What is this cave-dwelling, dream-causing D&D monster?

Question

Forever ago, in a land far away, I stumbled across a Dungeons & Dragons monster that seems pretty neat. I wasn't DMing at the time, so I never used it. Now I've been DMing for a bit and I want to use it in an adventure I've been planning, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called.

• I'm almost positive it was from 3.5 edition.
• I want to say it was a monstrous aberration, but it could've been extraplanar.

• I remember the story snippet for it saying that this monster takes up residence in caverns and caves. If it is near a town, the people in the area will start having odd dreams not long after it arrives.

  I don't remember if it feeds on the dreams, or if the dreams somehow coerce the people into fulfilling some action though.

I know this is vague, and I apologize. I figured I'd ask just in case.

Answer 1

I am fairly certain you refer to a Dream Larva, from the Epic handbook.

Those are shy, cautious and solitary creatures that attempt to live hidden near small communities, in any dark inhabited spot, to feed on people's nightmares. Their mere presence in an area triggers sudden bad dreams that evolve into disturbed nightmares in whole populations; nightmares from which the larvae feeds.

It's actually a bunch of amalgamated larvae with a psionic connection, who acquired a great amount of intelligence due to the dreams and so many thoughts they consume.

They are an excellent plot device, but be cautious with using their combat stats for most parties. The challenge rating 31 tells a lot about it, but some of his abilities are ridiculous. The mere sight of it, for instance, makes the person have an instant daydream nightmare so horrifying that his mind is distorted and shattered, leading to a swift sudden death. (Save Will 43) (43 bro!)

They will usually prevent conflict, as they are best fed during peace and not combat, but they are merciless and sadistic at some points.

As a DM, your best shot is to have a worm that does not intend to enter conflict, using of his vast abilities (Say, constant telepathy 1Km radius) and dreamscape to plant fears and false convictions to drive pursuers away from him. Especially if the player levels are low, try to make it so that the party's objective is fulfilled by having the worm go away.

You can get more information at the Epic Handbook. I'm at work break right now so i cannot consult it to give you further details.

Answer 2

This sounds like a Colour Out of Space, from Pathfinder.

I'm almost positive it was from 3.5 edition.

PF is based on, closely related to, and mostly backwards compatible with 3.5.

I want to say it was a monstrous aberration, but it could've been extraplannar.

It's a huge incorporeal ooze from outer space. Pretty close to an extraplanar monstrous aberration.

I remember the story snippet for it saying that this monster takes up residence in caverns and caves. If it is near a town, the people in the area will start having odd dreams not long after it arrives.

From the description:

Natural sunlight doesn’t particularly harm colours out of space, but they prefer to dwell in darkened areas like deep caves or abandoned wells where their own radiance is the only light.

Over the course of several weeks, months, or even years, the colour feeds upon the surrounding plant and animal life—the act of being fed upon is weirdly addictive to its victims, who develop a self-destructive lassitude that prevents them from fleeing the region. When a colour has absorbed enough life to grow to full maturity (usually signified by reaching 25 to 30 Hit Dice), it gathers its strength and erupts from its den, coruscating into the sky as it launches the majority of itself back into space. Sometimes, enough remains of the parent colour to survive on its own, and in these cases the life cycle repeats again and again. Areas blighted by a colour out of space are singularly recognizable, not only for the eerie pallor of local plant life and large swaths of blasted, barren landscape, but also by the presence of those the colour has fed on. These unfortunate, deformed individuals, known as colour-blighted creatures, never live for long, but while they do, their madness often drives them to violent behavior, be they people or beasts.

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I'm not positive this is it - the description doesn't specifically mention odd dreams (though the Colour does influence its victims' thoughts, causing a "self-destructive lassitude," coercing them to stay and be fed on). Seems pretty close, though.

Answer 3

It may be an aboleth, which uses illusions and psionics to lure and enslave land dwellers, and has large area of influence (can create illusions up to a mile away) around its lair. It is classified as an aberration.

Answer 4

Illithid / mind flayer?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illithid#Dungeons_.26_Dragons_3.5_edition_.282003-2007.29

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, illithids (commonly known as mind flayers) are monstrous humanoid aberrations with psionic powers. In a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, they live in the moist caverns and cities of the enormous Underdark. Illithids believe themselves to be the dominant species of the multiverse and use other intelligent creatures as thralls, slaves, and chattels. Illithids are well known for making thralls out of other intelligent creatures, as well as feasting on their brains.

Answer 5

Grell? Maybe?

They're an Aberation from Forgotten Realms, they go back to 3E. They live in colonies as a hive mind and feed on peoples dreams. sometimes giving them horrid nightmares or influencing them to perform actions in their dream state.