Nightmares
Nightmares are among the Strangest Races to walk Xyrathas, more magic than living being, Nightmares are monsters lurking the shadows and night, the wilderness, and even homes and cities.
"Boogeymen" as a Kind, Nightmares are most recognized for their need to feed on fear, the Terror of Mortal Danger. The Ikk of feeling like Someone's Watching. The Dread of a knowing a monster's lurking out there, even if by scarce believed Legend...
A Living Nightmare...
That, That Thing, It was nothing we-we, we Trained for...
We shot all our weapons into, it. Bounced off, or, or even went right through!? Set up traps, it outsmarted them, us...
It stalked us for, weeks. Months? We tried to hide, it never went away, prowling, circling us... Even as all the bodies laid uneaten!?
It was, I can barely even remember, a black, hulking, many legged thing. It snuck around us quiet as a rat, climbing our Garrison, our Lookout towers, tapped our windowns at night. It butchered our Couriers, it caught all Letter's out, extinguished all Signals
As soon, as soon as back up arrived, it left? Left us alive with nothing but bodies to tell it was even there...
-Sergeant Amalia, Release of Duty
Where do Monsters come from?
Among Scholars and Researchers, Nightmares stick out as a very peculiar subject for many reasons, their seeming lack of Source often at a forefront.
Nightmares are never born, created out of Humanoids, Beasts, and Sometimes even Fey, but unlike similar illk they have no planar connections, and no specific Arcane Exposure has been found to result in them.
Among many who've delved in the Topic, they theorize Latent Hidden Psychic powers, or even sheer force of Will, turning them as proper circumstances arise, but then what of the Mages and Fey who become them?.
Among more Niche crowds, and many Nightmares themselves, they believe themselves chosen by some unseen Deity or Greater Being, Mortals seen as "fit" for it's further ends, but how would such a being hide from even the greatest Oracles?.
One of a Kind
Nightmares are known as being some of the Rarest beings found on the Mortal Plane, often singular beings across entire towns and Cities.
Moreover, Nightmares themselves are incredibly varied as Individuals, whether in build, from just off Humanoids, through hulking beasts, to taking the forms of seemingly mundane objects, and even taking on their own unique forms.
Or whether in means, from feral monsters massacring populations, through Stalkers bringing their victims to insanity, to legends at the edge of conscious, only coming out to reaffirm they even exist.
And, as former Mortals, Nightmares often tend to keep up interests and enjoyments they had in life, even if twisted and hidden, and are still individuals as any other.
Kill to Live, Live to Kill
Even then, Nightmares are known to share particular traits across each other.
All Nightmares are Crafty, Sharp, and Determined, set on their own survival and however they may desire to change the world. And skilled enough to go through on their promises.
Nightmares never care for their Victims, some see them merely as food, prey to hunt for Survival. Others are sadistic monsters, toying for sheer enjoyment. While some even choose themselves as having "Noble" Goals, only hunting those they deem beyond Redemption, or spreading what they consider "needed" Fear.
Player Race?
I made Nightmares because I found the concept cool, they may not be a great fit for a "typical" goodie party.
Nonetheless, Nightmares are intelligent enough to cooperate if there's a need, and some "justify" their feeding in ways that might align them with good parties, even if themselves they're a shade of Gray at best.
Cover art:
Nekomata painting. I'm more of a 3D artist but sometimes I try something different, by U/Snot_girl
Found on R/Painting, used under
Nightmares as Adventurers
Companionship of fellow killers, a group to back them, or the sheer ease of finding victims as a Slayer of Monsters, Nightmares sometimes join adventuring Parties, though rarely officially, often as just reoccuring allies who leave once a task is done. Or as strangely helpful monsters stalking select groups.
In groups, Nightmares tend to help and get by by their wit and intellect, often bringing magic alongside physical ability, or even just using sheer force guided by intellect.
Common Classes.
- Rangers, Paladins and Artificers
- Fighters or Rogues Multiclassed to Wizards, Bards, or Sorcerers
- Blade Warlocks and Gish Subclasses
A Beast's Tale
Nightmares are rarely "normal" individuals, often creatred from lives of strife, and further twisted by their creation.
Roll or Choose from the following Table as Inspiration for quirks your characters may have.
| d8 | Tale |
|---|---|
| 1 | Split Mind. Aloof but fully aware, you are split between living in the real world and various dreams or Illusions, often living 2 or 3 existences at once. |
| 2 | A gift, not to waste. Reborn from a life of strife and waste, you are persistent and determined for your existence, to change the most with your second life, and new found power. |
| 3 | Chosen and Divine. You believe your new form a Deity's Gift, and yourself Chosen to spread it's will, and teach mortals fear once more. |
| 4 | A Chance for Vengeance. You were spited, Discarded, and Betrayed in life, and now you've been given the ability and Need to carry it back. |
| 5 | Monster to hunt Monsters. You see an unjust world, and spare it's victims to hunt and torment those you judge at fault. |
| 6 | "A Legend Born anew." Hailing from a land filled by superstition and tale, you take the form of a Beast of Legend, putting it's Tale into reality. |
| 7 | A beast awakened. You were once a simple beast, whether a feared vermin, or wrongful prey hunted to the brink, you lurk the wilds with greater Claw, and new Awareness. |
| 8 | Lost Child. A life cut short and never truly lived, you keep a sense of whimsy and wonder as you haunt your prey, often taking form of a Beloved Toy, or Haunting Child. |
Nightmare Names
Nightmare's rarely pick new names, either keeping the names they had in life, or Discarding them to be known just by descriptions and monikers.
