By Jay Knioum (madafro@trip.net) for the Artemidore bloodline.
Unless otherwise indicated, the difficulties to use any Oneiromantic powers on a supernatural creature are two higher.
System: The vampire must look directly into the eyes (both vampire and victim must be clearly visible to the other) of her victim and succeed a Manipulation + Oneiromancy roll. Success means the victim falls immediately asleep. The number of successes indicates the depth of sleep; one success means a fitful half-slumber, while five indicates a coma. Three successes put the victim immediately into the dream-state (for further use of this discipline). Each use of Sandman's Gaze requires expenditure of one Blood Point.
The sleep's length varies. Most of the time, the sleeper will remain so for about an hour. Five successes or more, though, may induce days or even weeks of unconsciousness.
The difficulty of the roll is determined by the state of the victim, as below:
| Victim is: | Difficulty |
| Fatigued | 5 |
| Normal | 6 |
| On a stimulant | 7 |
| Supernatural* | 8 (minimum three successes required) |
| In frenzy | 9 (minimum four successes required) |
*Supernatural creatures include Mages, Garou (or other were-creatures), Changelings, mortals with supernormal abilities (Gypsies, those with Numina, etc.). Vampires, Mummies, Wraiths or any other unliving creature is not affected by this power.
System: To use this power, the vampire must be within earshot of the sleeper, as it is the vampire's voice that induces the sleepwalking. (Note: Other Oneiromantic powers can negate this requirement, such as Dreamtripping, q.v. Auspex may also do away with the requirement, if the vampire can speak mind-to-mind with the sleeper). The vampire must spend a Blood Point and succeed a Manipulation + Leadership roll, with a difficulty equal to the target's Willpower rating (not to exceed 10). Supernatural creatures always have difficulties of two higher. The number of successes indicates the hold the vampire has over her puppet. One success means the sleeper may only rise and move. Five means the sleeper can do something as complicated as load and fire a weapon.
System: The vampire must spend two Blood Points and succeed a Perception + Occult roll, with a difficulty of 7. Success means the vampire has entered the dream, and now experiences everything that happens within. To enter a dream, the Oneiromancer must either be within earshot of the dreamer, or possess some form of knowledge or substance unique to her. For example, the Oneiromancer may use a lock of her hair, or may concentrate on the tattoo of a rose on her ankle, to link with her dreams. Knowledge of the dreamer's real name is only useful if the name is unique. For each hour past the first that the Oneiromancer remains in the dreamer's mind, another Blood Point must be spent. However, the vampire will not be aware of the passage of time, but will only notice the Blood expenditure after he re-enters the material world. It is possible for a vampire to stay in a dream so long that he drains himself of blood, enters torpor (he will not frenzy), and remains trapped in the sleeper's mind until his physical body gains sustenance.
To gain information from the dream, the vampire must succeed a Perception + Auspex (if any) roll with a difficulty of 7 (supernatural creatures have difficulties of 9). The number of successes indicates the clarity and reliability of the information, and the Storyteller is free to use this guideline however she will. It must be noted that it is easier to gain information from dreams if the matter is of great emotional concern to the dreamer.
To manipulate the dream, the vampire must succeed a Manipulation + Presence (if any) roll with a difficulty of 7 (supernatural creatures have a difficulty of 9). Dream manipulation can result in a rudimentary form of mind control, as the Oneiromancer implants various suggestions within the chaos of the dream. Upon waking, the victim will not recognize the tampering, and will unconsciously act upon the suggestions planted. For each suggestion the vampire plants, she must roll Manipulation + Subterfuge with a base difficulty of 6. If the suggestion is against the victim's nature, the difficulty will increase. For each suggestion after the first, the difficulty will increase by one. In any case, the number of successes scored indicates the suggestion's power. One success does little more than create daydreams or idle thoughts in the victim; 5 successes indicates a near-obsession.
