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Typhon Nightmare (Type I) CR: 20 (25,000 XP)

Huge aberration (undead), chaotic evil
Armor Class: 21
Hit Points: 418 (22d12 + 154)
Speed: 40 ft , fly: 40 ft

STR

22 +6

DEX

16 +3

CON

24 +7

INT

6 -2

WIS

9 -1

CHA

8 -1

Saving Throws: Con +13
Damage Vulnerabilities: radiant
Damage Resistances: acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities: necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities: exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses: darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages: Gothic, but rarely speaks.
Challenge Rating: 20 (25,000 XP)

Annihilating Aura. Any creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of the nightmare must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or take 14 ( 6d6 ) necrotic damage and grant the nightwalker advantage on attack rolls against it until the start of the creature's next turn. Undead are immune to this aura.   Eidetic Learning. The nightmare can not be permanently killed so long as typhon organisms infest Luna Castellum. Each time it encounters the same group it will automatically have a single counter to the preys abilities. For example, facing a psi-user that needs sight to use his abilities, the nightmare will gain the blindness/deafness spell as an action. Or if an attacker uses radiant damage it will lose its vulnerability the next encounter and then gain resistance the following on so on.   Life Eater. A creature reduced to 0 hit points from damage dealt by the nightmare dies and can't be revived by any means short of a wish spell.   Instantaneous Movement. The nightmare can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 ( 1d10 ) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Its movement is more akin to a teleport than actual movement so it may pass through hostile creatures and attack from behind. Its movement never provokes attacks of opportunity.   Psychic Mirror. If the nightmare takes psychic damage, each creature within 10 feet of the hulk takes that damage instead; the nightmare takes none of the damage. In addition, the hulk’s thoughts and location can’t be discerned by magic.   Reactive. The nightmare can take 1 reaction at the end of each enemies turn.   Turning Defiance. The nightmare and any other sword wraiths within 30 feet of it have advantage on saving throws against effects that turn Undead.   Unusual Nature. The nightmare doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

Multiattack. The nightmare uses Ephialtes Slash twice, or it uses Ephialtes Slash and Finger of Doom, if available.   Ephialtes Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 28 ( 5d8+6 ) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.   Scream of Doom (Recharge 6). The nightwalker points at one creature it can see within 300 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or take 26 ( 4d12 ) necrotic damage and become frightened until the end of the nightwalker's next turn. While frightened in this way, the creature is also paralyzed. If a target's saving throw is successful, the target is immune to the nightmare's Finger of Doom for the next 24 hours.  

Bonus Action
Void Lure. The nightmare targets all creatures it can see in a 25 foot cone. Each must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or take 1d8+7 necrotic and psychic damage, and the target is pulled 15 feet towards the nightmare. On a success the target takes no damage but still moves towards the nightmare. If a creature comes within 15 feet of the nightmare it can use its reaction to make a single Ephialtes Slash attack.

Lair Actions

Roll a 1d4 timer and tick the timer down each time the nightmare has a turn. If the timer is on 1 at the start of the nightmare's turn the following effect triggers:   Arcane Enchantment. An orb appears on the battlefield of purple light. It shoots a coruscating line from its centre and begins spinning. These orbs persist until the end of the battle. The orbs impose a bane on attack rolls and saving throws. Any creature that fails a saving throw or attack roll takes 5 necrotic damage. Both the bane and the damage is cumulative. The timer has a -1 applied for each arcane enchantment active on the battlefield. A character can dispel a single enchantment using dispel magic or a rogue can disable one with a successful DC 14 Thieves Tool check. On a failure, the rogue takes 5 necrotic damage.

The nightmare can be encountered anywhere on Luna Castellum but only after multiple lesser typhoons have been killed by the party. Wherever it is encountered it will have some loot scattered in its "lair". Treasure should generally be themed to reflect the environment where possible:

  • 1d4 Rad Away pills. This pill restores the characters radiation die by 1 step.
  • 1d2 Arrows of Sleighing. It will identify as a generic arrow of slaying but it summons a fully functional sleigh with reindeer to pull it. The sleigh can travel over any terrain at 60 feet a round (but cannot fly) and lasts 10 minutes.
  • The PCs receive a 1d6 random arows from Dragon Magazine #135 pg. 22. Roll 1d24 to see which one they find. PCs may spend boons to gain additional rolls on the arrow table - 1 roll per boon.

Nightmares are the biggest, strongest and most dangerous of all the Typhon, aside from the Apex. Created by Weavers, Nightmares are specialized Phantoms designed with the sole purpose of hunting down and exterminating PCs or other threats to the Typhon hive. Each repeat encounter will have an improvement on the base model that specifically nullifies an ability of the enemy (or group of enemies) being hunted.   The nightmare will also mentally broadcast strange messages to all creatures it is targeting for extermination. These may or may not make sense to the targets. Example include:   ✦ “You must depart! The hourglass must hasten the end of the world! Surely you see this.” ✦ “You cannot trifle with the power . . . of time itself! Flee while you still can!” ✦ “We’ve waited too long, keeping the hourglass safe! It must remain here until the end of the world!” ✦ “Your puny minds cannot fathom the untold wonders when the Mad Architects remake this world! Go now, and live out your ignorant mortal lives!” ✦ “Why do you wish to be trapped within the moon until the end of the world?” ✦ “Your petty victories shall be short-lived when the Mad Architects bring the glory of the Far Realm to your world!”

Suggested Environments

Luna Castellum


Created by

solomani.

Statblock Type

Monster

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