What do Monsters fear?
Nightmares are not known to have any wide spread or specific weakness, nonetheless hopelessness oftentimes dampens fear, so many Nightmares choose themselves a "Weakness".
Such a weakness is not any more effective against them of course, but the Nightmares do tend to stick to their own rules, and often leave them in clues to their victims.
When making your Nightmare Character you can Roll or choose from the table, or come up with your own to Roleplay.
| d8 | Weakness |
|---|---|
| 1 | Light. You reel and hide from bright light, often appearing as if burned or shrinking to a weaker form on contact |
| 2 | Fire. Even if it may not harm you. You avoid fire by wild instinct, hissing at the sight and retreating on contact |
| 3 | Heavy Caliber. Light Arms bounce off or barely graze, making you stagger or retreat at most, Heavy Arms are needed to chase you off or put you "Down" |
| 4 | Hidden and Lurking. Whether by "poor" Sight, Hearing, or Intellect, hiding spots, lockers, chests, barrels, are safe spots from your hunt. |
| 5 | Break of Dawn. You're a Monster of the night, leaving your prey alive and alone as soon as day breaks. |
| 6 | Silver, Gold, Iron. Whatever metal or Mineral, it burns you on touch, leaving wounds that don't heal, you avoid such instruments like a Plague. |
| 7 | Faith, and the Divine. Holy Symbols chase you off, even if broken by it, and Divine Altars are Sheltered from your Presence. |
| 8 | Reinforcement and Number. You hunt the singled out and alone, lurking around groups, and leaving once proper aid comes. |
Nightmare Traits
Creature Type: Monstrosity, Effects such as Detect Magic additionally detect you as an Illusion.
Size: Medium (5–8 Feet Tall) or Large(9-13 Feet Tall, your Large size does not allow you to wield large weapons)
Speed: 30 feet
Age: Nightmares reach Adulthood per your mortal Race's norm, and are not known to die or be hampered by age.
Alignment: Need to feed on fear brings most Nightmares to be Evil, and they tend away from Lawful, Though good Nightmares do exist.
As a Nightmare, you have these special traits.
Fear Incarnate. Choose Intelligance, Wisdom, or Charisma, the chosen stat counts as your "Manifestation modifier" for your Race Features.
You gain a bonus to (Intimidation) Checks and Saves to Avoid or End the Frightened Condition equal to your Manifestation modifier
Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 120 feet.
Natural Armor. When wearing no Armor, or if Armor would leave you with lower AC, your base AC equals 12 + Your Manifestation Modifier, You can use a Shield and still gain this benefit.
Uncanny Need. You do not gain Exhaustion from Dehydration or Malnutrition, and your Exhaustion counts as 2 lower for determining your penalty to move Speed and Intimidation Checks. Instead, you feed and must consume mortal Fear.
- Feeding: You can feed upon a creature by brief, easy, and fast mortal terror, a couple days of dread and paranoia of you, or as a byproduct of becoming a Tale or Monster haunting local minds
- Starving: Each feeding lasts a week, up to a number of weeks equal to your Manifestation Modifier -2(Min 1). Once you run out, you gain a level of Exhaustion every day until you feed, and cannot remove Levels gained this way until you do.
Bump in the Night. As a monster made of fear, you gain some specific Supernatural Abilities, Choose one Bump in the Night option to gain all Features of.
Bump in the Night
Creeping, Crawling:
- Spider Climb. You have a Climb Speed equal to your Speed. When you reach character level 3, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and along ceilings while leaving your hands free and without Penalty to Stealth.
- Lurk. At 5th evel, you may move through spaces up to one size smaller without Squeezing, and add your Manifestation Modifier to (Stealth) Checks to hide in any such space.
Waterborne:
- Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water. Additionally, you have a Swim speed equal to your Speed.
- Drownyard Lurker. At 5th level you may attempt to Hide while only lightly obscured by water, and add your Manifestation Modifier to (Stealth) any time you're swimming.
Second Skin:
- Dual Bodied. As a Bonus Action, you can Shapeshift between your true monster form, and taking the appearance of a Medium or Small Humanoid, Beast, or Object, always taking the same form and appearance each time, all your statistics remain the same in when transforming, except your size. All your gear melds into your new Form both ways, giving no benefit until you turn Back.
- Always Watching. You can finish a Long Rest in 6 hours by entering a Sleep like state. During this time, you appear sleeping or Inert, but remain conscious.
"Where'd it go?":
- Disappear. As a Bonus Action while Hidden, you may teleport to a Spot you see within 60 Feet of you, or one you can safely assume and get to, such as behind a grove or inside an unlocked house. You can't willingly Teleport where a Hostile creature would see you.
- You can do this a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus and regain all expended uses on a Short or Long Rest.