System: The vampire must spend three Blood Points and meet the gaze of her victim, at which point both vampires must roll their Willpower trait (the Oneiromancer may roll Willpower + Dominate, if she has that Discipline), with a difficulty of 9. The most successes declares the winner. Simply put, if the victim loses, she falls into torpor. She will remain in this state until she either hears her name spoken, or suffers damage of any kind. Both stimuli will immediately awaken a vampire under this power's effect.
System: The Oneiromancer must lock gazes with the victim and roll Manipulation + Oneiromancy. The difficulty is the target's Wits + Willpower (10 max). Success means the victim is now in a trance-like dream state, and the Oneiromancer may now Spin.
If the Oneiromancer so chooses, she may use Dreamtripping to control the Spin, manipulating the victim or gaining information.
Dreamspinning allows far greater effects than simple 'Tripping does. This power has the vampire actually sculpting pseudo-reality, which can be constructive or devastating on the victim's psyche, depending on the Oneiromancer's intent. Dreamspinning works best if the Oneiromancer knows her victim. Spinning dreams into a stranger's head is a shot in the dark at best. All Spins (described below) have a difficulty of 10 when used against a complete stranger, and a 6 on those the vampire knows intimately well. The roll for each Spin is Manipulation + Empathy.
Dreamspinning allows the vampire manipulate a victim's mind in the following ways ("Spins"), but this is not an exhaustive list:
Ripping Shades: This Spin is an attack upon the victim's mind, an attempt to rend it apart with terrifying visions and intense emotions. Every success scored by the Oneiromancer will "drain" one point from the victim's Wits trait. The points are not actually lost, but are nullified. If the victim's Wits reaches 0, she must spend a Willpower point for every turn the Spin continues or suffer a permanent Derangement.
If the Storyteller wishes to role-play the Spin, the victim may react to the Shades (whatever form they take) as she would react in real life. However, the vampire's Mental Traits will substitute for Physical traits during the phantasmal battle. (Roughly, Perception becomes Strength, Intelligence becomes Stamina, and Wits become Dexterity).
Elysian Fields: This Spin sends the dreamer into an intense euphoric state, not unlike the condition brought on by hallucinogenic drugs. The dreamer will become totally detached from the outside world, and will feel nothing but complete happiness. The exact effect of Elysian Fields varies from dreamer to dreamer, but the mental state produced makes it much easier for the Oneiromancer to communicate with the dreamer inside the dream-state. Since the dreamer is experience total serenity, she will be much more open to questioning and to new ideas that may send her into a frenzy were she awake.
Because of this, any suggestion planted via Dreamtripping has a difficulty of one lower to succeed, if this Spin is in effect. In addition, the Spinner has the advantage of being able to communicate with the dreamer in a calm, level-headed manner -- even if the dreamer and the Spinner are mortal enemies. This Spin is an excellent way to converse with someone who is not given to calm conversation.
Phantasmagoria: This spin simply draws forth the deepest fear of the victim, and makes it reality (as far as the dreamer is concerned, anyway). The victim will experience, with every sense, this fear.
This Spin has two general purposes, depending on the intentions of the Spinner. The first purpose is to do damage to the dreamer, hoping to drive her insane, to induce frenzy, or some other baleful purpose. The second is to actually cure the dreamer of her fear by exposing it to her in a relatively harmless manner. The Phantasmagoria takes on a different tone depending on the intention.
For example, a phantasm spun with harmful intent will have the dreamer helpless, caught up in a tsunami of maddening fear. In contrast, a phantasm spun with the intent of curing the phobia or alleviating the buried pain will empower the dreamer, enabling her to act against the forces arrayed against her, if she chooses.
A harmful Phantasm is a contested roll. The Spinner rolls her Manipulation + Intimidation against a difficulty of the victim's Perception + Alertness. Each success scored by the Spinner will reduce the target's temporary Willpower rating by that amount. This reduction will last until the next time the victim dreams.
