The Doll Master: A disguising killer
The Doll Master: Rodrick Duffy
Lore (Skip if wanted):
Rodrick Duffy was supposed to be a girl, according to his grandmother. The ultrasounds, the testing. They thought for sure that he was going to be one. His parents were so sure, that they even bought all of the baby supplies for him while he was still in the womb.
On the day of their birth, their parents were surprised. They were not that financially well, and most of the items were too late to return. So, they had no choice but to keep the pink plastic toys and dolls, at least until their next paycheck was in.
But Rodrick seemed to like the toys regardless. He played with them, and even when they got new toys for boys, Roderick would still crawl his way over to the dolls. In the end, they didn’t really care, as a baby probably wouldn't care what toys they have.
As he got older, some of his interests left from pink toys, but never the dolls. He played with them from a toddler to a child, getting more and more. He loved stuffed animals as well, and his favorite was his stuffed elephant. He would make stories up with them, play with them with other kids that were willing.
But as he got older, his parents, especially his mother, started getting worried that he should be playing with different toys. He told her that he liked the dolls, all of them. The simple ones that were just cotton or the plastic ones, he didn't care. He found them fun and interesting. They eventually gave in, seeing it as just a harmless little hobby.
On his ninth birthday, his grandmother took him up to her apartment and showed him the large amounts of sewing supplies she had. Pretty soon he would come over as often as possible, making shirts, dresses and hats with his grandmother. He loved it, and started making clothes for his dolls.
As he went into middle school, trouble started. He would spend much of his free time sewing or knitting in the back of the classroom, and many of the older kids were not that kind to it. They would bully him, taking his supplies and breaking or crushing it. They called him names, and told him to ‘go party with the cripples in the old folks home’.
To respond from this, he did the only thing he could think of. He stopped sewing in school, but worked even harder at home. He would spend hours making clothing, from jackets to hats for both his family and his dolls.
His grandmother was especially proud of him, and told him he had a gift. By thirteen, he had made his first doll from scratch, and soon many more followed. His room was eventually filled with them, made from supplies and old clothing. There were so many that his parents told him to get rid of some of them. Thinking about it, he asked his parents if he could sell them. They agreed.
He started selling them from out of his front yard, making some extra money for the family. It was sad for him to watch his creations and friends be sold off, but he always made more to replace them.
Word got out, and soon the bullies started picking up again. And this time with more force. His little stand got assaulted multiple times, and his dolls were sometimes ripped apart in front of his very eyes. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore, and stabbed one of the bullies in the leg with a pair of scissors.
As the blood spilt from the boy's legs, he felt something within him. Something good. It wasn't bloodlust, or satisfied revenge. It was protection. He felt so happy to protect his dolls, his friends. Those people weren't his friends, they were his enemies. His dolls, his creations, they were his friends.
After a lengthy discussion with the police, all chargers were dropped. It was decided that the kids had gone onto his lawn for a fight, and he got one. But afterwards, something new crept his way into his mind. He wanted to thank his dolls. He wanted to talk to them. Hold them. Bring them to life. Be their real friends.
He pushed the feeling away, and eventually made it through middle school and into high school. By then, his abilities to create with fabric were through the charts, and his idea of making his dolls alive had grown to a point where he could no longer ignore it.
Getting out of high school, he got accepted into a major clothes making line and started designing clothing. At home, he researched ways to make his dream a reality. He looked up everything, from electronics to biology to magic. Nothing worked.
He started getting more desperate. He wanted to see his creations flourish. He wanted to see them live, he wanted to love them and let them know just how much he cared. He started trying ritualistic endeavors, buying rare and expensive things from the dark web. He went deeper and deeper, but nothing worked.
He eventually stumbled onto some ideas of switching minds between bodies. After everything, he was willing to give it a shot. Getting some rats to test on, he made perfect replicas of the rats, organs and all. After everything was set, he tried the ritual.
Slitting the rat’s neck below the doll, he let all of the blood flow out into a bowl while the rat's soul went up into the doll. Quickly, he collected all of the blood and poured it over the doll, trapping its’ soul with it. He grabbed the jumper cables from the car battery and zapped the doll in the head and in the chest.
He watched, holding the jumpers tightly in his hands. He waited and waited, starting at the bloody doll. After a couple minutes, he sighed. Leaning over, he reached at the doll and tried to pick it up. As he did however, it twitched.
He froze. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on the doll. It was warm. Constantly warm. He sat back, the blood running down his hand. Suddenly, the rat doll started convulsing, spasming around. It trashed and screeched and then, like nothing had happened, steadied and shook itself. It looked up at him, staring at him with button eyes.
In that second, his reality felt like it was crumbling. It had worked. It worked! He stood up, a giant smile running from ear to ear. He did it! He paced back and forth, all while the rat watched him. He leaned down, placing his hands out for his creation. To his surprise, it jumped into his hands. It climbed up his arm and sat on his shoulders, comfortable.
