Oneiros

By Robin Pfeifer (robin@one-world.de) for the Dream Dancers

Description

Oneiros is the ability to mould dreams by exertions of Willpower. It allows travel between Chimarae and a life within dream. The first two levels are vital for the existence of a Dream Dancer and are always taught by the Sire. Later levels are learned by dream experience.

* Dreaming

This is the basis of Dream Dancer existence. Reaching this level allows for the construction and upkeep of the personal Chimare. It allows for changes in the Chimare and in other Chimarae as well, when later levels permit access to these.

System: The design of the personal Chimare is part of the First Dream under the guidance of the Sire, which is a kind of initiation. The use of this discipline to maintain the Chimare's existence during the day is automatic and costs one blood point (in addition to the point the Dancer loses as other Kindred do). During the day the Chimare remains a still life (very spooky for Garou or other supernaturals who enter). During the day the Dancer is not within his Chimare and cannot be harmed through it. Destruction of the Chimare is nearly equal to the destruction of the Dancer himself, but it proves an arduous task. As long as a Dancer has one blood point left he will always try to maintain his Chimare before anything else.

Changes to your own Chimare are always free and automatic, regardless of the magnitude of change. Changes to other dreamers' Chimarae cost Willpower and need a roll against Willpower, difficulty 6: the cost is one point for minor changes such as colours, creation/destruction/change of unimportant props etc., two points for changes which contradict the essence of the dream by changing important or archetypical symbols, and three for complete control over the Chimare. If three points have been expended to gain control, no further costs need be paid for changes while the Chimare exists (i.e., the Dreamer sleeps). The Dancer may also spend an additional blood point per day to keep this Chimare in existence.

** Dream Walking

This level allows the Dancer to leave his own Chimare and enter other Chimarae. She is always able to distinguish dreamers from dream stuff. The discipline also allows orientation within dreams and enables the Dancer to find her way to other Chimarae without problems, as long as the dreamer himself remains more or less in place (e.g., sleeps in the same bed).

System: Use of this level needs a roll of Perception + Empathy (difficulty 6) one success is enough. The Dancer pierces the membranous wall between her own Chimare and her target and enters the other's dream. A botch means that the Dancer is trapped within her own Chimare for the night.

*** Dream Call

This level gives the Dancer the power to call dreamers from outside into her own Chimare. Here her power is far superior and everything heeds her will, although the abducted dreamer may oppose direct attacks with contested Willpower rolls (difficulty 6). It is also possible to take dreamers into other dreamers' Chimarae.

System: The Dancer rolls Manipulation + Intimidation against a difficulty of the target's Willpower. One success is enough to call the dreamer and each additional success is added to further manipulation attempts by the Dancer until the dreamer awakens.

**** Control Dream Creatures

This level allows for control of all supernatural beings exclusive to dreams such as phragments, dream banes etc. (for a description of these refer to Umbra: The Velvet Shadow). It is not necessary to use this level when controlling Ephemera (the dream stuff beings peopling one's dream) which is instead done by level 1. The Dream Umbrood may be called, given tasks and expelled. Dreamers are not affected by this power.

System: The Dancer and the Umbrood roll contested Willpower at difficulty 6. If the Dancer scores more successes, she may control the Umbrood. On a botch the Umbrood gets hostile. As long as the Dancer does not force the Umbrood to do something which is detrimental or contrary to the Umbrood's being, the use of this level is free. Else the Storyteller is free to assign a cost of 1 to 3 Willpower for unusual influence.

***** Dream Seed

With this ability the Dancer plants a seed of his own dream design into the Chimare of a dreamer. Over time the Chimare will be altered to the Dancer's wishes and the dreams within will manipulate the dreamer. It is possible to affect the dreamer's waking life over a longer period (e.g., if the dreamer keeps dreaming of falling from great heights, a phobia against heights may be developed). A seeded Chimare is always easily reachable for the Dancer, even if the dreamer moves out of normal reach.

System: The creation of the seed costs 1 blood point and 1 Willpower. On creation of the seed the Dancer has to decide upon the exact influence the seed should have on the dreams. To plant the seed the Dancer has to enter the dreamer's Chimare. There is a bond between the Dancer and the seed through which the Dancer will feed 1 blood point per night. The dancer need not enter the dreamer's Chimare for feeding the seed. The seed will grow when fed continually. Its form will be congruent to its purpose. In the instance of dreams of falling for example, it might become a tower or a mighty tree which the dreamer keeps climbing and falling from. The influence of the seed increases gradually. Assume that for each 10 blood points fed to the seed, difficulties for influencing the dreamer or his Chimare decrease by one. When the amount of blood points by 10 exceeds the target dreamer's permanent Willpower, complete control is established. The influence of the seed is permanent. It may be dissolved by the Dancer who planted it; any other dreaming creature with the exception of the dreamer himself must try to uproot the seed, which will be easier when it is young (e.g., a sapling) and more difficult when it is older (e.g., a full-grown tree). The dreamer himself cannot do anything against the seed.

***** * True Dream

This ability enables the Dancer to look into the real world as it is at the moment of the dream at a place the Dancer knows. It is not necessary to know the place as it is now: it is sufficient if the Dreamer saw the place hundreds of years ago. The dream takes place within the Dancer's Chimare and it is impossible to influence it. It is like a direct live connection to the place in all regards and in real time. The Dancer may walk freely within this place to change his perspective (but not out of line of sight from the starting place) but will be immaterial to anything that goes on.

