Sweet Dreams (Utilizing the Demiplane of Dreams in Adventures)

The Dimension of Dreams is an enormous resource that some GMs might not fully comprehend the value of. In many ways it represents an ideal adventuring environment for player characters and can be used as an interjection that is fantastic, convenient and extraordinary. Take a lot at this amazing fantasy local today with us…

Traits of the Demiplane of Dreams

The nature of Dream makes it a fantastic adventuring locale. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Occult Adventures rounds out the Planar Traits of the Demiplane of Dreams with the following:

“The Dimension of Dreams has the following traits.

• Flowing Time: Both lucid bodies and creatures visiting the Dimension of Dream with their physical bodies are subject to the f lowing time trait of a given dreamscape.
• Highly Morphic: When a creature enters a dreamscape with a lucid body, it must make a Charisma check (DC 15) to prevent arriving in the Dimension of Dreams at a disadvantage, such as without important equipment or on the side of an arctic mountain during an avalanche. A successful save means the dreamer manifests in perfect health, with all of its regular equipment (spells and magic items used in a dream are not actually expended in the real world). Even in the worst of circumstances, however, the lucid body is capable of fantastic—even impossible—feats. As a standard action, a number of times during the dream equal to the creature’s Charisma bonus (minimum 1) the dreamer can attempt one impossible action, such as casting a spell, gaining an effect of a spell as if it were cast, or conjuring a magic item. This requires a successful Charisma check (DC 10 + the level of the spell being cast or spell effect replicated or half of the caster level of the item conjured; nonmagical items are caster level 0). Other fantastic feats are also possible
  with GM approval and a Charisma check with a DC determined by the GM. If the check fails, the dreamer cannot perform the feat. Creatures that enter the dream with their physical bodies do not need to make the initial check and do not gain the ability to create items and spell effects or perform other fantastic feats, but must otherwise deal with the strange realities of the dreamscape.
• Wild Magic: Both lucid bodies and creatures visiting the Dimension of Dream with their physical bodies are subject to the wild magic of dreamscapes.”

Additionally:

• Dreamers don’t die if they die in dreams, don’t actually expend resources from spells or items.
• The Demiplane of Dreams intersects the Demiplane of Time leading to a vehicle for prophecy, postcognition, or possibly even Time Travel.
• Technically, dreams don’t yield treasure or experience to a dreamer (but see below).
• Parties using magic to take their actual bodies into dreams gain actual experience but physical items from the Demiplane vanish as soon as the Dreamer awakens or the party leaves the dreamscape.

Utilizing the Demiplane of Dreams

GMs can put the fantastic qualities of the demiplane of dream to use in their games in nearly limitless innovative and unusual ways. The nature of the plane makes it ideal for pick-up games, unusual encounters and adjustment to the unexpected. Consider the following:

• If a player suddenly cancels mid-dungeon and fills a necessary party role, the Demiplane can be used to extract other party members into a completely different scenario. The resources expended  in  the dream aren’t truly lost allowing the dreamer character to return ready to go when the player returns for the next dungeon setting session.
• Vital information regarding the future or campaign secrets of the past can be exposed via Dreams that interact with the Demiplane of time. This can allow a GM a “non-sequitur” way to reveal vital information or interesting lore that the party members might not otherwise have. While it is possible to root these temporal excursions to the location the party rests in it does not have to be that way.
• Bodily manifested adventures in the worlds of Dream can encounter creatures with access to impossible actions mechanics above allowing them to face creatures unusual powers and abilities or protections from their typical weaknesses.
• Time flow and impossible acts both can be used to VASTLY accelerated retraining rules allowing a character literally wake from a brush with the Dreamworlds as a new woman or man.
• Adventures in dream can take place in the blink of an eye allowing for all sorts of timing options for mixing characters from different worlds and groups. Pull from any campaign, active or not.
• Experience in Dream for dreamers is not generally real but it is possible that a use of the Morphic nature could cause the player character to retain knowledge that happened in a dream adventure. It is recommended that this check be benmarked to the effect in your game. Some GMs may set the DC at 14 for a psychic reformation benchmark while others may consider the retention of dream experience to more on par with miracle.
• If you want to stick to strict experience rules you can instead ask players to track their dream-selves differently. By doing so it is  possible to have dream PCs that advance ahead of the party. Allowing them only to play these dream versions in future dream-sequences. This also can be a great way to introduce the mythic system to characters, having it only function in dreamscapes.
• Dreaming PCs can use an impossible action to bring a non-dreamer into the dreamscape via an appropriate spell simulation.

However or whenever you choose to have the Demiplane of Dreams touch the depths of your campaign, the effects can be exactly what you need them to be. Consider using this locale for exciting and strange adventures or to unveil the deepest secrets of your campaign world.

Need another reason to love Dreamlands? Check out the Book of Beyond: Liminal Power available later this summer or as part of the Book of Beyond WIP subcription or see our other dreamy products at: d20pfsrd.com, drivethruRPG, paizo and RPGNow.