Note: This archetype makes use of rules from Path of War by Dreamscarred Press.
The fear that keeps many warriors awake at night is
knowing that out there somewhere, someone is carrying
the blade or arrow that has your name on it—the weapon
that kills the otherwise brave warrior. Some dreads
know that this most terrifying fear is one they lurks in the
front of every warrior’s mind in battle, and by capturing
that fear, they can appear to those night-fearing soldiers
as that one terrifying warrior. The nightmare that has
just been carrying that weapon, waiting to meet them.
Maneuvers
A nightmare begins his career with
knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines
available to him are Black Seraph, Sleeping Goddess, and
Veiled Moon.
Once the nightmare knows a maneuver, he must
ready it before he can use it (see Maneuvers Readied,
below). A maneuver usable by nightmares is considered
an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in it or
its discipline’s description. A nightmare’s maneuvers are
not affected by spell resistance, and he does not provoke
attacks of opportunity when he initiates one.
The nightmare learns additional maneuvers at higher
levels, as indicated on Table: Nightmare Maneuver
Progression. The maximum level of maneuvers gained
through nightmare levels is limited by those listed in that
table as well, although this restriction does not apply
to maneuvers added to his maneuvers known through
other methods, such as prestige classes or the Advanced
Study feat. A nightmare must meet a maneuver’s
prerequisite to learn it. See the Systems and Use chapter
in Path of War for more details on how maneuvers are
used.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered
initiator level thereafter (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on),
the nightmare can choose to learn a new maneuver
in place of one he already knows. In effect, he loses
the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. He
can choose a new maneuver of any level he likes, as
long as he observes the restriction on the highest-level
maneuvers he knows; the nightmare need not replace
the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. He
can swap only a single maneuver at any given level. A
nightmare’s initiation modifier is Charisma, and each
nightmare level is counted as a full initiator level.
Table: Nightmare Maneuver Progression
Level |
Maximum Maneuver Level |
Maneuvers Known |
Maneuvers Readied |
Stances Known |
1st |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2nd |
1 |
4
|
3
|
1 |
3rd |
1 |
5
|
3
|
1 |
4th |
2 |
6
|
4
|
2 |
5th |
2 |
6
|
4
|
2
|
6th |
2 |
6
|
4
|
2
|
7th |
3 |
7
|
4
|
3
|
8th |
3 |
7
|
4
|
3
|
9th |
4 |
8
|
4
|
3
|
10th |
4 |
8
|
5
|
3
|
11th |
5 |
9
|
5
|
4 |
12th |
5 |
9
|
5
|
4 |
13th |
6 |
10
|
5
|
5 |
14th |
6 |
11
|
5
|
5 |
15th |
6 |
11
|
6
|
5 |
16th |
6 |
12
|
6
|
5 |
17th |
6 |
13
|
6
|
5 |
18th |
6 |
14
|
6
|
5 |
19th |
6 |
14
|
6
|
5 |
20th |
6 |
15 |
7 |
5 |
|
Maneuvers Readied
A nightmare can ready all three
of his maneuvers known at 1st level, and as he advances
in level and learns more maneuvers, he is able to ready
more, but must still choose which maneuvers to ready.
A nightmare must always ready his maximum number of maneuvers readied. He readies his maneuvers by
practicing weapon drills or meditating on the nature of
fear for ten minutes. The maneuvers he chooses remain
readied until he decides to practice again and change
them. The nightmare does not need to sleep or rest for
any long period of time in order to ready his maneuvers;
any time he spends ten minutes meditating, he can
change his readied maneuvers.
A nightmare begins an encounter with all his readied
maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times
he might have already used them since he chose them.
When he initiates a maneuver, he expends it for the
current encounter, so each of his readied maneuvers can
be used once per encounter (unless he recovers them, as
described below).
In order for the nightmare to recover maneuvers, he
must draw on the fear of his enemies by activating his
frightful claim class feature; the nightmare recovers
a single expended maneuver whenever he Claims
a creature, and he recovers a number of expended
maneuvers equal to his nightmare initiation modifier
(minimum 2) whenever a creature he has Claimed is
reduced to 0 or less hit points. Alternately, the nightmare
may concentrate on his deepest fears and draw strength
from them to recover a single maneuver as a standard
action.
