Nightshade (Dungeons & Dragons)

Last updated
Nightshade
First appearance Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules (1985)
Based on Sceadugenga, Nightstalker
Information
Type Undead
Alignment Chaotic Evil

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the nightshade is a powerful undead creature composed of darkness and evil.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> Fantasy role-playing game

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. It was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997. It was derived from miniature wargames, with a variation of the 1971 game Chainmail serving as the initial rule system. D&D's publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry.

Fantasy Genre of literature, film, television and other artforms

Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real world myth and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became literature and drama. From the twentieth century it has expanded further into various media, including film, television, graphic novels and video games.

Role-playing game Game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making regarding character development. Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines.

Contents

In Third Edition, nightshades are native to the Plane of Shadow.

Publication history

The nightshade was introduced to the D&D game in the basic edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

Dungeons & Dragons (1977–1999)

The nightcrawler nightshade, the nightwalker nightshade, and the nightwing nightshade first appear in the Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules (1985) in the Master DM's Book. [1] They later appear in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991). [2]

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules</i> book by Frank Mentzer

Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1985 as an expansion to the Basic Set.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia</i> book by Aaron Allston

The Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia is a 1991 book published by TSR, Inc., as a continuation of the basic edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Its product designation was TSR 1071.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989–1999)

The nightcrawler nightshade, the nightwalker nightshade, and the nightwing nightshade appeared for the Mystara campaign setting in the Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994). [3]

Mystara

Mystara is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game. It was the default setting for the "Basic" version of the game throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Most adventures published for the "Basic" edition of D&D take place in "The Known World", a central continent that includes a varied patchwork of both human and non-human realms. The human realms are based on various real-world historical cultures. In addition, unlike other D&D settings, Mystara had ascended immortal beings instead of gods.

Campaign setting fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign

A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place. Usually a campaign setting is designed for a specific game or a specific genre of game. There are numerous campaign settings available both in print and online. In addition to published campaign settings available for purchase, many game masters create their own settings, often referred to as "homebrew" settings or worlds.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000–2002)

The nightcrawler nightshade, the nightwalker nightshade, and the nightwing nightshade appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000). [4]

The nightswimmer appeared in Dungeon #92 (May 2002).

<i>Dungeon</i> (magazine)

Dungeon was one of the two official magazines targeting consumers of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products; Dragon was the other.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003–2007)

The nightcrawler nightshade, the nightwalker nightshade, and the nightwing nightshade appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).

The nighthaunt nightshade appeared in the Forgotten Realms setting in Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005). [5]

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008–)

The nightwalker nightshade appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008). [6]

Types

Other publishers

The hierarchy of the nightshades was described in more detail in Classic Play Book of the Planes (2004) from Mongoose Publishing. [7] The nightcrawlers are said to emerge first, digging tunnels into darkreaches in the Plane of Shadow, followed by nightwings flying out of the darkness to scare away or enslave intruders, and finally the nightwalkers, stated to be the lords of their kind, appear. Furthermore, the nightwalkers are stated to be using the Plane of Shadow as a half-way point between the Material Plane and the Negative Energy Plane due to the latter's being too hostile to mortal life to make taking slaves there feasible.

The nightshade is fully detailed in Paizo Publishing's book Undead Revisited (2011), on pages 34–39. [8]

Related Research Articles

Lizardfolk

Lizardfolk are a fictional humanoid species in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, having appeared in every version of the game to date.

Goblin (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) race of monsters in "Dungeons & Dragons"

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, goblins are a common and fairly weak race of evil humanoid monsters. Goblins are non-human monsters that low-level player characters often face in combat.

In Dungeons & Dragons, Fey is a category of creatures. The fey deities are associated with the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. Titania is the general fey deity, with individual races like the Killmoulis who worship Caoimhin. Fey are usually humanoid in form and generally have supernatural abilities and a connection to nature. The Sylph is one creature which has a Fey appearance, but is officially recognized as an outsider creature type.

Bodak

The bodak is an undead creature in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game that comes from the Infinite Layers of the Abyss.

Cloaker

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the cloaker is a type of fictional monster portrayed as being able to disguise its body to resemble a cloak when at rest. The cloaker pacifies victims with an eerie moan, and engulfs its prey within its body to help it eat the prey. The cloaker was introduced in the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game adventure module, Secret of the Slavers' Stockade as an ally to the adventure's antagonists. The cloaker subsequently appeared in the first edition Monster Manual II, and then appeared several times in the game's second edition, third edition, fourth edition and fifth edition.

Ixitxachitl

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ixitxachitl are a race of intelligent, aquatic beings that resemble small manta rays with barbed tails. They have an evil disposition and worship evil powers. They love to hunt marine humanoids, and then sacrifice or devour their catch.

Elemental (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) type of creature in the Dungeons & Dragons universe

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, an elemental is a type of creature. Elemental creatures are composed of one of the four classical elementals of air, earth, fire, or water.

Naga (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) race in Dungeons & Dragons

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, nagas comprise a variety of similar species of intelligent aberrations with widely differing abilities and alignments.

Giant (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) creature in "Dungeons & Dragons"

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giant is a type of creature, or in third edition, a "creature type".

Lich (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) undead creature in "Dungeons & Dragons"

The lich is an undead creature found in the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. Liches are spellcasters who seek to defy death by magical means.

Vampire (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) undead creature in the Dungeons & Dragons universe

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the vampire is an undead creature. A humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature can become a vampire, and looks as it did in life, with pale skin, haunting red eyes, and a feral cast to its features. A new vampire is created when another vampire drains the life out of a living creature.

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the shadow is an undead creature.

Wight (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) creature in "Dungeons & Dragons"

A wight is an undead creature in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

Lycanthrope (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>)

In Dungeons & Dragons, a lycanthrope is a humanoid shapeshifter based on various legends of lycanthropes, werecats, and other such beings. In addition to the werewolf, in Dungeons & Dragons, weretigers, wereboars, werebears and other shapeshifting creatures similar to werewolves and related beings are considered lycanthropes, although traditionally, "lycanthrope" refers to a wolf-human combination exclusively.

Zombie (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) fictional entity in Dungeons & Dragons

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the zombie is an undead creature, usually created by applying a template to another creature.

Skeleton (<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>) undead creature in "Dungeons & Dragons"

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the skeleton is an undead creature. In the third edition of the game, a skeleton's statistics are usually created by applying a template to those of another creature.

Treant

A treant is a fictional creature found in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.

Shadow dragon

The shadow dragon is a type of dragon in the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

References

  1. ↑ Gygax, Gary, Frank Mentzer. Dungeons & Dragons Set 4: Master Rules (TSR, 1985)
  2. ↑ Allston, Aaron, Steven E. Schend, Jon Pickens, and Dori Watry. Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (TSR, 1991)
  3. ↑ Nephew, John, Teeuwynn Woodruff, John Terra, and Skip Williams. Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix (TSR, 1994)
  4. ↑ Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
  5. ↑ Baker, Richard, Ed Bonny, and Travis Stout. Lost Empires of Faerûn (Wizards of the Coast, 2005)
  6. ↑ Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)
  7. ↑ Hanrahan, Gareth. Classic Play Book of the Planes (Mongoose Publishing, 2004)
  8. ↑ Cagle, Eric, Brian Cortijo, Brandon Hodge, Steve Kenson, Hal Maclean, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, Todd Stewart, and Russ Taylor. Undead Revisited (Paizo, 2011)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.