Those who work on their abilities in the
Plane of Dreams may begin to earn some power over the
Dreams.
In the case of the
Wild Cards they have the
Mark of the Adventurer and the
Silver Flame within them - as well as being adventurers which means they have
The Gift. So this page is not always the case for anyone in the Dreamscape, but will apply to the adventures they have in regards to their time at
Thornwinds.
Key Points:
- In the Dreamscape (which is where the Dreams happen and can drift between the Plane of Dreams and the Realm of Nightmares) the characters are a "Dream-Self" which has different ability scores, see Abilities, below.
- There are risks in certain parts of the Dreamplane and certain Dreamscapes, this is one of them. See Important Warnings, below
- There are Dream Powers one can use as they learn how to manipulate the Dreamscapes
- As one progresses in their Dream Power Tools they will need Inner Strength and Mental Fortitude -- but there are some powerful abilities granted
- To escape the Dreamcape whoever is the Dream Seed needs to have enough Mental Fortitude to achive Inner Peace, but they can get Mental Fortitude from other members trapped with them
When a character finds themselves in a Dreamscape, or in the
Plane of Dreams they will find they are not fully themselves, but instead they are the "Dream-Self", a metaphysical mental version of themselves. This version will have different statistics as their abilities change (the DM has done this for you on a new sheet).
Abilities:
- Con, int, wis, cha the same
- STR is equal to wisdom + str modifier
- Dex is int + dex modifier
They also will be granted Dream Powers as they progress as well as Inner Strength and the Mental Fortitude, which will be necessary to escape.
Important Warnings:
- This plane can hold many risks, especially if it gets into the Realm of Nightmares (which you know it will here). Madness, Death or even a coma in the Material Plane is possible. (NTO: DM note for certain thing....)
- Nightmares can change functions of magic items and even spells as the DM wills it.
- All charges/potions/etc… are counted, but restored upon waking.
- Illustionists & Bards have +1 to all die rolls. Illusions function at 100%.
- Alignment, chaotic/frenzied makes lawful/neutral operate at a disadvantage of -1 on all die rolls.
- See Mental Weakness & Dream Death Below
Dream Powers
They learned of this power as they were drawn into a shared Dreamscape.
1. At first level they learned they could move their bodies in any direction up to their speed, so a type of flight in the dreamscapes.
2. At second level they learned they could double their movement and were aware of the
Inner Strength and
Mental Fortitude they were gaining while in the Dream Plane.
3. At third level they learn how to use their Inner Strength and Mental Fortitude (points). They learn they collect these as they interact in the dream plane and how the Mental Fortitude is one way to truly control or escape the Dreamscape as they try to have the Dream Seed gain Inner Peace.
Casters can now access any spells available for their Main class to whatever level they can cast those spells, it still uses spell slots though.
4. At Fourth level they truly learn how to manipulate this place
- Bards, don't have to track bardic inspirations if they sacrifice 5 Mental Fortitude and 1 Inner Strength during the individual dream scene, it takes an action. This is the same for Druids Wild Shape, Barbarians Rage, ...
- Casters can stop tracking first level spells and cast them as cantrips if they sacrifice 10 Mental Fortitude and 1 Inner Strength during the individual dream scene, it takes an action. This applies to any character who has 1st level spells and uses slots for those spells, but it applies to all first level spells.
- Any 1 on a d20 can possibly change. If a d20 is rolled by anyone and there is a 1 rolled any character can sacrifice 5 Mental Fortitude points to have that roll redone at a disadvantage and let the new number stand. Cannot make this one rerolled though in any way.
- Any 20 on a d20 can also possibly be willed to change. If a d20 is rolled by anyone and there is a 20 rolled then any character (not npc) can sacrifice 10 Mental Fortitude points to have that roll redone at an advantage and let the new number stand. Cannot make this one rerolled though in any way.
New Mechanics
Inner Strength
Inner strength is a combination of courage, will power, and sense of purpose that allows a character to face adversity head on. In game terms, characters accumulate inner strength points. There are two ways to accumulate inner strength points: through vivid dreams (level 1 reality) and through wondrousty uplifting dreams (level 2 reality).
Both vivid dreams and wondrously uplifting dreams can fill a character with inner strength. When a dream-self participates in either type of dream, the waking character must make a successful system shock roll to gain inner strength from the inspiring scene. For purposes of this roll, rolls of 96% or higher are considered failures, no matter what the character's system shock rating is.
A successful system shock roll after a vivid dream earns a character 1 inner strength point. A successful roll after a wondrously uplifting dream earns 2 inner strength points.
