Nightmare
- Size: Large
- Type: Fiend
- Alignment: Neutral Evil
- AC: 13
- Initiative: +2 (12)
- HP: 68 (8d10+24)
- Speed: 60 ft, Fly 90 ft. (hover)
| ATTR | VAL | MOD | SAVE |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 18 | +4 | +4 |
| DEX | 15 | +2 | +2 |
| CON | 16 | +3 | +3 |
| INT | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| WIS | 13 | +1 | +1 |
| CHA | 15 | +2 | +2 |
- Immunities: Fire
- Senses: Passive Perception 11
- Languages: Understands Abyssal, Common, and Infernal but can't speak
- CR: 3 (XP 700; PB +2)
Traits
Confer Fire Resistance. The nightmare can grant Resistance to Fire damage to a rider while it is on the nightmare.
Illumination. The nightmare sheds Bright Light in a 10-foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 10 feet.
Actions
Hooves. Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 5 ft. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) Bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) Fire damage.
Ethereal Stride. The nightmare and up to three willing creatures within 5 feet of it teleport to the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane or vice versa.
Lore & Background
Nightmares are fiendish horses from the Lower Planes, wreathed in flames and smoke, with eyes that burn like coals and hooves that leave smoldering prints. These infernal steeds serve as mounts for powerful evil beings, particularly demons, devils, and death knights. Nightmares are intelligent creatures with their own malevolent personalities, not mere beasts of burden.
These creatures delight in spreading fear and causing suffering, often appearing in the dreams of mortals to torment them with visions of fire and death. Nightmares can travel between planes at will, making them valuable allies for extraplanar entities seeking to influence events in the Material Plane.
Combat Tactics
Nightmares use their ethereal stride ability to appear suddenly and disappear when threatened. They combine their hooves and bite attacks with their fiery aura, which damages nearby creatures. Their flight capability gives them excellent mobility in combat.
Encounter Ideas
Infernal Mount: A nightmare serves as the steed for a powerful evil knight or fiend. Dream Stalker: A nightmare haunts the dreams of a specific individual, slowly driving them mad. Planar Messenger: A nightmare delivers threats or ultimatums from Lower Plane entities. Ethereal Ambush: Nightmares attack from the Ethereal Plane before materializing.
Environmental Effects
Nightmare presence causes temperatures to rise and fills the air with the smell of sulfur and smoke. Plants wither, and animals flee in terror from their fiendish aura.
Treasure
Nightmares don't collect treasure themselves, but they often carry valuable items belonging to their riders, including infernal weapons, armor, and magical accessories.
Plot Hooks
The Riderless Nightmare: A nightmare without a master offers its services to the highest bidder. Infernal Contract: A nightmare is bound by contract to serve someone who cannot control it. Dream Plague: Multiple nightmares are causing a city-wide epidemic of terrifying dreams. The Nightmare's Burden: A nightmare carries a cursed item that affects everyone around it.