Review Dreamscapes

[GMSkarka]

Thanks for the review, Crothian!

Is this going to be added to the "official" ENWorld reviews, or is this just going to be a forum-post thing?

 

[fusangite]

Crothian,

Thanks so much for the review. I'm curious about one thing you didn't really cover. How tied is the dream thing to a particular D&D theory of the planes. To what degree is it attached, if at all, to standard D&D cosmology?

 

[Krieg]

As for everyone else reading this thread... please feel free to ask me questions about Dreamscapes. I'll keep an eye on this thread and answer as best as I can.

Joe, thanks for stopping by!

Can you give a very general rundown on how the mechanics work?

I've been thinking about getting one of the various "dream" supplements from RPGNow for awhile now but have been waiting until a bit more information was available before making the leap.

Crothian's review has definitely helped your cause, but more information is always welcome.

 

[Crothian]

Thanks for the review, Crothian!

Is this going to be added to the "official" ENWorld reviews, or is this just going to be a forum-post thing?

all my reivews will eventually be in the review area once the bugs have been worked out

 

[Crothian]

Crothian,

Thanks so much for the review. I'm curious about one thing you didn't really cover. How tied is the dream thing to a particular D&D theory of the planes. To what degree is it attached, if at all, to standard D&D cosmology?

WEll, it is actually as I said in the review. It talks about where to place the dream plane, it isn't set in stone where it is. It gives examples from the basic cosmology for where it can be placed like AStral plane, inner planes, etc. But relaly it can go in the plane of dreams that Scarred Lands has or really anywhere the DM wants.

 

[jaldaen]

How tied is the dream thing to a particular D&D theory of the planes. To what degree is it attached, if at all, to standard D&D cosmology?

Hey Fusangite!

I'm not Crothian, but I can tell you that I go into detail (and provide examples) on how to create a variety of dreamscapes from a transitive dreamscapes to demiplane dreamscapes... I also discuss all the standard planar traits (and provide a number of new planar traits that help a GM portray distinct dreamscapes) and recommending particular gravity, time, shape & size, morphic, elemental & energy, alignment and magic traits depending upon the desired feel of the dreamscape that you wish to drive home to the players.

So the book does assume the terminology of D&D cosmology, but is flexible enough so that the dreamscape you design can be a transitive, inner, outer, or demiplane.

I hope answers your question sufficiently (if you have any more feel free to ask ;-),
Good Gaming!
Joseph

 

[jaldaen]

Can you give a very general rundown on how the mechanics work?

Well... I can give you a little bit of a rundown, but the book is in many ways a dreamscape toolkit full of options upon options that are meant to both spark the readers imagination (from designing the dreamscape to deciding how characters interact with the dreamscape and a whole variety of other issues, like dream symbology for instance) and to provide enough flexibility to allow a GM to create their own unique dreamscapes (I provide an assumed Dream Point System, but I also provide an appendix of alternate dream abilities that mimic the Dream Point system without introducing the concept of dream points, though some GMs might even decide to use a mixture of the two ;-).

Dream points are like a mixture of hit points (b/c the GM may decide that some dream creatures attack them instead of hit points) and hero points (thanks Steve Kenson! ;-) rolled into one... you expend them to do extraordinary things... there is a list of dream point abilities in the game like dream benefit (which activates an improved version of a feat you have access to), heroic surges (extra attack or move), rerolling d20 checks, etc...

You can also activate surreal class features based upon your class and level... in addition, you can improve skill checks and activate dream uses of skills (create spell-like and supernatural effects on yourself)... including the Dream Weaving skill (which alters the essence of the dream).

Spells have spell templates (thank you Monte Cook! ;-) that you can add to them to create unique and surreal effects...

Of course with all these benefits monsters are left behind right? Not when you consider that they have access to all of these extra abilities (or at least the ones the GM wishes them to have access to) and a few creature type specific ones to boot! (Ah the monster feats... they are sooo... nasty ;-)

I hope this short (and not at all exhausting) overview of the Dream Point system will help you in your decision.

Good Gaming,
Joseph

 

[Krieg]

Dream points are like a mixture of hit points (b/c the GM may decide that some dream creatures attack them instead of hit points) and hero points (thanks Steve Kenson! ;-) rolled into one... you expend them to do extraordinary things... there is a list of dream point abilities in the game like dream benefit (which activates an improved version of a feat you have access to), heroic surges (extra attack or move), rerolling d20 checks, etc...

Sounds a bit like a cross between Grimm's "imagination points" & Adventure's "creative editing".

That's a good thing!

You can also activate surreal class features based upon your class and level... in addition, you can improve skill checks and activate dream uses of skills (create spell-like and supernatural effects on yourself)... including the Dream Weaving skill (which alters the essence of the dream).

Am I correct in assuming that once existing characters move into a dreamscape they gain points/abilities determined by class....sort of a "dream template"?

If characters stay in the dreamscape do they gain xp/levels normally or is there a different mechanic for advancement? How are dreampoints replenished?

BTW Thanks for taking the time to participate in the thread!

 

[Crothian]

The charactes do gain additional abilities based on skills and feats and other abilities they might have. THere are plenty of new uses for skills and feats in the dreamlands.

 

[jaldaen]

Am I correct in assuming that once existing characters move into a dreamscape they gain points/abilities determined by class....sort of a "dream template"?

The dream points are standard for each character (modified by Charisma, of course ;-), but the class abilities are definately "dream templates" added onto the characters when they are in a dreamscape ;-)

Which reminds me... all of the standard races have unique dream traits (I provide guidlines to determine racial dream traits for non-standard races)... also like "dream templates." ;-)

If characters stay in the dreamscape do they gain xp/levels normally or is there a different mechanic for advancement?

I provide a number of different methods to determine how characters gain xp in a dreamscape depending on how deadly the GM wishes his dreamscape to be... I go into a discussion of different types of dreamers: slumbering characters (those who enter the dreamscape in a subconscious state), awakened characters (those who enter in a lucid, but only quasi-real/non-corporeal state), corporeal characters (those who enter physically into a dreamscape), and native characters (those who are actually born within a dream or in fact part of the dream ;-). Each type has a discussion. Each type of dreamer has a number of variant "forms" they could take within a dream that effect how xp is dealt with and depend upon how vulnerable those forms are... for example a slumbering character in figment form is at no physical risk (no xp from combat), however roleplaying/story line xp rewards are encouraged, whereas the same character in psychic form is at great physical risk (think Nightmare on Elm Street ;-).

I also present a number of "dreamer type" templates to

How are dreampoints replenished?

Normally they replenish completely every eight hours (rest cycle), however there is a variant rule that allows you regenerate them at an hourly rate (not completely of course ;-)

Beside the hourly regeneration rate there are about a half dozen other variant dream point rules... including attacking dream points (allowing characters & monsters to attack each other's dream points) and backlashes (when a character tries to bend the dreamscape too much too fast, the dreamscape might just push back ;-)

I hope these answers have helped clarify a few things for you... if you have more questions feel free to ask ;-)

Good Gaming,
Joseph