Editing Nightmare (section)

==Nightmares and magic==
===Summoning nightmares===
Although it seems creatures of the lower planes can readily use nightmares as mounts, the Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix contains a rather convoluted process for Prime Material Plane residents to secure one as a mount. A wizard of at least 5th-level must start by casting a mount spell to attract the attention of the nightmare, followed by a monster summoning III spell, and then finally a wall of fog, after which a nightmare will come galloping out of the mists. Once this is done, anyone (not just the caster) can offer the nightmare oat-like flakes of platinum worth at least 200 gp in value to secure its services for 72 hours.

Apparently, this isn't the only way to call a nightmare into the world. Labyrinth of Madness has a statue which uses a special version of monster summoning to summon various monsters, include a nightmare. In the article Pleasant Nightmares! in Dragon #186, a nightmare haunts a castle built on an ancient evil unholy spot. Its appearance can be stopped using an exorcism spell, but this only works half of the time.

In 3rd Edition, the core spell Lesser Planar Binding, combined with a Dimensional Anchor and Magical Circle Against Evil, can call a Nightmare to negotiate with (or, as mentioned above, immediately slay to reanimate as a skeleton). Despite this, the The Book of Vile Darkness has a call nightmare spell. It is a demonologist spell, but is also available to sorcerers and wizards. The summoned beast remains in service for a week, or until the caster moves more than 150 feet away from it. The catch? The material component for the spell is a soul! If a soul seems a high price to pay, the alternative summoning rules in The Summoner's Circle in Dragon #302 allow a spellcaster to expand the list of creatures summonable using summon monster V to include a nightmare with only a few days of research.

Also worth a mention is the conjure nightmare spell from Dragon #221. This spell summons a nightmare which serves willingly as long as it is given only evil tasks to do. It will rebel if given tasks that do not have an obviously malicious purpose. The spell is quite expensive to cast, requiring 200 gp of platinum flakes. More importantly, the nightmare is not summoned from the lower planes, but from the Plane of Dreams, where it is plucked from a random sleeper's nightmares. This means that the nightmare only remains summoned until that sleeper awakens, which could prove rather inconvenient, since the caster has no control over which sleeper's dream the nightmare is plucked from.

===Nightmare parts as components===
In The Ecology of the Cockatrice in Dragon #95 mentions that the blood of a nightmare is one of several potential components required to make a liquid capable of magically preserving cockatrice tail feathers.

The mystic rope spell (Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume III) requires a miniature rope of braided hairs from the mane of a nightmare as its material component. Accord to Ecology of the Scarecrow in Dungeon #183, hairs from a nightmare's mane are also woven into "nightmare thread" by hags. Laced with the filaments of dark dreams, this thread is used to stitch together a scarecrow and keep its spirit bound within the cloth and stuffing. If an adventurer somehow obtains some of this precious commodity, burning the thread turns him or her into a terrifying vision in the eyes of an enemy.

In Dragon #147, hoof of a nightmare is listed as an alternate component for the illusionist's phantom steed spell. This improves the capabilities of the steed by one level. However, with a price tag of 5,000 gp per hoof, and low availability (an alchemist has only a 5% chance of having 1-4 hooves), this seems more like a business opportunity for a nightmare-hunting adventuring group than it does a viable boost for the group's illusionist. Especially since that's not the only use for the hooves. Dragon #317 expands on the optional rules for power components as a replacement for spell XP costs, mentioned in the Dungeon Master's Guide v.3.5. The hooves of a cauchemar nightmare (all four) can be used for a planar ally spell. In order for the hooves to remain useful, they must be stored in a jar filled with a special oil that allows the supernatural flames to continue burning.

In Ringing in the Deep, a tournament adventure for GenCon 2010, the heart of a nightmare can be wielded against a cinderhoof trampler to give a number of special bonuses. The cinderhoof trampler is a minotaur variant (from the Monster Manual 3) who has eaten the heart of a nightmare in order to gain burning hooves. However, using a heart as a weapon against a minotaur seems to be something unique to this adventure.

===Nightmarish magic items===
Nightmares are the inspiration for several magic items, including some things typically found in stables. Bazaar of the Bizarre in Dragon #47 details the horseshoes of Hades. When all four are attached to the hooves of a normal horse, it is transformed into an uncooperative and likely hostile nightmare.

The nightmare harness from Dragon #234 is a magic item made by a lich in order to summon a nightmare. It is studded with platinum and precious gems which glow with an inner fire. Once summoned, the nightmare will serve the lich indefinitely, but should the nightmare die while in service, the harness crumbles to dust.

Also capable of summoning a nightmare is the darkest bridle from Dragon #244. Made of black leather studded with onyx, when cracked against the possessor's leg, the bridle summons a flying steed. The creature summoned is determined randomly, with a nightmare the least likely monster to appear. A saddle of the nightmare (detailed in Adventurer's Vault) allows the rider of a teleporting mount to travel with the steed, even if that would not normally be the case.

There are at least two types of magical figurines which transform into nightmares. The most well-known of the two is one of the figurines of wondrous power first detailed in the 1st Edition Dungeon Masters Guide. There it is described as a "small, nearly shapeless lump of black stone" vaguely resembling a quadruped. The obsidian steed figurine becomes a nightmare upon the utterance of the command word. It will allow itself to be ridden, but should the rider be of good alignment, there is a 10% chance that he or she will be dropped off in Hades.

Bizarrely, the description of the obsidian steed in the Dungeon Master's Guide v.3.5 makes no reference to nightmares. Instead, it says only that the steed transforms into a "fantastic mount" capable of travelling to the Astral and Ethereal Planes. The goat of travail figurine, however, becomes an enormous creature with the statistics of a nightmare. In the 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide the figurine is back to changing into a nightmare, but the workmanship has improved, since the illustration clearly resembles a horse.

The second type of figurine is the equus, introduced in Dungeon #22. This is a magical piece of jewelry that polymorphs on command into a beast of burden. Although a nightmare is not one of the standard options for creatures into which the equus polymorphs, it is mentioned as a possibility for an evil version of the item.

One of the four functions of a wand of darkness, first detailed in Dragon #102, is to summon a nightmare. This costs three charges. The nightmare is under the control of its summoner, and serves for 90 minutes. It can transport a rider to the Astral or Ethereal Planes. A staff of fiendish darkness (Magic of Faerûn) can be used to summon a nightmare at a cost of two charges. (This item was renamed to be a runestaff of fiendish darkness in the Magic Item Compendium.)

The warrior Ardenor Crush, who has been reincarnated into the body of a hobgoblin, is detailed in FR15: Gold & Glory. He wears an amulet that allows him to summon a nightmare. In Marco Volo: Arrival, the malevolent artifact known as the Dragonking's Eye is in possession of transport gems that can be used to summon extra-planar allies, including a nightmare.

Dragon #76 notes that although a potion of fire resistance is ineffective against the most powerful of devils, it does work against the magical fires produced by a nightmare. The article The Many Facets of Gems in Dragon #83 states that diamonds are supposed to provide protection from creatures like spirits, ghosts and nightmares.

Finally, one of the many creatures into which a paddleboard of wondrous transformations can polymorph its target is a nightmare. This item is detailed in Dragon #134.