Dreamscapes and the creatures within...

[VoodistMonk]

Not sure how popular dreamscapes/mindscapes actually are, but for those of you that do use them, or have used them, what monsters fill your todash space? What are the creatures of your nightmares?

I have a few hellish creations that I am particularly proud of... things to haunt dreamscapes... things that go bump in the night... a CR 16 Bogeyman, named Oogie Boogie, that I bumped up to 25HD which also got the Implacable Stalker and Nightmare Lord templates... a CR 13 Dreamthief Hag, named Melinoe, with the Tulpa template... bunches of CR 6 Nightgaunts with the Alebrije template (even though they are Monstrous Humanoids)...

What monsters do you use? What, if any, templates do you use?

[VoodistMonk]

To expand on this a little bit, maybe add some context... my particular Dreamlands adventure has a slumbering Conqueror Worm (CR 21) at its evil epicenter... its ongoing nightmare has started to pollute waking life around it, warping reality, and thinning the boundaries between the Dimension of Dreams and the Material Plane. I'm kind of modifying the Conqueror Worm's Mental Invader ability to create Tulpa creatures, like acting lieutenants... it can have 10 such "lieutenants" at a time, but I don't even have half of that, right meow.

The first creation to manifest was a Tulpa Lotus Tree (CR 22) standing on the surface directly above where the Conqueror Worm sleeps deep below... I am modifying and using the Lotus Tree's Hallucination ability as a sort of both a gateway, and a trap, leading from the Material Plane into the Conqueror Worm's nightmare dreamscape. I am also kind of using the Lotus Tree's Psychic Magic to cast Create Greater Mindscape to explain this... the Tulpa template adds some extra spells and variety to what the Lotus Tree already had.

The second Tulpa manifestation is Melinoe, my goddess of nightmares, and is probably what most would view as the main antagonist... even though she is not the most powerful (CR 13), she is one of the most active participants in this ongoing nightmare. She has commercialized the misery of others into quite the lucrative business... peddling dreams like a Night Hag sells souls. Melinoe comes and goes as she pleases, and I use her to ferry/usher people between the dreamscape and the Material Plane. This nightmare is her hunting ground, her trophies fill her Dreamstone... she keeps her Dreamstone well-stocked, and thus this nightmare is generally well-populated.

There are two ancient esoteric dragons... an Ancient Dream Dragon and an Ancient Nightmare Dragon... both with the Tulpa template. With the template, they are CR 21 and CR 19, respectively... both exist more as plot devices rather than enemy combatants, but they have stat blocks nonetheless. I just like having black and white dragons at my disposal, and the ability to switch between them adds great effect to the story's mental image (and that what is represented on the physical board/map if you are fortunate enough to have all the proper minis). Both dragons already have Psychic Magic, and gain some variety from the Tulpa template.

The Alebrije Nightgaunts (CR 6) are literally just random encounter monsters lurking in the todash space like wolves... well, they are actually more like faceless, nightmare versions of the flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz. These things are not Tulpa, and not directly controlled by the Conqueror Worm's imagination, they are wild "animals" roaming free in this nightmare dreamscape along with a plethora of Dream Spiders and Dream Naga and other such nonsense that belongs in a nightmare.

Oogie Boogie (CR 16) lurks with his own serial-killer agenda... an alpha predator with an appetite for fear, he seems to sense when people are scared like it's blood in the water... he uses hit'n'run ambush tactics to menace his victims like a cat playing with a mouse. Oogie Boogie is not a figment of the Conqueror Worm's imagination, and is NOT a Tulpa, nor a "lieutenant"... he simply follows the scent of fear, existing with the capacity to manifest anywhere fear is present, and nightmares are ripe with fear...

[Azothath]

dreamscape

AFAIK there are no extra creatures in a mindscape, just caster and target. It is created and then things added/placed/trapped there by the creator. Otherwise it is figmentary or let's say "dreamed up" on behalf of creatures now there or visitors. Bodies are checked at the "door".

