The Gaming Den

Hello everyone! I've been working for several years on a project, and am looking for some opinions and input from the community at large. Take the time to look it over, and tell me what you think.

I welcome constructive criticism and suggestions and may even eventually want a partner, or other help on the project. The next eight posts are the chapters in the book, with the first two nearing completion. After they are posted, I welcome people to make characters, ask questions, and make comments. Thanks in advance!

­­ Everybody dreams, and in dreaming find themselves in a vastly different world, one where not all the rules are the same. Gravity might not be constant, or the wind may sing sweets songs. A person's deepest fears could take the form of a giant insect, a black looming wall, or an eerily attractive nurse. In a dream, what you see is rarely all that's there, nothing is constant, and what's on your mind can literally kill you.

Dreamers, or people who pull themselves out of their own dream and into the greater dreaming, are thrust into this unusual world, night after night. They experience all the wonders and terrors that may lurk in the minds of man. They explore, and experience, gaining power as they do. They have Arts that let them affect the dream, its inhabitants, and themselves, pitting them against the dangers that face them, and may learn Forms to do so in different ways.

Falling through darkened pits, stepping through hidden doors, and climbing through mysterious gates, a dreamer may pass upwards through layers of dreaming. Milestones of achievement, such as overcoming a Nemesis, allow dreamers to move from the Mansion they begin in, into the Islands of the higher dreaming. Eventually, a dreamer may go even further and find their way back into the real world, with all the possibilities that brings.

In the dreaming you role-play a dreamer, specifically as they progress through the altered reality of dreams, the combined psyche of mankind; a world lacking boundaries, and filled with possibility. That dreamer has their own inspirations, goals, fears and regrets and must put them to the test against the will of humanity and all its demons and Gods. Each dreamer may have his or her own specific goals; some may seek experience, some understandings, while others may simply see the dreaming as their personal playground, a world fit for them to shape as they choose.

In the dreaming, all things are possible. Dreamers can interact with the world in ways that can quite literally only be imagined, and meet anyone who did, does, or could exist. A dreamer may talk to a cartoon character from his childhood, flee from a festering infection that looks like nothing more than a ripple in the air, meet their own dead grandfather, and play a board game against an Aztec rain God all in the same night. They may walk through the broken streets of a shattered city, or into crystal caves that have never seen the sun; paths exist everywhere, and it is the dreamer who walks them.

The tools required to play and run a game of Dreaming can range from trivial, to moderate. No matter how you play, you will need:

-Character sheets
-Pennies and/or other coins; 30 is more than enough
-String, or anything that can be sectioned off to measure distance
-Pencils and paper
-The Dreaming book

These items are the minimum, and currently everything on the list is free, or practically so. With a little more effort, these items can enhance games.

-Cups or bowls for throwing coins
-Whiteboard, or a game mat to mark terrain on
-Different types of markers (such as stones, crystals, dice, bottle caps) to represent dreamers, archetypes, and anything else that might be in the dream.)
-Rulers or measuring tape
-Dice, instead of coins (you can use six sided dice, or even larger ones, simply counting half the possible faces as success, half as failure)

Every group plays differently, so find a combination of tools that works best for your group. Some people have no trouble visualizing distances during combat, while others may need very detailed maps to keep everything in order. Find a balance that sets the pace at one everyone in the group can keep up with and enjoy.




The basic rules of dreaming games are relatively simple, and can be reduced down to a coin flip, or rather many coin flips. Whenever an action is being performed that has a chance of success or failure, coins are thrown and the number of heads and tails are counted. Heads are weals, and tails are woes. A dreamer wants the coins they throw to have as many weals as possible, representing their success. Arts have thresholds that increase their effectiveness, and all actions are performed more effectively when the coin throw results in weals.

The number of coins that are thrown when a dreamer is attempting an action is determined by the Dispositions and Arts of a dreamer, and what the dreamer is trying to do. When a dreamer is manifesting a Form they add the Disposition and Art to determine the total number of coins being thrown. A dreamer may also use just the Disposition in a throw for other effects, such as opening gates or performing other acts outside of the capabilities of Arts.

There are three Dispositions that a dreamer possesses, and they might be considered the backbone of every being in a dream. These are Desire, Will, and Image, and represent mental attributes of a dreamer. Desire rules over a dreamers ability to express emotions, and thus dreamers with a high Desire might have traits like 'quick-tempered', 'flirtatious', 'bossy', or 'emotional'. Will governs a dreamers awareness, both of the self and the world around the self; traits of a high Will might be 'focused', 'logical', or 'observant'. Image encompasses adaptability, creativity, and imagination, leading to characters that may be 'creative', 'distant', or 'aloof' if in abundance.

These pools may, with discretion, be used to change the dream itself. Many methods of travel through the dream might require a force of Will, Desire, or even Image to open. Any effect the dream might send at dreamers may be warped, destroyed, or put to a dreamer's own purpose, if they find enough weals in their throw. This way of using Disposition relies heavily on creativity, and might encompass anything from carrying a fellow dreamer to making a seed grow into a vine, to turning a mirror into a Gate. Unlike Arts, there are only three thresholds of success when using actions like this: with no weals the action is a failure; with 1 weal they barely succeed and must spend 1 Thought, or fail; with 2 weals they succeed without expending exceptional effort; with 3 or more weals, you succeed beyond expectation. During combat, these actions cost 1 Pulse to use.

Dispositions may become Shadowed, or Illuminated. When this happens, note the amount of the effect. The next time that pool is used (either by itself, or with an Art), that many coins are not thrown; they simply count as woes, or weals respectively. Every time a pool that is Shadowed or Illuminated is used, reduce the value of the effect by one, bringing the pool back towards balance. A pool cannot be both Shadowed and Illuminated; the effects cancel out, meaning that receiving one shadow while you have two illumination on a pool would result in one illumination, not two illumination and one shadow.

Arts are the mysterious and potent effects dreamers gain aptitude in during their journeys in the dreaming. Each Art is ruled by a specific Disposition, added to the level of the Art to determine the total coins used for any Form of that Art. Desire rules over Rage, Love, and Voice, which governs the dreamers ability to attack, restore, and communicate in the dream. Will watches the Absorb, Judge, and Eye Arts which give dreamers the capability to negate damage, debilitate their opponent, and expand some detail in the dream. Image contributes to Shift, Change, and Body which allow a dreamer to move, enhance some aspect of them self or others, and change their form to hide or move more quickly.

Each Art has many Forms, and dreamers begin play knowing one Form for each Art. Each Forms may have different effects, strengths and weaknesses, unique to the dreamer who wields it. Dreamers may learn new Forms throughout the dreaming, applying the same level to all Forms learned for each Art.

Thresholds determine the intensity of Forms, and are reached at different numbers of weals in a throw when using an Art. There are five thresholds, at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 weals, and each one increases the individual effects specific to each Form. One is the very basic effect, and some Forms may do very little at this threshold; 8 weals is an intense, nearly unstoppable effect that brings out the very purest manifestation of the Form.

An Art might become Locked, the result of an Art or effect in the dream. When an Art is Locked, you do not receive any coins from its current level when you attempt to use that Art, nor do you receive benefits of any specific Forms you employ. Arts may become Unlocked at the end of an instant (weal on a single coin throw) or by the use of another Art. This can turn strength to weakness in an instant, removing capabilities of dreamers and denizens alike.

