Name & Domain

• Name: Vaermina, Lady of Dreams

• Titles: Mistress of Nightmares, Weaver of Sleep, The Dreaming Shadow

• Alignment: Neutral Evil (with strong Chaotic tendencies)

• Portfolio: Dreams, Nightmares, Sleep, Memory Theft, Psychic Torment

• Suggested D&D Domain: Twilight or Knowledge (with custom Nightmare features)

Cosmic Role in D&D

Vaermina exists as an Outer Entity beyond the Great Wheel cosmology, dwelling in a Plane of Reverie, a surreal realm where reality bends like a fever dream. This plane is connected to the Ethereal Plane and the Far Realm, making her influence seep into mortal minds during sleep.

Her followers believe that dreams are the threads of fate, and by controlling them, Vaermina can rewrite destiny. She feeds on mortal fears and desires, shaping nightmares into psychic energy.

Appearance

Vaermina manifests as:

• A shifting silhouette cloaked in mist, with a porcelain mask that changes expressions.

• Her eyes are voids filled with swirling stars, and her voice echoes like whispers from forgotten dreams.

• Often accompanied by phantasmal moths and sleeping shades.

Dogma & Worship

• Tenets of Vaermina’s Faith:

  1. Dreams are truth; waking life is the lie.

  2. Harvest fear and despair—they are the sweetest nectar.

  3. Memory is a weapon; steal it, twist it, and wield it.

• Followers: Cultists, warlocks, nightmare shamans, and those obsessed with prophecy.

• Symbols: A crescent moon cradling a black droplet, or a sleeping eye surrounded by moth wings.

• Sacrifices: Sleep draughts, stolen memories, or the blood of those who died in their sleep.

Plane of Reverie

• A dreamscape realm where gravity shifts, landscapes melt, and time loops endlessly.

• Mortals who enter risk losing their identity, becoming Dream Thralls—souls trapped in eternal nightmares.

• Hazards: Psychic storms, memory leeches, and dream predators.

Servants & Monsters

• Nightmare Heralds: Aberrant beings that invade dreams, feeding on terror.

• Memory Leeches: Tiny psychic parasites that erase memories.

• Dream Wraiths: Spirits of those who died in their sleep, now Vaermina’s agents.

Mechanics for D&D

• Warlock Patron: The Dreaming Shadow (custom subclass)

  • Expanded Spell List: Sleep, Phantasmal Force, Dream, Modify Memory, Weird

  • Features: Induce nightmares, steal memories, enter dreams.

• Regional Effects: Areas touched by Vaermina cause:

  • Sleepwalking plague.

  • Dreams bleed into reality (phantasmal creatures appear).

  • Memory loss among locals.

Adventure Hooks

1. The Sleepless Curse: A town hasn’t slept for weeks—Vaermina’s cult is siphoning dreams for a ritual.

2. The Stolen Prophecy: A seer’s visions have vanished; Vaermina hoards them in her dream realm.

3. Nightmare Incursion: PCs must enter the Plane of Reverie to rescue a soul trapped in eternal torment.

Vaermina, The Dreaming Shadow

Medium or Large Fiend (Extraplanar), Neutral Evil

Armor Class 20 (natural armor)

Hit Points 350 (28d10 + 196)

Speed 30 ft., hover 30 ft.

STR 12 (+1) | DEX 18 (+4) | CON 24 (+7) | INT 22 (+6) | WIS 20 (+5) | CHA 26 (+8)

Saving Throws Wis +12, Cha +15, Con +14, Int +13

Skills Arcana +13, Insight +12, Perception +12, Deception +15

Damage Resistances necrotic, psychic; cold; bludgeoning/piercing/slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities poison, radiant

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 22

Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +7

TRAITS

Dream‑Weaver’s Form.

Vaermina exists partially within the dreamscape. She can move through creatures' spaces and objects as if they were difficult terrain. She takes 5 (1d10) force damage if she ends her turn inside an object.

Nightmare Aura.

Creatures that start their turn within 20 feet of Vaermina must make a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or suffer one of the following (Vaermina’s choice):

• Frightened until the start of their next turn

• Take 14 (4d6) psychic damage

• Be unable to regain hit points until the end of their next turn

Creatures that succeed are immune for 24 hours.

Master of Sleep.

Vaermina is immune to magical and nonmagical sleep effects. Additionally, she can perceive the dreams of any sleeping creature within 1 mile as if observing them through a scrying sensor.

Innate Spellcasting. (Spell save DC 23, +15 to hit)

She can cast the following spells at will, without material components:

At will: major image, detect thoughts, phantasmal force, fear
3/day each: dream, modify memory, phantasmal killer, greater invisibility
1/day each: weird, symbol (sleep or fear)

ACTIONS

Multiattack.

Vaermina makes three Nightmare Bolt attacks or two Nightmare Bolts and uses Memory Siphon.

Nightmare Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +15 to hit, range 120 ft., one target.

Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) psychic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom save or be plagued by hallucinations, suffering disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes.

Memory Siphon. (Recharge 5–6)

Vaermina targets a creature she can see within 60 ft. The target must make a DC 22 Intelligence saving throw.

On a failure:

• Takes 45 (10d8) psychic damage

• Loses one prepared spell/feature (DM’s choice or roll randomly) for 24 hours

• Vaermina regains 25 hit points

On a success:

• Takes half damage

• No other effect

Dream Rend.

All creatures of Vaermina’s choice within 20 ft. must attempt a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw.
Failure: 27 (6d8) psychic damage, and the creature is restrained by shadowy dream tendrils until the end of its next turn.
Success: Half damage, no restraint.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

Vaermina can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below.

Nightmare Flicker.

Vaermina teleports 30 ft. to an unoccupied space she can see.

Ego Shatter.

One creature Vaermina can see within 60 ft. must make a DC 22 Charisma save or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage and suffer disadvantage on Wisdom saves until the start of Vaermina’s next turn.

Manifest Terror (Costs 2 Actions).

She creates a nightmare figment in a 10‑ft cube within 60 ft. Creatures inside must make a DC 22 Wisdom save or become frightened for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the save at end of turns.

Invade Dream (Costs 3 Actions).

Vaermina targets a creature that is unconscious, frightened, or charmed. The creature must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom save or fall unconscious for 1 minute and experience a deadly nightmare. It awakens if it takes damage.

LAIR ACTIONS (IF APPLICABLE)

On initiative 20 (losing ties), in her Nightmare Lair, Vaermina may use one of the following:

1. Dream Deluge.

Illusory water floods the area. Creatures in the lair succeed a DC 20 Wis save or become slowed for 1 round.

2. Sleep Miasma.

A 20‑ft‑radius cloud forces a DC 20 Con save or the creature falls asleep for 1 round.

3. Warp Reality.

Terrain becomes fluid and elastic. Until next round, all movement costs double.

REGIONAL EFFECTS

Areas within 6 miles of Vaermina’s influence are twisted by dream‑energy.

• People suffer mass nightmares. Those who sleep make a DC 15 Wis save or wake exhausted.

• Dreams bleed into waking life. Illusory creatures appear and vanish unpredictably.

• Unexplained amnesia becomes common—memories simply vanish.

• Sleepwalkers roam the streets at night, whispering Vaermina’s name.

Ends 1d10 days after she leaves.