The number of inner strength points a character can store depends on the character’s Wisdom score:
- Wisdom 7 or less, 2 points
- Wisdom 8-14, 3 points
- Wisdom 15-17, 4 points
- Wisdom 18 or higher, 5 points
Inner Strength Uses:
| Cost |
Benefit |
| 1 |
automatically succeed at one fear, horror, madness or wisdom check/save |
| 2 |
withstand effects of any one spell from charm school or sphere magic |
| varies |
4th level dream powers |
| martial 1 |
raise dream strength for one turn |
| casters 1 |
immune to any dream effets that would cause spells to misbehave for one turn |
| divine 1 |
no hindrance to spells for two turns |
| rogues 1 |
match (not exceed) dexterity for one turn |
One inner strength point can be used by the waking character to automatically succeed at one
Fear, horror, madness, or Wisdom check.
Two inner strength points can be used to withstand the effects of any one spell from the charm school or sphere of magic.
Inner Strength and Mental Fortitude points are also spent to activate 4th Level Dream Powers
In additon, different character classes can spend inner strength points in dreamscapes to accomplish certain things. These are detailed below.
Warrior Classes: Because physical strength is so much a part of who and what a warrior is, warriors can use inner strength points to temporarily increase their dream Strength scores to match (but not exceed) their physical Strength scores. One inner strength point boosts a warrior’s dream Strength score for one turn.
Wizard Classes: Wizards can use inner strength points to cause spells to work in dreamscapes like they do in the waking world for one turn. During this turn, the wizard who spent the point is immune to any dream effects that would cause his spells to behave contrary to normal.
Priest Classes: Like wizards, priests can spend inner strength points to keep the nature of dream scenes from affecting their spells. Because belief is central to a priest's nature and belief also helps give dream reality substance, one inner strength point allows a priest to use his spells without hindrance for two turns.
Rogue Classes: Because physical dexterity is so much a part of who and what a rogue is, rogues can use inner strength points to temporarily increase their dream Dexterity scores to match (but not exceed) their physical Dexterity scores. One inner strength point boosts a rogue’s dream Dexterity score for one turn.
TLDR;
- Earn IS by dreams and passing a system shock roll: A successful system shock roll after a vivid dream earns a character 1 inner strength point. A successful roll after a wondrously uplifting dream earns 2 inner strength points. There is a maximum based on the Wisdom score of character.
- Use Points to automatically succeed at one fear, horror, madness, or Wisdom check. Two inner strength points can be used to withstand the effects of any one spell from the charm school or sphere of magic.
- Points also have abilities based on class. Warriors (this would include anyone who uses melee or ranged weapons), Wizards (may include any non religious caster), and the rest as stated.
- Additionally, there will be specific rules on this in the upcoming encounter!!
Mental Fortitude
The Nightmare Court searches the dream plane for nightmares to draw power from. When it finds one, it captures the dreamer and pulls him into the Nightmare Lands. From that point on, the dreamer’s dream-self is imprisoned in one of the Court’s permanent dreamscapes until he finds a way to escape or the Court is finished with him. To escape, the dreamer must build up enough mental fortitude to break the chains that bind his dream-self.
Mental fortitude is a measure of a character's perseverance and steadfastness that increases with each success against the rigors of nightmare. Any experience in a dreamscape that doesn't have a negative result helps the dreamer build mental fortitude.
Inner strength is an aspect of this tenacity, but mental fortitude is larger and more comprehensive. Think of mental fortitude as a great defense that slowly steels the mind against horror and doubt. Inner strength can help accomplish tasks in a dream scene and even in the waking world; mental fortitude can banish illusions and the terrors of bad dreams—the tools of the Nightmare Court.
In game terms, mental fortitude is measured in points that are gained every time a dreamer succeeds at a roll instigated by a negative dreamscape event. The rolls that provide mental fortitude points are checks for mental weakness (see page 18), death (page 19), madness (page 19), and fear and horror (page 24). Each point earned increases a character’s mental fortitude rating.
The Purpose of Mental Fortitude: When a character experiences some traumatic event that inspires terrible nightmares, he or she can attract the attention of the Nightmare Court. If this happens, the character’s dream-self becomes a dream seed in one of the Court's permanent dreamscapes, providing images and energy for dream scenes. As the seed’s terror builds, the Nightmare Court acquires more of the energy it needs to survive.
Every dreamscape controlled by the Nightmare Court has an overseer. An overseer is either a lesser or greater dream spawn, or even a member of the Court itself, who keeps the dream seed in a constant state of ever increasing fear. At the start of a period of imprisonment, the overseer is practically invulnerable to all attacks. An overseer might seemingly be defeated in one dream scene, but it appears in the next one without any appreciable signs of damage. To dreamers, the situation looks hopeless.
What gives an overseer such power? The dream seed does, due to the mental trauma produced by the triggering event that first caught the Nightmare Court’s attention. To escape from this dream prison, a dreamer must overcome the mental distress that instigated the nightmare in the first place. This requires the accumulation of mental fortitude.