Stances
A nightmare begins his career with
knowledge of one stance from any discipline open to
nightmares. At 4th, 7th, 11th, and 13th levels, he can
select an additional stance to learn. The maximum
level of stances gained through nightmare levels
is limited by those listed in Table: Nightmare
Maneuver Progression. Unlike maneuvers, stances
are not expended and the nightmare does not have
to ready them. All the stances he knows are available
to his at all times, and he can change the stance he is
currently maintaining as a swift action. A stance is an
extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the
stance or discipline description.
Unlike with maneuvers, a nightmare cannot learn a
new stance at higher levels in place of one he already
knows.
This ability replaces shadow twin and the nightmare’s
new powers known at 2nd, 8th, and 14th levels.
Frightful Claim (Su)
Starting at 1st level, a nightmare
gains the ability to channel his mind-breaking psionic
abilities, marking a foe as his prey and driving them
to absolute terror in the process. As a swift action, the
nightmare may Claim an opponent that he can see
(including with special senses such as blindsense or
tremorsense) within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2
nightmare levels) for a number of rounds equal to 1/2
his class level (minimum 1 round). A nightmare can
have a maximum number of creatures Claimed equal
to his nightmare initiation modifier (minimum 1), and
may not Claim a creature he has already Claimed until
or unless the Claim expires. Claimed creatures take a –2 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. This
penalty increases by –1 at 6th level and every six levels
thereafter, and stacks with the nightmare’s aura of fear
class feature,
In addition, the nightmare automatically knows the
position of creatures he has Claimed. Any opponent the
nightmare cannot see still has total concealment (50% miss chance) against him, and the nightmare still suffers
the normal miss chance when attacking creatures that
have concealment. The nightmare is still denied his
Dexterity bonus to his AC against attacks from Claimed
creatures he cannot see.
Martial Terror (Su)
At 2nd level, the nightmare gains
the ability to channel a terror through his strikes. Once
per round as a free action, the nightmare can channel
a terror through his weapon when initiating a strike
or using his devastating touch class feature against a
creature he has Claimed.
This ability replaces channel terror.
Master of Fear (EX)
Starting at 5th level, the nightmare’s control over his fearsome melee might
increases. Once per round when the nightmare
manifests a psionic power, he can enter a new stance
as a free action. In addition, once per round when he
initiates a boost, he can activate a single terror as a free
action. If the nightmare possess the Terror Mastery feat,
he can instead activate two terrors as a free action when
using this ability.
This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 5th level.
Bonus Feats
At 9th level and every four levels thereafter, the nightmare gains Advanced Study,
Discipline Focus, Discipline Mastery, or any feat that
requires the ability to Claim an opponent as a bonus feat.
He must meet the prerequisites for these feats as normal.
This ability replaces the bonus feats gained at 9th, 13th,
and 17th levels.
Torturous Fear (Su)
At 11th level, the nightmare
gains the ability to initiate strikes with an initiation
action of 1 standard action while using his devastating
touch class feature. He makes a melee touch attack as
normal, and affects the target with both the strike and
the devastating touch. If the nightmare has the ability
to use his devastating touch as a ranged attack, he can
only initiate strikes that can be used with ranged attacks
with it.
This ability replaces twin fear.
Improved Aura of Fear (Su)
At 15th level, the nightmare’s aura of fear radius increases from 10 feet
to 20 feet. Creatures who are immune to fear effects
must still be within 10 feet of the nightmare to lose this
immunity.
Martial Nightmare (Su)
At 19th level, the nightmare’s
Claim causes his foes to be wracked with fear to their
cores. Creatures Claimed by the nightmare’s frightful
claim class feature ability lose any immunities to fear
effects and mind-affecting effects they possess for as
long as they are Claimed, and take a –2 penalty on saving
throws against the nightmare’s maneuvers and psionic
powers.