[Changeling: The Lost] Primer: Changelings

Out of Character (OOC):

Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen
Venue: Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Assistant Storytellers: Hannah Nyland & Alex Van Belkum

Primer: Changelings - Escapees from Arcadia

Changelings, also known as the Lost, are humans who were abducted by the Fae. Unlike most who suffer this fate, the Lost have managed to find their way back through the Hedge to the mortal world, but their time in the Faerie realm (Arcadia) has irrevocably changed their bodies, minds and souls. A Changeling's true, inhuman mien is hidden by his Mask, the aspect of Fae magic that makes Faerie creatures and artefacts seem mundane to mortal eyes. Very few Changelings are able to reclaim their old lives, or make entirely new ones without retaining ties to the fae realm.

While every Changeling is unique, those who have shared similar experiences in Faerie notice similarities in the physical changes they have undergone. These loose categorizations are referred to as Seemings. Within each Seeming are more specific groupings called Kiths.

Changelings find themselves alienated from normal mortals, as they are no longer mortal themselves. They therefore often congregate into small groups, sometimes called motleys. More formally, they make use of ancient pacts made by the Fae with the seasons (at least in Europe; in other places there are Courts aligned with other things of similar symbolic power, like the cardinal directions or the sun and the moon). They align themselves into seasonal Courts which offer them some measure of protection against the True Fae. Each Court has supernatural influence over a strong emotion and the physical aspects associated with their season.

Effects of Being a Changeling

The Mask:

Ordinary humans cannot see changelings for what they are. All things fae, including changelings, are protected by the Mask, an illusion that makes them appear to be mundane versions of themselves. Only the fae, such as changelings, can see through the Mask; all others see a hulking man instead of an Ogre, a bent old woman instead of a goblin crone. The fae can also ensorcell humans, granting them the temporary ability to see through the Mask.

Glamour:

Changelings have a trait called Glamour. It is the power that fuels all the wondrous and terrible miracles of Faerie. In game terms, it is a measure of how much magical energy is within each changeling. Glamour can be used to fuel Contracts as well as the following inherent powers.

Though there are numerous ways for changelings to regain Glamour but most commonly they regain Glamour by harvesting the emotions of mortals. To do this, a changeling simply must find a human who is experiencing strong emotions and attempt to leech some of that energy. Both “positive” and “negative” emotions can potentially provide Glamour; the strength of the emotion is what truly matters, not the type. Exactly what kind of roll is required to gain Glamour in this fashion depends on the action or situation taken to obtain. For example, an Ogre who wishes to get a quick rush of fear might pick up a hapless victim and slam him against a wall; a Spring Court club kid might entice a naïve young thing to join him for a bit of lustful fun in a darkened corner; and a retiring Darkling might soak up the sorrow of a funeral home while maintaining the pretense of a grieving relative. The emotions they feed on correspond to the Court which they are blessed.

Cold Iron:

Those who know the secrets of the fae tell a curious tale about the Fair Folk’s weakness to cold iron. Long ago, a powerful True Fae made a Contract with iron itself, but that Fae failed to honor the terms of the contract. Thereafter, iron swore itself as an enemy to the prodigal people, cold and unyielding in its grudge against them. This elemental animosity passed down to the changelings, as well. In effect, an item made from at least 90 percent pure, unalloyed iron ignores defenses contrived by the fae and their magics. A protection Contract will not offer any safety from an iron weapon, for example. A changeling wearing fae armor will feel a cold iron knife pass into his flesh, as the armor fails to protect him. This weakness extends further where the True Fae are concerned. While any sort of iron will pierce their magical defenses, it is important to note that on cold-forged iron, iron shaped without the benefit of a forge, inflicts even more egregious wounds.

Clarity:

A changeling is no longer human, but neither are they fully fae. Upon returning to Earth, most changelings find themselves walking a fine line between two worlds. They cannot deny what they have become, but at the same time it is their strong connection to this world that allowed them to return, and they feel a need to identify with and be accepted by the world around them. Clarity is what they call this delicate balance between the mundane world and the maddening realms of Glamour. A changeling with higher Clarity is able to easily distinguish between the two worlds and might even become slightly more adept at spotting supernatural phenomena otherwise hidden from view. By contrast, a changeling with lower Clarity finds her perceptions spiraling out of control. She starts having trouble distinguishing her dreams from reality, and starts mixing up elements from the two worlds. Changelings with falling Clarity find a way to cope with their loss of perspective, and allow themselves to drift further out of touch.  Changelings who cannot keep the balance risk becoming unhinged mentally.

[Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen] Oneiromancy IV: Dream Combat

Out of Character (OOC):

Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen

Venue: Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition

Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Assistant Storytellers: Hannah Nyland & Alex Van Belkum

A Primer on Oneiromancy

Part IV: Dream Combat

My comments are in yellow and are regarding my reviews of the system and my own personal and Storyteller's perspective recommendations for use in our Chronicle. 

Sources: The original source material is from Changeling: The Lost, 1^st Edition, adapted for use by Mind Mages in Mage: The Awakening 2^nd Edition.

Oneiromancy Series:

Part 1: Magic & Dreams

Part 2: Dream Riding

Part 3: Dreamweaving

Part 4: Dream Combat

Oneiromachy
According to some older mages, the arts of oneiromachy — or “dream battle” — are an ancient tradition among the Fae. Simply altering dreams and cleansing the psyche of a dreamer of the presence of outside supernatural forces is not enough when stronger entities reside within the dreams themselves.
The oneiromancer’s ability to transform the reality of the dream is the basis for the ability to engage in oneiromachy. Normally, violence that happens within the context of a dream exists solely to serve some other, often symbolic, purpose. Therefore, violence that does not serve the psyche of the dreamer is somewhat traumatic — the sleeper whose dreamscape serves as a battlefield automatically loses a point of Willpower to the psychic trauma of the event, whether it is simply a single blow or a vast and terrible battle waged between a mage and a threat.

Advantages of Oneiromancy  
Many of the effects a mage can achieve through oneiromancy could be more efficiently done another way, such as through spells or Social maneuvering face-to-face. Using oneiromancy grants certain advantages, though. First and foremost is never having to let your target know who’s messing with them, and being able to manipulate people from the comfort of your own home. Meeting an enemy on a dream battlefield helps even the odds for you, especially if you bring friends. You can even turn the eidolons (or the dreamer!) against your enemy through various means. Defeating another oneiropomp in battle and imposing the Lethargic or Soul Shocked Condition on them can be worth it, too.

Some cabal take to dream combat — or its more old-fashioned name, oneiromachy — to resolve internal disputes or determine pecking order without having to inflict actual violence upon each other.

Finally, using oneiromancy on yourself or your allies can achieve things it would be hard to do for each other otherwise, and can build trust as cabalmates expose their darkest nightmares to one another.

A Recap-Dream Form

The Dream Form: The mage manifests in dream form while in the Astral or her own dreams. The dream form may look nothing like the sorcerer, because this is her self-image as influenced by contact from the Supernal, and divorced from the limitations of flesh. Characters with the Shadow Name Merit often appear radically different in age, race, sex, or fitness, as their dream forms conform to their magical selves. The traveler uses this form to interact with anything in the Astral Realms while her body remains in the material realm, alive but unconscious. The dream form has the following Traits instead of the mage’s standard set:

• Power: Equal to the higher of Intelligence or Presence for mages, or just Intelligence for others. Used for Intelligence, Strength, and Presence tasks.

• Finesse: Equal to the higher of Wits or Manipulation for mages, or just Wits for others. Used for Wits, Dexterity, and Manipulation tasks.

• Resistance: Equal to the higher of Resolve or Composure for mages, or just Resolve for others. Used for Resolve, Stamina, and Composure tasks.

• Dream Health: This Trait replaces regular Health. Add Resistance to the character’s Gnosis-based Attribute maximum (e.g. 5 at Gnosis 3, or 6 at Gnosis 6, according to the table on p. 86). Losing Dream Health imposes wound penalties just as for standard Health. When a mage is “killed” due to Dream Health loss, she acquires the Soul Shocked Condition and returns to her body.

