Mindscapes

[phaedrusxy]

This is a placeholder for a campaign idea revolving entirely around dream, dream travel, and having adventures inside the minds of others, likely to get information in most cases, but sometimes perhaps to modify their minds. Much of this would be based on ideas much like the movie Inception.

The ideas in that movie were not completely original, though. I've had many "layered" dreams where I would awake from one dream only to find I was still dreaming. For example, I've had a recurring dream where I was relieved to have awoken from some nightmare where I was trying to lock doors and windows to protect myself from some horror. Then I'd realize that "it wasn't a dream", and then I'd begin locking doors and windows all over again, only to wake up and think "ah, it was a dream" and then moments later start locking doors and windows...

I've also had some recurring dreams where I took on another role, such as the one that inspired my character Gabriel in SirPercivals "Evil is Our Game" PbP on these boards. That dream was sometimes semi-lucid, where I knew that it was a dream, and that I was the dreamer, and I could at least partially take control of the events in the dream.

This game/campaign "world" will be based on things like this. The Mind Pirate class will have a place here, as well as DonQuixote's Dementist, and I'll develop at least one PrC for it, as well as use/expand/replace the Lucid Dreaming rules from D&D or maybe that 3rd party book whose name escapes me right now... Anyway, we'll see where this goes.

[sirpercival]

Mentalist, DivHead, Neuromancer, Planeswalker, Virtual Being?

[phaedrusxy]

I'll take a look at those. I know Amechra also has a PrC that I nicknamed the "Dream Lover" (whose name I can't remember), but which would fit in here extremely well, as well. It's basically a somnambulist stalker.

[Garryl]

Yo dawg, I heard you like dreaming, so we put dreams in your dreams so you can dream while you dream.

[Bozwevial]

I'll take a look at those. I know Amechra also has a PrC that I nicknamed the "Dream Lover" (whose name I can't remember), but which would fit in here extremely well, as well. It's basically a somnambulist stalker.

The Resider-In-Dreams.

[Merchant]

I'm not sure how Lucid Dreaming works in DnD, but I'd like to help. I  tried to help someone on GITP with their Psychonaut but seemed either life got in the way, and it got put on the back burner.

Question. Seeing as how, I'm guessing, people will be entering people's minds what do you think about the items they carry. Your Mind Pirate for example has his powers based off of the Styx-dipped weapon, right?

It was mentioned about each mental stat should play a specific role in the creation of the Mindscape. I can't remember what was suggested about which does what but I was thinking that ones intelligence(mindscape owner) determines the the strength of the monsters.

For example The mindscape performs a knowledge check. The information that the mindscape 'knows' what the strengths of the creatures. Meaning a peasant might not know about the cold resistance of a skeleton or the DR/slashing. If that is the case then the 'mental' skeleton is effected by cold and piercing and bludgeoning weapons normally.

It points out the lack of imagination and risk from a commoner. Personal experience will play a role in case the individual has had personally seen undead or aberrations.

I also had the thought that every mind should have a pseudo layout for those that have experience in traveling in mindscapes.

For example. "Hopes/Dreams" could be located in a general place in relation to ones' "Secrets" location

Just thought that there could be two kinds of combat as well. One is the normal kind (incase it is possible for the average non-Mindscape class can be brought inside.  And for the Mindscape-related classes they have the ability to ... battle with their wills.

I think that maybe class-type, race-type/sub-type,HD(life experience?) and alignment  should also play a part in what the mindscape looks like inside. (kind of like a way to quickly create mindscapes incase someone dives inside the mind of an assassin.

I was thinking that the 'people' created by the mindscape should have a  X% chance to have 1/2 levels in levels of the mindscape Owner has. Rogue 6 would mean that there could be level 3 rogues.

Just some thoughts.

[sirpercival]

Phae did you ever play Dream Park or Amber?  It seems like you could incorporate some elements from those in this.

For example, control of dreams could be like walking through Shadows, in terms of adding and subtracting things....

[phaedrusxy]

Thanks guys. This has its own subforum now. So I'll copy over the comments to there later, and ask that we continue the future discussion over there.