A helpful Phantasm is the same contested roll, with successes actually adding to the temporary Willpower rating of the dreamer. This increase in Willpower will last indefinitely, but the increase cannot surpass the individual's current permanent Willpower rating. Secondly, an individual cannot have her Willpower raised again for another week.
Imprint: This Spin will link a powerful emotional mindset to a specific or general physical object, situation, location, or person. The effect is latent, and will last for quite some time after being Imprinted, even though the dreamer may be awake and in control of her senses.
Thus, a sense of maddening fear can be tied to a certain painting, to Volkswagen Rabbits, or to the color red. An overriding feeling of passion can be tied to rock music, so that anytime the dreamer hears such music, she will be thrown into a fit of emotional release. Any emotional state can be Imprinted to just about any object, or place, or person, or situation.
System: Best case for this Spin involves an object already familiar to the dreamer, and involves a feeling associated with a past event. Again, the better the Spinner knows the dreamer, the more effective the Spin will be. For example, the Spinner can Imprint a feeling of rage and frenzy onto the wedding ring once worn by a dreamer's deceased husband, killed in a senseless act of violence.
Because of the tremendous array of emotional states and variables that come into play, only the bare bones of a system will be presented here. The base roll for the Spinner is Manipulation + Subterfuge, difficulty equal to the dreamer's Willpower. Thereafter, anytime the dreamer encounters the object, person, situation, or location in question, she must score more successes than the Spinner did in the Imprint, or immediately enter the Imprinted emotional state. The dreamer's resistance roll is Wits + Self-Control. Even with success in resistance, the dreamer still feels a slight emotional tug, and is aware of the object's effect on her.
One of the most used Imprints is to invoke frenzy. The roll for this is normal as per the Vampire system.
The Imprint will last indefinitely if the Spinner renews the Imprint when the victim dreams. Otherwise, the influence will fade with time. Imprint renewal requires the same roll from the Oneiromancer (Manipulation + Subterfuge), but the difficulty is one less (dreamer's Willpower -1). This subtraction is not cumulative with each successive renewal.
Each Imprint will last for eleven days and nights, less the dreamer's Willpower rating. After this time, it will fade. The Oneiromancer will be able to sense this fading by Tripping in the dreamer's sleeping mind.
Obviously, upkeep of an Imprint requires a considerable amount of personal involvement, and few Oneiromancers do this on a whim.
By immersing herself in the dreams of another, an Oneiromancer may gain great knowledge as to that being's future. On the other hand, the Oneiromancer may gain such knowledge of herself by falling into torpor and giving herself completely to her dreams. Both incursions are not without risks, and the Oneiromancer is advised to use caution.
System: There are two ways to use this power; to divine the future of oneself, or of another.
To gain insights into the fate of another creature, the Oneiromancer must follow a set ritual. The creature must be in REM sleep, and the vampire must gain access to her sleeping mind via Dreamtripping. (Dreamspinning may also be used to enforce the dream-state, but this is risky, see below for details).
Once access is gained, the Oneiromancer must spend a Willpower point and "ask" a particular question. This question will guide the visions the Oneiromancer will find significant, and those that are useless or incidental. Once the hunt has begun, the Oneiromancer must roll Perception + Occult to make sense of the resultant visions. The difficulty is dependent on many factors; such as how far into the future the visions extend, and the mental state of the dreamer (the insane dream much less clearly than the rest). The difficulty may lie between 7 and 10.
Note, if the Oneiromancer possesses dots in Science, with a specialty in Psychology, she may add these dots to her Perception + Occult roll for extra dice.
The number of successes gained indicates the clarity and usefulness of the visions. As a rule of thumb, one success will yield haphazard generalities about the future, while five or more successes indicate startling, perhaps chilling, detail.
For each Willpower point spent, the vampire may ask a single "question." of the dream. However, the Oneiromancer is completely unaware of the passage of time while in this state, and her physical body is in torpor (a la Dreamtripping).
