Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2016 9:05:59 GMT
As I mentioned in Clark's thread, "Nightmare Farmer," I had a similar creature planned for my homebrew setting. A quick thanks to Clark for reminding me about this, and inspiring me to finish statting this thing out. I'm open to suggestion if anyone thinks it needs some tweaks.
I had been playing a lot of Dragon Age: Inquisition around the time I conceived of this. Physically, it's supposed to look similar to a Terror demon. It has been created with a purpose in mind, namely to mess with low level PCs without killing them. It's a rather elusive creature with its Dreamstep ability, but I hope to plant some info that will give them an idea how to stop it after they gain a few levels, probably by tricking or forcing it to become "engorged" and trapping it in the material plane.
Dreamgaunt
Medium Fiend, Chaotic Evil
Armor Class: 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed: 20 ft.
STR: 16 (+3) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 16 (+3) INT: 11 (0) WIS: 10 (0) CHA: 8 (-1)
Damage Resistances: psychic, necrotic
Damage Immunities: poison, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered
Condition Immunities: frightened, poisoned
Senses: darkvision 120 ft.
Languages: Abyssal
Challenge: 6 (2300 XP)
Lullaby. At that start of each of the dreamgaunt's turns, each creature within 30 feet who can hear it must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is subject to the effects of Lullaby.
Roll 5d8; the total is how many hit points of creatures Lullaby can affect. Creatures are affected in ascending order of their current hit points. Subtract each creature's hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. An affected creature falls unconscious for 1d4 hours. It wakes if it takes damage or someone uses an action to wake it. There is no effect if the creature's hit points exceed the total, or if it is already unconscious.
Harvest. The dreamgaunt can touch an unconscious target to inflict horrific nightmares. Doing so erases all memory of the dreamgaunt, and inflicts one level of exhaustion on the target. Creatures immune to psychic damage are not affected by this ability. Requires the use of an action in combat.
Dreamstep. The dreamgaunt can transition from the ethereal to the material plane at will. It must touch a creature experiencing nightmares to return to the ethereal plane. Requires the use of an action in combat.
Actions
Multiattack. The dreamgaunt makes two attacks with its claws.
Claws. Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage, and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (1d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Shriek. The dreamgaunt emits a high pitched shriek. Each creature within 60 feet of the dreamgaunt who can hear it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the dreamgaunt’s shriek for the next 24 hours. After using Shriek, the dreamgaunt's Lullaby is inactive until the end of its next turn.
The dreamgaunt is a native to the ethereal plane that feeds on the nightmares of mortals. To do so, it must first enter the material plane.
It appears as a tall, rail-thin humanoid with black or white skin. Its featureless head is shaped vaguely like an inverted teardrop. Soft, tinkling sounds like distant wind chimes accompany its every step. It moves slowly and awkwardly, seeming to stagger on its long gangly legs and clutching its sinewy arms close to its chest, but it can strike with deadly speed and strength, using the short, curved talons on its elongated fingers to rend metal and flesh alike, and inflicting additional necrotic damage in the process.
However, the dreamgaunt prefers not to kill opponents outright; the dead do not dream. In combat, it will attack an opponent until it succumbs to Lullaby, and use its next action to perform Harvest. If it senses it is in great danger, it will use its next action to Dreamstep into the ethereal. Otherwise, it will attempt to fight near the unconscious opponent in order to make a swift retreat should the tides turn against it.
A dreamgaunt can use its harvest ability repeatedly, killing a creature with exhaustion. Doing so produces a particularly potent nightmare, and a true delicacy for the dreamgaunt. However, using Harvest more than 5 times in a single day causes the dreamgaunt to become engorged. While engorged, it cannot use dreamstep. Accordingly, dreamgaunts generally do not do this unless they have secured a safe location in the material world.
I had been playing a lot of Dragon Age: Inquisition around the time I conceived of this. Physically, it's supposed to look similar to a Terror demon. It has been created with a purpose in mind, namely to mess with low level PCs without killing them. It's a rather elusive creature with its Dreamstep ability, but I hope to plant some info that will give them an idea how to stop it after they gain a few levels, probably by tricking or forcing it to become "engorged" and trapping it in the material plane.
Dreamgaunt
Medium Fiend, Chaotic Evil
Armor Class: 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed: 20 ft.
STR: 16 (+3) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 16 (+3) INT: 11 (0) WIS: 10 (0) CHA: 8 (-1)
Damage Resistances: psychic, necrotic
Damage Immunities: poison, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered
Condition Immunities: frightened, poisoned
Senses: darkvision 120 ft.
Languages: Abyssal
Challenge: 6 (2300 XP)
Lullaby. At that start of each of the dreamgaunt's turns, each creature within 30 feet who can hear it must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is subject to the effects of Lullaby.
Roll 5d8; the total is how many hit points of creatures Lullaby can affect. Creatures are affected in ascending order of their current hit points. Subtract each creature's hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. An affected creature falls unconscious for 1d4 hours. It wakes if it takes damage or someone uses an action to wake it. There is no effect if the creature's hit points exceed the total, or if it is already unconscious.
Harvest. The dreamgaunt can touch an unconscious target to inflict horrific nightmares. Doing so erases all memory of the dreamgaunt, and inflicts one level of exhaustion on the target. Creatures immune to psychic damage are not affected by this ability. Requires the use of an action in combat.
Dreamstep. The dreamgaunt can transition from the ethereal to the material plane at will. It must touch a creature experiencing nightmares to return to the ethereal plane. Requires the use of an action in combat.
Actions
Multiattack. The dreamgaunt makes two attacks with its claws.
Claws. Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage, and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (1d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Shriek. The dreamgaunt emits a high pitched shriek. Each creature within 60 feet of the dreamgaunt who can hear it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the dreamgaunt’s shriek for the next 24 hours. After using Shriek, the dreamgaunt's Lullaby is inactive until the end of its next turn.
The dreamgaunt is a native to the ethereal plane that feeds on the nightmares of mortals. To do so, it must first enter the material plane.
It appears as a tall, rail-thin humanoid with black or white skin. Its featureless head is shaped vaguely like an inverted teardrop. Soft, tinkling sounds like distant wind chimes accompany its every step. It moves slowly and awkwardly, seeming to stagger on its long gangly legs and clutching its sinewy arms close to its chest, but it can strike with deadly speed and strength, using the short, curved talons on its elongated fingers to rend metal and flesh alike, and inflicting additional necrotic damage in the process.
However, the dreamgaunt prefers not to kill opponents outright; the dead do not dream. In combat, it will attack an opponent until it succumbs to Lullaby, and use its next action to perform Harvest. If it senses it is in great danger, it will use its next action to Dreamstep into the ethereal. Otherwise, it will attempt to fight near the unconscious opponent in order to make a swift retreat should the tides turn against it.
A dreamgaunt can use its harvest ability repeatedly, killing a creature with exhaustion. Doing so produces a particularly potent nightmare, and a true delicacy for the dreamgaunt. However, using Harvest more than 5 times in a single day causes the dreamgaunt to become engorged. While engorged, it cannot use dreamstep. Accordingly, dreamgaunts generally do not do this unless they have secured a safe location in the material world.