• Amnion: Only the Awakened possess this Trait. The Amnion is an intensified self-image that a sorcerer can invoke to protect herself. Amnions take many shapes, from antique diving suits to scaled hides and spiked bat’s wings. A sorcerer may invoke her Amnion as an instant action. When she does so, she gains general armor equal to the lower of her Gnosis or highest subtle Arcanum against attacks that appear physical, and against the Ecstatic Wind. However, as a refined form of egocentrism, it impairs the ability to interact with the outside world, imposing a –2 die penalty to Finesse-based tasks and a –1 penalty to Defense. The Amnion is treated as a form of equipment. It doesn’t stack with “physical” armor, but does stack with spells and Attainments.

• Path Tools: All mages can will Path tools into existence in dreams or the Astral as a reflexive action, since they’re symbols of the bond between soul and Watchtower. These can only be Tools she has used before, in the material realm.

War may be waged in one of two ways within the context of a dream: personally and environmentally. 

Entering Dream Combat requires the mage to have used the Dream Riding spell to enter another person's dream.

Personal Attacks 
Personal attacks involve the creation of a dream-form (exactly the same as the Astral Dream Form outlined in Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition) and attacking as though in reality. The weapon the dreamer envisions himself wielding doesn’t matter — his own connection with the Supernal and the power of his will is all that matters. Thus, dream attacks are made using the character’s Power + Gnosis + his combat skill of choice: Athletics for thrown attacks, Brawl for unarmed combat, Firearms for guns and bows and Weaponry for handheld weapons. Damage is considered +0B, Lethal if willpower is expended at the time of attack.  Weapons attuned to be brought into Astral Space may also be used in Dream Space.

In dreams, a skilled oneiromancer truly shines, reflected by the use of his highest Traits in both the attacks above, and in his defenses (see “Dream Defenses,” below). A physically skilled character is likely to rely on what some refer to as “body memory,” a reliance on subconscious memory of how the body reacts in a given situation. A mentally skilled character is capable of applying tremendous imagination and quick-thinking to situations in a dreamscape, while a socially skilled character exudes sheer force of will and personality, sufficient to turn aside lesser assaults and deliver grievous attacks of his own.


Environmental Attacks

Other oneiromancers prefer to use the environment of the dreamscape itself against their opponents. These attacks, similar to those of personal attacks, receive an equipment bonus equal to the Oneiropomp’s Gnosis, but they do not necessarily rely on typical combat skills. The fluid nature of the dreamscape waits to be summoned and put to use by the skilled oneiromancer, who may use any of the following skills as weapons:

Using normal dream riding techniques, the oneiromancer can effectively make Finesse + Empathy + Gnosis attacks. These changes are quick and flash, relying on a stunning imagination on the part of the oneiropomp. The sudden appearance of wild animals, storms, terrible and ancient sorceries and curses that descend on a foe — all of these forms of attack are the auspice of environmental attacks. Damage is considered +0B, Lethal if willpower is expended at the time of attack.

Though the environment is used as a weapon, and the oneiromancer may describe huge, epic devastation as part of his attack, such attacks do almost nothing to anyone save the target himself. Regardless of the “special effects” involved, these are still techniques of oneiromachy, attacking the dream-self of one foe at a time.

Dream Defenses

There are two other changes to the combat statistics in the dreamscape; those present have a Defense and Armor different from those in their normal world.

Defense: Defense is derived entirely from the character's Finesse + Resistance.

Armor: A mage uses their Amnion as Armor, other entities have their own capabilities, Sleepers do not normally possess armor of any kind.

Dream Damage
Damage inflicted in dream-combat is not real. Instead of taking points of Health as damage, oneiromachic damage is inflicted to the Dream Form. When an attack scores an exceptional success, however, the target does take a single point of bashing damage to their physical body, often waking bruised, or bleeding from mouth or ears afterwards.

The final blow to a foe in oneiromachic combat can do more than drain the psyche — the final blow can actively wound the psyche for a short time and causes the Soulshocked Condition.

Stunting 
Creativity and quick thinking are the key to winning oneiromachy. The combatant who takes advantage of his own arcane wisdom, who uses knowledge of the dreamscape he is in to his benefit and who applies wicked creativity that overwhelms his foes will emerge victorious. To reflect this, oneiromachy attacks can gain between one and three bonus dice for interesting and fascinating descriptions. These bonus dice can apply to offensive or defensive actions. Simply add the bonus directly to the Defense of the target in the case of defensive stunts. It should be noted, however, that a given stunt is really only worth dice once — swinging from a vine in a jungle nightmare is great the first time it happens, especially if it ends in a kick to the villain’s jaw, but after that becomes old hat.

