Buy me a coffeeSandman, Harbinger of Sleep, Thief of Sight, Shepherd of Broken Dreams
“He creeps in with a whisper and a handful of dreamdust—sleep if you dare, for the Sandman feasts on eyes and fears.”
“When the wind turns dry and a silver hush falls over the world, close your eyes quickly and pretend to sleep. For if you glimpse his golden sand, it’s already too late.”
Nature & Origin
The Sandman is an ancient, dream-bound entity whose name appears in whisper, myth, and lullaby. Most know him as a gentle bringer of sleep—but that is only one face of many.
Once believed to be a celestial steward of dreams, the Sandman has long since fallen into corruption, twisted by centuries of stolen slumber and festering nightmares. He is now a predator of the unconscious mind, a being who feeds on the soft vulnerability of sleep, harvesting the very essence of those who dream.
Appearance
Rarely glimpsed in the waking world, the Sandman is said to appear as a tall, gaunt figure cloaked in robes sewn from torn linens, childhood quilts, and funeral shrouds. His face is a mask of cracked porcelain, and from the hollow pits where eyes should be, fine golden sand spills endlessly, drifting upward against gravity.
In dreams, his form may soften—taking the shape of a kind parent, a lost friend, or a comforting shadow. But no matter the guise, his presence always carries an unnatural stillness… and a whisper like dry leaves.
Behavior & Tactics
The Sandman operates through dreams, moving invisibly through the veil between sleep and waking. He is drawn to:
- Children, whose dreams are pure and unguarded.
- The anxious and guilt-ridden, whose nightmares make their souls ripe for harvesting.
- Those who defy sleep, for he delights in wearing down the will of the insomniac.
He does not always kill. Often, he leaves his victims hollow-eyed and sleepwalking, their sense of self drained, their memories sanded down to blankness. Others are cursed to never dream again, locked in cold, silent sleep.
The Dreamdust
His signature weapon is not a blade, but dreamdust—a glittering, golden powder laced with ancient enchantments. When blown into a victim’s eyes:
- It induces an irresistible sleep.
- It grants the Sandman entry into the soul, where he navigates their dreams like a thief through halls.
- In rare cases, the dust burns instead of soothes—blinding those who resist, or opening their inner eye to madness.
Legends & Interpretations
Across cultures, stories of the Sandman vary:
- In childhood tales, he is a kindly guardian who sprinkles sleepdust and carries dreamers to peaceful slumber.
- In Gothic lore, he is a monstrous figure who steals eyes to feed his pale children on the moon.
- Some occult texts refer to him as a “Librarian of Forgotten Dreams,” collecting the memories of the dead.
- A few believe that he is not one being, but a mantle passed between cursed souls, each new Sandman birthed from a victim who dreamed too deeply.
Encountering the Sandman
To see the Sandman while awake is rare—and dangerous. Signs of his presence include:
- Sleepwalking children with sand in their eyes.
- Mirrors that fog over when you pass.
- Unexplainable exhaustion, despite restful sleep.
- Dreams that loop, trap, or show you things you should not know.
He cannot be banished by faith alone. Only ritual, sacrifice, or dreamcrafting may stop his approach—and even then, nothing is certain.
Sandman 5e
Sandman. Pathfinder
Sandman
Medium Fey (Dream), Neutral Evil
Challenge: 15 (13,000 XP)
Armor Class: 19 (Ethereal Robes)
Hit Points: 225 (30d8 + 90)
Speed: 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
Ability Scores
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 (+1) | 20 (+5) | 16 (+3) | 19 (+4) | 21 (+5) | 22 (+6) |
Saving Throws: Dex +10, Wis +10, Cha +11
Skills: Insight +10, Deception +11, Stealth +10, Arcana +9, Perception +10
Damage Resistances: Cold, Psychic, Nonmagical Weapons
Damage Immunities: Necrotic, Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Exhaustion, Prone, Unconscious
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 20
Languages: Common, Sylvan, Telepathy 120 ft.
Traits
Dreamstride. The Sandman can move through spaces occupied by sleeping or unconscious creatures, treating such spaces as unoccupied. While inside such a space, it is heavily obscured.
Sleepwalker’s Aura (30 ft.). Creatures starting their turn within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become drowsy: speed halved, disadvantage on Dexterity saves, and cannot take reactions until the start of their next turn. On three failed saves, the creature falls unconscious for 1 minute.
Dream-Eater (Recharge 6). When the Sandman reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it can consume their soul. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or fall into eternal magical sleep. Only Wish, True Resurrection, or slaying the Sandman frees the soul. The Sandman regains 30 hit points and gains advantage on all saving throws for 1 minute.
Actions
Multiattack. The Sandman makes two Dreamlash attacks or one Dreamlash and one Sandblast.
Dreamlash. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6 + 5) psychic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the end of their next turn.
Sandblast (Recharge 5–6). The Sandman exhales dreamdust in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 35 (10d6) radiant damage, is blinded, and falls asleep (magical sleep). On a success, half damage and no other effects.
