You wake up. You are awake. You cannot move. There is something sitting on your chest and it has no face and it weighs more than anything has a right to weigh. You try to scream. The sound does not come. This is the old terror. This is the one that has always been waiting in the dark place between asleep and awake.
Anchor Phobia Sleep paralysis, the vulnerability of sleep, helplessness, the inability to call for help.
Armor Class 17 (supernatural density)
Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64)
Speed 10 ft. (deliberately slow; seeps through solid surfaces)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 (+7) | 8 (−1) | 18 (+4) | 4 (−3) | 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) |
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, prone, restrained
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (sleeping creatures only), passive Perception 10
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4
Traits #
Nightmare Creature. Requires +2 magical weapons to damage. Spells of 2nd level or lower fail automatically. Reduced to 0 HP, expelled to its dimension. One minute before sunrise loses all special abilities; at sunrise automatically expelled.
Soot Seep. Can move through solid surfaces to reach sleeping targets. Cannot be barred by physical barriers. A protection from evil and good spell or consecrated ground prevents its entry entirely.
Metaphysical Weight. A creature pinned by the mare cannot remove it via Strength checks. Only light, salt, third-party attacks, or dawn dislodge it.
Dawn Expulsion. One minute before sunrise, the mare loses all special abilities. At sunrise it is automatically expelled and can be damaged by normal weapons during this final minute.
Actions #
Paralytic Weight. The mare lands on a sleeping or prone creature. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be paralyzed and silenced (unable to produce sound above a whisper) while the mare remains on it. The target repeats the saving throw at the start of each of its turns. Vocal spell components are impossible while silenced.
Panic Feed. The mare feeds on a paralyzed creature it is sitting on. The target takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage. If this reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but unconscious for 8 hours.
Dislodging the Mare #
A torch brought within 5 feet forces a DC 15 Constitution saving throw — on a failure the mare retreats 10 feet. A light spell cast directly on it requires a DC 15 Con save each round or it is expelled. A ring of salt placed around the victim (1 action by another creature) traps the mare and it takes 7 (2d6) force damage per round while enclosed.