Some attributes do not contribute coins to throws, nor are specifically used in actions, except perhaps to spend them. These deal with a dreamers ability to withstand attack, manifest special Arts, or to act in tense moments. Each one is restored in a different way, and many Arts directly affect them. These pools are called a dreamer's Heart, Thoughts, and Pulse, and are based on combination of Disposition.

Hearts represents a dreamers inherent ability to withstand aggressive forces that act against them, and is comprised of Desire + Will. When a dreamer takes damage, they throw their current total Hearts; each weal reduces the damage by 1, and remaining damage reduces that dreamer's Hearts by that number; if this reduces the pool to 0, the dreamer must throw one coin. If this single flip results in a Weal, the dreamer has 1 Heart left, otherwise they have 0 Hearts and are disabled. Disabled dreamers cannot act in any way, and each cycle must throw one coin; if they flip three woes before the combat ends or their Hearts are restored, they awaken from their nightmare and leave the dreaming. Hearts can be restored by the use of Arts, generally Love Arts, and a dreamer restores a number equal to their Desire at the end of combat if they have not woken up.

Thoughts allow a dreamer to manifest special effects, sometimes when using Disposition to change the dream, and when using the Love, Judge, and Change Arts. It is comprised of Will + Image. Each time one of these Arts is used, a dreamer spends 1 Thought before the throw is even made; the Thought is spent even in the event of a failure, with all woes. The Arts Voice, Eye, and Body require a certain number of Thoughts be available to a dreamer in order for it to be active. If a dreamers total Thoughts drop below the number needed to maintain these Arts, a dreamer must choose with effects to end. At the end of a scene, dreamers regain their Will in Thoughts. Thoughts can also be restored with special effects of specific Forms among Arts.

Pulse determines how often a dreamer is able to act during combat instants. Its components are Image + Desire. Each time an instant starts an entity can use some or all of their Pulse to use actions; actions can be the use of an Art, or the use of a Disposition to bring about some other effect, and cost different amounts of Pulse to use. After all actions are resolved in a specific order, a new instant begins and everyone restores their Image worth of Pulse. Some Forms have special effects that increase or decrease Pulse, and can turn the tide of combat if used wisely.

In total, each dreamer has fifteen numbered attributes that represent who they are, what they can do, and where they get their power. The Dispositions are Desire, Will, and Image. The Arts under a dreamers command are: Rage, Love, and Voice controlled by Desire, Absorb, Judge, and Eye controlled by Will, and Shift, Change, and Body controlled by Image. The others attributes that are spent or lost, relating to weathering attacks, using special abilities, and actions are Heart, Thought, and Pulse.

Dreamers may also have special characteristics called Vices and Virtues which add flavor their personality further. Vices are character flaws that offer a minor special ability in exchange for a mechanical disadvantage. Virtues are available to dreamers who display exceptional values and offer a special ability, or small mechanical boost.

All beings in a dream have Desire, Will, Image, Heart, Thought, and Pulse; not all of them have access to certain Arts, and some may not even need Arts at all. They also have goals, not all easily understood, that may make them hostile, indifferent, or even friendly towards dreamers and each other. They use their pools, Arts, and abilities in ways reflecting their disposition, and the Voice with which the dreamer speaks.

The dream itself can be said to be alive, as the terrain in one is an active part of the experience. Lamps can fall, carpets can cling to and trip dreamers. Fountains might heal, or sicken those who drink from them, while walls and floors may collapse at unexpected moments, sending dreamers on dangerous journeys. The dream itself may even seem to have a voice, or be eerily aware of feet walking in its halls. Inversely, dreamers that focus may be able to use one of their disposition pools, or Arts to bend or shape the aspects of the dream, using their surroundings to further their goals.

The dream, the dreamer, and those that exist in the dream all interact using pools and their motivations shape scenes. Usually, these scenes become a story that involves the dreamers learning and transcending through the layers of dreaming through exploration and Revelation eventually into the greatest dream of all: the Real World, and those that lie beyond it into the infinite. Sometimes, though, a group might want to search the depths for a while, and play a more desperate, or gritty game, diving into the nightmares of mankind and dragging them out by the hair. That's okay; the dreaming supports that, too.

In any case, the Dreaming is a game best played with between three and five players, with one player acting as the Dreamweaver [DW] and controlling the dream and its denizens and the others playing dreamers of their own design. With the diverse nature of the Dreaming it is very possible to have games where each session has a different player as the Dreamweaver. Use whatever method works best with your group.

Most importantly, Dreaming is a game and meant to be fun. If any of the rules or suggestions don't work for your group, change them. The game is more about the experience of those who play than any rule presented in this book.

Anyone can be a dreamer; there is no specific trait, lifestyle, or special ability that separates a dreamer from a normal person other than the escape they have found. Some say that you need something to escape from in order to become a dreamer, and this may be true; surely those who have perfect lives have no need for dreams. But no life is perfect below the surface, and every person can find power in facing the mind. Not every person, however, finds the willpower to keep hold, and keep chasing the power they find.

To begin, players begin with a basic character concept; this is a descriptive phrase that sums up who that dreamer is in the waking world, and defines their dream reflection. Note that dreamers need not actually currently be alive in the waking world, nor must they remember their waking life; they have some memories, though, that define them. Some examples of characters might include:

Ex-Actor In Wheelchair
Long Dead Monk
Disturbed Youth
Successful Businessman
Retired Old Woman
Wasted Coma Patient
Imprisoned Innocent

Once a two or three word phrase on a character is created, details can be added. Gender and age, motivations and doubts all play a role in determining their Dispositions, which are the mechanical backbone of a character.

There are three Dispositions, as mentioned in Chapter 1: Desire, Will, and Image. The balance between the three reflect the personality of the dreamer. Each dreamer is, however, unique, and dreamers with the exact same set of Dispositions might be radically different in how they manifest.

Desire High: Passionate, emotional, dramatic, aggressive, flirtatious, short-tempered.
Desire Low: Reserved, shy, calm, soft-spoken, humble, quiet, introverted.
Will High: Driven, focused, observant, stubborn, overbearing, precise, logical.
Will Low: Flighty, distracted, nervous, spineless, untidy, unaware, foolish.
Image High: Creative, confident, distant, aloof, mysterious, funny, witty.
Image Low: Boring, doubting, slow, simple, innocent, naive, honest.

Newly made dreamers begin with 2 in every Disposition, and have 3 more points to spend to increase these Dispositions on a 1-for-1 basis. With the choice of Dispositions made, derived pools such as Heart, Thought, and Pulse can be determined.

Desire + Will = Hearts

Will + Image = Thoughts

Image + Desire = Pulse

Next dreamers may have one Vice and one Virtue, maximum. These are defining traits of a dreamers and offer unique drawbacks and abilities to players who want to further enhance their characters capabilities and personality. These traits follow a dreamer throughout their entire experience; Arts can be improved, and new Forms learned, Dispositions can be enhanced in various ways, and many other abilities can be learned, but Vices and Virtues cannot be changed. Vices in particular leave a mark, and a disadvantage that must constantly be accounted for. A Virtue manifests under specific situations, and manifests sometimes as an object, others as a minor change in form.




