Invasion of the Body Snatchers [Creature]

[The Demented One]

Incarnal
Medium Aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+9
Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d6+4 plus drain life)
Full Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d6+4 plus drain life) and 2 Slams +4 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Drain life
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., light blindness, reincarnation
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +5
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +3, Jump +6, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +3
Feats: Ability Focus (Drain Life), Weapon Focus (Bite), Improved Toughness
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5 (see text)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 8-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: –

Incarnals are strange, subterranean monsters that prey on any foolish creatures that stumble into their cavernous layers. Though voracious predators, it is not only the flesh of their prey that they eat, but their very life force. Those bitten by an Incarnal are drained of their vital energies, their bodies aging years in a matter of seconds as a result. But the most frightful ability of an Incarnal is its ability to regenerate itself after dying. If an Incarnal dies while still saturated with the lifeforce of its prey, then it is able to reanimate its body, taking on the form and mind of its prey. Incarnals who are thus reincarnated will then exit their subterranean homes, using their newly acquired forms to hide themselves within humanoid societies, giving them an even wider range of prey to feast on. An Incarnal in its true form is a grey, leathery-skinned humanoid with very little distinguishing features: sunken, murky eyes, slit-like nostrils, and a mouth ringed with razor-sharp teeth.

Drain Life (Su)
The bite of an Incarnal drains the vital energies of its victim, draining their body of its youthful vigor and reducing it to a decrepit husk. A creature damaged by the bite attack of an Incarnal must make a DC 16 Fortitude save or be aged 1d3 years. If this aging causes it to advance an age category, it gains any penalties to physical ability scores entailed by this, but does not gain the corresponding bonuses to mental ability scores. If a creature is aged up to or beyond its maximum age by this spell, then it dies. A lesser restoration spell or a similar effect cast on the creature undoes the aging process.

For every year the creature is aged, the Incarnal gains 1 temporary hp, which last for an hour. In addition, when an Incarnal drains a creature’s life, it also gains temporary access to that creature’s memories. For one hour, an Incarnal has full access to that creature’s memories, and can speak any languages it speaks. If that creature’s Intelligence score was higher than the Incarnal’s, then it gains a +2 bonus to Intelligence for an hour. If a Incarnal reincarnates after draining a creature’s lifeforce, then the acquired memories and Intelligence bonus become permanent. The saving throw is Charisma-based.

Light Blindness (Ex)
Abrupt exposure to bright light, such as natural sunlight or the daylight spell, blinds an Incarnal, for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, it is dazzled as long as it remains in the affected area.

Reincarnation (Su)
An Incarnal can regenerate its body after death, by tapping the drained lifeforce of its prey. If an Incarnal dies within an hour of draining the life of a humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature of Small to Large size, then within 1d6 hours of dying, it returns to life and takes on the form of that creature, as with the reincarnation spell. A Incarnal does not lose any levels upon being reincarnated, and retains its drain life and reincarnation abilities (but not its light blindness ability), even in its new form. If the creature whose form an Incarnal reincarnates into does not normally have a bite attack, then it gains one, with damage die appropriate to its size. An Incarnal cannot reincarnate if its body is completely destroyed, as by the disintegrate spell, or if its corpse is completely burned. The challenge rating of a reincarnated Incarnal is equal to the challenge rating of the Incarnal or the challenge rating of the creature whose form it has assumed plus one, whichever is higher.

Skills
An Incarnal has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened.

[Kyace]

I assume the incarnal has racial bonuses of Str +8, Dex +2, Con +4, Int -2, Wis +2, Cha +2?

The Reincarnation CR formula seems broken. Say an Incarnal drains a child (a CR 1/2, I think) and gets reincarnated. The reincarnated incarnal still has 7d8+7 HD and loses its light blindness and its racial bonuses, yet now has a CR of 2. Of course humans don't have a bite attack so maybe CR of 2 might makes sense, as the incarnal loses its natural bite attack and can't Drain Life. :P

A scary monster, good job. Also, many thanks for linking to Improved Toughness.

Edit/PS: Congrats on winning the library contest.

[The Demented One]

The Reincarnation CR formula seems broken. Say an Incarnal drains a child (a CR 1/2, I think) and gets reincarnated. The reincarnated incarnal still has 7d8+7 HD and loses its light blindness and its racial bonuses, yet now has a CR of 2. Of course humans don't have a bite attack so maybe CR of 2 might makes sense, as the incarnal loses its natural bite attack and can't Drain Life. :P

You're right. I've changed the way it works, which should be a bit more balanced.

A scary monster, good job.

Thanks.

[Matthew]

Interesting. Reminds me of Star Gate: Atlantis a bit too much, but seems distinct enough.