Community Help: dream artifact

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

Pennarin

Jun 07, 2005 18:58:05
After my failed attempts at obtaining info at the Spells Forum on dream-related tidbits found in D&D/d20 books, I'm asking the DS community instead.

I'n creating an elven relic (a minor artifact) whose powers are based on dreams and nightmares. The legend surrounding it goes that an ancient tribe of elves used their combined powers while dreaming to keep themselves protected from outsiders. The myth goes that Coraanu was running near their land and was assailed in his sleep. The great qualities attributed to the mythical Coraanu led him day after day closer to the source of his nightmares until he met the tribe and slaugthered them, putting an end to their tyranny of the region.

The artifact would allow many to combine their dreams together and make powerful attacks and effects based on the PHB spells dream and nightmare.

Now, what I couldn't find in the other forum was ressources concerning dreams: spells, powers, items, monster and class abilities. Anything you remember from a D&D/d20 book you read would be appreciated.
#2

methvezem

Jun 07, 2005 19:59:47
Anything you remember from a D&D book you read would be appreciated.

If it can help you, the Manual of the Planes has a section on the demiplane of dreams, which is further expanded in Dragon magazine 287. Further, I remember there is an older Dragon magazine (2e ed) that introduces new dream related spells. Let me know if you want the number, I'll search for it.
If something else come back to mind, I'll let you know.
#3

Pennarin

Jun 07, 2005 20:57:44
Yeah, I got a few copies at home, maybe I got the number, so...shoot!

Anybody else?

Even if its an homebrew idea, I don't care, I just want this item to have really cool abilities!
#4

squidfur-

Jun 07, 2005 21:41:18
It's not D&D persay, but it is D20. The Mindscapes update book (Hyperconscious - I think its called) had some info on the Shallows, a demiplane IIRC based on dreams, as well as several dream based powers.
#5

Pennarin

Jun 07, 2005 21:49:17
Tyhanks for contributing squidfur-. :D
I'm already aware of Hyperconscious and the Manual of the Planes. Those are the two books I already know of, and some other book called Dreamscapes, from Adamant Entertainment, which I do not own.
#6

seker

Jun 08, 2005 7:33:24
You could always do something along the lines of it having an effect similiar to bringing a victims dreams alive..... you know like what the dragon orb in dragonlance did for Lorac. (the silvenesti king) Have the area around the user convert to a dream realm based on the mind of the user. (and allow them to pull nightmares from those nearby to customize it to effect others.)

just an idea.
#7

methvezem

Jun 08, 2005 8:27:08
The issue is Dragon #221 - the article: In dreams (the lost art of oneiromancy). I have it if you want more details. It contains mostly spells from for AD&D (see below).
The Book of Broken Dreams , a pdf from Netherland Games contains spells related to dreams and insanity.

Here is the path of dreams and nightmare I created, for those of you that remember the paths of power article in Dragon #216 (Most of the spells were added to the path before the coming of 3e) . It goes spell level, name and source. * denotes a divine spell.
Iter Exvagus (Way of Dreams and Nigthmares)
0 Steal sleep - Relics and Rituals
2 Dream sight* - Oriental Adventures 2nd ed (OA)
2 Enter dream - Dragon #221
2 Nightmare lullaby - D256
3 Healing dream - D221
3 Sleep of horror - Van Richten's Guide to the Lich
3 Spirit attack - D252
4 Conjure dream object - D221
4 Dream vision - OA
4 Lesser spelldream - D185
4 Neverending nightmares - Ravenloft Forbidden Lore boxed set : Nova Arcanum booklet
4 Sleepwalking - D221
4 True dream - D221
4 True nightmare - D221
5 Conjure nightmare - D221
5 Dream - PH3
5 Nightmare - PH3
6 Alter dream - D221
6 Greater spelldream - D185
7 Final dream* - Liber Bestarius
7 Mindspin - DragonLance Adventures 2nd ed.
#8

lyric

Jun 08, 2005 14:52:27
I'm surprised no one has thought of a freddy kruger style effect, where an attack in the dream world affects the real one.. add in that demiplane of dreams, some dream demons/psions, and you've got elm street just past gulg and a left at the Drake's lair..
#9

Pennarin

Jun 10, 2005 22:11:45
Thanks Meth for those sources!

Seker, is there a 2E or 3E version of the artifact that Lorac wielded, so I can see what it does?

Lyric, there won't be any Krueger in there! But, having people die in the real world when they die in the dream world will probably be implemented.