It didn't take long for the tests to resume. He bought many animals, from rabbits to cats to dogs, testing and they all worked. He didn’t need to feed them, they didn't need to be taken care of. They listened to him, and never tried to hurt him. Confident in his abilities, he decided to test the final test.
After a lot of back alley bargaining and money trading, he managed to get a hold of what he wanted. A person. They were in a vegetative state, which was perfect. He could give them a new life. Give them something that they would desperately want, even if they didn’t know it.
Setting up the test, he kept his test subject alive while he made a perfect replica of their body. After a week of constant work, it was ready. The moon was aligned, the circles were drawn perfect. It was time.
He took the person, placing them flat on the ground, and placed the doll above them on a net. He performed the ritual, collecting all of the blood and shocking them. Him and his doll friends sat around watching. Second after second passed, feeling like hours.
Suddenly a large, black appendage rose from the ground. It stabbed right through both the test subject and the test subject's new form. Robert yelled, and stumbled back. Many more of the appendages appeared, each one stabbing at all of his friends. They all cried out in silent cries, and all at once, the legs pulled his creations back with them and then the room was empty except for him.
He rushed to the walls, screaming. He banged and banged at every place that the appendages were, trying to open them again. He slammed on the concrete, his hands turning purple. Tears fell down his face, and he curled up on the floor.
A new light appeared in the room, and he looked up, wiping his eyes. It was the appendages, but this time they held open a gate of some kind. Mist spewed out from it. Without any words being said, a message came in his mind. His friends were alive. They were all in there. And he could see them. All he had to do was play along.
He got up. He nodded, and walked though. A familiar weight found its way to his hand, and he looked down to see the scissors he used to stab that kid back when he was young. The voice came back, telling him what to do. He nodded.
He would do whatever It took to see his family again. Sacrifices, killing, he didn’t care. As long as he could see them again, to know that they are alright, he would do it. He loved them. More than anything.
The Doll Master is a shy, commanding killer, able to use clones to do specific tasks and to hide in a crowd with his power, Stitched Lips and Bodies. He can disguise himself as a survivor, hinder survivors' only way of fighting back, and delegate small tasks.
His personal perks, Hooked and Knot, Hex: Calm and Mothballs to flames let him take more control over generators and cause confusion and uncertainty to his presence.
Movement speed: 115% default.
Terror radius: 32 meters.
Height: Small
Power: Stitched Lips and Bodies
Thanks to the entity and his own skills, The Doll Master has made a large amount of living dolls with special properties.
At the start of the trial, 11 clones of each survivor (44 total) will spawn all around the map. These puppets will look just like the survivor they cloned. To the Doll Master, they look like giant dolls unless interacting with them. These clones will run, walk, and crouch around the map in random directions.
Clones have the same collision to survivors, but will run away from actual survivors when within 2 meters of them. Clones will not be shown by any aura perks. They will not move away from the Doll Master, but you can shove them out of your way by bumping into them.
When standing within 1 meter of a clone, press the power button to interact with them. When interacting, you can give one of three commands to the clone.
- Disguise: You take on the physical appearance of that clone. While disguised, you will move like, and at the same speed as, a survivor. You can walk by default, and can run and crouch with the same buttons as you would a survivor. You can press left control to move at 110% speed, and will stay moving at that speed until you press left control again. While disguised, you will be undetectable, but will carry your weapon like an item. Disguising causes a power cooldown of 15 seconds.
After attacking, vaulting, getting stunned or getting blinded, you lose the disguise and move at normal speeds. You cannot grab a survivor while disguised.
- Block: You tell the clone to block a vault location or upright-pallet. After choosing this command, you have 4 seconds to select a vault location or upright-pallet. When chosen, you will yell out the command and the clone will then run at 5 m/s to that location and either block the vault or hold up the pallet. The vault location or pallet will be blocked for 45 seconds for all players. Using the Block command causes a power cooldown of 20 seconds.
After finishing the task, the clone will go back to wandering aimlessly. If a pallet that was going to be blocked gets thrown down, they will instead break that pallet.
- Break: You tell the clone to break a downed pallet, breakable wall or generator. After choosing this command, you have 4 seconds to select a downed pallet, breakable wall or generator. When chosen, you will yell out the command, and the clone will then run at 5 m/s to that location and break said object. Using the Break command causes a power cooldown of 15 seconds.
After finishing the task, the clone will go back to wandering aimlessly. If the generator they were going to gets finished or blocked, they will go back to wandering aimlessly. If the pallet they were going to gets picked back up, they will block that pallet.
Add-ons:
Common
Thread: A simple red thread. Could be used to sew up a cut or hole.
- Slightly (-2 seconds) decreases the cooldown of Stitched Lips and Bodies.
Doll’s head: A severed doll’s head, torn off by unknown means. Fills Rodrick with mild anger.
- Slightly (+1 per survivor) increases the amount of clones in the trial.
