Roleplaying a Nightmare

[CRGreathouse]

First, the blackguard needs to prove himself. He can either fetch some rare delicacy for it (like a silver dragon egg -- or wyrmling), or he can prove to it that he can beat the crap out of it in single combat. If the former, he may well start a vicious cycle of getting bossed around by the thing. If the latter, it'll probably just hate him more than usual, but grudgingly serve (after all, if it pushes it luck, it might have to worry about something like getting dim-anchored and then killed). Regardless, he needs to prove to the thing that it'd either (a) greatly benefit from working with him, or (b) is going to suffer if it screws with him. Quite possibly both.

Assuming they can get it to work with them, the nightmare should demand it's own share of treasure, including magic items. Note that Nightmares don't keep treasure. It simply eats its share.

It also demand special "food" regularly -- probably a sentient being tortured in a specific manner. Willingly working with this thing should probably damn the rider beyond all redemption. Edit: oh, they already are? Keeping a carnivorous horse satisfied probably wouldn't be that hard. Unless you want the give the Nightmare some requirements that are more "out there" (maybe it has a fetish for unicorns? that'd be a pain in the arse to accomodate).

Nightmares normally can't communicate, but since this is some sort of cool unique nightmare, go ahead and give it the ability. Hell, just give it Tongues or something like it. Having it always address people in their native language, no matter what it is, could be a little freaky.

I like this! Eating its own share of treasure... that's just too evil.

As far as evil beyond redemption... yeah, I think they are. It's bad enough that we've had problems between group members killing off information sources -- for no reason -- before asking questions. (Think Weird Al's "Trigger Happy".) We've had our first PC kill last game.

I'll have to think about the language. I have so many possibilities! Yours would certainly be eerie, and surely the easiest on me.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Perhaps the Nightmare will pick the strongest two or three members of the party (including the ravager), and tell them he will serve the strongest only. He leaves it up to each of them how to prove it. They have until sunrise to display their power.

Now, there are a few ways they can accomplish that;
- bring a suitable gift of victims
- best the others in ruthlessness
- refuse the nightmare and force it into servitude
... whatever fits the characters.

*snip* *snip* *snip*

The sound you just heard was me stealing this idea.

If this nightmare is *extraordinary* (and the circumstances do seem to indicate that), then it may have goals of its own, and may take them out on the party if it feels they aren't being met.

Oh, it will surely have goals of its own. Still, it'll be smart enough to know that it can't take on the group in a fair fight. (It'll also be crafty enough to never try a fair fight, but that's a different story... )

Cripes, these characters are on the razor's edge of group self-destruction, why not let their summoned shortcuts to power become the catalysts to their chaos?

Did I mention that the cleric of Nerull was asked by a fellow cleric to track down the other Nerull cleric's murderer and kill him and his family?

"Beautiful, glorious suffering , terror rising around me like the warmth of mortal pain. The cries of the tormented filling the mists like a hundred symphonies... It is a delicious day to be as great as I, a noble vessel of brilliant pain. The extasy of the innocent, yeilding and weak, beneath my hooves, as they wallow in their agony. I am grand and terrible in both countenance and action."

*This* is what I was looking for. Thanks!

Now, mood flash cards might be a good way to point out the nightmare's desires.

Interesting. This could be hard, though.

"The nightmare stares meaningfully at you for a moment. A black and silver flash cuts through your mind, and you see this!" = hold up cards for "DISTRUST" and "<name of the priest of Nerull>".

There, a message, an odd form of communication, and only the PC sees it. Sows a little more distrust.

That would be great. --evil grin here--

 

[CRGreathouse]

Here are the tentative stats for the nightmare:

Greater nightmare: CR 8; Large Outsider (Evil); HD 9d8+27; hp 67; Init +6; Spd 40 ft, fly 90 ft (good); AC 24 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +13 natural); Melee 2 hooves +12 (1d8+4 and 1d4 fire), bite +10 (1d8+2); Face/Reach 5 ft by 10 ft/5 ft; SA flaming hooves, smoke, summon nightmare; SQ astral projection, etherealness, telepathy; AL NE; SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 12.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +13, Intuit Direction +14, Listen +16, Move Silently +14, Search +14, Sense Motive +14, Spot +16; Alertness, Improved Initiative, Multiattack.

 

[Voadam]

As statted in the srd, nightmares do not speak any languages or have telepathy, those are spelled out for other creatures and are absent from the nightmare entry. There are reasonable reasons they could do either, being evil outsiders. The core nightmares seem, however, to be designed as fiendish variants of the paladin's warhorse. They are intelligent but not communicative or dealmakers.

Perhaps the party must make a deal with more powerful fiend/dark god to gain the services of a nightmare.

Glabrezou are known for making deals as are many lords, and I could see them setting up pacts where they provide a nightmare in return for oh, just a few little things of no apparent real consequence to the party.

