Item Description

A single midnight‑black feather, impossibly light yet unnervingly dense. When held, it vibrates faintly like a restrained heartbeat. The feather's surface shifts subtly under the light, revealing patterns that resemble avian plumage.

Legends claim the Feather is not crafted but shed—a remnant of a forgotten entity born from speed, hunger, and the boundary between motion and annihilation. Those who attune to it feel a presence watching from behind their eyes. It does not simply grant speed; it rewrites the bearer’s relationship with motion itself.

When awakened, Zero’s Feather transforms its bearer into a living projectile, a streak of force that tears through the air faster than thought. But its gifts are never free. Each surge of Nightmarization strains flesh and fractures instinct.

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Notes

• The DM may reinterpret, simplify, or modify any part of Zero’s Feather to maintain pacing, clarity, or narrative flow.
• The player using Zero’s Feather is expected to handle all calculations, rolls, and tracking for Nightmarization and Zero Impact, and to present results clearly and quickly to the DM.

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Permanent Effects

Permanent Buff

• You are immune to fall damage.

Permanent Debuffs

• Your speeds are reduced by 10 feet.
• This penalty is suppressed while any Nightmarization is active.
• This may not reduce your walk speed below 5 feet.

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General Rules (Important)

• You may activate only one Nightmarization per turn.
• Nightmarization is only usable on your turn.
• While 50%, 100%, or 999% Nightmarization is active:
• You cannot attack or cast spells other than Zero Impact.
• Damage types cannot be changed for the user.
• If this text does not explicitly say that the target makes a saving throw, then no saving throw exists — not by analogy, logic, or precedent.
• Exception if the DM rules otherwise.
• You cannot use 50% or 100% Nightmarization if your flight is disabled.
• You may not use any other attack or spell while using 50%, 100%, and 999% Nightmarization.

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Nightmarization Abilities

Feather’s Nightmarization: Bug

 Uses:

• A number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency bonus (minimum 1).

 Duration:

• Until the end of your current turn.

 Effects:

• You have advantage on one weapon or unarmed attack you make.
• Your flying speed increases by +5 feet per 2 character levels (rounded down).
• Once per turn, you may ignore difficult terrain while flying.

 Backlash:

• At the start of your next turn, you have disadvantage on the first saving throw you make before the end of that turn.

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Level 6 Unlock — Feather’s Nightmarization: 50%

 Uses: 1 per short rest

 Costs & Restrictions

• At the end of your turn, lose HP equal to 5 × your character level (ignores resistance, damage reduction, temporary HP, and healing).
• You cannot activate this Nightmarization if the HP cost would reduce you to 0 HP.
• You gain 1 level of exhaustion 

• Until the end of your next short rest:
• You cannot regain HP above ¾ of your base maximum HP (rounded down).
• After use, you cannot fly for 3 turns.
• If you use Zero Impact, the target makes a DC save upon hit.
• DC=8+prof+Str/Dex. 
• Fail=full damage.
• Success=half damage.

 Benefits

• Your flying speed is multiplied by (level ÷ 1.5, rounded up) (minimum multiplier: ×2) until the end of the turn.
• For your turn only:
• You are immune to all speed related physical forces, G-forces, and friction.

 Temporary Class Feature

• You gain one class feature you would normally gain by advancing 1 level in a class you already have.

 At class level 20:

• You may instead select a qualifying class feature from any class you meet the multiclass prerequisites for.

Temporary Class Feature Borrowing — Blacklist

 When a Nightmarization grants a Temporary Class Feature, you may gain only an Active Combat Feature that meets all the following requirements.

