As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a ranged attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell’s range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack’s normal effects, and it becomes trapped in the nightmare realm until the start of your next turn. The target remembers it was engaged in battle but finds itself inexplicably and precariously perched on a narrow beam above a pool of black water. It knows that the pool is the passageway back to where it came, but it senses a great danger from the waters. If the target dives into the pool, nightmarish images are conjured from its subconscious mind on its way back to the waking realm. When the target finishes its way back, it takes 1d8 of whatever damage it perceives to have taken in its nightmare--if it does not think much about it, it takes psychic damage--and the spell ends.
This spell’s damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the melee attack deals an extra 1d8 psychic damage to the target, and the damage the target takes for diving into the water increases to 2d8. Both damage rolls increase by 1d8 at 11th level and 17th level.
NOTE: This spell involves significant DM discretion. The DM can either treat the spell straightforwardly like similar spells such as Booming Blade or can interpret it according to the targeted creature's perspective, calling for a variety of saving throws, etc., to determine if the creature decides to dive into the water or not.
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