Lust: The dreamers are marked by an almost feral instinct towards sensuality and flirtation. They often bear the traits of an animal, such as ear, feet, or a tail. At the end of combat, they gain 1 less Heart, but they may regain 1 Heart by committing a sensual act with a new being.

Obsession: This Vice comes in many forms; for some dreamers, it's cigarettes, others some form of drug, or food, or a ritual like cracking ones knuckles or making smart-ass remarks. These dreamers regain 1 less Pulse at the end of an instant, unless they have 0 Pulse, then they instead regain 1 more Pulse.

Despair: Dreamers held captive by this Vice may not be always crying, but they are generally damp. Their clothing, skin, and hair seem to collect moisture, and they may be surrounded by a faint cloud. At the end of a scene, these dreamers regain 1 less Thought, unless they have 0 Thoughts, then they instead regain 1 more Thought.

Wrath: Those who fall to Wrath find their bodies burning with unquenchable fire. Their eye might glow, their hair may smoke, and their bodies may even give off waves of flame or heat. Their Rage Arts deal 1 more damage, and Love Arts restore 1 less when used by them, or on them.

Envy: Dreamers guilty of this Vice often have fangs, a forked tongue, scales, snake or insect like eyes. It may be subtle, but any observant being will see its signs. When these dreamers receive Shadow, throw one coin; on a woe, increase the Shadow by one. If this dreamer is adjacent to a being receiving Illumination, they may throw a coin; on a weal, the receiver of illumination receives one less, and this dreamer gets that illumination instead.

Hubris: Dreamers that fall to pride often have surreal light effects surround them. They may appear warped, tilted, further away, or larger than natural. Whenever they throw all weals, the pool used become Shadowed by 1. Inversely, if they throw all woes, that pool is illuminated by 1.

Justice: Holding onto this Virtue grants a dreamer a weapon to bring punishment. Each Form may manifest different weapons, depending on what effect is chosen. When this dreamer does not use Love Arts in an instant, the Damage or Range of any Rage Form they use is increased by one step.

Humility: These dreamers tend to fade into the background of most scenes, not causing drama or seeking undo attention. They seem to be at ease anywhere. Any instant when they do not use their Judge Art, any Absorb Form's Negate or Frequency is increased one step.

Valor: Dreamers that manage this Virtue are blessed with shifting wings of light and color, or bright armor of similar material that covers their chest that protect them and speed them on their way. When they use a Shift Form in an instant they have not used their Change Art, its Steps or Evade are increased by one step.

Integrity: These dreamers seem unusually solid, and sometime shimmer with a metallic brightness. Their eyes are often like gemstones, and when their power is active a third eye often forms on their forehead. While any Eye Form is active and a Judge Form is used, its Shadow or Range is increased by one step.

Mercy: Compassion holds the heart of these dreamers, and they are often surrounded by a subtle aura of light. When they activate their ability, plants such as flowers and grass may grow at their feet. When any Voice Form is active and they use a Love Form, either its Recover or its Illumination is increased by one step.

Purity: This Virtue allows a dreamer to be without prejudice. They seem to give off a soft white light that clings to anything they touch. While using a Body Form, their Change Forms have either their Illumination or Range increased by one step.

Vices and Virtues are useful tools for players to augment and further define their dreamers. Most people have can be said to have one Vice and one Virtue that follows their mind across the barrier between worlds. These traits may also assist in getting into the mind of a dreamer for some players, giving them some very deep, personal values and weaknesses to act on.

Dreamers have one more set of attributes that complete their abilities in the dream, and these are known as the Arts. Each Art combines different effects together in a specific, thematic way that effects the dream and other entities in it; each of these effects is further altered by the Forms used by the dreamer. These Arts are also attuned to specific Dispositions, including them when Forms are used. Players can choose example Forms, or create their own specific to their dreamers using the rules presented in Chapter 4.

Desire: Rage destroys, Love restores, Voice projects

Will: Absorb protects, Judge limits, Eye sees

Image: Shift moves, Change frees, Body adapts

The Rage Arts project a dreamers fury, frustration, and desire to see something made into naught. Its main effect is Damage, and Forms with high damage can be brutally effective. These forms may work only in arms reach, or steps away. Some of them may even leave a Shadow effect on the Dispositions of targets who receive damage, and others may have Take Pulse, Thought, or Hearts, or move their targets. Rage Arts costs 2 Pulse to use in an Instant.

Rage Forms (Damage, Range, Shadow, Take):

Burn (High Damage, Minor Take Hearts)

Divide (Major Shadow Desire, Medium Damage)

Shock (Long Range, Medium Damage)

Freeze (Major Take Pulse, Medium Damage)

Thrust (Major Take Steps, Medium Damage)

Decay (Major Shadow Will, Minor Take Thoughts)

Love Arts come from an ability to feel empathy and compassion, and allow a dreamer to restore Heart to damaged things of all descriptions, from furniture to dreamers to stars. As with Rage, Love may be used in arms reach, or steps away, specific to each Form. Illumination may occur in some Forms, and some may Give Pulse, Thought, or Hearts, or move a target a number of steps. Love Forms cost 1 Thought and 3 Pulse to use.

Love Arts (Recover, Range, Illuminate, Give):

Tough (Major Give Pulse, Minor Illuminate Desire)

Kind (High Restore, Minor Give Thoughts)

Intimate (Major Illuminate Desire, Medium Restore)

Gentle (High Restore, Minor Illuminate Image)

Patient (Major Illuminate Will, Medium Restore)

Hidden (Long Range, Medium Restore)

Unyielding (Major Give Hearts, Medium Restore)

Voice Forms flavor how the dream and its denizens react to the dreamer. It might be a whisper, or a shout, affecting beings at different ranges. It may be ignored by more willful entities, some Forms being more effective than others. Each Form projects a different emotion, and successful Voice throws cause those effected to be caught up in the emotion; as different emotions are more easy to control than others, different Forms are more or less effective in this regard. Voice Arts can be activated once per scene, and to remain active the dreamer must keep 1 Thought unspent, and it costs 1 Pulse to direct the Voice during a combat instant.

Voice Arts (Potency, Range, Reaction):

Fearful (High Potency, Short Range)

Confident (High Control, Medium Potency)

Cryptic (High Potency, Medium Control)

Longing (Long Range, Medium Control)

Sultry (High Control, Short Range)

Empty (Long Range, Medium Potency)

The Absorb Arts are linked with defensive reflexes, and the awareness of attacks. Each Form negates a certain amount of damage from one or more Rage Forms. It may illuminate one of the users Dispositions, or Give just like the Love Arts. Absorb is typically used in combat, but can be used preemptively when a dreamer suspects of Sees a hostile section of the dreaming. Absorb Forms cost 2 Pulse to use in an instant.

