Large fiend, neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
Armor Class (suggested) 18 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 68 (8d10+24)
Speed 60 ft., fly 90 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Str +6, Con +5
Damage Immunities Fire
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Understands Abyssal, Common, and Infernal but can’t speak
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Confer Fire Resistance. The nightmare can grant resistance to fire damage to anyone riding it.
Illumination. The nightmare sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.
Noxious Cloud (suggested). When the nightmare enters combat, it releases a cloud of toxic fumes that fills a 10-foot radius around it. Each creature that starts its turn in that area must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. While poisoned in this way, the creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack (suggested). The nightmare makes three attacks: one with its fangs and two with its hooves.
- Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
- Hooves (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.
- Fangs (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
- Ethereal Stride. The nightmare and up to three willing creatures within 5 feet of it magically enter the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A nightmare is a fiendish horse-like creature that appears in a cloud of roiling smoke, its mane, tail, and hooves wreathed in flames. Its eyes glow like hot coals, and its breath reeks of brimstone. A nightmare is a wicked and intelligent being that serves as a mount for various malevolent entities throughout the Lower Planes, such as devils, demons, night hags, vampires, and liches. A nightmare can also be summoned by powerful spellcasters who seek to use its speed and abilities for their own purposes.
A nightmare looks like a large, powerful horse with a jet black coat. It has glowing red eyes, flaming orange nostrils, and hooves that burn like embers. Its long manes and tails are ragged and wild. It understands commands from evil riders and communicates among themselves by empathy.
COMBAT
A nightmare is a fearsome opponent in combat, using its fiery hooves to trample and burn its enemies. It can also release a cloud of toxic fumes that fills a 10-foot radius around it, poisoning and hindering anyone who inhales it. A nightmare can grant resistance to fire damage to anyone riding it, as well as illuminate the area with its bright light. A nightmare’s most remarkable ability, however, is its ethereal stride, which allows it to enter the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa, along with up to three willing creatures within 5 feet of it. This enables the nightmare to travel across great distances, bypass obstacles, and surprise or escape foes.
A nightmare is not a loyal or obedient steed. It serves its rider out of fear or coercion, but it often does what it wants rather than follow the wishes of its master. A nightmare poses the same problems as magical weapons with large egos.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Nightmares do not occur naturally in the world. They are created through a vile ritual that involves tearing the wings off a pegasus and subjecting it to unspeakable tortures in the Lower Planes until its body and soul are corrupted. The resulting nightmare retains some of its former grace and beauty, but twisted by evil and pain. Nightmares have no loyalty or affection for their creators or riders, only serving them out of fear or coercion. Nightmares are solitary creatures that roam the dark and desolate regions of the Lower Planes, such as the Nine Hells, the Abyss, or Hades. They rarely interact with other nightmares, except to mate or fight for territory.
Any non-native on the Lower Planes can attract the attention of a nightmare to secure it as a mount. The process requires a mage or specialist wizard of at least 5th level who must cast several spells as well as make an offering for the creature’s service. The spells are: Find Steed (to attract the nightmare’s attention), Conjure Extraplanar Being (to bind it to service), and Fog Cloud (to create a suitable environment for the meeting). The offering consists of oat-like flakes made from platinum (200 gp value). Whoever feeds the oats to the nightmare becomes its master for 72 hours.
Creatures of the Lower Planes do not perform these steps to summon a nightmare. No mortal sage knows what dark agreement they make for a nightmare’s service.
Once per year on the plane of Hades, also known as the Gray Waste, its denizens meet in a dark and sinister gathering called the Gloom Meet to debate how to spread their will for the next year. Nightmares announce the Gloom Meet by riding across the planes in a terrifying charge for two weeks before the meeting.
ECOLOGY
Nightmares are unnatural creatures that have no place in the natural order. They do not need to eat or drink, but they feed on fear and suffering. They are immune to fire, but vulnerable to cold and radiant damage. They have no natural predators, but they are hunted by enemies of their riders or by those who seek to capture or destroy them for their magical properties.
Nightmares have no biological link to true horses. They are minions of evil that gain their strength through service to evil.
It is said that when nightmares die of natural causes – if indeed anything that happens to such creatures of evil can be called natural – they go to the Hill of Bone in Hades to die. There, among the bones of their ancestors’ ancestors, they lie down to die. Some of the great stallions have arranged for honor guards to pick up their bodies – even if on other planes.