Dreamstalker

A creature of nightmare, the dreamstalker enters the dreams of humanoids to feed on their fear and life essence. It is believed to have entered the Material Plane from the Far Realm.

Its presence causes bad dreams and horrific nightmares in creatures near its lair. The nightmares are followed by illusions only the dreamstalker’s victims can see, culminating in the death of the monster’s target while it slumbers bearing wounds with no logical cause. After it feeds, the dreamstalker rests, resulting in a period of calm until it wakes to hunt again.

Dream Hunter. Fear is like nectar to the dreamstalker, it seeks to terrify its prey before killing it. Once the creature has embedded itself in its fertile hunting ground, it will leverage its dream walking trait to make first contact with a creature. In doing so, it marks that creature and will begin to use its walking nightmare action to harass and fatigue its quarry.

It delights in layering waking nightmares over reality to blur reality and illusion. This harassment tends to exhaust the victim, and when it succumbs to sleep, the dreamstalker continues the assault. Once the dreamstalker has tired of playing with its food, it stalks it one final time in the Dreamscape where it kills the creature and consumes its psyche.

Eater of Dreamers. Within the Dreamscape, the dreamstalker will transform its victim’s dream into a playground of the dreamstalker’s own desire to torment the dreamer. The dreamstalker will often visit a dozen or so potential victims, causing nightmares and sowing frightful delusions, before slaughtering a number of them one by one each night.

If a target of its assault manages to survive it, the dreamstalker will likely abandon that creature as prey, especially if the creature proved capable of harming it. Should the creature should ever seek the dreamstalker again, the creature will resume the hunt.

Lives within the Dream. The dreamstalker spends nearly all its time within the Dreamscape. Its real form is that of a putrescent maggot or grub with numerous long insectoid legs. It selects a suitable, discrete lair before hunting, traversing the Ethereal Plane to gain access to the most secure spots. It exudes a smell that repels animals, preventing it from being disturbed.

Dreamstalker, Physical Form

Large aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 113 (15d10 + 30)
Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft., swim 50ft.

Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +8, Cha +9
Skills Deception +9, Insight, +8, Intimidation +9, Perception +8, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances cold, fire, psychic
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, unsettled
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages telepathy 1 mile
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)                              Proficiency Bonus +4

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Diminutive Frame. The dreamstalker is treated as Small to determine the spaces it can occupy.

Lexicon of Fear. Once the dreamstalker has invaded a creature’s dream, it is aware of that creature’s fears, and can use this knowledge to create compelling illusions. That creature has disadvantage on its saving throws and ability checks against the dreamstalker’s deceptions and illusions.

Marked Prey. After the dreamstalker has invaded a creature’s dream, it can freely sense through its victim’s senses and knows exactly where the target it is provided the target is within the same plane of existence or on the Ethereal Plane.

Whispering Mind. The dreamstalker’s telepathy is perceived as speech in a language its target can understand and it can use telepathy on any number of creatures within range, transmitting unique messages to each. It can pair this trait with its waking nightmare action to make an illusion it creates the source of its “voice.”

Actions

Multiattack. The dreamstalker makes two spike attacks.

Spike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (3d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Break Resolve. The dreamstalker taunts a creature its can see within 120 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the dreamstalker and any illusion it chooses for 1 minute. If the target is already frightened and fails its save, it is stunned until the start of its next turn.

Etherealness. The dreamstalker enters the Ethereal Plane, as if it cast the etherealness spell.

Waking Nightmare. The dreamstalker creates an illusion in the mind of a creature within 1 mile whose dream it has invaded. The illusion can take any form, affecting any of the victim’s senses, and endures as long as the dreamstalker is conscious or until it ends the effect. The dreamstalker can change the form of the illusion at will.

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Dreamstalker, Dream Avatar

Any size aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 143 (15d10 + 60)
Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft., swim 50ft.

Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +8, Cha +9
Skills Deception +9, Insight, +8, Intimidation +9, Perception +8, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, psychic, thunder
Damage Immunities necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, unsettled
Senses truesight 300 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages telepathy unlimited range
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)                              Proficiency Bonus +4

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Architect Immunity. The dreamstalker can’t be altered by a dream architect. It can still be attacked.

Deadly Dream. A dreamer reduced to 0 hit points must succeed on a DC17 Constitution saving throw or die. The creature’s actual body also dies, and it suffers the same injuries that the dreamstalker inflicted upon its dream avatar.

Dream Architect. The dreamstalker counts as a dream architect within the Dreamscape.

Legendary Resilience. At the start of each of its turns while within the Dreamscape, the dreamstalker removes all harmful conditions affecting it.

Powerful Dream Logic. The dreamstalker’s critical hits deal one additional die of damage.

Unawakened Immunity. A dreamer that isn’t in control of its dream self can’t harm the dreamstalker.

Whispering Mind. The dreamstalker’s telepathy is perceived as speech in a language its target can understand and it can use telepathy on any number of creatures within range, transmitting unique messages to each.

Actions

Multiattack. The dreamstalker makes two dream logic strike attacks.

Dream Logic Strike. Melee Power Attack: +9 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) psychic damage. This manifests as a physical attack using dream logic.

Break Resolve. The dreamstalker taunts a creature its can see within 120 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the dreamstalker and any illusion it chooses for 1 minute. If the target is already frightened and fails its save, it is stunned until the start of its next turn.

Dreamshape. The dreamstalker can assume the form of a creature, object, or section of a surface with any shape to a maximize size of a 40-foot cube.

Meld. The dreamstalker hides. If it succeeds, it vanishes from sight, melding into the Dreamscape. While melded, it can’t be detected by any means and regains 1d4 hit points at the end of each of its turns. If it hits with an attack while melded, that attack is automatically a critical hit. If it takes any action while melded, it stops hiding.

Legendary Actions

The dreamstalker can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The dreamstalker regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. It can only use legendary actions while within the Dreamscape.

Dreamshape. The dreamstalker uses its dreamshape action.

Dreamshift. The dreamstalker teleports up to 50 ft.

Dream Action. The dreamstalker can use any of the dream actions available to a dream architect.

Rend Dreamscape (Costs 2 actions). The dreamstalker alters the dream in way that defies dream logic, changing the theme of the dream instantly.

Slay Dreamer (Costs 3 actions). The dreamstalker makes a dream logic attack. After taking this damage, a dreamer with less than 25 hit points dies. A dream architect doesn’t die unless reduced to 0 hit points.