Help Designing Dream Encounters [Now with Monsters]

[stonegod]

In my RL 4Eberron game, one of my players just found a jar containing the brain of a fire giant researcher from the Age of Giants who was doing research on the Quori (psychic creatures from the realm of dreams). For the next adventure, I'm planning all of them to fall into the brains dream realm and have various encounters while trying to escape. As such, I'm looking for some some suggestions on monsters

So, the quick two questions:
- Are there any monsters in the MM, MM2, etc. that seem be be natural fit (didn't find any on a quick scan).
- Any monster powers that could be adapted?

As an example, the character will be physically there, but I foresee most of the "creature" attacks will be psychic in nature (do psychic damage, etc.). So some warlock powers (especially Star and Dark) come to mind.

The PCs are low level (2), so anything outside the range 1-7 will need adapting.

 

[Bumbles]

Well, if it is a dream, there's no reason the characters can't get powers above and beyond the normal.

For example, you could have them as the giant in their dreams.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

If its a dream, why limit yourself to psychic realms? Run normal encounters, but play with what the PCs are capable of.

There is a supllement for 3e that has some nice rules for dreamscape play that I haven't converted over yet. I should probably work on this sometime soon... like before my group makes it to the part of the campaign!

 

[Oompa]

Keep normal monsters but give them the ability to "Fade Out", midst combat they become shady and disappear and a round later they appear again, in the same form or mutated??

 

[stonegod]

Keep normal monsters but give them the ability to "Fade Out", midst combat they become shady and disappear and a round later they appear again, in the same form or mutated??

I like this one... especially if triggered when bloodied. Hmm...

 

[Regicide]

3E had some dream material in a couple of the books.

There was also a dragonlance module (2E?) that dealt heavily with the players being in a dream "Dragons of Dreams." You might want to steal stuff from that, although I think it's a fairly complicated system so would take a fair bit of work.

 

[Flipguarder]

I love fell taints. I think they make great dream monsters. They have very unique and unexpected abilities.

 

[stonegod]

So, here is my first attempt at some of the dream creatures: Fragments of Dream. These minions disorient the PCs via their abilities.

Fragment of Dream Level 3 Minion Skirmisher
Medium Aberrant Magical Beast XP 37
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +10; darkvision
Befuddling Dream aura 1; each enemy within the aura takes a -1 penalty to opportunity attacks. Multiple auras stack (-5 maximum).
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 15, Will 16
Speed 6

Distracting Dream (standard; at-will) * Psychic
+6 vs Reflex; 6 psychic damage and the target grants combat advantage to the next attack against it.

Elusive Dream (Immediate reaction when missed by an attack) * Teleportation
The Fragment of Dream teleports 5 squares and gains concealment until the end of its next turn.

Dream Backlash (Immediate reaction when reduced to 0 hit points)
Targets creature that triggered the power; target is dazed until the end of their next turn.

Combat Advantage
The fragment of dream does +2 damage to targets it has combat advantage against.

Alignment: Unaligned Languages: Telepathy 10
Skills: Stealth +8
Str 11 (+1) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 17 (+4)
Con 14 (+3) Int 11 (+1) Cha 13 (+2)

Fragment of Dream Appearance
In their natural form, fragments appear to me amorphous pieces of dream. They typically appear to be people from their target's subconscious.

Fragment of Dream Tactics
A fragment of dream attempts to move between closely grouped enemies in melee in order to maximize their befuddling dream and elusive dream abilities.

 

[Mahali]

I like the concept of a dream encounter.

Next time I run a campaign I'll have one where 1/2 of the their healing surges used during the dream will be gone and maybe Will saves for encounter and daily powers to be unspent when they wake up.

Hit them with a really tough encounter where it'll probably be a TPK and have them wake up screaming.

 

[Mesh Hong]

The following is a creature from my forthcoming “Book of Distant Stars” monster manual based on the Far Realms.

You might be able to use it as inspiration.

Dreamtree Psychic

Dreamtree Psychics stand approximately 20 foot tall and resemble magnificent graceful trees, with long swaying branches and a beautiful canopy of many different coloured leaves. They are a beautiful sight and many creatures who did not recognise the danger have been lured into the Dreamtree Psychic’s grasp to become its dedicated army of protectors that follow it wherever it goes.


Dreamtree Psychic Level 5 Elite Controller (Leader)
Large Aberrant Magical Beast (plant) XP 400

Initiative +3 Senses Perception +8, darkvision
Imploring Aura (psychic) aura 5; All creatures inside aura take a -1
penalty to Will defence and saving throws
HP 130; Bloodied 65; see Rise and Shine
Regeneration 5, if Dreamtree takes fire damage it's regeneration does not
function on its next turn
AC 21; Fortitude 20, Reflex 16, Will 20
Immune poison; Resist 10 psychic
Saving Throws +2
Speed 5
Action Points 1

Branch Bash (Standard; at-will)
Attack +10 vs. AC; 1d8+3 damage

Psychic Barrage (Standard; at-will) ♦ psychic
2 attacks; Range 10; attack +9 vs. Fortitude; 1d8+4 psychic damage; on
hit target takes a -2 penalty to will defence (save ends)

Psychic Assault (Standard; recharge ) ♦ psychic
3 attacks against the same target; Range 10; attack +9 vs. Will; 1d6+4
psychic damage; in total if target is hit once it is immobilised (save ends),
if target is hit twice it is dazed (save ends), if target is hit by all 3 attacks
it is stunned (save ends)

Waking Dream (Standard; encounter) ♦ psychic
Burst 5; enemies only; attack +9 vs. Will; on hit target is slowed and
weakened (save ends both)

Army of Dreamers ♦ healing, special
Any creature that a Dreamtree reduces to negative HPs with a psychic
attack and is not restored to positive HPs by the start of its next turn
becomes a dreamer, and rises at the start of its turn at its Bloodied HP
value under the control of the Dreamtree. Dreamers HPs can never rise
above their bloodied value and are dominated by Dreamtree (death of the
Dreamtree ends)

Rise and Shine (Immediate Reaction) ♦ on death
On death all dreamers dominated by the Dreamtree are released

Alignment Unaligned Languages deep speech, telepathy 10
Skills Diplomacy +11, Insight +8
Str 16 (+5) Dex 13 (+3) Wis 12 (+3)
Con 18 (+6) Int 10 (+2) Cha 18 (+6)