Even though no Blood is spent during the Unweaving, there is a large risk involved when using this power. Even though the Oneiromancer is aware of Willpower expenditure, the experience of Unweaving Morpheus' Tapestry is almost euphoric. To touch the future in the dream-state is perhaps the closest to ecstasy that these vampires come, and it is very difficult to return to the physical world.
For this reason, every time the vampire spends another Willpower point (beyond the first) and continues the vision, the Storyteller must roll the vampire's current Willpower total against a difficulty of 8. If the vampire fails to achieve any successes, she will spend another Willpower point to continue the vision automatically. If a botch is rolled, the vampire immediately gives herself to the dream-state, spends all her temporary Willpower, and remains trapped within the dream until the dreamer awakens. When this happens, the vampire will return to her physical body, but her mind will be unhinged, and she will have a permanent derangement of the Storyteller's choice.
The result of this is that the longer one stays in Morpheus' Tapestry, the harder it is to leave. Willpower will be drained, thus decreasing the vampire's hold on reality.
The second use of this power has the Oneiromancer plunging into the depths of her own dreams to divine her own future. This is a more lengthy process, as the Oneiromancer must delve into her own subconscious, and must unmask secrets she may keep from herself. In short, this is a journey of self-discovery beyond any other, heedless of the visions of the future gained.
The euphoria experienced and the system for gaining answers to future events are the same as explained above. However, when analyzing one's own soul as the Oneiromancer does here, there is the chance for great healing, or damage.
Upon rolling temporary Willpower, if five tens are rolled, the vampire will experience a jolt of enlightenment. The vampire will discover truths about herself that reinforce her mindset and may rearrange completely the way she looks at the world. At this time, if the Storyteller feels it is warranted, the vampire has the opportunity to change her Nature. This change will always be positive. The Storyteller also has the option to raise the vampire's permanent Willpower by one point, or may even raise a Discipline, Skill, Knowledge, or Mental Trait by one point. Since the Storyteller is the one rolling the vampire's Willpower, all this can be hidden from the vampire until such time as the Storyteller feels such gains are obvious.
On the flip side, an Oneiromancer may do herself great harm by laying bare the stark truths of her being. She may not be ready, or she may misinterpret these truths altogether. If five ones are rolled during the Willpower roll, the Oneiromancer suffers a breakdown of sorts. At this time, if the Storyteller deems it appropriate, the vampire's Nature may shift, but this time the shift is for the worse. The Storyteller also has the option of imparting one or more Mental Flaws on the vampire, if the situation calls for it.
When Coaxing a Mind's Reflection, the Oneiromancer is drawing forth an image from a dreamer's mind. This image can be of a person, thing, place, or situation. The Oneiromancer literally takes the vision from the dream, and places it into reality in a pseudo-physical form.
The Reflection, it is important to note, is not actually real, but quasi-real. It will feel, look, smell, and otherwise react exactly as it was represented in the dream, but immediately fades when it is touched by the light of day.
The Reflection can be of literally anything. If the dreamer has visions of dragons and unicorns, then the Oneiromancer may conjure these beasts from the dreamer's mind. Situations may also be Coaxed. If the dreamer has a nightmare about starvation, then the Oneiromancer may Coax this dream forth into the waking world, to infuse a terrible hunger on all creatures in the area.
Obviously, this power has the potential for great good, but also great evil. It must be noted that even though the Reflection may fade with the light of day, any effects it has on the physical world during its existence will remain. A Reflected fire will leave a burned forest behind it when the sun rises. A Reflected cure for cancer will leave a miraculously cured patient when the dawn comes.
A Reflected nuclear holocaust? Well, that is something best left up to the Storyteller.
System: To Coax a Reflection, the Oneiromancer must be in the proximity of a dreaming individual, or must be dreaming herself. In the former case, the Oneiromancer must either be touching the individual in question, or must possess a large mirror, through which the Reflection will emerge.