 

[Epametheus]

Here are the tentative stats for the nightmare:

Greater nightmare: CR 8; Large Outsider (Evil); HD 9d8+27; hp 67; Init +6; Spd 40 ft, fly 90 ft (good); AC 24 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +13 natural); Melee 2 hooves +12 (1d8+4 and 1d4 fire), bite +10 (1d8+2); Face/Reach 5 ft by 10 ft/5 ft; SA flaming hooves, smoke, summon nightmare; SQ astral projection, etherealness, telepathy; AL NE; SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 12.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +13, Intuit Direction +14, Listen +16, Move Silently +14, Search +14, Sense Motive +14, Spot +16; Alertness, Improved Initiative, Multiattack.

Hmm.. Summon Nightmare? Now that sounds like something with potential.

So it has the following racial mods: +8 str, +4 dex, +6 con, +4 int, +4 wis, +2 cha? Well, now stat it as a proper NPC (with whatever system used for building the PCs; that's technically "fair" (and I must stress the technically)) and slap those modifiers onto the stats (if ya originally intended to do that, then "oops, just making sure").

They'll be a lot more wary of it if it's strong enough to break chains with its teeth. Really high intelligence and charisma in something that's "just a demonic horse" can also be unsettling.

A feature that could be interesting in this greater nightmare (though it might be a little over-the-top): it simply never gets tired. It could run all day long without resting. In straight rules terms, it never makes a constitution check for running, and it doesn't take any sort of damage or fatigue from doing a forced march.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Hmm.. Summon Nightmare? Now that sounds like something with potential.

It basically works like demon/devil summoning. 1/day, it can summon a normal nightmare (100% chance of success). It's reluctant to do so because it would then be beholden to the nightmare it summoned -- in addition to being in a weakened state.

I think this could work nicely if the PCs threaten to attack it if it does anything aggressive. "The nightmare stares off into space as though thinking deep thoughts." (6 seconds pass in RL) "OK, a nightmare appears and attacks the party. Roll initiative after the surprise round."

So it has the following racial mods: +8 str, +4 dex, +6 con, +4 int, +4 wis, +2 cha? Well, now stat it as a proper NPC (with whatever system used for building the PCs; that's technically "fair" (and I must stress the technically)) and slap those modifiers onto the stats (if ya originally intended to do that, then "oops, just making sure").

They'll be a lot more wary of it if it's strong enough to break chains with its teeth. Really high intelligence and charisma in something that's "just a demonic horse" can also be unsettling.

I'd never give it PC stats (32 points, in this case) -- they're heroic and well above average. It'll get ~25 points.

I like its stats for sheer superiority's sake. Its Str is better than any character in the group, as is its Cha. For the rest of the stats it's either tied or in second place to *one* other character, none of whom beat it in two stats.

A feature that could be interesting in this greater nightmare (though it might be a little over-the-top): it simply never gets tired. It could run all day long without resting. In straight rules terms, it never makes a constitution check for running, and it doesn't take any sort of damage or fatigue from doing a forced march.

Oh, I like it! I've added "greater endurance" to its SQ list.

 

[Xarlen]

I'll note that taking a Nightmare as a mount shouldn't be any more difficult then getting a Unicorn as a mount. I mean, sure, Rp wise, fine. But if you can nab one with the Leadership feat...

I like the 'speaking in any native' tongue, and the flashcard thing.

But Telepathy sounds just as cool. That whispering, prying 'inhuman' whispers into someone's mind. Sort've like some horror movies where you here the whispered little voices that you can't distinguish. That 'shshsh shshhhhshhh' sort've thing.

The nightmare is going to have an Ego. This thing isn't just a horse with some brains, it is going to have some pride. So don't let it fade into the background, unless it wants to be 'silent and unacknowledged'.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I'll note that taking a Nightmare as a mount shouldn't be any more difficult then getting a Unicorn as a mount. I mean, sure, Rp wise, fine. But if you can nab one with the Leadership feat...

I like the 'speaking in any native' tongue, and the flashcard thing.

But Telepathy sounds just as cool. That whispering, prying 'inhuman' whispers into someone's mind. Sort've like some horror movies where you here the whispered little voices that you can't distinguish. That 'shshsh shshhhhshhh' sort've thing.

The nightmare is going to have an Ego. This thing isn't just a horse with some brains, it is going to have some pride. So don't let it fade into the background, unless it wants to be 'silent and unacknowledged'.

I played the first session with the nightmare. It went great! I had printed short phrases for the nightmare on card and cut them out, showing them to every player the nightmare 'spoke' with. It was extremely independant and headstrong, but seems to have gotten away with it... being the most intelligent member of the group seems to have helped.

Sample messages: "What is the priest up to now? Watch your back. «Suspicion»"
"Where is MY share?"
"He is of no use to us. Kill him. «Disinterest»"
"He’s lying."

 

[Xarlen]

Remember folks, a Nightmare is a *FEMALE*.

MARE means Female Horse.

True, it sounds like a Nightmare=bad dream, but they have no real big dreamy powers, so that doesn't link up.

If it were a Night *STALLION* then it'd be a male.