Each stunt must be interesting and innovative:

Interesting Description (+1 die): An attack that uses an interesting description is worth a single extra die. An oneiromancer is capable of changing the “laws” of the dreamscape he is in by simply willing it so. The ability to run along a wall, leap tremendous heights and strike with such force that the resounding blow cracks the masonry and shatters glass within a 10-foot radius are all appropriate descriptors. None of these descriptions will grant a mechanical benefit other than this bonus die without performing an actual dream riding roll to truly manipulate the dreamscape. These stunts are the actions of epic heroes, feats impossible to normal people — but in the world of dreams, the most
lavish dreamers are the epic heroes.

Using Thematic Qualities (+2 dice): Going a step beyond an interesting description, using thematic qualities involves tapping into the symbolic themes already present in the fight. These could be the themes of the dream the battle is taking place in, the themes that surround either of the combatants or the themes that are meaningful to the dreamer himself. Thus, an Obrimos Thermomancer might describe the strikes of his fists leaving behind frost-bite where they strike, or embellish his charge across the courtyard at his foe as ending in a slide across a patch of frost, the light that emanates from within him gleaming off the ice to blind his foe. A battle going on in the mind of fan of musicals might incorporate a falling chandelier, Phantom-style, or one of its foes might arm himself with the impressive headsman’s blade from the Mikado. The combatant who takes advantage of his foes’ fiery elemental nature by plunging him into a lake of icy water might likewise benefit from two additional dice.

Maestro’s Performance (+3 dice): Finally, a three-dice stunt is the rarest of them all, because it isn’t sufficient that the stunt be described well. Instead, a three-dice stunt is any two-dice stunt that forces the gaming group to concede that the stunt is not only appropriate and impressive but actively adds to the fun of the group. Therefore, it is entirely subjective — what may constitute a three-dice stunt to one group might only warrant a pair of dice as a bonus in another. The Storyteller is, however, encouraged to be generous — dream combat is supposed to be interesting, fun and somewhat over the top.

Note: What about Combat in other places?
Combat in Dreams does not have to use the Dream Combat rules provided the dream can support it.  Mages retain access to their magic but may initiate in the Dream Combat system outlined above if they have been trained to do so or have enough experience with controlling dreams.  In Astral Space dream combat is not used and they utilize their Dream Forms and magic as normal.

Lore: Changelings & Oneiromancy
All changelings lived for a time in the world of Faerie, which is very like the world of dreams in some ways. Its reality is malleable in the hands of beings who shape it like clay. An event can have two meanings — one the human mind can comprehend, and one only the Fae understand. Learning to think like the Gentry, even in a small way, has changed the way the Lost interact with dreams.

The origin of the word “oneiromancy” lies in divination through dream interpretation, but changelings can shape a dreamscape in much the same way they shape the Hedge, pushing and pulling at the fabric of psychoactive surroundings through the power of their Wyrd to make changes to a person’s mind. They can’t directly impact someone’s psyche this way, but dreams are how people process emotions and deal with subconscious impulses and traumas. A changeling who changes a sleeper’s dream also changes the way his mind copes with his subliminal thoughts.

The Gate of Ivory  
The Gate of Ivory is the easiest path to find. A sleeping changeling crosses this gate in dream form, entering her own dreams and turning them lucid. If she leaves her own Bastion to wander the Hedge or other Bastions, she recovers no Willpower for that night’s rest. The Lost (and anyone else she brings along) manifests a dream form, rather than her physical body, after passing through the Gate of Ivory. The dream form has no Mask, appearing in her fae mien. She uses this form to interact with anything in dreams while her body remains in the waking world, alive but unconscious.  

The Gate of Horn  
The Gate of Horn is more elusive. It exists as a Hedgeway within the Hedge itself. A traveler must navigate the Hedge normally and find it to pass through. All the routes to the Dreaming Roads are the Gate of Horn, refracted across the fabric of the Hedge to appear in many places and lead to many Dreaming Roads.  The character who passes through the Gate of Horn is not asleep, but awake, and physically present in the Hedge.  