The Oneiromancer must first succeed at Dreamtripping, to enter the sleeper's mind. Thus done, the vampire must then spend a Willpower point and roll her Manipulation + whatever Talent, Skill or Knowledge is most appropriate to the Reflection. (For example, if the Oneiromancer is trying to Reflect a vision of a firearm, knowledge of Firearms is most appropriate. If she is trying to draw forth a pegasus, then Occult (or knowledge of mythology) will serve her best). The difficulty of such rolls is no less than 7, although the final difficulty is up to the Storyteller.
If any successes are scored, then the Oneiromancer has Reflected successfully, and has drawn forth a quasi-real object, creature, place, etc. The number of successes indicates the "realness" of the Reflection. One success means that the Reflection is treated as an illusion (see Chimerstry for guidelines). Five successes means that the reflection is absolutely real for all intents and purposes, until the sun comes up.
Any rolls involving the Reflection (for example, a Reflected troll trying to break down a door) are always Number of Reflection Successes + Whatever Talent, Skill, or Knowledge was used to summon the thing in the first place. Difficulties are up to the Storyteller.
To provide an example, let's say an Oneiromancer (who has a Finance rating of 3) achieved four successes to Reflect a man's dream of Donald Trump. Thereafter, any rolls involving the pseudo-Trump are made with 7 dice.
If no successes are scored on this roll, then the Oneiromancer summons forth only a momentary vision, an image drawn from the sleeper's dream. This image lasts only for a few seconds, and then vanishes, resembling an apparition more than anything else.
If the Oneiromancer botches the roll, then the Reflection is real...only to the Oneiromancer. The dream will be imprinted upon her mind, and will not go away. The Oneiromancer will suffer a hallucination of the Reflection that will last until the next dawn. Any damage suffered as a result of the hallucination is quite real, however. It is quite possible for an Oneiromancer's companions to find her charred corpse after her attempt to Reflect a forest fire backfired, so to speak.
It should be noted that Reflections are capable of anything that the dreamer believes them capable. If a sleeper has visions of flying toasters, then the Oneiromancer could conjure a squadron of flying toasters from her mind.
This meeting-place may be of any nature the Oneiromancer desires. However, since peace of mind is highly desirable in this instance, the locations formed are usually serene: gardens, parks, empty cathedrals, ocean shores, and the like are common.
To call a Meeting of the Minds, any individual in the link has only to fall asleep while concentrating on her link-mates. As she falls asleep, a mental "call" is made to the other members, along with a feeling of drowsiness. If the members wish to comply, they immediately fall into REM sleep and "dream" their way to the meeting place. If they do not wish to go, then they will feel slightly drowsy as long as the meeting persists. This feeling is not overpowering, and will not hinder the creature.
System: The Oneiromancer must always be part of the link, as it is she who forges it. Once established, any member may call a meeting.
To forge the link, the Oneiromancer and the prospective link-mates must be touching flesh to flesh in a chain or circle. Then, they must fall asleep, either naturally or with outside intervention.
Then, in the midst of the dream-land, the Oneiromancer goes to work. She must spend a Willpower point for each link-mate, and must succeed an Intelligence + Occult roll, difficulty 7 to successfully create each link. Each link-mate must also spend one Willpower point to lend their own minds to the effort, but they need not make any rolls.
Once forged, the Link will last until broken by the Oneiromancer, or until the Oneiromancer suffers Final Death.
When a meeting is called, each Link-mate has a choice whether or not to respond. If they choose to be present at the Meeting, they merely give in to the drowsiness and fall asleep, finding themselves transported in the dream-state to the site.
The meeting-place is always designed by the one who calls the meeting-spot, as she visualizes her link-mates in this locale as she goes to sleep.
Only the Oneiromancer can try to force others to attend the meeting (and thus, immediately fall asleep wherever they are and whatever they are doing). To attempt this, she must spend a Willpower point for each link-mate she tries this on, and must roll Manipulation + Intimidation, diff = target's Willpower. Four successes or higher forces the target automatically into slumber and to the meeting. Any less means the victim may force the Oneiromancer into a Willpower contest, or just spend a Willpower point to resist.