Absorb Arts (Negate, Frequency, Illuminate, Give):

Block (High Negate, Minor Illuminate Will)

Shrink (Major Illuminate Desire, Medium Negate)

Blink (Major Illuminate Image, Medium Frequency)

Sway (High Frequency, Minor Give Pulse)

Gasp (Major Give Hearts, Medium Negate)

Wince (High Negate, Minor Give Thoughts)

Judge Arts force limitations and hindrance onto things, most notably Locking specific Arts. Like many other Arts, these may be used at a varying range between a single step and many depending on the Form. They also may Shadow a specific Disposition, or may Take like Rage Forms. Judge Arts cost 1 Thought and 3 Pulse to use.

Judge Arts (Lock, Range, Shadow, Take):

Fool (Major Shadow Will, Lock Judge)

Clumsy (Lock Shift, Minor Take Pulse)

Weak (Lock Rage, Short Range)

Slow (Lock Absorb, Minor Take Thought)

Heartless (Major Shadow Desire, Lock Love)

Blind (Major Shadow Image, Lock Change)

Eye Arts see the dream as it really is, and it is many things, so different Eyes see different things. Most notably, Eye Forms are used to see hidden paths, hidden objects, and hidden beings, and into the hidden parts of others. Some Forms see further than others, and more advanced beings can fool simpler Forms. The level of detail a form produces can allow specific information about the attributes of the dream, those in it, and the truth that all things can be a path in dreaming. These Forms, like Voice Forms, can be used once per scene, and one Thought must be held unspent for this Art to remain active, and cost 1 Pulse to direct.

Eye Arts (Detail, Range, Potency):

Red (Detail Desire, Short Range)

Orange (High Potency, Detail Pulse)

Yellow (Long Range, Medium Potency, Detail Shift)

Green (Detail Will, Short Range)

Blue (Long Range, Detail Thought)

Purple (Detail Image, Medium Potency)

Shift Arts move a dreamer about in a dream, allowing them to pass in range for other Arts and to escape the claws of their foes. Each Form moves the dreamer a number of steps, and also add an Evade rating to avoid effects like Rage, and Judge Forms, even Love and Change Forms if a they are for some reason unwanted. The Forms also Illuminate a Disposition and Give like Love Forms. Shift Forms cost 2 Pulse to use in an instant.

Shift Arts (Steps, Evade, Illuminate, Give):

Charge (High Steps, Minor Illuminate Desire)

Bolt (High Evade, Medium Steps)

Creep (Major Give Pulse, Medium Evade)

Burst (Major Illuminate Desire, Medium Steps)

Rush (High Steps, Medium Evade)

Bound (High Steps, Minor Illuminate Image)

The Change Arts enhance and embolden those who receive them. They may target the self, something in arms reach, or something steps away depending on the form. They Unlock an Art, and may Illuminate, or Give like Love Forms. Change Forms cost 1 Thought and 3 Pulse to use.

Change Arts (Unlock, Range, Illuminate, Give):

Crown (Major Illuminate Will, Unlock Judge)

Cape (Unlock Shift, Minor Illuminate Image)

Ring (Unlock Rage, Minor Illuminate Desire)

Scarf (Long Range, Unlock Love)

Belt (Major Give Heart, Short Range, Unlock Body)

Lenses (Major Give Pulse, Short Range, Unlock Eye)

Body Arts remake the dreamer who uses them into something else. This may change a dreamers Size for the better, or worse, Illuminating or Shadowing their Dispositions permanently while the effect is active. The Forms may offer a measure of concealment against prying eyes, and may also offer enhanced modes of movement such as flight, leaping, or climbing walls. As with Voice and Eye Arts, one Thought must be kept unspent and unreserved by other Arts each scene to have this Art active, and it costs 1 Pulse to direct the abilities of the Body.

Body Arts (Size, Conceal, Movement):

Bird (High Movement, Medium Size)

Rat (High Conceal, Medium Movement)

Cat (High Conceal, Medium Size)

Dog (High Size, Medium Movement)

Insect (High Movement, Medium Conceal)

Lizard (High Size, Medium Conceal)

Dreamers start with 1 in every Art, and with a single Form for each. A dreamer then may add as many points in each category as the value of the disposition Pool the Arts are ruled by. For example, a dreamer with 4, 2, and 3 in Desire, Will, and Image respectively would have 4 points to spend on Rage, Love, and Voice Arts, 2 points on Absorb, Judge and Eye, and 3 points on Shift, Change, and Body Arts. They cannot raise an Art higher than 6 in this way, and any further increases will be due to Revelation.

Once Forms are chosen and points assigned into the Arts, a dreamer has two more choices. First, for their highest Art (or one of their choosing if some are tied) they receive one additional Form for that Art. Second, their appearance should be at least be glanced at. How a dreamer sees themselves changes as they gain and lose their ability to handle the dream; one dreamer may appear as an Angel of Judgement when confident, and a portly old man when terrified. Dispositions, a dreamers real body, and general attitude may all play a role in what a dreamer looks like, and what they are garbed in walking these strange halls.

Dreamers can learn new Forms for their Arts by consciously observing Forms used by other dreamers, archetypes, or other beings. This costs 1 Pulse while in combat, and requires they throw the same Disposition that Rules the Form's Art. If the throw is successful (or only 1 weal is found and a Thought is spent) three times with the same Form, the dreamer gains Revelation, and begins to improve their Arts and other aspects.

The first Arts to improve are Voice, Eye, and Body depending what Disposition was being used when Revelation occurred, then Love, Judge, and Change, then Rage, Absorb and Shift, finally improving the ruling Dispositions, Desire, Will, or Image. Each Disposition and its Arts are advanced separately. Each time a Disposition of a dreamer is increased through Revelation, the player may choose a new number as their Revelation.

Once all these choices have been made, a dreamer is ready to be played, and the adventures can begin. Every player, even sometimes the dreamweaver, should have their own dreamer to play. Usually there is a limit of one dreamer to a player, but some groups may like to cycle through characters, or even have some players use two at a time.

What's in a Dream? Teaser/Filler

This is Monk's first remembered encounter in the dreaming, his nightmare, where he will either outwit, defeat, or succumb to his Nemesis. It will be translated, play-by-play, here. The setting is a plateau at night; Monk stands with a great fire 4 steps to the North of him, a strange stone tower 3 steps to the Northwest, and 8 narrow stone pillars arranged in pairs starting 4 steps to the east. Monk is unaware the his Nemesis is on a small rise 4 steps to the South of him.

This is displayed on my kitchen table with a dime for Monk, a nickel for the Nemesis. Distances are determined by pennies laid out. The terrain is made from found objects; the tower is a vase, the fire a tea candle, the pillars cigarettes stood on end, and the rise is an ashtray.

In the spirit of a reactive world of dreaming, terrain can be used and changed, and may have access to Arts itself. In this case, the fire to the North can be harnessed, the tower climbed, and the stone pillars may be toppled. The rise simply serves as a convenient vantage point.

The Angry Old Monk lacks mercy, though not strategy. As it has the element of surprise, it is allowed an instant to spend Pulse on actions without Monk being able to mount any sort of defense. He also seeks to cut off a potential resource and exit (all things are Paths).

The Angry Old Monk spends 5 Pulse and 1 Thought, using his Judge and Shift Arts, the Forms Brash and Stride. The first thing resolved in an instant is always Shift Arts; the paths and distances beings move determine if Forms are in range when used.