Lore: The Lords of Dream
The masters of Glamour and Arcadia are, by extension, masters of mortal dreams. The weaker weft of human dreams is like a toy to the Gentry, who take great delight in their play. While changelings can and do access dreams by use of their Pledges, the True Fae need not bind themselves so to enter the dreams of mortals. Instead, the Fae may gain access to the dreams of mortals in one of two ways: through the use of dream phials or by their physical presence. Their force of personality is sufficient
to hammer dreams to take the shapes they desire, and the dreams they weave are breathtaking constructs of terrible beauty or awesome horror.

To enter the dreams of mortals or other creatures, the Fae must poison their dreams, warping and twisting them until they are a welcome and inviting environment for the Other’s influence. In order to do so, the Fae must either leave a dream phial (Dreamweaving) for the mortal’s slumber or she must touch the sleeping mortal. The dream-poison — also referred to as a contagion-dream, is a dream crafted through the use of either dreamscaping performed while touching the mortal, or through the arts of dreamweaving.

Once Dream Poison has taken effect the mortal’s dream world is remade into an environment fitting for the Fae invader. The Other may, at any time and from any distance within the Hedge or the real world, enter the dreams of the mortal. The Fae instinctively knows when the mortal sleeps in such instances, and there is no limit to the number of mortals whose dreams the Fae may poison.

Though changelings can work wonders with dreams, only the True Fae can engage in the techniques referred to as dream warping. The True Fae may rework the dreamscape of the mortal’s psyche, turning it into a breeding ground for contagion-dreams. A contagion-carrier can infect others by simply sleeping beside them, generally with skin-to-skin contact. This condition, understandably, has a detrimental effect on the mortal’s psyche. The Fae can also ensorcell sleepers or induce hyper-intense dreams and harvest Glamour from them which are also mentally damaging, inducing Breaking Points.  They also can make contact with the Wyrd and induce prophetic dreams they might use for their own purposes.

The dreams of supernatural creatures are, in some way, protected by the occult nature of those creatures. Mental defenses grant benefits against any and all techniques of dream-shaping, and any contested resistance rolls always add the supernatural potency of that creature.  In addition, the True Fae cannot use dreampoisoning against supernatural creatures. The only way to enter the dreams of a supernatural creature is by crafting a pledge that grants entry — the darkened recesses of supernatural psyches are too clever and powerful for the trickery of the Gentry.

The True Fae and Changelings are not the only dangers to a dreamer. Tales are filled with strange creatures in the Hedge or Faerie that are capable of hunting in the dreams of mortals for their sustenance, feeding on the fear the creatures create and leaving mortals mad or mindless. Other creatures are said to be capable of luring a sleeper’s dreaming self into actually leaving his physical body, entering into the Hedge as a wispy, ghost-like thing, half-real and slowly withering away, lost and unable to return without the help of an oneiromancer. It is believed that some creatures trap and slowly eat these half-real dream-selves, while others simply leave those dream-bodies to wander while they enter into the hollow place where the dreaming self used to be, taking over the mortal’s body.  

[Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen] Oneiromancy III: Dreamweaving

Out of Character (OOC):

Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen

Venue: Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition

Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Assistant Storytellers: Hannah Nyland & Alex Van Belkum

A Primer on Oneiromancy

Part III: Dreamweaving

My comments are in yellow and are regarding my reviews of the system and my own personal and Storyteller's perspective recommendations for use in our Chronicle. 

Sources: The original source material is from Changeling: The Lost, 1^st Edition, adapted for use by Mind Mages in Mage: The Awakening 2^nd Edition.

Oneiromancy Series:

Part 1: Magic & Dreams

Part 2: Dream Riding

Part 3: Dreamweaving

Part 4: Dream Combat

Painting over the canvas of a dream is a delicate undertaking. An oneiropomp — one who walks in the dreams of others — must swim against the current of the dreamer’s mind, engaging with his imagination to build currency with which to pay for the changes she wishes to make to his sleeping subconscious. People dream to wrestle with their demons, their fears and worries, their fondest wishes and their most fragile hopes. An invader here must take care not to stomp too loudly, lest she become the very demon the dream is meant to excise.

