Looking for some idea help.
So currently I have a custom campaign I'm GMing for my friends where they go around trying to stop a BBEG who has gotten his hand on a powerful (homebrew) artifact which gives the wielder the capability of giving ANYONE nightmares. This includes deities, which gives them nightmares so powerful that they are banished from their minds to the Material Plane (inspiration taken from the Dream Killer Creature template).
I currently have two dream creatures made (not using the template for them, but created from the dream of a deity (whom of which I haven't decided yet)) both made using great rule bending for more fluff, fun, and unknown factor (for the PCs). One is a humanoid that harnesses the power of dreams, darkness, and negative energy to combat that the PCs have sort of befriended and is immortal, but also is lazy, avoids combat like the plague, and is a massive narcoleptic, having been killed many times because of that very condition. The other I just finished making, is a Large monstrous humanoid with a giant maw on their belly that consumes people to gain power, while using a sword that turns people it cuts into cannibals which they haven't met yet.
Right now the party consists of a Agathion-Invested Android Witch (Vulpinal), an Aasimar Paladin who has some slight bonuses granted from her god, Iomedae, a human fighter who lost both their arms in a fight and got them replaced as per the limbjack template with a bit of homebrew spice thrown in, topped with a kitsune rogue who I haven't granted a fun boost yet. They're all level 7.
I'm sort of at a roadblock for more ideas of nightmare-spawned creatures/entities and was looking for some fresh minds to put their two cents in as far as ideas go. Open to suggestions as far as the plot goes as well.
The Magistrate of Lost Thoughts- a big, inky octopus-centipede that drains memory with a touch. Aura of sleepiness.
The Worm Beneath the Lids- a slimy grub with a lamprey maw and lots of tiny hands. Can be super tiny and travel through the darkness of closed eyes or super huge and eat a town.
Hungry Shadow- a two-dimensional shapeshifter that cuts off people's shadows, turning them into listless husks.
Motes- infantile nightmares, like little tangles of hair and dust.
The Mirror Man- a being that dwells in the realm behind mirrors. He eats reflections and pulls victims through the looking glass to take their place.
Umbral Lune- a colossal flying jellyfish-ghost. It's prey find themselves in the nightmare landscape of it's guts, large as a nation and full of horrors.
I'd look at reskinning all sorts of monsters: an armored nightmare with huge pincers and a porcelain doll's face could just be a monstrous scorpion. The bodak might as well be a nightmare already. Same with the gibbering mouther and other such things.
If you're really going for horror, keep explanations vague. There can be no fear where there is understanding.
Mothmen are a favorite of mine. Replace some of their SLAs with dream and/or nightmare and you have a very elusive and magically talented foe.
The Magistrate of Lost Thoughts- a big, inky octopus-centipede that drains memory with a touch. Aura of sleepiness.
The Worm Beneath the Lids- a slimy grub with a lamprey maw and lots of tiny hands. Can be super tiny and travel through the darkness of closed eyes or super huge and eat a town.
Hungry Shadow- a two-dimensional shapeshifter that cuts off people's shadows, turning them into listless husks.
Motes- infantile nightmares, like little tangles of hair and dust.
The Mirror Man- a being that dwells in the realm behind mirrors. He eats reflections and pulls victims through the looking glass to take their place.
Umbral Lune- a colossal flying jellyfish-ghost. It's prey find themselves in the nightmare landscape of it's guts, large as a nation and full of horrors.
I'd look at reskinning all sorts of monsters: an armored nightmare with huge pincers and a porcelain doll's face could just be a monstrous scorpion. The bodak might as well be a nightmare already. Same with the gibbering mouther and other such things.
If you're really going for horror, keep explanations vague. There can be no fear where there is understanding.
The Umbral Lune is definitely an idea I'd love to implement, could fit a ton of content being trapped there. I could fit all sorts of stuff inside of it, and they could have to escape before x amount of time or perish. Could use several ideas in there while they try to escape.
For a monster like that (the shadows on the dark side of the moon come to life?), done hesitate to throw out the usual "Initiative, attack roll, ect." combat sequence. When things get big enough or weird enough, the normal mechanics just don't yield satisfying results.
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