Incorporeal Movement. The bastellus can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Innate Spellcasting. The bastellus’ innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells:
At will: darkness
3/day each: sleep (at 3rd level)
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadow can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
Maddening Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be affected as if by the enemies abound spell.
Nightmare Haunting (1/Day). The bastellus touches a nonmagically sleeping creature. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the target or magic circle spell prevents this contact, as does the fey ancestry feature. As long as the contact persists, the target has dreadful visions. If these visions last for at least 1 hour, the target gains no benefit from its rest, and its hit point maximum is reduced by 5 (1d10). If this effect reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and a new bastellus rises from the corpse 1d4 days later. The reduction to the target's hit point maximum lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or similar magic.
Description
The bastellus is a shadow-like undead creature that feeds on the dreams of sleeping humanoids. The creature is also known as a dream stalker. A bastellus takes every precaution to ensure it is never seen, selecting a sleeping target and then magically putting to sleep any other creatures nearby that might see it. It cannot feed on the dreams of a creature put to sleep by magic so it will only seek to feed if someone is already sleeping. A bastellus avoids combat at all costs, instead preferring to escape if attacked, but it can strike a creature in defense, an attack that can turn the victim mad and cause them to attack their allies.
Once a bastellus has fed on the dreams of a person, they will almost always return every night to feed on the same person until either the victim or the bastellus dies. A person who is killed by this feeding rises themselves as a bastellus and having no memory of its life, knowing only a hunger for the dreams of others.
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