So, my group is just starting in on Dreams of the Yellow King, and I need a bit of advice to plan for the final encounter. I've already got stats for the Nightmare PCs--except that I've also just taken on a new player, whose character is unconnected with the amnesia backstory. Since his memories we're never sacrificed, he presumably wouldn't have a Nightmare doppelganger. Any suggestions on how I should adjust the final encounter to account for his presence?
Maybe his adventuring with the mind wiped group attracted the attention of another denizen of the Dream realm?
I'd find some kind of monster I could throw in there that would fit thematically. Maybe it wants to take his place in Golarion with the nightmare versions of the rest of the group.
Something like the Dreamthief Hag comes to mind.
Dream Hag might be a little powerful...but doing a quick PFSRD search for monsters from the Dimension of Dreams, the Dream Spectre might actually be perfect--call it an unfinished 'template' the oasis spits out since it doesn't have full access to his memories. And if I'm feeling particularly nasty, if the Dream Spectre drains the Mesmerist fully of his Charisma, it can spontaneously metamorphose into a nightmare doppelganger of him!
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Alternatively, you could use the book's default suggestion of an Advanced Animate Dream for this PC only.
Also, although the new character may not have suffered amnesia, they HAVE performed the same Dream ritual as the others, meaning they have the same linked starting point...this could well be used to justify a Nightmare Twin for them, even without the amnesia being the driver.
Lastly...have you looked ahead to book 6? Some elements there will be a little less impactful if you have non-original characters in the group. It's a bit far ahead, but it might not hurt to think about it.
I think the 'time loop' gimmick will be a bit easier to deal with, since the whole original party is there, and the new party member would have been sacrificed by the Thrusmoor cult if the original party members hadn't been around.