Dreamscaping

Dreamscaping is far more involved than simply riding a dream. A dream-rider simply experiences the dream as it already exists, making small changes here and there. A dreamscaping oneiromancer, however, is literally creating the dream in its entirety, using his magic and the power of his Gnosis to shape a dreamscape from the latent stuff of the dreamer’s dreamscape. There is a limitation to this ability, however — because it relies on the confluence of the dreamer’s own dreamscape and the creative endeavors of the oneiromancer, an oneiropomp cannot actually dreamscape his own sleeping hours.  Thus, many Geotic cabals assist one another with the creation of dreamscapes meant to bolster and nurture one another.

In order to do this, the dreamer must not be actively in the middle of a dream. Thus, an oneiromancer who enters a dreamer’s dreamscape before she enters REM sleep may take the opportunity to shape his will into the fallow, unattended dreamscape, setting the stage for his own psychodramas. However, the mind of a dreamer fights such unnatural intrusions. A dreamer’s psyche has its own unknowable agenda, and fights any changes to the symbolic, subconscious presentation the psyche has in store for a sleeper.

Dreamscaping (Mind •••)

Practice: Weaving

Primary Factor: Duration

Withstand: Composure

Suggested Rote Skills: Empathy, Medicine, Persuasion

Cost: 1 Mana

The mage accessing the subconscious of another gains access to the Dreamscaping actions outlined below:

Reach +1: The caster can create a dream from a destroyed dreamscape.

To dreamscape a fallow psyche, the oneiromancer first makes a Wits + Empathy + Gnosis roll, opposed by the sleeper’s Wits + Resolve roll. This contest immediately triggers REM sleep — if the mage’s roll wins, he shapes the dreamscape into a scenario of his own choosing at an Intensity equal to his net successes. If the dreamer’s psyche wins, it begins a dream of an Intensity equal to the net successes on the Wits + Resolve roll.

A somewhat easier way of dreamscaping is to scour a dream already in progress, using Dream Reading and then Dream Riding. Once the Intensity of the dream has been reduced to 0, the oneiromancer may immediately craft his own dream, resulting in a swift and strange transition from one dream to the next for the sleeper. Though this is easier to accomplish, it is more demanding in terms of magic: the mage must use a Reach and a point Mana to weave a dreamscape in the wake of a scoured natural dream, instead of the normal one point.

There are several benefits to creating dreams of whole cloth. The dreaming mind serves a purpose, relieving stress to the psyche, triggering a variety of physiological functions that normally lie dormant, providing incredible access to the subconscious and generally providing something of a “power down” cycle for the machine that is the human body.

In addition, it is said that some Oneiromancers teach unique forms of dreamscaping that no one else knows. Any single dreamer can only benefit from a magic-crafted dreamscape once per night — thus, an oneiromancer could craft a healing sleep dreamscape and then a stress relief one, but the dreamer would only gain the mechanical benefits of the first dream.

Dreamscapes may be crafted to do any one of the following.

1. Healing Sleep:

By creating a dream that interacts with physiological processes, the oneiromancer may speed the dreamer’s healing. With a healing sleep of any Intensity, the time the dreamer spends asleep counts as a full day of rest. Thus, if the sleeper experiences a true day of rest and then a night of healing sleep, he is considered to have gained two days of rest toward the purpose of healing wounds. If the Intensity roll is an exceptional success, the healing sleep counts as two days of rest alone.

2. Stress Relief:

Tapping into the subconscious affirmations of self that some dreams embody, the oneiromancer who knows a dreamer’s Vice and Virtue can shape her dreams to assist her recovery from stress — in game terms, he can shape dreams that allow her to recover Willpower. A stress relief dream allows the dreamer to recover a point of Willpower as though she’d fulfilled a Vice, in addition to that normally gained from dreaming. If the Intensity roll is an exceptional success, the stress relief dream allows the dreamer to recover all her Willpower, as though she’d fulfilled a Virtue.

3. Sleep Teaching:

Much of teaching involves more than simply the flow of information — most students learn in different ways. These techniques are what allow the students to truly process the information on a subconscious level. An oneiromancer may take advantage of the easy access to the subconscious of a dreamer to augment the learning process, crafting a dream that serves to teach the dreamer. Jokingly referred to as “montage dreams” by some mages, a single sleep teaching dream acts as a full day of learning on a given topic and a Beat. If the Intensity roll is an exceptional success, the sleep teaching dream actually grants the dreamer an additional Beat that can only be spent to increase the given Skill, Merit or Contract being taught. A dreamer may not gain additional Beats using Sleep Teaching for that Skill or Merit again, until the first experience point has been spent increasing the trait in question.