Stride: 3 weals; 3 woes

The Angry Old Monk drops from the rise, suddenly revealing his presence while his measured gait takes him towards the pillars. He moves at a rate that actually makes his beard trail back behind him. He walks six steps, and is suddenly beside the most western pillar.

At the Threshold of 3, the Form Stride (enhanced by the AOM's Valor Virtue) moves him 6 Steps, sets his Evade to 2 (which doesn't matter, at the moment). it would also Unlock his Absorb, were that Locked.

Absorb Arts would always come next, then Rage Arts, but as neither of those have been used the AOM's Judge Art is resolved.

Brash: 2 weals; 4 woes

His hands draw a sign in the air that make the whole body feel sunken and heavy. The powerful binding falls short of Monk, though, and a hiss of frustration sends chills down his spine.

Now, the instant has ended. The AOM regains 4 Pulse, putting his total at 7, and both he and Monk are allowed to declare their actions.

Monk chooses to Shift, using the Form Bound, Absorb, using the Form Block, and Rage, using his Divide Form. This spends all 6 of his Pulse, AOM uses Judge and Rage, spending 5 Pulse and another Thought.

Bound: 4 weals; 1 woe

His Nemesis may take the face of his old teachers and friends, but Monk, knew that the attack was a challenge, though at this point has little understanding of where his it. It was familiar, but indistinct, dark, and hostile. This being may have been fast, but Monk was fast too; he moves in acrobatic leaps past both the enemy, and two of the pillars, to stand beside the third.

Monk's 4 weals put him in the Threshold of 3. This moves him 6 Steps. This Form would have have also Unlocked his Change, were that Locked, and grants him and Evade of 2, which might actually be helpful.

Monk's Absorb Art Form, Block is the next action resolved in the instant.

Block: 3 weals; 2 woes

Monk anticipated the attack, watching his opponent as he passed, ready to put up his defenses the instant its form was revealed. He remembered his training, the hardening of his body, and the training of his reflexes.

At the Threshold of 3, Monk's Absorb Form will reduce 6 damage from the next attack. He also Illuminates his own Will by 1, giving him an edge for the next instant.

Next, Rage Arts are resolved, with both Monk and the AOM unleashing their Forms and finally trading blow. As they passed within a step of each other, range will not be an issue for either of them.

Divide: 2 weals; 3 woes

Question: 5 weals; 3 woes

Monk takes his opportunity, and makes his attack, cutting his foe with his hand, but is overtaken by the intensity of the counterattack, barely able to get his Block up in time. A single word comes from the Angry Old Monk's mouth, and it warps a wide swath of air in is thundering path. The third pillar, behind Monk, collapses from the collateral damage it takes.

Monk gets only 2 weals, putting his manifestation of his Divide Form at that Threshold. It deals only 3 damage, but does cause the AOM's Desire to suffer 1 Shadow.

The Rage Form, Question had 5 weals, a much higher Threshold. Its Damage effect, however, is low.and it only deals 6 damage, meaning Monk just barely managed to Negate its damage, and avoid losing 3 additional Hearts simply from the Effect of the Form.

Next, other Arts, in this case Judge are resolved. The Angry Old Monk used Brash again, attempting to pin Monk to the spot for easier elimination.

Brash: 3 weals; 3 woes

Monk's speed didn't help him pay enough attention, and he finds his feet rooted to the spot, even as the pillar collapses beside him. The symbol the old man draws with his hand takes hold.

The Nemesis' Judge Art was effective, and Locked Monk's Shift Art, preventing him from moving effectively until at least the end of the next instant.

After any Arts are resolved, damage can be resolved. The Nemesis took 3 damage, and must throw his Hearts to try and prevent it.

Nemesis Hearts: 2 weals; 6 woes
The Nemesis' Hearts are reduced by 1 by the Rage Art

A terrain feature was destroyed this instant, and this kind of thing is generally considered to happen. The pillar was narrow, and liable to topple anyways. In this case, me, the dreamweaver determines each of the beings in the area have a chance of being struck by a part of the pillar. This will happen during the next instant, as a very simple application of the Rage Art.

Monk: Weals; unaffected
Nemesis: Woes; affected.

With this the instant ends. Monk restores 3 Pulse, and his Nemesis 4.

The new instant begins with Monk spending 2 of his Pulse to use his Absorb Art, and the Nemesis pressing his advantage by doing the same to avoid damage from the pillar, and by using his Rage Art to attack Monk.

No Shift Art was used, to we skip to Monk and his Nemesis' Absorb Arts.

Block: 2 weals, 1 illuminated; 2 woes
Dismiss: 3 weals; 3 woes

Both the squaring off opponents have something to be wary of, but while Monk shows the tension and gathering of will as he prepares his Block Form, the Nemesis show only casual contempt when he prepares his Dismiss Form.

Monk's Absorb Art will Negate the next 6 damage from a Rage Art, and illuminates his Will by 1 again, keeping his advantage. The Nemesis Negates only 5 damage, but has its Will illuminated by 2.

Next, the pillars collapsing rocks and the Nemesis' Rage Art try to damage the Nemesis and Monk respectively.

Pillar Collapse: 1 weal; 3 woes
Question: 5 weals; 2 woes, 1 shadow


Neither the pillars falling stones nor the Nemesis' shattering word leave a mark. Monk again, just barely manages to overcome with his Form, while the Nemesis barely even has to pay attention to avoid the slab that falls where he once stood.

The 6 damage Negated by Monk's Block just barely managed to prevent the Question's 6 damage and subsequent effects, again. The 5 damage the Dismiss Form prevents easily overcomes any effect the pillar might have had.

Another instant ends with Monk restoring 3 Pulse and the Nemesis 4. Monk's Lock effect has a chance of ending, as well.

Shift Lock: Woe; Locked

In the new instant Monk uses his remaining 4 Pulse to both use both Rage and Absorb Arts, and the Nemesis uses 4 Pulse to do the same.

Again, no Shift Arts are used so Absorb Arts are resolved first.

Block: 0 weals, 1 illuminated; 4 woes
Dismiss: 2 weals, 2 illuminated; 4 woes

Monk tries to prepare for the next onslaught, but some manner of distraction overcomes his ability to manifest the Form. His Block is sloppy, and gain him little. The Nemesis is, as always, coldly competent and seems unconcerned by Monk's Rage.

Monk's Absorb will only Negate 2 damage this time, making him vulnerable to his Nemesis' attack; he also fails to illuminate his Will. The Nemesis will Negate 5 damage again, and illuminates his Will by 2 once again.

The Rage Arts happen next, with Monk and his Divide form and the Nemesis with his destructive Question.

Divide: 4 weals; 1 woe
Question: 6 weals; 2 woes

Even as Monk attempts to make one last mark, he knows the next attack may end him. His feet still do not move, and the ground around him is shattered by the violence he had not yet experienced.

Divide deals 5 damage and is Negated by the Nemesis' Absorb Form. Question deals 6 damage again, only 2 of which are Negated by Monk's Absorb Form, Block; this means Monk's Hearts go down by 3 from the special effect of the Question.

With no other Arts being used in this instant, Hearts are thrown and damage is dealt. Monk has a chance of survival, but has been all but completely overcome by his Nemesis in straight combat.