I might go with 2 main abilities:
- drawing people into a dream world
- and "bringing a victims dreams alive", as Seker said
#10

kalthandrix

Jun 10, 2005 22:16:09
I think that there is an artical in the new Dragon mag. that has some mind-effecting magic in it. I have it but am suffering from a huge lack of motivation to climb up a flight of stairs and look at it- sorry :D
#11

kalthandrix

Jun 10, 2005 22:36:37
I might go with 2 main abilities:
- drawing people into a dream world
- and "bringing a victims dreams alive", as Seker said

I have wanted to use an idea like the following for some time-

Having the characters enter a place or go to sleep in some comfortable place, and have them wake up in a wasteland of some type. They would go through trying to find out how they got there and in the end, realize that they have been drawn into some dream- their's or some other powerful beings- but only after they have been through the meat grinder. This way, if you wanted to have a TPK, they could wake up when they die- like in real dreams where you wake up right before you hit the ground.

Wait! :lightbulb A moment of inspiration!!!!

I see an item that would be more psionic in nature then arcane. Perhaps you would have the item in question be like the demiplane seed ability from the Manual of the Planes. The telepathic psionicist creates a sphere that is a reflection of his mind, as he grows in power and gets older, the demiplane gets bigger. Except in this case, the psionicist is a rather twisted individual and becomes a Psion Uncarnate or like Xlorepdarkhelm's version of a demi-lich, using the demiplane as a way to continue his existence and grow in power by allowing the physical manifestation of his demiplane to be used by others,giving the psion access to people the he can draw into his "world".
#12

ruhl-than_sage

Jun 11, 2005 0:18:38
This thread reminds me of the Dream Travel psionic power from the 2nd ed rules. I wish that power had made it to 3rd ed .
#13

squidfur-

Jun 12, 2005 0:36:48
I see an item that would be more psionic in nature then arcane. Perhaps you would have the item in question be like the demiplane seed ability from the Manual of the Planes. The telepathic psionicist creates a sphere that is a reflection of him mind, as they grow in power and age, it gets bigger. Except in this case, the psionicist is a rather twisted individual and becomes a Psion Uncarnate or like Xlorepdarkhelm's version of a demi-lich, using the demiplane as a way to continue his existence and grow in power by allowing the physical manifestation of their demiplane to be used by others and allowing the psion access to people the he can draw into his "world".

this reminded me of an idea i had when wind riders of the jagged cliffs came out. i was going to connect the disappearance of (can't remember his name right off - but the rhul-thaun sage guy) to a device of similar nature. the idea was to have the pcs basically ending up trapped in his dreams. they'd have to find a way out, and in so doing free the halfling from his "imprisonment".
#14

ruhl-than_sage

Jun 12, 2005 14:57:33
this reminded me of an idea i had when wind riders of the jagged cliffs came out. i was going to connect the disappearance of (can't remember his name right off - but the rhul-thaun sage guy) to a device of similar nature. the idea was to have the pcs basically ending up trapped in his dreams. they'd have to find a way out, and in so doing free the halfling from his "imprisonment".

Hey that's me! :D :D
#15

kalthandrix

Jul 05, 2005 9:43:41
Hey Pennarin- any movement on this item. I really liked the idea and was hoping to see something about it.
#16

Pennarin

Jul 05, 2005 12:17:10
No, no "movement" as you say.
I've thought of carving the item out of nightmare beast material, thus using that creature's nightmare abilities as a baseline, but I need a breakthrough.

Thanks guys for throwing references at me, and I did check out the Dragon magazines, but to no avail.

I'd still like to find out if there is a 3E version of Lorac's (the Silvenesti king) artifacts that brings nightmares to life.
#17

kalthandrix

Jul 05, 2005 13:51:53
No, no "movement" as you say.
I've thought of carving the item out of nightmare beast material, thus using that creature's nightmare abilities as a baseline, but I need a breakthrough.

Thanks guys for throwing references at me, and I did check out the Dragon magazines, but to no avail.

I'd still like to find out if there is a 3E version of Lorac's (the Silvenesti king) artifacts that brings nightmares to life.

There is a book called Dragonstone by Dennis L. McKerinnan that you might look at. In that book, traps the spirit of the Dragon King in this jade egg-like stone, and it has the ability to dominate all dragons. Now if you were to take a simular approach and use a section of skull, or a tusk/fang, from perhaps the first or greatest nightmare beast that ever lived, and imbued it with the spirit of the creature, that would be scarey.

You could give the wielder the spell- and psi-like abilities of a nightmare beast, and maybe also tie in the ability that the wielder could trap the minds or souls of others in the artifact. Those trapped would do battle with any other creature that had been trapped within the item and unable to escape and also perhaps the "king" of the nightmare beasts, as it is this creatures soul that powers the artifact.
#18

Pennarin

Jul 05, 2005 15:14:44
Very good suggestions Kalthandrix. I have an item in mind from those we already did and I'll see if I can mix the powers.

I also thought I might base the artifact's power on the gith lord's dream attack in Black Spine. Anyone has an idea who to implement a fake game session that only takes place in the character's mind, while maybe ending up killing you if you die in the dreamscape?

Connections with the Gray perhaps? Its a place related to psionics and that creates constructs of the mind after all....