Obviously, the Oneiromancer would do well to keep such forceful calls to a minimum, as the Link-mates may take extreme umbrage at falling asleep at the wrong moments.
Combination powers in this case are gained by spending experience points on them, just as new levels of a Discipline are gained. Use the highest level discipline in the combination to figure out how much the power costs to learn. Thus, Dream Theatre below would cost an Artemidore (to whom Auspex and Oneiromancy are Clan Disciplines) 21 points to learn.
Obviously, the vampire wishing to learn a combination power must possess the required levels of each Discipline involved, which are given with each power's description.
Oneiromancy is an ever-changing magickal practice, and new powers or hybrid powers are being invented all the time. Players and Storytellers alike are invited to "dream up" their own variations on the theme.
This power enables the vampire to see a sleeper's dream superimposed on her aura. In this way, the vampire need not invade her mind by Dreamtripping, but may simply observe undetected the dreamer's visions. More useful than this, however, is that the vampire may gain much more insight as to the dreamer's nature and history than is possible with mere Aura Sight.
System: While in the vicinity of the dreamer, the vampire must roll her Perception + Empathy, difficulty 6 (mortals) or 8 (supernatural creatures). Success indicates the vampire is treated to a fantastic show, as the dreamer's visions dance about his aura. The number of successes indicates roughly how many things the vampire learns from the dreamer. These "things" that may be learned are Nature, Demeanor, Regrets, Objects of Emotion (who or what the dreamer hates, loves, envies, fears, etc.), Secrets, Past Experiences, and so forth.
If the Storyteller wishes, five successes may reveal some very deep-seated or unconscious information about the dreamer, such as past lives, or extreme detail about events the sleeper may believe forgotten.
The Storyteller is the final judge of what these "things" are, and whether or not they are useful or even interesting. The Oneiromancer is not guaranteed knowledge of the juicy details of a dreamer's life simply by using this power, although such gains are possible. Knowledge gained thusly is dependent on the actual dream. If a dream is erotic, then all such Theatre will adhere to that theme.
This power lets the Oneiromancer experience the past dreams of an individual merely by handling or touching an object the individual once possessed. Otherwise, this power is identical to the Dream Theatre, described above. The only difference is that the Oneiromancer need only come into contact with an object the dreamer had on her person or in the immediate vicinity when the dream took place. Obviously, beds, pillows, blankets, and some jewelry and clothing are ideal for this purpose, but one may be surprised what others will fall asleep with.
Note: It is possible to Coax the Mind's Reflection from the visions experienced in Dream Theatre and Parade of Past Visions, but since the images are not as clear, the difficulties to do such are one higher.
This powerful ability enables the vampire to traverse the dreams of anyone, anywhere. By projecting her consciousness, the Oneiromancer may travel freely within the Dreaming, as if it were another world entirely, by flying, strolling, or swimming through dream after dream after dream.
The system is the same as for Psychic Projection (vampire spends one Willpower Point and rolls Perception + Occult with a variable difficulty). Instead of travelling the physical world, however, the vampire is sending her mind into the realm of dreams, where anything is possible. This power completely bypasses the need for Dreamtripping, a much more clumsy method of entering dreams, and which only allows travel to one dream at a time.
This power is considered the ultimate in dream travel to all those who practice Oneiromancy, and it is the most frequently sought Level 6 power in this Discipline.
Among many other things, this power enables the Oneiromancer to use other powers (such as Dreamspin) from great distances.
This power enables the vampire to steal the memories of a dreaming creature, without the victim's knowledge. The Oneiromancer simply enters the dream and seeks out the memories, and literally pilfers them. Upon exiting the dream, the vampire will have the victim's memories in a "pouch" to be reflected upon later, or even placed into the dreams of another.
System: Before attempting this power, the vampire must have a "pouch" to take with her into the dreaming. This can be any container from a bag, pouch, or common grocery sack to a locket, backpack, tupperware bowl or vault. The only restriction is that the vampire must be able to carry the object easily.