This power is a bit like the Auspex power 5 in that the aethereal body of the Dancer is actually projected to the site he is visiting. He can be perceived by supernatural powers which allow to see ghosts.

System: The Dancer rolls Perception + Empathy against a difficulty of 7. For each success the Dancer may visit the place for 5 minutes.

***** * Lullaby

With this power the Dancer may call a known dreamer to sleep immediately. This is important in the short moments when the Dancer begins to dream after sunset and another Kindred is waking up. In preparation of Diablerie the Dancer seeks for Chimarae of sleeping Kindred and usually seeds them to be able to reach them always. One short contact is enough to make the use of Lullaby possible.

System: The Dancer and the target roll contested Willpower against a difficulty of 6. If the target is seeded, his difficulty rises accordingly, while the Dancer's is lowered (distribute the successes for the modification equally). If the Dancer wins, the target sleeps immediately. The dream lasts for as many minutes as the Dancer scored successes, but for the Dancer's purposes this time is negligible because time within dreams is relative.

***** * Dream Summons

This is a larger version of Dream Call enabling the Dancer to call all or selected dreamers she has influenced at some time previously into her Chimare or wherever she now happens to be (within dream). The dreamers, provided they are sleeping, answer and find the Dancer without effort or undue delay. This is also true for dreamers who are bodily out of reach. The dreamers are relatively free of will, but they cannot oppose the summons itself.

System: No roll is necessary to summon the dreamers. Influencing them when they reach the Chimare still calls for a contested Willpower roll at 5 for the Dancer and 9 for the dreamers.

***** * Daydream

This ability allows controlled dreaming by day.

System: The Dancer has to roll against Willpower (difficulty 9). One success allows some moments worth of controlled dream after sunrise, usually enough to plant a seed in the Chimarae of vampires who have just gone to bed or coffin. Two successes allow for some minutes, while three or more successes allow for a full day of controlled sleep. In this latter instance, the Dancer need not expend a blood point to maintain his Chimare for that day.

***** ** Dream of Time

This is like True Dream, but it is not constrained to the present. The Dancer may watch the past or even possible futures. The Dancer cannot decide to watch 'the precise moment when that 5th generation vampire passed my grave' but must decide upon the exact date and time. Time flow within this vision of things past or to come may be accelerated for the duration of the dream. The Dancer is still limited to the place in line of sight.

System: The Dancer rolls Perception + Empathy against 8. One success allows for a glimpse of up to one day into the past or one hour into the future for one minute. The time elapsing is real time, so only one minute can be seen. Two successes allow for up to a month into the past and up to a week into the future. Time may be compressed so that up to one day may be seen. Three successes allow for up to one year into the past and one month into the future, while the time observed may be compressed to a week. Four successes allow for journeys into the past up to the moment of the Dancers birth and a decade into the future with a full year observed. Five successes allow for unlimited journeying into past or future and any length of observation.

***** ** Mobile True Dream

This power works exactly like True Dream above, but the Dancer is no longer limited to one place and may move at the same speeds allowed for Auspex 5.

***** ** Archetype

This power gives the Dancer intimate access to an archetype of dream (e.g., nightmares of running without actually getting somewhere). The Dancer can automatically connect to any Chimare currently touching this archetype.

System: A roll against Intelligence + Occult or Intelligence + Psychology is necessary (difficulty 7). One success is sufficient, but only one connection to an archetype may be maintained at a time. The Dancer may pass back and forth between the archetype and connected Chimarae. A botch means that the archetype enters the Dancer's own Chimare and affects it accordingly, which the Dancer may not cancel.

***** *** The Change

On this level the Dancer changes into the Dream Zone permanently and in body. A return is impossible. The drawback is that diablerie is no longer possible either. Most Dancers decide to take this level only when they are fourth generation to be able to access at least level nine afterwards. On the other hand, the Dancer is no longer incapable of dreaming during the day and thus never stops dreaming anymore. No blood points must be expended anymore to keep up one's Chimare.

System: With the acceptance of this power the Dancer burns all bridges back. There is no roll or anything, only a conscious embrace of Dream as the only reality.

***** **** The Sated Hunger

At this level the Dancer loses the need for blood. All expenditure of blood points for any disciplines is transferred to Willpower instead. This Willpower is replenished by contact and conversation with dreamers, one point of Willpower per dreamer and night. There is no need anymore to expend a blood point due to vampiric nature as all Kindred are wont to do.

System: There is no need for a roll here, acceptance is all that is necessary.

***** ***** The Collective Subconscious

This is a legendary state which no known Dancer ever reached, comparable to Golconda. It needs diablerie of an Antediluvian to access, and some day a Dancer may attempt even this. Especially Tremere and Giovanni should watch their dreambacks. As the Dancer has to reach the third generation before taking the level 8 power of Oneiros to accomplish this, relatively few Dancers ever try, and most succumb to the temptation of the Change.

On this level the Dancer loses her identity and dissolves into the collective subconscious which feeds all dreams. If this isn't Golconda, then nothing is.

System: No roll needed.

A note on Oneiros as a path

In the last three levels, the connection between Oneiros as discipline and as a path is evident. Before that, there is only one sin: not pursuing higher levels of Oneiros. This is the most important facet of the Dream Dancer's life. If he should stray from this path, the Storyteller should feel free to lower his rating in Oneiros as a path as well as a discipline. It is not unknown for Dancers to lose the insight into higher levels of Oneiros for some time, but it is impossible to lose levels 8 or higher.