Night Terrors

6th-level illusion

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M/DF (a drop of black ink)

Duration: 24 hours

Classes: bard, sorcerer, warlock, wizard

The target of this spell gains no benefit from normal or magical sleep, writhing in a series of nightmares that torture its psyche and diminish its ability to perform strenuous tasks. A target that fails a Wisdom saving throw doesn’t heal ability or hit point damage naturally and can’t prepare spells or regain spell slots. After one night of poor sleep, the target gains an exhaustion level. A creature affected by this spell doesn’t recover from exhaustion inflicted by this spell after resting, nor do spells such as lesser restoration or greater restoration provide any respite.

The images from previous nightmares continue to haunt the target’s mind while awake. If the target has rested at least once while affected by night terrors it then becomes subjected to the frightened condition with the focus of its fear being all sentient creatures it meets except close friends or relatives (like the party).

The affected creature can attempt a new saving throw once per day to end night terrors, but multiple attempts to rest in a given day do not afford the target multiple saves. A creature that successfully saves against night terrors ends the spell and rests normally that night but gains the benefits of only that night’s rest, not any benefits missed on previous nights.

If your campaign uses the Sanity ability score, use this saving throw instead of Wisdom.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the duration of the spell increases by 1 day.