An Active Combat Feature is a class feature that:

• Requires conscious activation on your turn
• Has no passive or continuous effects
• Does not function outside your turn
• Does not trigger on attacks, hits, damage, saving throws, or conditions
• Does not modify, reference, or depend on the Attack action
• Produces no effect unless you deliberately choose to activate it

A borrowed class feature may not:

• Grant any passive benefit of any kind
• Grant immunity, resistance, advantage, or disadvantage related to conditions or saving throws
• Affect movement, positioning, terrain, or environmental interactions
• Reference, trigger from, or modify attacks, damage, or the Attack action
• Function when you are not consciously activating it on your turn
• Increase AC, saving throw, skill modifiers, perception, initiative, or change the damage type or magical nature of Zero Impact and Nightmare Echo

A borrowed feature may grant a single, self-only, non-scaling numerical bonus to one die roll you make during the activation, provided the bonus:

• Is not advantage or disadvantage
• Does not apply to saving throws
• Does not modify attacks or damage
• Does not persist beyond the current turn

Any reference to an attack, hit, damage roll, or Attack action — even if no modification occurs — disqualifies the feature.

Any feature that does not explicitly meet every requirement cannot be selected.

1. Action Economy & Turn Manipulation

Any feature that adds, restores, modifies, or replaces:

• Actions
• Bonus actions
• Reactions
• Turns
• Readied actions
• Legendary actions

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1. Attack Modification & On-Hit Scaling

Any feature that:

• Modifies the Attack action
• Triggers on a hit, crit, or attack roll
• Adds conditional damage to attacks

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1. Resource Creation, Restoration, or Conversion

Any feature that:

• Creates, restores, refunds, or converts resources
• Uses expendable class resources

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1. Damage Immunity, Resistance, or Mitigation (Broad)

Any feature that grants:

• Damage resistance
• Damage immunity
• Temporary hit points
• Flat damage reduction per hit
• “You take no damage on a success” clauses

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1. Rerolls, Advantage, and Auto-Results

Any feature that:

• Grants advantage
• Forces disadvantage on enemies
• Allows rerolls
• Converts failure into success
• Prevents failure outright

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1. Movement, Speed, or Teleportation (Direct or Indirect)

Any feature that:

• Increases speed
• Multiplies speed
• Grants additional movement
• Allows teleportation or repositioning
• Removes movement restrictions

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1. Concentration, Spellcasting, or Magical Scaling

Any feature that:

• Interacts with spells
• Requires concentration
• Modifies spellcasting
• Uses spell DCs
• Counts as a spell or magical effect

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1. Auras, Allies, and External Effects

Any feature that:

• Affects other creatures
• Creates zones or persistent effects
• Grants bonuses to allies
• Redirects damage

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1. Death Prevention & “Second Life” Effects

Any feature that:

• Prevents death
• Sets HP to a fixed value
• Triggers on dropping to 0 HP
• Delays unconsciousness

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1. Narrative Overrides & Absolute Rules

Any feature that:

• Overrides core rules (“you always…”, “you cannot be…”, “automatically…”)
• Ignores conditions
• Bypasses exhaustion, unconsciousness, or death

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Zero Impact

• If the target moves after the movement starts, you will continue targeting the spot where the target previously was unless you stop the movement.
• If the Feather user is subjected to forced movement, prone, grappled, or restrained during this movement, Zero Impact automatically fails.
• Zero Impact counts as an attack
• Zero Impact cannot benefit from any feature that modifies attacks or damage.
• You must have a direct line of sight with the target
• You must be able to visually identify the target to establish line of sight. Conditions that obscure vision (such as darkness, fog, haze, smoke, or terrain) prevent the use of Zero Impact unless the DM rules otherwise.
• May be used once per Nightmarization activation
• Deals (character level)d6 bludgeoning damage

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Level 11 Unlock — Feather’s Nightmarization: 100%

 Uses: 1 per long rest

Costs & Restrictions

• Lose HP equal to 7 × your character level at the end of your turn (ignores resistance, damage reduction, temporary HP, and healing).
• You cannot activate this Nightmarization if the HP cost would reduce you to 0 HP.
• You gain 1 level of exhaustion

• Until the end of your next short rest:
• You cannot regain HP above ½ of your base maximum HP
• Any HP regained is halved (rounded down)
• After use, you cannot fly for 5 turns.
• If you don’t use distance scaling feature for Zero Impact, the target makes a DC save upon hit.
• DC=8+prof+Str/Dex. 
• Fail=full damage.
• Success=half damage.