The Dreamlands(Lovecraft style) are different, a pile of collected unconscious and conscious dreams, emotions, etc. Much more dangerous than the PF1 stuff and you can travel with or without your body.

Dimension of Dreams (body check at the door) is a PF1 creation although I'm sure it's been done before.

[VoodistMonk]

I have the Conqueror Worm as the "primary dreamer"... these things [Conqueror Worms] are borderline gods, and can literally grant domains/spells to their followers... so this nightmare world is the dreamscape of a sleeping demigod.

Tulpa creatures are essentially imaginary friends, they exist as powerful manifestations of thought... but they physically exist/are "real". I am having the Tulpa creatures be capable of showing up inside and outside the dreamscape due to the Tulpa template's Mental Form ability... they can kind of just force their way into their creator's mind... I'm changing things a little, but I don't think it is too far a stretch to allow the Conqueror Worm's imaginary friends to exist in the Conqueror Worm's dreams.

For example, the Lotus Tree inverses, growing upside-down out of the sky in the dreamscape... as above, so below. And either one of, or both, of the ancient esoteric dragons have the ability to just straight up enter other people's dreams... so they could easily come and go as they please. Everything with the Tulpa template is literally a creation of the Conqueror Worm's imagination, and gets a free pass to enter the Conqueror Worm's dreamscape.

As for checking bodies at the door... yeah, Melinoe has a habit of sadistically crucifying the sleeping bodies of anyone she personally kills in the dreamscape... anyone that she has stored in her Dreamstone, their bodies are strung up in the forest using a single Witch Nail through both wrists... the wild boars have a tendancy to eat everything from the knees down.

It is still a dreamscape, bodies are checked at the door. Between the Tulpa "lieutenants" that can enter/exit the dreamscape, and religious/cult followers that exist only on the Material Plane... the bodies of those inside the dreamscape are kept from piling up. I have some Utukku Qlippoth with the simple Cleric Creature template acting as the Conqueror Worm's zealot priests.

[Azothath]

Dream Travel:C6(Psychic) spell is physical travel to Dimension of Dreams (the Plane Shift of Dreams). I don't know why it could not work both ways.
Mindscapes or less powerful and are illusory.
Create Mindscape:I5 creates the illusory pocket dimension.
Mindscape Door:I4 is your gate in and out.
see Nightmare Creature & Lords

Plane Shift:C7 is your basic planar travel spell.
Astral Projection:N9 is safer travel to the astral plane.

If you are just manifesting Mindscape Door would do it, BUT, as imaginary creatures their physical body would not exist so they may need a phantasm or host. You could do Dream Possession at 4th attempting to possess a dreamer (Will saves!).
Getting a body would drive the spell to 5th IMO and use manifested phantom template(?)(see phantom below) with an ectoplasmic body or 6th with a normal body (see above).

phantasm and phantom

For spells and such to automatically target an individual would take a foci(such as a specific token(with at least arcane mark), holy symbol, tattoo, etc). With spells lasting minutes the foci is also an excuse to extend the spell duration {mucho gold for Extend spell} or in combination with a specific ritual, like partaking of certain flesh or alchemical drug/substance.
An attractive pair of mirrors with Mirror Send via a dream conduit (Dream Chat) that also targeted the creatures for Dream Possession and Dream Dalliance would do nicely. They need to be useful and carry a 'curse'.

Good luck in your world building/plotting.

[VoodistMonk]

The players will be given ample opportunity to prepare, and will know what sort of adventure this is from the start.

The party will eventually get to a point in the story where they need to enter this dreamscape... and there will be points where the party is subject to spells like Microcosm, that I will use to plunge them into this nightmare whether they want it, or not. I understand that Microcosm doesn't exactly work that way, but it will for this.

Besides modifying how the Microcosm spell works, I am also changing the Lotus Tree's Hallucination ability to temporarily bring people into the dreamscape... rather than pleasantly hallucinating for 4D6 hours, their minds are thrown into the Conqueror Worm's nightmare for the duration. Now, anyone that falls victim to these Hallucinations, can also be affected by the Lotus Tree's Lost Hope ability, and/or hunted by Melinoe to fill her Dreamstone. Those that fall victim to the Lotus Tree's Lost Hope ability desire nothing more in life than to subject themselves to more Hallucinations, addicted to this nightmare like it brings their lives meaning. And, it's only a matter of time before repeat visitors get picked off by Melinoe to top off her Dreamstone.

