[Repost] Nevermore: d20 Dreamscape campaign setting: Looking for input.

[jaldaen]

Because I'm a fan of the simple, my instinct is to say that dreamweaving should cover all of it, only that might make it more powerful than (and out of balance with) other skills. I may well change my mind.

Hmmm... it's definately a powerful skill, but it has some nasty side effects, nightmares and backlashes.

Of course if it turns out to be more powerful than is healthy I could just split the dreamer skill into multiple skills. In other words, have a dreamweaving skill that effects the self ("channneling"), then another that effects others ("transmuting"), and another that effects the environment ("altering").

If you can think of another thing to effect in the dream, then let me know ;-)

-Joseph

 

[jaldaen]

Creatures: How about having creatures that are native to the dream plane. Some could do actual damage in the real world, or be able to affect the dream in weird ways, or something. But one should be called a Jabberwock. Alice in wonderland was just cool... Why havent they made an Alice d20?

I'm definately going to have creatures that are native to Nevermore, but the question is should I introduce any "dream" races for PC's to play.

Which brings up something interesting should certain races not have access to certain templates? For example, elves may not take the sleeper or between templates. Dwarves can not be otherwise, etc...

On another note, how deep is the dream? Like is the "dream" just the place where everyone goes when they dream, or is a collective dream that people go to mostly accidentally when they dream to hard. If you read the Wheel of Time series, The Dream plane mirrors our own, but can only be reached if you have extensive training, or are a fluke. Normal people sometimes enter accidentally, but then get really tripped out and leave.

Just a thought...

Nevermore is a place that people visit in their dreams. It is a collective dreaming experience, but not everyone who falls asleep arrives there. No special training is needed to enter Nevermore and the people who populate Nevermore range from princes to paupers in the "real" world.

This makes for some interesting ramifications that the real world has on Nevermore and vise versa. The untimely death of a guardsman in the real world will bring about the death of his dream persona, whom could be a viscount of a major region of Nevermore.

-Joseph

 

[Echoes]

This makes for some interesting ramifications that the real world has on Nevermore and vise versa. The untimely death of a guardsman in the real world will bring about the death of his dream persona, whom could be a viscount of a major region of Nevermore.

VERY interesting thing to note...this brings to mind so many different plot threads that could be used. You might find a king or powerful creature trying to kill some elderly cook or something, just so he could take over his or her spot in the dreamworld. I'd imagine that those powerful in the dreamworld and not so powerful in reality would take some very big steps towards masking their identities...

How would one change his or her features willingly in the dreamworld? Would this be covered under a simple disguise check, or in the catch-all skill being discussed above?

Laters,
-John-

 

[Damror]

Alice in wonderland was just cool... Why havent they made an Alice d20?

Actually, I'm working on a supplement called "Once Upon a Time" that will include Wonderland, Oz, and all sorts of other material for running your own generic fairy tales. It's got stats for the big bad wolf too.
It'll be done later this year.

Of course if it turns out to be more powerful than is healthy I could just split the dreamer skill into multiple skills. In other words, have a dreamweaving skill that effects the self ("channneling"), then another that effects others ("transmuting"), and another that effects the environment ("altering").

I like this idea. Just having side effects and backlashes might not be enough to really balance a powerful skill. I think one of the changes about 3e over earlier editions is the idea that balance can not always be achieved by piling on repreicutions. Making an ability more dangerous to use doesn't always make it more balanced.

I think the idea quoted above does a better job of spreading out the power a little bit rather than just adding reprecussions.

Thats not to say that there shouldn't be backlashes. I think that is a good idea too, but I think the backlashes should be balanced also.

 

[jaldaen]

VERY interesting thing to note...this brings to mind so many different plot threads that could be used. You might find a king or powerful creature trying to kill some elderly cook or something, just so he could take over his or her spot in the dreamworld. I'd imagine that those powerful in the dreamworld and not so powerful in reality would take some very big steps towards masking their identities...

How would one change his or her features willingly in the dreamworld? Would this be covered under a simple disguise check, or in the catch-all skill being discussed above?

Laters,
-John-

Yeah as a DM I'd love to have the characters guessing about how what they do in the real world effects Nevermore.

As for the skill I would say the disguise would work, the dreamweaving skill would be more of a polymorph kinda thing.

So think of the skills as allowing you to do temporary dreamesque things while the dreamweaving skill does much more permanent things.

Keep up the commentary,
Joseph

 

[jaldaen]

I like this idea. Just having side effects and backlashes might not be enough to really balance a powerful skill. I think one of the changes about 3e over earlier editions is the idea that balance can not always be achieved by piling on repreicutions. Making an ability more dangerous to use doesn't always make it more balanced.

I think the idea quoted above does a better job of spreading out the power a little bit rather than just adding reprecussions.

Thats not to say that there shouldn't be backlashes. I think that is a good idea too, but I think the backlashes should be balanced also.

I'm inclined to agree with you here... perhaps I'll set up the skills as stated above and see how they work. If none of my playtesters complain then I'll consider the skills to be good as is.

Anyone else have an opinion on this?

-Joseph

 

[Rune]

Hmmm... it's definately a powerful skill, but it has some nasty side effects, nightmares and backlashes.

The problem is, that just makes it even more likely that players will view it as an "essential" skill.

Of course if it turns out to be more powerful than is healthy I could just split the dreamer skill into multiple skills. In other words, have a dreamweaving skill that effects the self ("channneling"), then another that effects others ("transmuting"), and another that effects the environment ("altering").

Probabaly right.

If you can think of another thing to effect in the dream, then let me know ;-)

Check your email. I've sent you an idea...

 

[jaldaen]

Check your email. I've sent you an idea...

I did, but I don't see anything from you in the mail box. I sent you an email through ENworld, but I figured I'd post here as well...

Happy Gaming and keep up the suggestions,
Joseph

 

[Urklore]

This all sounds awesome. Do we have this all hosted on a website or in a file? Or is this going to be a published project?

 

[Echoes]

Rune Said:

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Originally posted by jaldaen
Hmmm... it's definately a powerful skill, but it has some nasty side effects, nightmares and backlashes.
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The problem is, that just makes it even more likely that players will view it as an "essential" skill.

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I think that it's something to remember, though, that such a skill has little consequence in the waking world, and by putting many ranks into it you might be taking away from ranks you could be putting in "real life" skills.

That said, I think that breaking it up into three different categories is definitely the route to take. Perhaps certain types of changing the dreamworld would be more applicable to certain classes: for example, I see that channeling might be a function of intelligence, transmutation one of charisma, and altering one of will. Thus, all of the mental stats would be played up in their own category, and it would make for different kinds of alterations to the dreamworld, instead of having just one big skill to cover them all.

It is important, though, to make sure that the three skills be equally balanced in power...hmm, more on this later.

Laters,
-John-