Benefits

• Flying speed multiplier = your character level until end of turn.
• For your turn only:
• You are immune to all speed related physical forces, G-forces, and friction.

Temporary Class Feature

• Gain one class feature normally gained by advancing 2 levels in a class you already have.

At class level 20:

• You may instead select a qualifying class feature from any class you meet the multiclass prerequisites for.

(All feature restrictions from 50% apply.)

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Zero Impact (Enhanced)

• Requires flying at least 50 feet in a straight line
• If the target moves after the movement starts, you will continue targeting the spot where the target previously was unless you stop the movement. This applies to distance scaling as well.
• If the Feather user is subjected to forced movement, prone, grappled, or restrained during this movement, Zero Impact automatically fails.
• Zero Impact counts as an attack
• Zero Impact cannot benefit from any feature that modifies attacks or damage.
• You must have a direct line of sight with the target
• You must be able to visually identify the target to establish line of sight. Conditions that obscure vision (such as darkness, fog, haze, smoke, or terrain) prevent the use of Zero Impact unless the DM rules otherwise.
• May be used once per activation
• Deals (character level)d6 bludgeoning damage
• Nightmare Echo:
• 5-foot radius
• 2d6 thunder damage on impact

Distance Scaling

For every additional distance flown in a straight line beyond the minimum continuously:

• Zero Impact: +1d6 bludgeoning per 1,200 feet
• Nightmare Echo: +1d6 thunder damage per 1,500 feet and +5-foot radius per 3,000 feet

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Zero Impact Accuracy System

1. Stat Definitions

• D = Total feet traveled beyond the minimum requirement
• DEX = Dexterity modifier
• WIS = Wisdom modifier
• STR = Strength modifier

Derived Parameters

• Control Parameter (C) = DEX + WIS (represents precision, prediction, and micro-correction)
• If C < 0, Zero Impact’s distance scaling and accuracy system does not apply.
• Structural Stability (S) = STR (represents physical integrity and momentum control)

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1. Structural Integrity Check

• Structural stress begins at 3,000 feet
• If D ≥ 3,000 and STR ≤ +2, make a Constitution saving throw:

DC = 10 + floor((D − 3,000) ÷ 2,000)

Failure Results:

• Fail: Angular deviation rolled at disadvantage
• Fail by 5+: Direct hit automatically fails
• Natural 1: Nightmare Echo and Zero Impact damage and shockwave radius halved

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1. Structural Overload

If STR ≤ −1 and D ≥ 5,000 feet:

• Automatically fail Structural Integrity Check
• Nightmare Echo damage is halved (rounded down)
• You take 1d10 force damage per 5,000 feet traveled

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1. Angular Deviation

• Roll 1d1000
• If Nightmare controls you, roll 2d1000 and take the higher result

Angular deviation:

A = (Roll ÷ 1000) ÷ (C + 1)

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1. Raw Miss Distance

Raw Miss Distance = D × A

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1. Structural Stability Correction

Final Miss Distance = Raw Miss Distance ÷ (1 + 0.15 × S)

• Ignored if STR ≤ 0

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1. Hit Results

• Direct Hit: Final miss distance ≤ 5 feet
• Shockwave Hit: Within Nightmare Echo radius
• Miss: Otherwise
• If you do not get a direct hit, you are knocked prone

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1. Direction Roll

Roll 1d360 to determine miss direction:

• 0° = above
• 90° = right
• 180° = below
• 270° = left

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1. Optional Coordinates

If needed:

x = R × cos(φ)

y = R × sin(φ)

φ = direction roll in degrees.

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Level 16–20 Adjustments

• 50% HP cost: 4 × level
• 100% HP cost: 6 × level

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Level 16 Unlock — Feather’s Nightmarization: 999%

Note: You may not use 999% Nightmarization if your strength modifier is below 0.