Monk Hearts: 1 weal; 2 woes

Monk loses 3 Hearts, putting him at 0; he has one more chance, throwing a single coin. If he throws weals, he has 1 Heart.

That's all for today!

3 of 4 characters created!

Who dreams the dream? Under Construction; Check Back Soon!

Who dreams the dreamer? Scrap-note version

Each object, creature, and plant is a reflection of another, perhaps many other things. The terrain itself can have unusual effects, and may help or harm a dreamer who intends to explore.



Even such innocuous things, such as a flower, a cliff, a lantern, the wind, or rain might extend some manner of awareness into the dreaming. Some of these, though not all, may use different Arts, capabilities and tendencies initially determined by the dreamweaver. These things are particularly susceptible to being affected by the Desire, Will and Image Pools.




These are the character ingrained in the subconscious of the human mind. Things like the Wise Man, the Lost Child, the Maiden, and many images where culture heroes find their roots here. They have Desire, Will, and Image just like dreamers, though somewhat lower, and may have enhanced Forms that a dreamer may eventually learn from them.

They have they own motivations, and may be friendly, indifferent, or even hostile to dreamers who interact with them. A dreamer can generally gain a needed attitude with the right Voice Form, but some interactions with inevitably lead to conflict. Archetypes are, perhaps, more fragile than dreamers, but may have potent abilities if roused. More benign beings will flee from combat situations unless persuaded to do otherwise.

Archetypes are common through the layers of dreaming, from the Nightmare to the Mansion to the Islands. They fulfill background roles, and are fairly limited in capability.



Dreamers include not only the characters the players devise, but also other dreamers who may have found their way into the various layers the dreamer may interact with. Of all beings a dreamer may come into contact with, other dreamers may perhaps be the most diverse and volatile of all. Some dreamers do not understand where they are, and others don't care and may revel in the power they've found.

Having access to all the Arts, Forms, and levels of capability a dreamer does, they can be found throughout the dreaming and at varying ranges of power. Voice may be effective on them, and they may be amiable of their own accord. All too frequently, though, a dreamer may be violent by nature.




These are the beings that come from a dreamer's Nightmare, a twisted reflection of their capabilities and fears. They specifically haunt a dreamer until defeated for good, even after a dreamer initially escapes into the Mansion. It may take several actual slayings to truly defeat.

The Nemesis is a twisted reflection of the dreamer it haunts, and seeks to slay and destroy. It has higher Dispositions, and more focused Arts. Like the dreamer, they have Vices and Virtues, always different from their mirror.

When a dreamer has successfully defeated his Nemesis, they are on the path to reaching the Island level of dreaming. Defeating a Nemesis involves more than simply killing their form; it involves facing them on multiple fields, and besting them in full.




When the Nemesis are finally overcome for good, the seed is planted for a Guide to be born. Dreamers are generally destined to meet their guide and rarely part afterward. If a player chooses, however, their dreamer may never actually meet their own Guide, destined to a uniquely lonely path in the dreaming.

A Guide generally serves the function of adviser, aid, companion and ally to the dreamer they are associated with. For the most part they take the form of small animals, such as dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, lizards, and toads. They have Arts and capabilities similar to a dreamer did when they began their journey, and the Vices and Virtues their Nemesis once had.

The Guide may know all Arts, and the Forms available to them are more broad and balanced than those dreamers initially have. Guides are particularly patient, and may allow a dreamer to attempt to learn Forms from them as often as once per scene.

There is much mystery surrounding Guides, as they are not always forthcoming about their true natures. Some theories suggest they may actually be Nemesis' in a new form. Their tendencies would have been reversed then, because Guides, for the most part, will defend, aid, and encourage dreamers to ascend through the dreaming rather than try to murder them.

Sometimes an idea gets enough momentum, enough power that it crystallizes in the human mind into a Persona. These are the Gods and Demons, the imagined and the feared. These types of being run the gambit from ego-maniacal and cruel to exceptionally helpful and friendly; sometimes both in the very same Persona.

Examples of Persona's might include popular culture icons such as deities, demons, characters from movies or television, as well as those from comics and video games; they truly believe they are whatever or whoever they represent. For all intents and purposes, this is true; they act and use abilities as if they were, indeed that exact person, deity, demon or being. Personas generally interact with and reside on their Island, though some more active ones are known to wander from them to other parts of the dreaming.

Persona have incredibly high Disposition scores, above the level a dreamer even has access to. They do have specific Forms, nor do they have any points in their Arts, but they can create powerful Forms on the fly. Their flexibility and vast resources make them a challenge to even experienced dreamers who have maxed out some or all of their Arts and Dispositions.

Where do the dreams go?

When does the dreamer wake?

What's behind the dream?

need some serious line breaks in that giant wall of text. i failed my Save vs. Walls roll trying to read it.

shadzar wrote:need some serious line breaks in that giant wall of text. i failed my Save vs. Walls roll trying to read it.

Hopefully that's better.

Just hit the Enter key an extra time or two between paragraphs.EDIT: already did it by the time I posted /EDIT

You probably want to articulate an example of how you'd see a scenario in this game playing out. Why would somebody go for this dreamworld RPG over, say, Lacuna.

Good point, and it's actually what I plan to cover in the next chapter, another night.

I love coins and I love this concept. I'll watch this space!

Anyone interested is welcome to make a character. I'll start, and I'll be around to answer any questions. Once I have a few sample characters prepared, I will begin on Chapter 3, where I will show how the game is played.