Regardless of being manifest from imagination, the Tulpa creatures are physically real. They are not illusions or shadow conjurations... they are 100% completely real. These things do not only exist inside the nightmare dreamscape, and can/will be encountered on the Material Plane, as well as within the dream. The cult following the Conqueror Worm are not Tulpa or imaginary... they exist to trick people into making religious pilgrimage to the Lotus Tree, suggesting people try its fruit, and ritualistically sacrifice people to the Lotus Tree. They also clean up the bodies so there aren't tons of sleeping/dead people piling up at the base of the tree... Melinoe personally takes care of the bodies of anyone she kills inside the dreamscape.

[VoodistMonk]

I basically have my little adventure laid out... it could start at level 1, and go all the way to 20... I have cultists and Qlippoth and Hags and two ancient dragons... freaking Lotus Trees and Conqueror Worms. Lol.

The cultists following the Conqueror Worm are used to infiltrating political circles, and destroying entire kingdoms from within. They have set nations at war against each other, and converted masses to false religions. As far as cultists go, many of these are "battle hardened" compared to the average brainwashed zealot you might expect. The cult's priests are Utukku Qlippoth that have dinive powers granted to them by the Conqueror Worm... they are CR 10 with the simple Cleric Creature template. While their god rests, the cultists grow increasingly bored. Idle hands are the play things of the devil... and the Utukka "clerics" are kind of doing their own thing, furthering their own agendas. Figuring out and dealing with cultists is pretty typical low to mid level gameplay. This all your standard Material Plane stuffs, with relatively little dream nonsense.

Melinoe, is a Dreamthief Hag... CR 13 with the Tulpa template... and where there is one Hag, there are [of course] three Hags. Lol. This particular Coven actually has two Hags and a Witchfire, but is a Coven nonetheless. Dealing with Covens is pretty standard mid level play. The second Hag and the Witchfire both exist solely on the Material Plane. Most of the BS with the Coven will happen on the Material Plane... Melinoe, herself, will be active in the dreamscape, as well as on the Material Plane.

Ancient dragons are pretty standard late level boss material. Both of these dragons can exist in both planes (the dreamscape and the Material Plane), but they will be fought in the dreamscape if they are to be fought at all.

So I have a pretty good challenge rating spectrum covered. The templated Bogeyman is CR 16, but isn't very scary if you aren't afraid of him... kind of a one trick pony, he is. Plus, Oogie Boogie operates mostly alone, and nothing lasts long fighting against a high level party all alone. But overall, this adventure has a good spread to entertain players of any level.

What I am more interested in, is YOUR dreamscape encounters. The nightmare monsters YOU GUYS use. Yes, I am looking for ideas to use in my adventure, sure. But I want to see what you guys have used, and how yoy used them.

[Mightypion]

As a misdirection, consider the following:

--Figure out which party member other party members are afraid off, chances are there will be one character nobody is afraid off
--Use the player characters someone is afraid off, over the top roleplay either their worst aspects or have them run as inversions of who they are
--Slap an appropriate half demon template on all of them (different half demon for different player character)
--Why half Demons? Qlippoths hate Demons, and want to mislead the party (at this point high level) about what is actually going on.
--There is a pf1e adventure path where you do fight your evil twin party, and that fight is really cool.

Conserning dreamlands in general:
--I go for a mix of social (Celephais is a sizeable interplanar metropolis), combat and scare things.
--Dreamsland encounters are a great way to have some completely fresh fights. For example, you are in the dreams of an evil person, which they have to overcome to gain information.
The cultist is has nightmares about Archons or Angels killing him/her. The nightmare archons or angels are overexxagerations of "DEUS VULT" and go after the party because "YOU ARE A WITCH". How often do you get to fight archons and angels in a normal campaign?