Nightshade (Dungeons & Dragons)

Nightshade

Characteristics
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Type	Undead (Extraplanar)
Image	Wizards.com image
Stats	Open Game License stats
Publication history
Source books	3.5E Monster Manual 1, 3E Monster Manual 1, Master Boxed Set, Rules Cyclopedia, Mystara Appendix
Mythological origins	Sceadugenga, Nightstalker

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

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]

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]

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).

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

• Nightcrawler — A nightcrawler is a massive behemoth similar to a purple worm, though utterly black in color.
• Nighthaunt — Nighthaunts are gargoylelike and drawn to places of evil power and defiled goodness.
• Nightswimmer — A nightswimmer is an aquatic nightcrawler.
• Nightwalker — Nightwalkers are human-shaped horrors that haunt the darkness.
• Nightwing — Nightwings are batlike flyers that hunt on the wing.

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)