Monk had a name once, but he has forgotten it, along with all but the wisps of his existence outside the dream, if that is even what it was. He remembers the only tale he knows through its retelling, a story of an ancient kingdom, a clever young man, and how his foolishness cost everyone, especially himself.
"There was once a clever young boy who lived in a Great Old Temple among many Wise Old Men. He did not remember a life before the Great Old Temple and the Wise Old Men, but it was his life. It was a very easy life, and he was allowed to do as he pleased; he need not help with the chores, nor do anything but play and be idle as a child would, asking questions and exploring the Great Old Temple as long as he did not enter the Big Gathering Hall.
So, for a time the clever young boy grew and played and became a clever boy. On that very day, that clever boy decided enough was enough and he wanted to know what happened in the Big Gathering Hall. The clever boy approached from the front doors, to find them guarded by Wise Old Men who would not let him in. Being clever, however, he devised another method: he would climb. So the clever boy climbed from a large oak tree into the window so he could look into the Big Gathering Hall. What he saw entranced him; the Wise Old Men were Wise Old Monks, who trained to harden their bodies, enhance their minds, and focus their energy.
It was not long before the clever boy was discovered, and the Wise Old Monks brought him into a small dark room behind the Big Gathering Hall. They smiled, in the same patient Wise Old Man smile, and asked the clever boy why he had broken the only rule he was given. The clever boy simply said it was the only thing he hadn't done yet.
The Wise Old Monk smiled, and was silent for a long time. The clever boy was afraid, imagining grueling punishments or, worse, being sent out of the Great Old Temple the was his home.
After what seemed like an eternity, the Wise Old Monk concluded that the boy would participate in training, and begin to do chores just like all the other Wise Old Monks. The clever boy was aghast, but eventually adapted to his new life, and one day became a clever young man.
On that very day, he asked one of the Wise Old Monks what was outside the Great Old Temple. The Wise Old Monk once again paused for a long time, and then took him to the small dark room behind the Big Gathering Hall. They asked him why he wanted to know what was outside the Great Old Temple. The clever young man simply replied that it was the only thing he hadn't seen.
The Wise Old Monk made him wait another eternity before they declared that he would learn, once he mastered his training and become a Monk like them. The clever young man was hurt, as though he respected the Wise Old Monks he did not want to be like them. Eventually, though, he accepted his new life and devoted himself to his training. One day, though, he became a Monk.
On that very day, the Monk who was no longer so young, left the Great Old Temple in search of the wonders of the world. He was told of immortal empires, great warriors, and cruel highwaymen that plagued the world, and of villages, trade, merchants and noblemen before he left, and was already feeling confident. His training made him strong, quick, and agile, and he was still very clever.
He came across highwaymen, and tricked the ones he didn't trump. Villages came next, and he learned further of gambling and drink, of vice and women. Eventually, though, he encountered the one thing he was warned of: an immortal empire.
The Castle was like nothing he had ever seen, spires reaching into clouds as they swirled past. The Monk was not sure why, but he knew that he must reach the top of that Castle. His journey up its towers and the havoc he caused are another tale altogether, and best left untold. He did, however, reach the top, and it changed everything.
At the top of the Highest Tower of the Castle, was a single Blue Flower that wept. It wept Bright Tears into a Crystal Bowl. The Monk was overcome with its beauty, and his own curiosity, and reached out his fingers to brush the petals of the Blue Flower. As he did, they wilted, and it died.
The Monk had killed the Flower of Immortality, and caused the ruin of a dynasty. The Immortal Emperor, his wife and Children cursed the Monk. His feet would never walk the world again, and he would never have freedom from his dreams. So the Monk fell asleep, and eventually was drawn into the dreaming, where he resides now, perhaps forever."

Monk's Nemesis takes the form, somewhat predictably, of one of the Wise Old Monks from his tale. A long white beard covers half his face, and his white eyes are shadowed by white eyebrows; he is completely bald. He wears simple robes, and carries nothing with him. This Nemesis is completely without humor; his Rage Form, Question, is the only word he speaks, and is highly dangerous even across distances. His defensive ability is limited in frequency, but potent, and his Judge and Change Forms follow the theme of movement, or blocking it. His Shift Form prevents his defenses from being locked down, and moves him a decent distance, but does cause him to be vulnerable to special attacks with its Low Evade.

I like the concept work a lot here, but in terms of mechanics, am I looking at penny pools rather than dice pools on small ranges? (1-8, heavy weighting towards the 1-4 range?) with opposition strength in the same range (your monk attacks with Rage:Divide; 2 pennies; double heads = 2 damage versus their absorb (block), which is also, say, 2 pennies. 1 head, 1 tails, they take 1 damage to a 6 point heart pool, and have a penalty (shadow?) on their own rage powers for encounter duration?

I guess I don't really understand the bracketed material after each art.

[Apologies if multiplepost-this wireless network is a sack of on fire kittens transferring internet signals through a series of light filled tubes)

That's something I'm trying to work on. First of all, the numbers of pennies being thrown for Arts such as in the Rage vs. Absorb scenario you mentioned are from around 3-12 (it would be Rage Art + Desire Pool, totally 5 dice for Monk's Divide Art). The parts afters each Art you mention are the specific parameters that the Artform has as both High and Medium effect (the others are Low). Most parameters increased their effect at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 weals during a throw, although Low parameters may increase very little, or not at all. So, his Rage Artform Divide would have a range of 1-9 damage spread through those thresholds, and an increasing Shadow effect. This specific Artform could also be expressed like this:

Divide
DMG |RNG|SHA|EFF
1| 1 | 1 |1-D | 0
2| 3 | 1 |1-D | 0
3| 5 | 1 |2-D | 0
5| 7 | 1 |2-D | 0
8| 9 | 1 |3-D | 0

DMG: The damage the effect does
RNG: The number of steps away the target can be
SHA: The Shadow effect, D = Desire, W = Will, I = Image
EFF: The special effect on Hearts, Thoughts, Pulse, or Steps.

As for what Shadow does, it should be in the second post. But as a recap, it would effect the next Rage, Love, or Voice Art throw, or possibly a disposition throw to, say, open a gate. It would cause that number of coins to not be thrown, and simply result a woes. The effect reduces by 1 each time a throw is made that is affected by it.

Does it shadow your pool, or theirs?

Korgan0 wrote:Does it shadow your pool, or theirs?

Theirs.

Thanks for the questions and comment so far! I hope things will soon be clear enough to see a second character soon.

This looks really promising. I'm still digesting it, so I'll try to come back with more profound or holistic comments later. For now let me just say that this looks like it's going to be a very complicated game. It has to be, because the genre it's emulating is really complicated to represent mechanically, and there's a ton going on. That does mean that you need do everything you can to help people grasp what's going on, even if that means cutting back on the flavorful wording.

When I first read this game I thought it was a fixed-dice pool game like FATE. Having read it, I'm wondering why it isn't. Since shadow and illuminate set the result to a fixed number, and the XP mechanic rewards you for rolling a fixed number, it's probably a good idea to keep the random part of an action the same across characters, so that Illuminated:3 means something consistent.

Speaking of XP, I don't like the mechanic in its current implementation. First, it introduces relly opaque optimization since people need to predict in advance what their dicepools will look like for typical actions to know what numbers are likely to come up. This is another reason I favor fixed dicepools. The bigger problem is, I think having people check for up to 3 different numbers depending on what stat they were rolling adds too many operations to every single action in the game. If you want players to check for a number, each character should only have one number to worry about. I realize this cuts down on the flavor differentiation. You get to choose to have character who learns from mistakes or learns from strokes of genius, but not one who learns from expressing their desire or surrendering their will. If you want to go that route, I'd try to get away from rolled numbers and peg advancement to actual outcomes.

You seem to be calling a lot of things "Pools" that don't really behave like each other, or like "dicepools" in other games, for that matter. From a cursory glance, it looks to me like "disposition Pools" could just be "Dispositions." The Art could also be presented in a cleaner format. I mean, I know the current is a placeholder anyway, since presumably High and Medium are being replaced by numbers at some point? But right now my attempts to read the art lists are being impaired by the fact that half of the capitalized words are not giving me information I want. Since you're always presenting the High effect first and the Medium second, I'd remove those words from the individual writeups and just put at the beginning that the major effect comes before the minor one. Maybe color-code major Red and minors Blue. This would be an especially good idea if you gave each art a one-sentence natural language description.

Orion wrote:This looks really promising. I'm still digesting it, so I'll try to come back with more profound or holistic comments later. For now let me just say that this looks like it's going to be a very complicated game. It has to be, because the genre it's emulating is really complicated to represent mechanically, and there's a ton going on. That does mean that you need do everything you can to help people grasp what's going on, even if that means cutting back on the flavorful wording.

When I first read this game I thought it was a fixed-dice pool game like FATE. Having read it, I'm wondering why it isn't. Since shadow and illuminate set the result to a fixed number, and the XP mechanic rewards you for rolling a fixed number, it's probably a good idea to keep the random part of an action the same across characters, so that Illuminated:3 means something consistent.

