Invasion of the body snatchers!

[CIDE]

Hey playground,

Without dipping into homebrew (though, limited PF may be fine) I'm looking for monsters or anything else that could simulate something like a body snatcher situation. Whether it be an Ooze like the oblex in 5e that can change into what it eats, Something that creates duplicates, etc. Anything that fits mechanically and/or thematically.

If no monsters can do something like this what are some alternative methods for someone to easily duplicate a similar scenario? Aside from finding a way to just spam Ice Assassins.

Thanks

[Blackhawk748]

Lord's of Madness has the Tsochari (pretty sure that's their name) that are giant leech things that go into a person and puppet them from inside.

Pretty terrifying

[Nifft]

There are some Aberrations which fit.

Tsochar (Lords of Madness) can eat your insides and wear your body for up to a year.

Mockery Bugs (MM5) emulate people until they hideously emerge.

Intellect Devourers (SRD (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/intellectDevourer.htm)) do the Tsochar thing but with fewer tentacles, which is objectively worse.

Puppeteers (SRD (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/puppeteer.htm)) are a light & fluffy variant which doesn't even murder the original.


If you're down for a whole major setting element, check out Eberron's Inspired.

[TheCount]

Obligatory Doppelganger (SRD (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/doppelganger.htm)) promotion.
There is an Greater variant, that can use almost all of the abilities of whoever shape it wears, after eating thier brains.

There is also the Changelings, from Eberron, which are player races descended from doppelgangers and humans/other races mingling fora very long time.

There is also the mirror walk spell IIRC, when you enter the mirror world, it creates a copy of you with everything you have. and you need to fight it if you don't leave fast enough.

There is also a magic item like that, Mirror of Opposition (SRD (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#mirrorofOpposition)) IIRC, that creates a clone of you with opposite alignment which attacks you immediately if you stand/walk before it.

two high level option if the party REALLY pissed the GM of:
Aleax is a construct double created by a pissed of god which only you can damage and get a pretty good bounty if you kill it.

Ice Assassin, 9th level spell, ice sculpture which wants to kill whoever its made after.

[ShurikVch]

Ghost with Malevolence
Reason Stealer (Monster Manual II): Grotesque Form
Maurezhi demon (Fiend Folio): Assume Shape
Deepspawn (Lost Empires of Faerûn): able to produce copies of those who they devoured
Chokesnake (Dungeon #148): it's, technically, symbiont, but the main point of it is to control the "host" (via winning the Ego check)
Insect from Shaggai (Call of Cthulhu d20): "interfaces" with human brain, slowly drives insane, then victim would do every bidding of the insect
Nimicri (Manual of the Planes): see there (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24523460&postcount=12)

Prestige Classes:
Fiend of Possession (Fiend Folio)
Replacement Killer (Dragon #312)
Soul Eater (Book of Vile Darkness)

Items:
Humanoid Skin graft (Underdark)
Mask of Diamond Tears (Dungeon #143)

[MaxiDuRaritry]

It's 3rd party, but I've always been partial to The Creature Collection II's (https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/classic/rev_4653.phtml) face stealer (https://foxsuperpowerlist.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/shape-shifting-face-stealer-creature-collection-ii-dark-menagerie.png?w=382).

It's a tall, lanky, hairy monster that kidnaps victims and literally peels off their faces, leaving a blank mask with nothing but two holes for nostrils behind. It then applies their faces to itself and takes their identities. Of course, leaving them that way for too long means they'll starve or die of thirst, and if one dies, his (or her) face becomes useless. This gives an interesting weakness that can be exploited and gives the players a way to save its victims.

[Jowgen]

I'mma hit you with a real obscure one: The Carrionette from Dragon 339 p48.

Small little toy-looking constructs that prick unconscious victims with their needles to magic jar shift into their bodies, trapping the victim in the construct body. They're, like, a whole nightmare quest scenario in a statblock.

[ShurikVch]

Hellwasp Swarm (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/swarm.htm#hellwaspSwarm)

Shadow Demon (Book of Vile Darkness) have Magic Jar 1/week

Various loumara demons have ability to possess people - such as Guecubu in Fiendish Codex I, or Manitou in Dragon #359

Ayperobos Swarms (Fiendish Codex II) have Control Body (which works as Dominate Monster)

EDIT:
Mind Flayers of Thoon (Monster Manual V): Thoon Infiltrators are such creatures by themselves, but they also can turn people into Thoon Thralls
And speaking of Mind Flayers - Voidmind Creature template (Monster Manual III)
Dust-Stuffed Creature template (Explorer's Handbook)
Effigy (Monster Manual II) - not to be confused with Constructs, this incorporeal Undead can possess living creatures for a short time (until either creature will die from Effigy's fire, turn into Wight, of Effigy is driven out somehow)
Suel Lich (Dragon #339) - those incorporeal Undeads, unlike "usual" Liches, have no phylacteries, so possessing living people is very important to them

Some creatures are able to possess dead bodies - such as Bhut (Fiend Folio) or Dybbuk Fiendish Codex I; would it count?..
Or to make Zombie-like minions - such as Slaver Fungus (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20020519a) or Toben the Many (https://www.fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/Toben_the_Many)

[Doctor Despair]

For a similar feel, maybe consider the Mother Cyst feat. Adds the ability to implant smaller tumors in others with a subtle touch spell and take control of them later.

[Maat Mons]

Changelings are a +0 LA race that can do this. If you don't want to be tied to a specific race, Mind's Eye has an ACF for Egoists that gives this ability at 1st level. If you keep at the class till level 12, you can use Expanded Knowledge to pick up Mind Probe, so they'll know everything their target knew.

I recommend a bunch of Warforged with that ACF. Are they the legions of an evil mastermind? Did Skynet start sending terminators much farther back in time? Have the pleasure-bots from a high-tech brothel gone haywire? You decide!

[CIDE]

A lot of awesome responses. Thanks for all of that. A lot of good stuff to use for later but not all of it fits what I was going for. A lot of good ideas, though. A second Nimicri somewhere may fit the bill.