A rampaging nightmare beast with a doomed human spearman for scale. The spearman looks tiny.

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The Lore

Nightmare Beasts are among the most feared horrors to walk the surface of Athas, second only to the Dragon of Tyr itself. The mere presence of a nightmare beast poisons the surrounding land and contaminates its water. This seems to be a continuous defiling effect - and the beasts can defile further to fuel their powers. The description also makes me think they might be radioactive, if you want to inject some science fantasy into your campaign.

Sages can only speculate as to their origin. The leading theory is that they were summoned from the Gray by powerful defilers during an age in the distant past where war raged all over the world. Fully grown beasts are solitary, but smaller versions can be seen hanging out in packs with each other or with other predatory animals. Those same sages theorize these are young beasts, born through natural reproduction.

Everything about the preceding paragraph is wrong, however. Nightmare beasts form when one of the many natural predators of Athas consumes too much prey from areas tainted by the Gray or marked by heavy defiling. The creature begins to slowly mutate. It acquires intelligence, power, and a hatred for all living things, becoming a nightmare beast when the metamorphosis is complete. The “spawn” are merely beasts whose transformation is still ongoing. Fully transformed beasts are solitary. Partially-mutated spawn still display behaviors reminiscent of their previous form, which is why they can be found in packs.

Nightmare beast lairs tend to be pretty obvious and imposing landmarks at the center of a horribly corrupted region.

The Numbers

Nightmare Beasts are Shadow Magical Beasts with Darkvision. We get stat blocks for both spawn and fully transformed specimens. Both can invade people’s dreams and use magical black lightning as a weapon, in addition to having very large and sharp tusks, but the effects of all of these vary per stat block. We’ll see them from weaker to stronger.

At the GM’s option, beasts poison the area around them when they die. The area within 10 squares of a full beast’s corpse become Defiled Terrain (a hazard described at the end of the book). Spawn also do this, but the area is only 5 squares in radius.

Nightmare Beast Spawn

As mentioned above, “spawn” is a misleading name. This Large creature was formerly a more mundane Athasian predator who is currently in the process of mutating into a nightmare beast. It will kinda resemble the animal it once was, but is already clearly unnatural. Spawn are Level 16 Elite Artillery with 244 HP. Their ground speed is 8 and they also have Burrow and Climb speeds of 4. Maybe this was a megapede?

The creature’s basic melee attack uses its Tusks (Melee 2), which damage and slide the target 2 squares on a hit. Its favorite tactic, however, is to hang back and rain Black Lightning (Ranged 20) upon its foes. This attack vs. Reflex targets one or two victims. On a hit it deals “lightning and necrotic” damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends). This worsens to 10 ongoing on the first failed save, and to unconsciousness (save ends) on the second.

The spawn can further torment its unconscious victims with Horrid Nightmares (minor action, recharge 6+, Ranged 10), which deal psychic damage and prevent the target from rolling saves for a turn on a hit. Yeah the spawn can potentially lock a PC down once they’re unconscious from Black Lightning. This also works if they manage to sneak up on their victims while they sleep, though the spawn might not yet be clever enough to think of this.

If a target steps into the spawn’s melee reach, it can use its Barbed Tongue (Melee 3) as a reaction. This attack vs Fortitude deals necrotic damage on a hit and prevents the target from regaining HP for a turn.

Nightmare Beast

The fully mutated beast is size Huge, and a Level 25 Solo Controller with 928 HP. In other words, it’s a kaiju. This specimen is stronger than the spawn in every way, from physical weapons all the way to psychic and magical powers. Its ground speed is just 6, though, with no other movement modes. It likes to use its magic to torment its victims, but once it gets injured it will drop the mind games and get physical.

The beast has no less than three basic attacks, all Melee 3 and each with a different rider: Claws that slide 3 squares, Tusks that knock prone, and a Bite that grabs the target if the beast hasn’t grabbed anyone yet. Each of those of course also does respectable damage. Double Attack lets the beast pick any two of those to use on the same action.

Bloodied Fury (recharge 4+) becomes available while the beast is bloodied. It lets the creature move its speed and use a claw/claw/tusk/bite combo at any point along the movement, using up to two attacks against each target.

While the beast is not bloodied, it can instead use its Black Lightning (recharge 4+). This version targets 1 or 2 creatures in a Close Burst 5, and on a hit inflicts ongoing 30 lightning and necrotic damage (save ends). Each creature adjacent to one of the targets takes 20 lightning and necrotic damage when the target is hit, as well. The targets fall unconscious right on the first failed saving throw.

If the beast misses a target while using Black Lightning, it can use its Hideous Defiling to attack every enemy in a Close Burst 2, dealing a chunk of necrotic damage on a hit. A hit also allows it to reroll the missed Black Lightning attacks.

Whether bloodied or not, the beast can inflict Horrid Nightmares on unsconscious targets just like its less-developed counterpart, with better damage. It can also use Dream Step at will, teleporting 15 squares to a space adjacent to an unconscious creature!

Encounters and Final Impressions

Full beasts will usually be found alone, as they kill anything else they can perceive. A GM who wishes to add more spice to this solo encounter could add powerful undead minions. The beast might tolerate their presence since they aren’t living creatures.

Spawn could be found in groups, either with each other or still hanging around their packs as the transformation proceeds. Eventually the day comes when they complete the transformation and slay their packmates.