Speaking of XP, I don't like the mechanic in its current implementation. First, it introduces relly opaque optimization since people need to predict in advance what their dicepools will look like for typical actions to know what numbers are likely to come up. This is another reason I favor fixed dicepools. The bigger problem is, I think having people check for up to 3 different numbers depending on what stat they were rolling adds too many operations to every single action in the game. If you want players to check for a number, each character should only have one number to worry about. I realize this cuts down on the flavor differentiation. You get to choose to have character who learns from mistakes or learns from strokes of genius, but not one who learns from expressing their desire or surrendering their will. If you want to go that route, I'd try to get away from rolled numbers and peg advancement to actual outcomes.

You seem to be calling a lot of things "Pools" that don't really behave like each other, or like "dicepools" in other games, for that matter. From a cursory glance, it looks to me like "disposition Pools" could just be "Dispositions." The Art could also be presented in a cleaner format. I mean, I know the current is a placeholder anyway, since presumably High and Medium are being replaced by numbers at some point? But right now my attempts to read the art lists are being impaired by the fact that half of the capitalized words are not giving me information I want. Since you're always presenting the High effect first and the Medium second, I'd remove those words from the individual writeups and just put at the beginning that the major effect comes before the minor one. Maybe color-code major Red and minors Blue. This would be an especially good idea if you gave each art a one-sentence natural language description.

Heck of a good review, and will take me a while to digest. Gives me some way to expand and make the format a little easier to understand, a challenge I'm finding. Thank you.

I'm hoping, personally, that although it will be somewhat complicated in the end, it will remain rooted firmly enough in simplicity that it can be grasped.

Experience is a system I was actually looking for input on. It obviously can't be a simple hack and slash reward, and I don't want to handwave it with DW decision.

I'm not sure what your concern with the Shadow/Illumination system was, however. It fixes only a limited number of coins; the rest are thrown normally. Perhaps I misunderstood.

Aha, I misread the shadow/illumination section. For some reason I took "that number" in "that number of coins are not thrown" to refer to "the number of coins in your pool." So, I thought Illuminated: 3 would prevent the entire roll and just set the result to 3.

Conservative Politician
Desire: 5 (?) | Hearts: 7/5
Will: 2 (?) | Thoughts: 4/2
Image: 2 (?) | Pulse: 7/2
Rage: 3 | Love: 1 | Voice: 4
Absorb: 1 | Judge: 3 | Eye: 1
Shift: 3 | Change: 1 | Body: 1
Vice: Hubris | Virtue: Valor

Rage: Decay (High Shadow Will, Medium Effect Thoughts) .
Love: Unyielding (High Effect Heart, Medium Restore)
Voice: Fearful (High Potency, Medium Range)
Absorb: Shrink (High Illuminate Desire, Medium Negate)
Judge: Heartless (High Shadow Desire, Medium Lock Love)
Eye: Red (High Detail Desire, Medium Range)
Shift: Charge (High Steps, Medium Illuminate Desire, Unlock Voice)
Change: Ring (High Unlock Rage, Medium Illuminate Desire)
Body: Insect (High Movement, Medium Conceal)

I only have a vague idea of this characters capabilities. I am unsure what the brackets next to the Desire, Will and Image pools indicate.

I imagine the modus opperandi of this dreamer is to charge around, shouting at things that don't conform to his limited worldview. Takes the form of a statuesque and vengeful archangel, that gradually shrinks into a pasty, corpulant, middle-aged white guy when challenged.

Winnah wrote:Conservative Politician
Desire: 5 (?) | Hearts: 7/5
Will: 2 (?) | Thoughts: 4/2
Image: 2 (?) | Pulse: 7/2
Rage: 3 | Love: 1 | Voice: 4
Absorb: 1 | Judge: 3 | Eye: 1
Shift: 3 | Change: 1 | Body: 1
Vice: Hubris | Virtue: Valor

Rage: Decay (High Shadow Will, Medium Effect Thoughts) .
Love: Unyielding (High Effect Heart, Medium Restore)
Voice: Fearful (High Potency, Medium Range)
Absorb: Shrink (High Illuminate Desire, Medium Negate)
Judge: Heartless (High Shadow Desire, Medium Lock Love)
Eye: Red (High Detail Desire, Medium Range)
Shift: Charge (High Steps, Medium Illuminate Desire, Unlock Voice)
Change: Ring (High Unlock Rage, Medium Illuminate Desire)
Body: Insect (High Movement, Medium Conceal)

I only have a vague idea of this characters capabilities. I am unsure what the brackets next to the Desire, Will and Image pools indicate.

I imagine the modus opperandi of this dreamer is to charge around, shouting at things that don't conform to his limited worldview. Takes the form of a statuesque and vengeful archangel, that gradually shrinks into a pasty, corpulant, middle-aged white guy when challenged.

Excellent. You grasped the character creation pretty much perfectly. The numbers after Desire, Will, and Image in brackets are the Revelation numbers which is the experience system I'm working on changing anyways.

As for capabilities, this fellow will have a pretty easy time Decaying holes in things, and making use of his Voice, as you can imagine. His Decay Rage Shadows Will, so it will make it harder to avoid each time it is used, and it reduced Thoughts as well, limiting an opponents use of special powers. The Fearful Voice is capable of inspiring fear in a variety of beings at medium range, allowing him to cause opponents to pause, or even flee. His primary weakness at this point is his low Absorb Art, making him likely to take damage in combat.


Conservative Politician's Nemesis
Desire: 6 | Hearts: 9/6
Will: 3 | Thoughts: 6/3
Image: 3 | Pulse: 9/3
Rage: 4 | Love: 2 | Voice: 0
Absorb: 1 | Judge: 1 | Eye: 1
Shift: 2 | Change: 1 | Body: 0
Vice: Envy | Virtue: Integrity

Rage: Flay

(High Shadow Desire, Medium Damage)

Love: Innocent

(High Recover, Medium Illuminate Will)

Absorb: Shirk

(High Negate, Medium Frequency)

Judge: Liar

(High Shadow Will, Medium Effect Pulse, Low Lock Voice)

Eye: Accusing

(High Range, Medium Detail Hearts)

Shift: Pounce

(High Evade, Medium Steps)

Change: Collar

(High Unlock Rage, Medium Effect Pulse)

Description

This specific Nemesis has a benign form, most of the time, and may be gentle or helpful towards those other than the dreamer it targets. She appears as a slim, young black girl perhaps between thirteen and sixteen years of age. Something is wrong with her eyes, though; they're like pitch, absorbing light. She wears a simple piece of cloth for modesty, never speaks, and uses her Eye to hunt. When she attacks, her face twists until her mouth is a wide maw filled with crooked, sharp teeth, and her fingers split into razor-sharp claws. When her Eye is active, and it always is, her Judge Art is particularly potent, working at medium range to Shadow Will and drain Pulse; it also has an effect targeted to her prey, Locking Voice. If her Rage is Locked, or she needs a boost, she can use her Change Form to Unlock it and give her a boost to her Pulse, letting her act more often. She is relentless in seeking her target, but acts gently towards any others providing they do not defend him, often ambushing him with allies found in the dreaming.