Gaining Mental Fortitude: A dream seed starts with no mental fortitude but gains points by overcoming obstacles in dreams scenes.
- Each successful mental weakness check earns the waking dreamer 1d6 points.
- Each successful death check earns the waking dreamer 1d8 points of mental fortitude.
- Each successful fear, horror, or madness check made in response to a dream scene earns 1d4 points of mental fortitude.
Other dreamers can help a dream seed accumulate mental fortitude. A dreamer who isn’t a dream seed but participates in dream scenes tied to the dream seed's dreamscape can give the dream seed up to half of the mental fortitude points he earns. These points are subtracted from the dreamer's rating.
When the Nightmare Court uses dream powers in a dreamscape, the dream seed gets to add the cost of those powers to his mental fortitude rating. However, if the dream seed decides to use a dream power of his own, the cost for that power is subtracted from his mental fortitude rating.
Using Mental Fortitude to Break the Court’s Hold: Mental fortitude increases with every dream obstacle that a dreamer overcomes. Each success helps convince the dream seed of his own worth and ability, thus making it easier to put the trauma that triggered the mental distress behind him.
How much mental fortitude is needed to escape from a particular dreamscape? That depends on a number of circumstances. The mental fortitude total needed is called the inner peace number. Only when a dream seed's mental fortitude rises high enough does he have the inner peace necessary to put his fear behind him and defeat the Nightmare Court.
Three things determine a dream seed’s inner peace number: the emotional impact of the triggering event, the dream seed’s Intelligence score, and the power level of the Court member controlling the dreamscape.
The base number a dream seed needs to achieve inner peace is determined by the trauma at the root of his triggering event. Equate the triggering event to one of the situations below and find the base number.
“Lvl” stands for the dream seed’s level of experience. So, if the dream seed is a 4th-level ranger, “Lvl -1 ” results in a base number of 3 (4-1=3).
TLDR;
- Earn MF
- Each successful mental weakness check earns the waking dreamer 1d6 points.
- Each successful death check earns the waking dreamer 1d8 points of mental fortitude.
- Each successful fear, horror, or madness check made in response to a dream scene earns 1d4 points of mental fortitude.
- Use Points to escape by having the "Dream Seed" gain enough to pass the "Inner Peace" number
- Additionally, there will be specific rules on this in the upcoming encounter!!
Inner Peace
This is a number of Mental Fortitude points the "Dream Seed" must possess to will the dream to end, it will destroy the Dreamscape and send all dream-selves to their bodies, thus defeating the dreamscape's overseer.
System Shock Survival
| Ability Score |
System Shock Survival |
Resurrection Survival |
| 3 |
35% |
40% |
| 4 |
40% |
45% |
| 5 |
45% |
50% |
| 6 |
50% |
55% |
| 7 |
55% |
60% |
| 8 |
60% |
65% |
| 9 |
65% |
70% |
| 10 |
70% |
75% |
| 11 |
75% |
80% |
| 12 |
80% |
85% |
| 13 |
85% |
90% |
| 14 |
88% |
92% |
| 15 |
91% |
94% |
| 16 |
95% |
96% |
| 17 |
97% |
98% |
| 18+ |
99% |
99% |
System Shock Survival states the percentage chance the character has of surviving the certain forms of magical attacks (or simple application of the magic), in the past it would apply to aging, petrification (including flesh to stone spell), and polymorph.
Example: The wicked necromancer polymorphs (others) his hireling into a giant roc, with the rather foolish agreement of the changee; the hireling must make a saving throw based on his consitution score using the table above. Assuming he survives, a further saving throw would have to be made if he was again polymorphed or dispelled back to original form. The saving throw must be equal to or less than the percentage shown.
Resurrection Survival shows the percentage chance the character has of being successfully raised from the dead or resurrected by a cleric. The score of the percentile dice must be equal to or less than the number shown on the table, or the character fails to be revivified and is completely and totally dead forever. Remember that a character can never be raised from the dead/resurrected a total number of times in excess of the character’s initial constitution score. This was an AD&D Rule, but is now being added to this Campaign.
Injury and Death in Dreams
MENTAL WEAKNESS. If a PC loses more than half his total hit points, when he awakens in the real world he must save vs. death magic. A successful save means that he suffers no mental weakness from the dream injuries. A failed save means that he loses ld2 points of Intelligence, regaining one lost point per day.
DREAM DEATH. If a PC falls below 0 hit points, his dream-self is instantly propelled back into his physical body. He must make a mental weakness check as described above. He must also make a Wisdom check; failure means that he’s overcome by the shock of his dream death and suffers 1d10 points of damage.
Experience in the Dream Worlds
Characters earn experience points for the dreamscape events their dream-selves participate in. Experience earned in a dream scene is calculated at one-half the rate of experience in the waking world. For example, defeating the dream version of a werewolf earns a character 210 experience points instead of the usual 420 XPs.