4. Nightmares:

Though most oneiromancers rarely use dreamscaping to create nightmares, many mages enjoy tormenting their enemies with horrible visions of their inevitable deaths. Dreamscaped nightmares are treated as normal nightmares, in terms of the effects of their Intensity on a dreamer.

Dreamweaving

The last kind of oneiromancy is dreamweaving, the craft of creating dreams outside of a sleeper’s mind and storing them in an appropriate object for later use.

Dreamweaving (Mind ••••)

Practice: Patterning

Primary Factor: Duration

Withstand: Composure

Suggested Rote Skills: Empathy, Medicine, Persuasion

Cost: 1 Mana

The mage may imbue a crafted dream into an object, using the rules outlines below:

Reach +1: Allows the potency of the Dreamweaving spell to be the Intensity of the dream crafted into it automatically.  The dream must still be sculpted per the rules below if they want it to be exactly what they want.

Reach +1: Allows the amount of time between Dreamweaving rolls to be accomplished based on the Gnosis casting interval of the spell.

Reach +2:  Allows the time between Dreamweaving rolls to be accomplished using Instant actions.

An oneiromancer who wishes to use dreamweaving must find an appropriate object to serve as a vessel for the dream. The object’s nature must be appropriate to the kind of dream he desires to create, and will most likely feature in the dream itself somehow. A soft, cuddly teddy bear might be an excellent vessel for a healing sleep dream, while a clown doll with a sinister grin and missing one eye serves perfectly for a nightmare. Oneiromancers often use objects that can be in contact with the sleepers while they are asleep: stuffed toys, blankets, underclothes and jewelry are all popular objects, as are small things that might be tucked up under pillows.

Once the vessel is chosen, it is invested with a point of Mana (from the spell’s cost). Then, within an hour of investing the vessel with the Mana, the oneiromancer must begin creating the dream the vessel holds. This is similar to dreamscaping, except that the oneiromancer is not resisted by an active psyche — the oneiromancer is literally sculpting a dream into an empty void. The process for doing so is far more intense, however, requiring a great deal of time; after all, there is no innate dreamscape to draw upon for the form of the dream in the vessel, so it must be far more carefully created.

This is a process then can take days as long as the Dreamweaving spell’s duration allows for it.

This is an extended Intelligence + Empathy + Gnosis roll to create this dream, with each roll taking one day. The successes on this roll accumulate to form the Intensity of the dream contained in the vessel. In order to unleash the dream, the sleeper need only lie down to sleep with the object in contact with her. This causes the dream to unweave in her psyche naturally, as though the dream were naturally hers. Thus, the dreamer does not fight the onset of the dream. If the dreamer is unaware of the vessel as the source of strange dreams, however, the Intensity of the dream is opposed by a Resolve + Composure roll as the dreamer enters sleep.

One of the true benefits of dreamweaving is that any dreamer may experience the dream — not simply a specific dreamer or the creator of the dream. This allows oneiromancer-craftsmen of tremendous skill to weave dreams into vessels and sell the fruits of their labor. It is also worth noting that an oneiromancer can dreamweave for himself; being outside of his actual dreamscape allows him to create an idealized dream for himself to experience. A vessel may contain any of the kinds of dreams that may be created with dreamscaping.

In addition to the effects of Dreamscaping, the Dreamweaving spell can also be used to create the following:

1. Personalized Dreams:

If the oneiromancer knows a specific dreamer well — having used the “Learn about the Dreamer” dream riding action on multiple occasions, or has known the dreamer for years — the final Intensity of the dream is increased by the oneiromancer’s dots in Empathy. This bonus applies  only to the dreamer it is intended for, however; if the bonus is used on a dreamer other than the one it was intended for, reduce the final Intensity of the dream by a similar amount. Many skilled Oneiromancers may create such “emergency” vessels for those they protect, placing healing or protective effects into them, or providing vessels with soothing dreams.

2. Analyzing Vessels:

With an extended Wits + Composure roll, a mage can ascertain the contents of a dreamwoven vessel. The target number equals the Intensity of the dream within it, and each roll requires 10 minutes of study to get the full knowledge of its structure.