Discorporation. When The Nightmare drops to 0 hit points or dies, it’s body is destroyed but its nightmarish essence lingers in a swirling black smoke for the next 24 hours. During this time creatures within a one mile radius of the haze feel like they are being watched even though they aren’t.
Nightmarish Essence. The Nightmare can envelop one target in its line of sight and within 120 ft. in a jet black smoke of nightmare magic. The target becomes incapacitated until The Nightmare attacks, casts a spell, or moves out of range. The Nightmare can use this trait once per short rest.
Spellcasting. Ashiok, Nightmare King is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is wisdom (spell save DC 20, +14 to hit with spell attacks).
5th level dream
7th level plane shift
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 1 target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.
Nightmarish Longsword. The Nightmare attacks with a longsword possessed of dream magic. The target must succeed on a DC 20 wisdom check or become frightened immediately after being hit. The target is frightened until a teammate or creature somehow snaps them out of it, decided by the DM. Melee weapon attack +17 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target, 8 (1d8 slashing + 17).
Multiattack. The Nightmare makes three attacks. One with its longsword, and two with its spells.
Nightmarish Possesion. When a creature attempts to attack The Nightmare with a nonmagical weapon, The Nightmare can dematerialize its body, temporarily becoming a gaseous black haze which cannot be dealt damage to. The Nightmare becomes physical once it feels the danger has passed. The Nightmare can use this reaction only once per long rest.
The Nightmare can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Nightmare regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. The Nightmare's legendary action options are associated with calling upon the dark magic that has currupted him over centuries.
Nightmare Manifest (Costs 3 Actions). The Nightmare selects up to 5 targets within a range of 120 ft. They do not have to be in its line of sight. The Nightmare creates physical manifestations of each target’s most horrifying fear. The manifestations are under his control and last until dispelled by The Nightmare
Nightmarish Associates (Costs 4 Actions). The Nightmare opens a rift to any plane it chooses. The Nightmare can telepathically summon monsters from that plane to come through the rift and wreak havoc, destroying the plane Nightmare is currently on. However, The Nightmare can not control these creatures and risks being killed by them.
Enter the description for how mythic actions work for your monster here.
Mythic Action Name (Costs # Actions). Enter the description for your mythic action.
Description
The Nightmare King is a sinister being whose origins are shrouded in dark mystery. He is the incarnation of nightmares, having been corrupted by their powers. He is a rare case of a Corrupted Dreamcatcher, who has not been disposed of properly. He was not originally fey, but have been tainted by the wilds.
The Nightmare is of medium height, standing at 5'11. His previously aurora colored skin, is now dark, filled with reds and dark shadows. Dark smoke is permanently swirling around him. He has two large black horns coming from his forehead, curving out.
The nightmare has no aim, he is just simply following his instincts, working in self preservation, the nightmares having slowly corrupted him after centuries of absorbing them into himself.
Lair and Lair Actions
The Nightmare’s lair is a large crumbling Sylvan temple abandoned by acolytes years ago due to the unstable infrastructure. The Nightmare reinforced the temple with its magic, but still the temple has seen better days. The ceiling is extremely high, giving The Nightmare King plenty of room to hover with his nightmare magic. Wisps of black smoke float about the temple, and a hall lined on both sides with marble pillars leads down to The Nightmare's marble throne. Ominously large cracks on every wall are noticeable to all who enter the temple.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), The Nightmare takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; The Nightmare can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The Nightmare can cause the temple to shift and warp, he can make chunks of the ceiling collapse, cause pillars to fall, and crack open huge rate of the temple.
- The ominous cracks in the walls hide a secret. At will, The Nightmare King can open up the cracks to reveal interplanar rifts behind them which allow monsters and magic from other planes to enter the temple through them. However, The Nightmare King cannot control these entities that enter and risks death.
Regional Effects
The region containing The Nightmare's lair is warped by The Nightmare King's magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Creatures within 3 miles of the temple constantly have terrible nightmares when they sleep and feel always feel like they are being watched
- A strange, thick black haze magically conceals the temple from the naked eye. Only magical weapons can penetrate the smoke, allowing the wielder to enter through a hole of sorts.
If The Nightmare dies, these effects fade over the course of 2d6 days.
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