Dream Realm Encounters

[Nilbog]

As part of my campaign the group has to win the favour of a wizard to this he asks a task of them, while experimenting to create a more powerful version of the sleep spell a nightmare imp stole one of his memories, he wants the group to visit the demi-plane of sleep and recover it.

So I want to set u a few dream like encounters for the group, they are only 3rd level so nothing too extreme, these encounters can be of any form, combat, puzzle, social I'd just like them to be something fun.

The first one I have is quite straightforward, A whimsyshire vivid countryside scene is a little girls dream where she is playing with the animals, however the nightmare imp touches them and turns them to far realm horrors, which the group has to defeat.

 

[aco175]

I would think you can take any normal monster and place a dream version of it in here. Maybe create the wizards tower and have the PCs battle through there and find something cool like a secret door the imp was trying to hide. Then in the real world, the wizard turns on the PCs and they need to battle through the tower again, but now they know about the secret door and can thwart the mage. Maybe the imp was trying to set up the mage or help the PCs stop him.

 

[Dave Goff]

Now I want to re-read The Sandman graphic novels and also the Tel'aran'rhiod (dream world) sections of The Wheel of Time books.
Also, I love the name Whimseyshire.
I would wonder, who has the power in dreams? I would love to see them trying to catch the imp and failing and finally figuring out that they need to teach the girl to control her dreams so that the imp can't hide, so it runs off to a different dream.
Maybe the next one could have a rugweaver who dreams fo being a princess and ording everybody about. The PCs could find out that, since it's her dream, they end up having to obey her orders as if compelled.
Eventually, they could end up in the wizard's dream and find out he is obsessed with gaining enough power to destroy the local royalty because of some perceived slight.

 

[Azuresun]

The obvious thing to do is tap into the backstories of the characters. Reliving traumatic events (or veiled, heavily symbolic versions of them if you or the player don't want to reveal all yet), seeing their worst fears become apparent (betrayal by a loved one, witnessing figments resembling their friends die, etc) or getting dropped into "lotus-eater" traps where the PC's appear to have realised their greatest desire and are invited to just stop and relax...forever.

Strong emotions take on physical form and attack the players. Anger might manifest as a fire elemental or steam mephits, fear might turn into a spectre, grief or sorrow might turn into a literal black dog of depression, etc.

Have encounters that are not what they appear. A gigantic dragon attacks, but its attack only deal 1d3 damage each, and when it suffers any amount of piercing damage, it flies around the room deflating, with a comical "BRRRRTTTTT!" noise. A jump across a deep canyon may be required, but anyone who goes over the edge only falls if they look down (Wile E. Coyote style) or bounces off the solid rock and onto the other side.

Perhaps the imp initially manifests as a mighty, unstoppable demon. But as the group overcome challenges and demonstrate their courage, it shrinks a little every time until it's quite cutely pint-sized.

If all else fails, just have a killer clown attack the group.

 

[Eltab]

In the dream, the PCs are in a maze. If they 'follow the paths' they get lost and confused. If they 'head for the other exit' they find the way out.

A Minotaur - which looks vaguely fiendish - chases them down from behind just before they can walk out.
If they win the fight they can leave; if they lose the fight they poof back to the beginning (but remember their experiences).