Spellcasting. The Sandman is an innate spellcaster. Charisma is its spellcasting ability (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit).
- At will: Minor Illusion, Silent Image, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Message, Thaumaturgy
- 3/day each: Sleep (5th level), Phantasmal Killer, Major Image, Suggestion, Fear, Mirror Image, Hold Person, Dispel Magic, Calm Emotions, Counterspell
- 2/day each: Dream, Dominate Person, Eyebite, Hallucinatory Terrain, Greater Invisibility, Synaptic Static
- 1/day each: Symbol (Sleep), Mirage Arcane, Mass Suggestion, Maze, Plane Shift, Weird
Bonus Actions
Slip Into Shadow. The Sandman becomes invisible until the start of its next turn or until it attacks or casts a spell.
Haunting Whisper (Recharge 4–6). The Sandman targets one creature within 60 feet that can hear it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. While frightened this way, the creature takes 1d10 psychic damage each time it casts a spell or concentrates.
Legendary Actions (3 per round)
- Lurk Through Dreams: Teleport up to 30 feet to a space adjacent to a sleeping or unconscious creature.
- Dustfall: Create a 10-foot-radius cloud of dreamdust. Creatures in the cloud must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be prone and blinded until the end of their next turn.
- Echo of Sleep (Costs 2 Actions): Cast Sleep at 5th level without expending a spell slot.
Sandman
A whirling cloud of fine desert sand piles up upon itself, forming into the shape of a humanoid figure.
[This content was created for the Pathfinder rules by Paizo Publishing LLC and is part of the Pathfinder RPG product line.]
Stealthy and unpredictable, the sandman is a terror to all travelers in the desert, whether they be traders, messengers, or adventurers. When at rest, sandmen resemble ordinary piles of sand, blending in perfectly with barren surroundings or Ancient tombs. They rely on their soporific powers in most situations, putting their enemies to sleep and killing their unconscious opponents or dragging them back to their summoner.
Although they themselves are elementals, sandmen don’t typically associate with other elementals, seeing their unquestioning obedience as weak. Sandmen pride themselves as free thinkers, and when given a task by a summoner, often interpret the task as they see fit. Because of their arrogance, usually only the most confident or most desperate mages bother with sandmen. It is not uncommon for sandmen to voluntarily stay on the Material Plane, fiendishly playing with its inhabitants as they wreak silent havoc.
A sandman takes the form of a rough humanoid about 6 feet tall. Its shape is never quite certain, and its animate muscles constantly shift and flex as it pummels its targets. Sandmen can manipulate their bodies in many ways but prefer to keep their legs and feet in the form of dusty clouds of sand, so as to easily maneuver about in their preferred environments.
Some of these creatures pride themselves on their ability to control their shapes. Just as a mortal artist might sculpt incredible works of art from stone with a chisel, so do these artist sandmen sculpt their own bodies into works of art. Some enjoy using this ability to reshape their appearance to mimic that of their conjurer or their enemies, allowing them an additional level of theatrics by either assuming a beautiful form or by allowing their form to melt away in a hideous manner. Given the combination of their quick imaginations and their natural penchant for cruelty, most sandmen tend to opt for the latter method of tormenting their foes.
| Sandman CR 3 |
| XP 800 NE Medium outsider (earth, elemental, extraplanar) Init +5; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +7 Aura sleep (20 ft., DC 14) |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dexterity, +4 natural) hp 30 (4d10+8) Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +3 Defensive Abilities amorphous; DR 10/bludgeoning; Immune elemental traits |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft. Melee slam +6 (1d6+3 plus sleep) |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 14, Dexterity 13, Constitution 15, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 11, Charisma 10 Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 17 Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will Skills Acrobatics +8, Climb +9, Knowledge (planes) +7, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +8 (+12 in sand); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth in sand Languages Terran SQ compression, sand form |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Sand Form (Su) As a standard action, a sandman can cause its humanoid form to collapse into a pile of animated sand. In this form, treat the sandman as if it were a small earth elemental made out of sand. The sandman retains its compression and sleep aura abilities when in sand form, but loses its sleep attack and its damage reduction, as its sandy body in this form is much more compact and easier to scatter with solid weapon blows. Sleep (Su) A creature struck by a sandman’s slam attack must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or immediately fall asleep, as if affected by a sleep spell (caster level 8th). There is no limit to the number of Hit Dice a sandman can affect with this ability. The save DC is Constitution-based. Sleep Aura (Su) A sandman radiates a 20-foot-radius spread that puts creatures to sleep. Any creature in the area must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or fall asleep, as if affected by a sleep spell (caster level 8th). There is no limit to the number of Hit Dice a sandman can affect with this ability. A creature that successfully saves is immune to that sandman’s sleep aura for 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution-based. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment any land (Plane of Earth) Organization solitary, gang (2-4), or shoal (5-10) Treasure none |
Section 15: Copyright Notice – Bestiary 2
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.