Dream Demon (5e Class)
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Dream Demon[edit]
A man walks down an alley, scraping his nails along the concrete and somehow creating sparks. The remaining aggressor from the bar fight that happened earlier, now cowering in a corner. The man's arms elongate, stretching unnaturally and getting ever closer to the once-aggressor in front of him. The one cowering would have memories flashed before his eyes, memories of how he and his cronies tried to jump what looked to be a hooded old man. It was their last mistake, as they were shown their greatest fears before being cut to ribbons. This man, the last survivor, was being mentally tortured by the deaths of his friends. All the tastier his soul became for the living nightmare that had subjected them to this, the Dream Demon.
Beings of Thought[edit]
In life, those who committed acts of immense evil, acts that caused them to be rejected by even the darkest of deities, may have been tossed into the planes governed by no being. The astral plane, the realm of emotion and thought, is the most likely place. Those evil souls tossed there either dissipate into nothing but emotional energy or, on VERY rare occasions, become Dream Demons. Dream Demons are unwanted souls that, through sheer willpower, obtain a physical form in a place that shouldn't be physical. Despite being called a demon, Dream Demons can be of any alignment, as the process of becoming one usually tears the soul asunder, therefore affecting the mind.
Creating a Dream Demon[edit]
When creating a Dream Demon, ask yourself what sort of horrible, unforgivable act your character would’ve had to do to be banished to the astral plane. They had to be evil at one point in time in order to become a Dream Demon. No other kind of soul is dark enough to survive the process of becoming a Dream Demon. Also, ask yourself what the process did to your character's soul. The process, as intense as it is, can change a soul in many different ways. Their alignment may shift, and their form may change. In the end, it is up to you, but something, SOMETHING about them is now different, whether it be for the better or the worse.
- Quick Build
To make a quick build for this class, make Charisma your highest ability score. Then, make Strength your second-highest ability score.
Class Features
As a Dream Demon you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d4 per Dream Demon level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 4 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d4 (or 3) + Constitution modifier per Dream Demon level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: None
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Charisma, Strength
Skills: Choose four of your choice.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- Clothes.
- If you are using starting wealth, you have None in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Souls | Nightmare Damage Die |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Their Souls Give Me Strength, Dream Demon, Waking Nightmare | 3 | d4 |
| 2nd | +2 | Welcome To My Nightmare! | 3 | d4 |
| 3rd | +2 | — | 6 | d4 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | d4 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 9 | d4 |
| 6th | +3 | You’ve Got The Body, I’ve Got The Brain, I Don’t Belive In Fairytales! | 9 | d8 |
| 7th | +3 | Dream Warrior | 12 | d8 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 12 | d8 |
| 9th | +4 | Great Graphics | 15 | d8 |
| 10th | +4 | In Dreams, I Am Forever! | 15 | d8 |
| 11th | +4 | Extra Attack | 18 | d10 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 18 | d10 |
| 13th | +5 | You Are All My Children Now | 21 | d10 |
| 14th | +5 | Always Room For More, Dream Master | 21 | d10 |
| 15th | +5 | Father Knows Best | 24 | d10 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Extra Attack | 24 | d12 |
| 17th | +6 | — | 27 | d12 |
| 18th | +6 | Welcome To My World | 27 | d12 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 30 | d12 |
| 20th | +6 | The Final Nightmare | 30 | d12 |
Their Souls Give Me Strength[edit]
Also 1st level, you gain access to Souls, which are gained after a creature dies within a 30ft radius of you, as you can absorb the creature's soul into yourself as a reaction. The main ability of this feature is the effect it has on the “Waking Nightmare” feature, in which the number of Souls you have absorbed increases the amount of Nightmare Damage Die you use for said feature (divided by 2, rounded down). The secondary ability of this feature is that an absorbed creature's maximum hit points are added to your own as temporary hit points, however, they don’t disappear until they are all taken from you via damage.
Dream Demon[edit]
At 1st level, you only exist on the Astral Plane. You can speak with people from the Astral Plane to the Material Plane by making a psychic link with them, but can’t physically interact with them unless they’re asleep or unconscious. Only people that you’ve created a link with (or people with truesight / people that can see into the astral plane) can see you. Only beings with truesight or other astral creatures can physically interact with you. When someone is asleep or unconscious, you can enter their minds and force them into a dream-like state, or alter a dream they are already having as an action. Any damage done to the creature in the dream is done to them in real life, and you cannot be harmed within the dream. However, in order to cause damage to a creature within the dream, you need to cause fear within them first. If they are scared, afraid, or horrified, it doesn’t matter, so long as they feel fear. The damage done to said creature depends on what happens to them within the dream. It can be as simple as a cut or scratch, or as brutal as an entire arm being sliced off, but usually, more fear is required to do more gruesome actions. The actual amount of damage done to said creature is dependent on the DM’s ruling. If a creature grapples you while within a dream, they can take you out into the real world if they succeed a DC 10 + your proficiency bonus wisdom saving throw.