The vampire then enters the sleeper's mind via Dreamtripping (q.v.). To seek out the correct memory, the Oneiromancer rolls her Perception + Empathy, with a difficulty equal to the victim's Intelligence + Subterfuge rating.
How much memory can be thus stolen depends on the amount of successes scored:
| Successes | Length of Time |
| One | A few minutes |
| Two | A scene |
| Three | A week |
| Four | A month or two |
| Five | Whole periods of the dreamer's life may be taken. |
Upon exiting the dream, the vampire's "pouch" will be filled with sand, representing the stolen memories. If the sand is emptied, the memory is obliterated. Otherwise, the stolen memory will remain in the container indefinitely.
The vampire may replace the stolen memory by re-entering the victim's dreams and emptying the pouch. Or, the Oneiromancer may empty the memory into the mind of another dreamer. Once done, that sleeper will awaken with the memory firmly embedded into her mind, as if it were always there.
It is worth pointing out that such transference of another's memories will result in the memory's changing to suit its new possessor. How much the memory is altered will depend on the discrepancy between the personalities of the original owner and the new one.
This is a more powerful version of Pouch of Sand. Instead of memories being stolen, the Pen enables the Oneiromancer to literally re-write the memories of the Dreamer from inside her sleeping mind. Used in conjunction, the Pouch and the Pen can be used to steal memories and replace them with others.
System: Before entering the sleeper's dream, the vampire must be in possession of a writing instrument that has never actually written a word or drawn a line. This can be a feather pen, a brand-new ballpoint, a pencil, a crayon, etc.
Using Dreamtripping, the vampire must enter the sleeper's dream. To successfully re-write a memory, the vampire spend a Willpower point and roll her Manipulation + Subterfuge (Difficulty is the target's Willpower). Failure to achieve enough successes means the Oneiromancer has done little more than create an especially vivid dream.
At least three successes must be gained before a memory is actually changed or created. Three successes mean that only small parts of the sleeper's memory may be changed...perhaps the name of a certain person, or a favorite song. Four successes allow the Oneiromancer to alter most memories barring those with special emotional significance. Five successes allow the vampire to forge the existence of an entire marriage, career, or even children (Childer?), if he so desires.
This power enables the vampire to send a victim into a deep, coma-like sleep (or torpor, in the case of Kindred victims) from which the victim will not awaken until some pre-set condition is met. The condition must involve the victim directly; she must be touched somehow, or her name spoken, or some other equivalent action pertaining to the victim must be done.
It is rumored that the legend of Sleeping Beauty revolved around a vampire who used Oneiromancy to send a young woman to slumber, only to be awakened by the kiss of one who truly loved her.
System: This power can be used on any creature that is capable of sleep, including vampires, Garou, mages, etc., but excluding wraiths and mummies.
The Vampire can use this power in one of two ways: by locking gazes with the victim and forcing her to sleep, or by causing the victim to ingest but a drop of the Oneiromancer's blood.
The first method: The Oneiromancer must catch and hold the gaze of her victim. Then, a Willpower contest is rolled. If the Oneiromancer wins, the victim falls into slumber. If the victim wins, the Oneiromancer automatically loses a Willpower point due to the strain this power calls from the vampire.
The second method: The Oneiromancer spends a Willpower point to suffuse her blood with the power of a potent sedative. The vampire then need only let a drop or two of her Blood fall into a victim's drinking cup, food (apple?), or may let the victim drink her vitae directly. Once ingesting the poisoned food or blood, the victim must immediately roll her Willpower vs. the vampire's Oneiromancy + Manipulation rating. At least three successes must be achieved, or the victim sleeps indefinitely.
It is worth noting that a victim receives a new chance to awaken from her slumber each time the Oneiromancer (or another) meddles in her dreams. No matter what method was used to enspell the victim, treat all such rolls as per the second method above.
