What else could a mimic impersonate?

[TheGamedawg]

Mimics are commonly depicted as treasure chests that come to life and attack you when you try to open them.





However what a lot of people seem to forget is that according to the first uses of mimics, they can actually take on the form of basically anything for the sole purpose of tricking adventures.  They often take on the form of treasure chests since that's something RPGs have been doing for years.  However my question is, what other kinds of object could mimics potentially copy in order to trick the player into a surprise battle?

 

[TheGamedawg]

One example I've always liked are mimics or monsters that take the form of save points.  To date I can only think of two games that have ever done this; Chrono Trigger and Undertale.  Honestly, I want to see more RPGs try this, it's a interesting idea that's bound to catch a lot of people off guard.

 

[Scythuz]

Some easy ones would be pots, crates, doors or even the floor tiles themselves if you mark them in a distinct way.

 

[BigToastie]

You could do certain things in a mimic style.


Walking through a flower patch, but one happens to be a live "evil plant".


Go into an odd village, some of the NPCs could've been replaced by mimics, depends on your story and how you can incorporate them.

 

[Kes]

TheGamedawg, please avoid double posting, as it is against the forum rules. You can review our forum rules here. Thank you.


I've also seen this done in several Aldorlea games (save points, genie lamps etc.), but I do think that mimic save points should be used with great caution, especially if these are your only ways of saving, if your players are not to become totally hacked off.

 

[Julien Brightside]

What about the room itself?

 

[Caz]

The whole game was a mimic. There was no game - only mimicry. 

 

[LaFlibuste]

The tricky part is "in order to trick the player into a surprise battle", because I could think of dozens object that could be awesome mimics! Tents, camp fires, cauldrons. Imagine a mimic-fork that you use to eat, and just when you take a bite and it's in your mouth it clings to your teeth and begins stabbing your tongue and palate. Would be awesome in a table-top pen and paper game! I could also really see there being mimic glasses, hats or shoes.

Maybe you could receive a mimic potion (or item) or weapon that, when you attempt to use/equip, triggers a fight. Mimics in your inventory, sounds bad  BD  Maybe even a monster that swintches your back pack with a mimic, so you get bitten when you try to use items in battle.
There could also be a whole plot around the King's crown being a mimic   Or hunting down mimics around an abandonned town, you could have lots of silly mimics: cabinets, chairs, laddles, maybe even a whole house...

 

[Chaos Avian]

What if a mimic, when the fight is triggered by whatever means, actually mimics one of the your party members? Like a Ditto (Pokemon) or Doppelgangers (Dragon Quest 4-6).


Heck even a dungeon themed around Mimics would be interesting (if they're a fairly threatening), you don't know what to trust. Do you go through a door hoping to find the right path or walk into a mimics body. Do you open the chest or leave it for fear of getting attacked. Do you pull the switch or risk yet another mimic. You could really make the player a tad paranoid (you could offset this somme by having a merchant appraise said mimic traps before interaction).