ᛞᚱᚨᚢᛗᚨᛋᚲᚱᛁᛗᛚ
“Draumaskríml,” “dream monster.” All Vikings know that the medium of dreams is one which the gods and divine beings alike use to send messages to mortals. By some reckonings, the world of dreams is an entire branch of Yggdrasill, the World Tree, which is hidden to nearly all non-divine travelers. Unfortunately, there are mortals who can travel through dreams in order to strike at other beings, including heiðr and phantasms.
From whence the phantasms come, no one is sure. Hel denies that they are her creatures; Odin similarly declaims responsibility, as do the jǫtnar. The best guess anyone can make is that the phantasms are the leftover spirits of dead divine servants from the pantheons who the Æsir and Vanir vanquished, somehow still lingering around the Nine Worlds and surviving on the breaths of mortals.
Phantasms generally appear in the dreams of men and women and children as tall beings who are so dark that only their outlines are visible.
Medium undead divine being, evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 136 (16d8+64)
Speed 40 ft, fly 40 ft
Str 14 (+2) Dex 19 (+4) Con 19 (+4)
Int 18 (+4) Wis 18 (+4) Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws CON +9, CHA +8
Skills Deception +8, Intimidation +8, Perception +8, Stealth +8
Senses darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 18
Condition Immunities bleeding, charmed, dreamy, exhausted, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, weakened, woozy
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks; acid, fire, lightning, thunder
Languages telepathy 120 ft
Reaction to bowel-loosening terror and helplessness
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Incorporeal. Phantasms cannot be touched by non-magical material, and they can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
Necrotic Aura. Any creature that starts its turn within 15 ft of the phantasm must succeed on a DC 16 CON saving throw or take 7 (2d6) necrotic damage and grant the phantasm advantage on attack rolls against it until the start of the creature’s next turn.
Undead are immune to this aura.
Innate Spellcasting. The phantasm’s innate spellcasting ability is CHA (spell save DC 16, spell attack bonus +8). The phantasm can innately cast the following spells:
- At-will: alter self, horrify, hideous laughter
- 3/day: fear, jump at shadows, seeing things
- 2/day: frighten, nightmare, phantasmal killer
- 1/day: mouth-riding, right behind you
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The phantasm uses its undead touch twice each turn, or it uses undead touch once and terrifying expression once if available.
Undead Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 11 (3d6) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 CON saving throw or have its hit point maximum reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target takes a long rest.
Terrifying Expression (recharge 6). The phantasm reveals its true face to one creature within 60 ft. The target must succeed on a DC 16 CHA saving throw or take 26 (4d12) necrotic damage and gain the frightened and paralyzed conditions until the end of the their next turn. If the target’s saving throw is successful, the target is immune to the phantasm’s terrifying expression for the next 24 hours.
MOTIVES
Phantasms are driven by an infernal rage to strike at mortals through dreams, as a way to avenge the deaths of their original pantheons.
ALLIES
Phantasms work alone or in the company of numbers of náir.