Nachtmerrie
curl-horned creeping ambusher of the Sons of Nightmare
Nachtmerrie — The Encounter
curl-horned creeping ambusher of the Sons of Nightmare · a boss your table can run with almost no prep. SRD 5.1-compatible.
Who Is Nachtmerrie
Nachtmerrie is the creeping shadow of the Sons of Nightmare, the curl-horned ambusher that the flock sends ahead to draw first blood from the dark. Dutch sleep-lore names the nachtmerrie that climbs the wall and crouches unseen above the bed; this son keeps that silence, slinking along rooftops and shadowed edges until a back is turned. It is not a brawler. It strikes from concealment, drives its dread into the wound, and melts away to circle again, picking off scouts and sentries so the heavier kin can fall upon a camp already short of watchers. Where its horned silhouette has been glimpsed at the treeline, the rest of the warband is never far behind.
Run Nachtmerrie in Sixty Seconds
- It opens from hiding then a strike with advantage adds 14 necrotic via Creeping Dread.
- Hide as a bonus action then Shadow Prowler and Slink let it vanish after every hit.
- Two talons then 11 slashing each, more than enough on a surprised back-ranker.
- Light denies it then daylight or a sentinel spell strips its advantage and its bonus damage.
- It is a scout-killer then guard your watchers or the rest of the Sons arrive unannounced.
Nachtmerrie
Medium fiend (nightmare), neutral evil
CR 5 · 1,800 XP · GUIDELINECreeping Dread. Once per turn, when Nachtmerrie hits a creature that cannot see it or that it has advantage against, the target takes an extra 14 (4d6) necrotic damage (signature).
Shadow Prowler. Nachtmerrie can take the Hide action as a bonus action and has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in dim light or darkness.
Nightmare-Born. Nachtmerrie is immune to being frightened and to magic that would put it to sleep.
Actions
Multiattack. Nachtmerrie makes two Talon attacks.
Talon. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage.
Bonus Actions & Reactions
Slink (Bonus Action). Nachtmerrie takes the Hide or Disengage action.
Bent low and curl-horned, it creeps from the dark margins to open a back before its victim knows it is there.
Guideline numbers — formula-tuned and read from the miniature's design, not yet table-proven. Tell us how it ran in the comments.
How It Fights — by Tier
Same creature, scaled threat. The traits never change; only the numbers move.
Open from hiding to land Creeping Dread on a sentry, then Slink back into the dark. Pick off stragglers and watchers. Soften the camp for the flock; never stand and fight in the open alone.
Strike the rear caster from concealment for talons plus 14 necrotic, then Slink away as a bonus action. Use the brutes' noise as cover to reposition. Be the flock's assassin on isolated or unaware targets.
Hunt the party's controllers from the shadows, hit-and-fade each round, and let Creeping Dread punish anyone who loses sight of you. Work the dark edges of the fight for the Sons; do not duel in the light alone.
Put Nachtmerrie on the table
Download the presupported STL and run the fight tonight — the model, and the encounter that comes with it.
Get the STL on MyMiniFactory →Clay Cyanide Companion Rules v1
How a bound creature acts
- A companion acts on its owner's initiative, immediately after the owner.
- It uses the Companion block above — roughly ×0.6 HP and damage, no recharge abilities, and at most one reaction trait.
- It moves freely; it takes its Action only while its owner is conscious.
- At 0 HP a companion is broken, not dead — restored on a long rest unless your table rules otherwise.
Original Clay Cyanide material © Clay Cyanide LLC — explicitly not the non-SRD official sidekick rules.
Questions, Asked at the Table
What CR is Nachtmerrie?
Nachtmerrie is CR 5 (1,800 XP) at its native Tier 2, with Tier 1 and Tier 3 statlines provided for scaling.
How does Nachtmerrie fight alongside the rest of the Sons of Nightmare?
It is the flock's scout and ambusher, picking off sentries and isolated casters from the dark so the heavier Sons can fall on a party already missing its watchers.
Is Nachtmerrie a boss I can run solo?
No. It has no legendary kit and folds in a stand-up fight; it works as a hit-and-fade assassin alongside the rest of the warband.
Tell Us How It Ran
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 ("SRD 5.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Clay Cyanide Miniatures is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This content is compatible with the fifth edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Companion rules, lore, names, and original mechanics © Clay Cyanide LLC.
Played Nachtmerrie at your table? Log in with your Obsidian Tavern account to leave a balance note, a war story, or a file issue — the sharpest reports get the block revised.
Log in to comment