Auspex 5, Oneiromancy 5, Necromancy 5
This much-feared power is fortunately known only to a handful of Oneiromancers, if that many. When a vampire creates a Dreamslayer, she weaves a manifestation of her darkest emotions, her mind, her dreams, and her absolute passion for destroying a particular victim.
Once created, the Oneiromancer then sets the Dreamslayer upon its victim. Thereafter, until the victim is dead, the Dreamslayer will invade the victim's sleeping mind in a relentless attempt to kill the victim...from the inside. The 'Slayer will attack the victim in her dreams, sometimes subtly, sometimes outright, all depending on the Nature of the Oneiromancer. If the victim fails to hold the 'Slayer at bay until the Oneiromancer can be rendered torporous or destroyed, the 'Slayer will kill her.
As a matter of fact, this power's function bears such a close resemblance to certain elements of the Nightmare on Elm Street storyline that rumors abound among Kindred that it was an Oneiromancer who planted the idea into Wes Craven's dreams.
System: To create a Dreamslayer, the Oneiromancer must have a fervent, emotional desire to kill the victim. This power is not used to effect an assassination for political reasons, but to exact vengeance or vent a psychotic desire to kill. In many ways, it is the Oneiromancer's Beast that she is unleashing on the victim.
During the creation, the Oneiromancer must have a few drops of her victim's blood on her tongue as she goes to sleep, and begins to weave. Then, she must spend Willpower points to give the Dreamslayer "substance" and "life."
For each Willpower point the Oneiromancer spends in the creation, the 'Slayer will have one dot of Power. In this case, "Power" defines the level of skill, power, and personality that the Dreamslayer possesses. Simply put, if the Oneiromancer spends six Willpower points on a Dreamslayer, the creature will have a Power rating of 6. The Dreamslayer rolls its Power when attempting any attack on the victim whatsoever. If it's attack successes, then the victim will suffer damage dice according to the 'Slayer's Power rating. The Dreamslayer can choose whether to attack the victim's Willpower or Health, and damage done will be subtracted from those totals.
During these attacks, the victim can choose to "defend" herself. However, these defenses are always done with Conscience, Self-Control, and Courage. The victim uses these Virtues the way she would Attributes, or Abilities.
Simply put, during a sleep period, the 'Slayer can make one "attack." This attack can be as complex and detailed as the creature desires, and these fiends are adept at such things. In game terms, the Dreamslayer must roll its Power vs. a difficulty equal to the target's Willpower rating. Each success subtracts one from the victim's Temporary Willpower or Health Levels.
However, the victim may defend herself with her Conscience, Self-Control or Courage. The Storyteller considers the Dreamslayer's method of attack, and decides which Virtue may be used to combat it. Occasionally, two Virtues may be used in conjunction (allowing for higher dice pools). The victim rolls these Virtues against a difficulty equal to the Dreamslayer's Power rating. Each success subtracts one from all "damage" taken from the 'Slayer's attack.
Each contest of rolls only takes place once per sleep period. The Storyteller is free to modify all difficulties according to the situation.
The strength of the Dreamslayer's power lies in that it will return every time the victim falls asleep. In fact, the entire point of the creature's existence is not to kill the victim quickly, but to drag out the experience, tormenting the victim, and relishing in its resistance.
The only way to rid oneself of the Dreamslayer is to find the Oneiromancer who sent it, and either destroy her or send her into torpor.
However, another Oneiromancer may attempt to rid the victim of the Dreamslayer by entering her dreams and combating it directly. An Oneiromancer is the only being capable of actually attacking the creature, and not merely defending against it.
During the combat, the Oneiromancer must use her own Willpower rating as her strength to fight, just as the 'Slayer uses it's Power rating. However, the Oneiromancer has other means at her disposal. Powers such as Dreamspin, or Coax the Mind's Reflection, can be used to hurl bizarre phantasms, or create weapons or allies while in the Dreaming.
The Storyteller is encouraged to play out such combats, and take whatever liberties she chooses. After all, this is a world of dreams, and how it is rationalized or analyzed, there are truly no rules.