Uses: Once per 3 long rests

Costs

• Your HP becomes 1 at the end of your turn (ignores resistance, damage reduction, temporary HP, and healing).
• You must have at least 25% of your base maximum HP remaining to activate 999%
• You gain 1 level of exhaustion
• HP cannot be restored until you finish a long rest.
• You cannot fly until you complete a long rest.

Benefits

• Fly speed multiplier = character level + 5
• For your turn only:
• Immune to all speed related physical forces, G-forces, friction
• Immune to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage
• If you don’t use distance scaling feature for Zero Impact, the target makes a DC save upon hit.
• DC=8+prof+Str/Dex. 
• Fail=full damage.
• Success=half damage.

Temporary Class Feature

• Gain one class feature normally gained by advancing 3 levels in a class you already have.

At class level 20:

• You may instead select a qualifying class feature from any class you meet the multiclass prerequisites for.

(All feature restrictions from 50% apply.)

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999% Zero Impact

• Minimum distance: 30 feet
• If the target moves after the movement starts, you will continue targeting the spot where the target previously was unless you stop the movement. This applies to distance scaling as well.
• If the Feather user is subjected to forced movement, prone, grappled, or restrained during this movement, Zero Impact automatically fails.
• Zero Impact counts as an attack
• Zero Impact cannot benefit from any feature that modifies attacks or damage.
• You must have a direct line of sight with the target
• You must be able to visually identify the target to establish line of sight. Conditions that obscure vision (such as darkness, fog, haze, smoke, or terrain) prevent the use of Zero Impact unless the DM rules otherwise.
• May be used once per activation
• Base damage: (level)d6 bludgeoning
• Nightmare Echo:
• 5-foot radius
• 4d6 thunder damage
• Distance scaling and accuracy system identical to 100%

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Nightmarization Control System

Control Thresholds

• Bug: DEX + WIS ≥ 0
• 50%: DEX + WIS ≥ 5
• 100%: Either DEX or WIS ≥ +4 and DEX + WIS ≥ 6
• 999%: DEX + WIS ≥ 10

Failure

• If thresholds for Bug or 50% are not met, you may not use it.
• If thresholds for 100% or 999% are not met, Nightmare takes full control.

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Nightmare Control

When Nightmare controls the user:

• Nightmare controls all actions, movement, and reactions
• This is not charm, fear, or possession and ignores immunity
• Must use Zero Impact if possible

Priorities:

1. Highest-speed lines
2. Fastest kill
3. Maximum force

Nightmare ignores party safety, HP, tactical positioning, and consequences. Nightmare does not avoid allies — but does not intentionally target them unless no enemy is reachable.

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Acceptance & Creature Types

True-Winged Creatures

Creatures naturally born with functional wings may fully merge with Zero’s Feather. They may access all Nightmarization tiers and use all features as written. Once merged, the Feather cannot be removed unless the creature permanently loses its wings.

False-Winged Creatures

Creatures that gain physical wings through magic, items, or class features may attune to the Feather but cannot merge with it. They may access Bug, 50%, and 100% Nightmarization only. 

• Base activation distance for Zero Impact is doubled.
• After using Bug Nightmarization, the creature’s flying speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
• The creature does not gain immunity to fall damage.
• While 50% or 100% Nightmarization is active, the creature suffers a −1 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks.

Grounded Creatures

Creatures without wings cannot activate Nightmarization beyond Bug. They gain no flight unless explicitly stated. The Feather does not merge with them.

Feather’s Nightmarization: Bug (Modified)

Uses:

• A number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency bonus (minimum 1).

Duration:

• Until the end of your current turn.

Effects:

• You have advantage on one weapon or unarmed attack you make.
• Starting level 10, you gain 25 ft fly speed while active.
• Starting level 16, you gain a fly speed equal to your base walk speed while active (minimum 25 ft fly speed).
• Once per turn, you may ignore difficult terrain while flying.

Backlash:

• At the start of your next turn, you have disadvantage on all saving throws.

Notes: creature with wings—natural or magically manifested—to Zero’s Feather during a short rest while its wings are present. True‑Winged creatures may fully merge with the Feather; others attune normally but cannot merge.