Tape: A sticky tape that can be used for quick, non-permanent repairs.
- Slightly (+5 seconds) increases the amount of time a clone blocks a vault or pallet.
Torn fabric: Seeing such a beautiful and pristine fabric be torn to pieces fills the Doll Master with sorrow.
- Slightly (-.2 charges a second) decreases power regeneration speed. Gain 100% extra bloodpoints from the disguised hit score event.
“Why does such a beautiful thing have to meet such an end?” - Roderick Duffy
Uncommon
Thread spool: A wooden spool, useful for holding lots of thread.
- Moderately (-3 seconds) decreases the cooldown of Stitched Lips and Bodies.
Doll’s Body: A decapitated doll in a pretty blue dress.
- Moderately (+2 per survivor) increases the amount of clones in the trial.
Elastic band: Could be used to hold things together, at least for a little while.
- Moderately (+10 seconds) increases the amount of time a clone blocks a vault or pallet.
Sweet Candy: A strawberry flavored candy that puts a little pep in your step.
- Slightly (+0.08 m/s or 2%) increases movement speed while disguised.
“I’ve always preferred sour.” - Rodrick Duffy
Thimble: A small metal cup that protects a single finger from getting poked.
- After getting stunned out of a disguise, your power gauge instantly refills.
Rare
Thread lump: A large lump of grey and silver thread, tied up in a ball. It would take a while to uncurl it.
- Considerably (-4 seconds) decreases the cooldown of Stitched Lips and Bodies.
Stuffed Animal: A stuffed elephant named Teddy. Rodrick has sewn many repairs in order to keep it from falling apart.
- Considerably (+3 per survivor) increases the amount of clones in the trial.
“You were always there for me, even when others weren't. I won’t let you die, ok? I love you.” -Rodrick Duffy
Hot glue stick: A stick of clear, cylindrical glue. It can be used for projects more focused on art than practicality.
- Considerably (+15 seconds) increases the amount of time a clone blocks a vault or pallet
Sour Candy: A sour apple flavored candy that puts a large slide in your stride.
- Moderately (+0.12 m/s or 3%) increases movement speed while disguised.
Voice Box: Ripped from the insides of a stuffed animal while doing repairs. Rodrick never got around to putting it back in.
- The aura of all survivors within 2 meters of a clone doing block command are revealed to you for 5 seconds.
Very Rare
Stitched Pin: A sewn pin, based on the masks of The Legion. Fills Rodrick with a feeling of responsibility.
- Disguised attacks cause the survivor to gain deep wounds. Deep Wounds lasts for 30 seconds and are mended in 8 seconds or 5 with another survivor.
“Well well well. Looks like we got ourselves an admirer.” - The Legion
Huntress’s Dolly: A small doll that he stole from the Huntress’s cabin. The entity has let him keep it.
- If a clone touches a survivor while it is running to a command, it damages that survivor for one health state.
- Slightly (-.2 charges a second) decreases power regeneration speed.
Flannel fabric: A fabric taken from the Crotus Prenn Asylum. If held to the ear, it almost makes a breathing sound.
- Clones instantly blink to their location when given a break or block command.
White ink: Rodrick was able to snag a little of the ink that the Wraith uses on his bell. It has a connection to the spirit world, albeit small.
- After getting removed from your disguise, after 3 seconds, move considerably (1 m/s or 25%) faster for 1 second.
Ultra Rare
Iridescent Thread: A beautiful thread, glowing with life like a vein.
- After getting a survivor downed, all clones within 4 meters of any vault will block that vault for 30 seconds.
“Such beauty is something only found here. I wish I could have used this before.”
Bloody net: A brown net, used to carry out most of his tests. It still had his last subject's blood on it.
- After a survivor has finished a heal on another survivor, all clones within 16 meters will follow the healer for 30 seconds.
“I hope that they are all ok...I miss them.” - Rodrick Duffy
Perks:
Hooked and Knot: Strings often get spun into knots when not using the right tools. After hooking a survivor, the last generator that the survivor was working on gets blocked by the entity for 20/22/24 seconds or until the survivor gets unhooked or sacrificed. After that generator is no longer blocked, it will start regressing at a normal rate.
Hex: Calm: A hex that works to quell the sounds and excitement of the trial, making it easy to keep a level head and stay quiet. While active, all sounds or music other than sounds made by survivors and crows are rendered silent. You also gain the undetectable status while in a chase and for 4/5/6 seconds after the chase ends.
“Keep calm. Stay steady, and I will see them again.” - The Doll Master
Mothballs to flames: The light can be a sickening thing. After a generator is completed, any survivors that are within 6 meters of it will gain an oblivious and blindness status effect. The range increases by 2 meters for every completed generator. The effects persist for 16/18/20 seconds after getting out of range of the generator.
“I hate moths. Luckily, they are drawn to bright lights, so they can be disposed of quickly” - The Doll Master