Waking Nightmare[edit]
Also at 1st level, you can cast any illusion spell by expending a number of souls equal to the level of the spell. Expending a Soul does not remove any temporary hitpoints gained from absorbing a soul in the first place, but it does decrease the number of damage die for the next time you use it. These illusions are so powerful that they feel real, and a creature takes damage equal to your Nightmare Damage Die if they would usually take damage if it was a real thing (ex: they step on some illusory spikes). The damage type of these illusions is always Psychic despite being able to physically effect said creature. You ignore spell components when a spell is cast in this way. If a creature sees, hears, or smells one of these illusions, they have to succeed a DC 10 + your charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus Wisdom saving throw every time their turn begins or be frightened by that illusion until they succeed.
Welcome To My Nightmare![edit]
At 2nd level, after a creature fails its wisdom saving throw against your “Waking Nightmare” feature for a second time, you can expend an additional 2 Souls as a reaction in order to force them into an unconscious state from pure fear. They will awaken if they are moved or take any damage from an outside source.
Ability Score Increase[edit]
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As usual, you cannot increase an ability score past 20 with this feature.
Extra Attack[edit]
At 5th level, and again at 11th and 16th level, you gain an additional attack.
You’ve Got The Body, I’ve Got The Brain[edit]
At 6th level, after infiltrating a creature’s dream with the “Dream Demon” feature, rather than attack them or make yourself known, you can manipulate their mind even as they wake. The creature has to make a Wisdom saving throw as if it were being frightened through the “Waking Nightmare” feature. After a creature wakes up or is no longer unconscious and it fails the saving throw, it is as if they are under a “Suggestion” spell, although what you tell them to do doesn’t have to be reasonable like a normal Suggestion spell, you don’t have to concentrate on the spell in order for it to stay active, and you ignore components for it. You can use this feature once per long rest.
I Don’t Believe In Fairy Tales![edit]
Also at 6th level, you have advantage on saving throws against illusion and enchantment spells, and have resistance to psychic damage.
Dream Warrior[edit]
At 7th level, you can sense anyone who is asleep or unconscious within 120ft of you and can transport yourself into their dream as an action. Additionally, you gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed while within the Astral Plane.
Great Graphics[edit]
At 9th level, your illusions are even harder to tell from real life. You can cause any creature who perceives your illusions to undergo a single round of Blindness, Deafness, cause them to gain a level of exhaustion, or even make them go prone. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
In Dreams, I Am Forever![edit]
At 10th level, when you die outside of the Astral Plane, your soul is simply transported back to the Astral Plane, however, you lose all of your stored Souls. The only way to permanently kill you is to kill you outside of the Astral Plane if you have no Souls stored or to kill you while you’re inside of the Astral Plane.
You Are All My Children Now[edit]
At 13th level, you and your allies have advantage on any attacks done against a frightened creature.
Always Room For More[edit]
At 14th level, you can add your charisma modifier to the amount of Souls you can have stored at a time. Additionally, the radius around you that allows you to absorb souls extends from 30ft to 60ft.
Dream Master[edit]
Also at 14th level, you can now physically enter the real world without having to be pulled out of a dream. As an action, you may appear in the material plane. When you do so, your movement speed is halved, however, you don’t abide by the usual physical laws of reality. You can walk on any surface as if you are under the effects of the Spider Climb spell, even water. Additionally, all of your features are no longer affected by antimagic spells, items, or abilities.
Father Knows Best[edit]
At 15th level, you instantly see through illusion spells and are immune to enchantment spells and psychic damage.
Welcome To My World[edit]
At 18th level, you can freely transport not just yourself to the material plane, but anyone from the material plane in a 30ft radius of you to the Astral Plane as an action.
The Final Nightmare[edit]
At 20th level, you gain the extremely powerful ability to put someone into an indefinite sleep state after using the feature "Welcome To My Nightmare!". As long as you expend at least 10 souls while within someone's dream, you can put them into a coma until something equivalent to the power of a Wish spell is cast on them. The creature cannot be harmed by outside sources unless they are attacked with a spell of 9th level or higher. You can use this feature once per long rest.
Multiclassing[edit]
You cannot multiclass into this class unless you’ve been trapped in the Astral Plane for more than a year.
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