However, they report feelings of "being full fit to bursting" when carrying an item larger than themselves.

Playing a Mimic

All mimics are born traders, born from the time when their distant ancestors would aggressively negotiate with the other dungeon denizens for items to swallow. But the days of beating goblins round the head until they give you gold are long gone, so the mimics have had to move with the times and work on strategies of commerce. Although some still quite enjoy the physical aspect of beating people round the head.

Racial Feats

Heroic Tier

Big Mouth

Prerequisite: Mimic
Benefit: Your mouth is 3 feet by 6 feet, and you gain a +2 bonus to grab attacks.

Buoyant

Prerequisite: Mimic
Benefit: When you make an Athletics check to swim, roll twice and use either result. In addition, you ignore the first 10 feet when determining damage from a fall.

Critical Chomp

Prerequisite: Mimic, chomp racial power
Benefit: When you score a critical hit with your chomp, the target takes ongoing 5 damage (save ends).

Dungeon Hustler

Prerequisite: Mimic, trained in Bluff
Benefit: You can use a Bluff check in place of a Dungeoneering check.

Long Pass Loogie

Prerequisite: Mimic, Dex 15
Benefit: You can pass an item to another creature within 10 squares of you as a minor action.

Loot Belly

Prerequisite: Mimic
Benefit: You can fit an additional 10lb per level of items inside yourself, and you gain a +2 bonus to Endurance.

Mountebank

Prerequisite: Mimic, Int 13, Cha 13
Benefit: When you reach 5th level, you master the ritual Brew Potion and can perform it without a ritual book. In addition, once per day, you can ignore the component cost of the Brew Potion ritual when creating a potion of your level or lower.

Surprising Chomp

Prerequisite: Mimic, chomp racial power
Benefit: When you hit a creature with your chomp, you gain combat advantage against that creature until the start of your next turn.

Weapon Spit

Prerequisite: Mimic
Benefit: Use Constitution for ranged basic attacks with both heavy thrown and light thrown weapons.

Paragon Tier

Beastly Chomp

Prerequisite: 11th level, mimic, druid, wild shape power, chomp racial power
Benefit: While you are in beast form, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls with chomp.

Chomping Scoundrel

Prerequisite: 11th level, mimic, rogue, Sneak Attack class feature, chomp racial power
Benefit: You can Sneak Attack creatures hit with chomp.

Disorientating Chomp

Prerequisite: 11th level, mimic, chomp racial power
Benefit: When you use your chomp power, you can choose to daze the target until the start of your next turn.

Hardy Headbutt

Prerequisite: 11th level, mimic
Benefit: Unarmed melee basic attack gains rattling keyword.

Voracious Chomp

Prerequisite: 11th level, mimic, chomp racial power
Benefit: You can use your chomp racial power twice per encounter.

Solid Craftsmanship

Prerequisite: 11th level, mimic, Con 17
Benefit: When you are hit by an attack that would knock you prone, you can immediately make a saving throw to avoid falling prone.

Walking Vault

Prerequisite: 11th level, mimic
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Epic Tier

Chomping Restoration

Prerequisite: 21st level, mimic, chomp racial power
Benefit: When you use your second wind, you regain the use of your chomp.

Chomping Victory

Prerequisite: 21st level, mimic, chomp racial power
Benefit: When you reduce a nonminion enemy to 0 hit points, you regain the use of your chomp.

Chomp of Opportunity

Prerequisite: 21st level, mimic, chomp racial power
Benefit: Whenever you make an opportunity attack, instead of making the usual melee basic attack, you can use your chomp racial power without expending it, even if you have used it this encounter. When you do so, you ignore the power's requirement and action type, and your target is the creature that triggered the opportunity attack.

Racial Backgrounds

Hustler

You are a merchant by profession. More accurately, you are a conman. You use your gift of gab to outwit and bamboozle marks with ease. Is this a natural talent? Does it run in the family? Is it a blessing or a curse? Have you ever gotten in serious trouble because of it? Perhaps you see the world as one big opportunity to get rich. Or do you have some altruism in your soul?

Associated Skills: Bluff, Insight

Magic Cabinet

You have spent a long time in the company of arcanists, or perhaps you are an arcanist yourself. Perhaps a lifetime of storing magical trinkets within your maw has given you enhanced senses, or an ability to discern magic easily. Do you approach such things with serious study? Do you just put any old thing in your mouth? Perhaps you were once in the service of a great and powerful wizard, and you learned your craft from watching him.

Associated Skills: Arcana, Perception

Spelunker

You don't just venture into dungeons, you dwell in them. Old tombs, lost cities, caves - you've sat in all of them and pretended to be a treasure chest. Perhaps you do this to feel closer to your ancestors. Or maybe because you're weird? Have you gained a thirst for adventuring so you can see the great dungeons of the world? Do you want to ambush unwary dungeon denizens and steal their stuff? Have you ever had second thoughts about your predilection to dungeon dwelling?

Associated Skills: Dungeoneering, Stealth