Dreams into Nightmares, and Back?

PenitentDemon · 12-28-2013, 07:33 AM

Would like to discuss how to convert a Dream into a nightmare and back...

I know how it works "MECHANICALY" just would like some ideas

A few starting Ideas?

Nightmares

Being NAked in public.

Being shouted at by an authority figure.

Being Hunted by some kind of indscernable pursuer.

Your Wife/Parents/ Whoever, finding your hidden stash of drugs/Pornography, and confronting you over it.

Peaceful Dreams

Having a Serene and tender moment with your family.

Performing in front of an audience.

Flying through the sky through magical power.

(thoughts on how to switch between each?)

robkelk · 12-29-2013, 09:44 AM

Worst nightmare I can think of right now:

Flying through the sky through magical power.

Yes, I do have acrophobia.

Any list will have to say "with exceptions." (I used to work with somebody who told me performing in front of an audience was her worst nightmare, and for many people being naked in public is just a background thing.) But that's the risk servitors of Dreams and Nightmares run when introducing elements into a mortal's dream - keying off a phobia or an unconventional behaviour is a reasonable explanation for a failed roll with a CD 6.

Rocket Man · 12-29-2013, 08:02 PM

My two cents on going between dream and nightmare.

1) Converting one to the other works easiest if you have the cooperation of the dreamer, either conscious or unconscious. If a dreamer doesn't want to go along with what you're building, it will be harder.

2) To that end, subtle changes work best, especially if converting a dream to nightmare. Just slowly accumulate things. The sunny day becomes a gray sky and then a storm. The people passing by in the background begin to gather nearer, then to look dangerous, then to have glowing green eyes ... each time the dreamer accepts one step, the next one becomes more plausible.

3) If you can work in actual hopes, fears or memories, so much the better. Maybe your victim was terrorized at their middle school as a child. A demon who shifts the 'scene' of the dream to that school now has a host of fears to play on. And not only will the dreamer be more inclined to go along with frightful things in that setting (see rule 1), but their own mind will begin to throw things out.

4) When running a dreamscape for visiting celestials, remember to show it from the dreamer's point of view. Angels visiting the nightmare school, for instance, might suddenly be viewing everything from the literal perspective of an 11-year-old, with ceilings seeming higher, lockers seeming bigger, and teachers and older children seeming bigger and more intimidating.

5) If you want to be dramatic instead of subtle, DEFINITELY play to expectations. (A deeply religious person undergoing a crisis of conscience may not be surprised at all to see an Angel of the Lord overhead with drawn sword and booming voice!) In extreme cases, you might even work directly with the dreamer ... my group of angels who were trying to rescue a mortal from her self-destructive dreams directly told her she was having a dream and tried suggesting ways she could escape or fight back! (I wouldn't advise that in every case, or even most of them, but it can work on occasion.)

PenitentDemon · 12-31-2013, 12:12 AM

Curious... what rolls does the dreamer make, if a group of angels of blandine directly wrestle with the figments created by his subconcious?

what rolls does he make waiting for the random success on a 6 or 111, to cantapault him back to her side of the marches?

Well I can see how to make A dream into a nightmare, any ideas how to make a nightmare a peaceful dream?

How do these suggestions sound just as starting points.

In the dream where your being chased, if the figure was a mysterious quantity, it turns out to be a friend, and you were scared because of how you were being pursued for no real reason.

Not sure what to do with the Dream about your Parents/Wife finding your collection of porn/drugs, any ideas?

alexondria · 12-31-2013, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PenitentDemon

Not sure what to do with the Dream about your Parents/Wife finding your collection of porn/drugs, any ideas?

It would likely depend on the angel and the person in question, but my first thought would be to have them turn the confrontation into a joke and obviously not care about the stash, though both those things ~could~ strengthen demonic words so they could also turn to gentle good advice to draw the human away from those items.

I know a common theme I've seen in nightmares both mine and ones I've heard people talk about is a sense of helplessness. These things are happening and nothing you do can stop it or even seems to make it better. So step by step giving the dreamer a sense of agency within the dream could help. I'm not talking about making them a lucid dreamer, but if they are being chased by a monster have them find things that they can use to kill or trap the monster. Don't just reveal that it's really a friend of theirs chasing them, but let them unmask the friend playing a prank on them ect....

12-28-2013, 07:33 AM	#1
PenitentDemon Join Date: Aug 2008	Dreams into Nightmares, and Back? Would like to discuss how to convert a Dream into a nightmare and back... I know how it works "MECHANICALY" just would like some ideas A few starting Ideas? Nightmares Being NAked in public. Being shouted at by an authority figure. Being Hunted by some kind of indscernable pursuer. Your Wife/Parents/ Whoever, finding your hidden stash of drugs/Pornography, and confronting you over it. Peaceful Dreams Having a Serene and tender moment with your family. Performing in front of an audience. Flying through the sky through magical power. (thoughts on how to switch between each?) Last edited by PenitentDemon; 12-28-2013 at 08:23 AM.

12-29-2013, 09:44 AM	#2
robkelk Untitled Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: between keyboard and chair	Re: Dreams into Nightmares, and Back? Worst nightmare I can think of right now: Flying through the sky through magical power. Yes, I do have acrophobia. Any list will have to say "with exceptions." (I used to work with somebody who told me performing in front of an audience was her worst nightmare, and for many people being naked in public is just a background thing.) But that's the risk servitors of Dreams and Nightmares run when introducing elements into a mortal's dream - keying off a phobia or an unconventional behaviour is a reasonable explanation for a failed roll with a CD 6. __________________ Rob Kelk “Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.” – Bernard Baruch, Deming (New Mexico) Headlight, 6 January 1950 No longer reading these forums regularly.

12-29-2013, 08:02 PM	#3
Rocket Man Petitioner: Word of IN Filk Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Longmont, CO	Re: Dreams into Nightmares, and Back? My two cents on going between dream and nightmare. 1) Converting one to the other works easiest if you have the cooperation of the dreamer, either conscious or unconscious. If a dreamer doesn't want to go along with what you're building, it will be harder. 2) To that end, subtle changes work best, especially if converting a dream to nightmare. Just slowly accumulate things. The sunny day becomes a gray sky and then a storm. The people passing by in the background begin to gather nearer, then to look dangerous, then to have glowing green eyes ... each time the dreamer accepts one step, the next one becomes more plausible. 3) If you can work in actual hopes, fears or memories, so much the better. Maybe your victim was terrorized at their middle school as a child. A demon who shifts the 'scene' of the dream to that school now has a host of fears to play on. And not only will the dreamer be more inclined to go along with frightful things in that setting (see rule 1), but their own mind will begin to throw things out. 4) When running a dreamscape for visiting celestials, remember to show it from the dreamer's point of view. Angels visiting the nightmare school, for instance, might suddenly be viewing everything from the literal perspective of an 11-year-old, with ceilings seeming higher, lockers seeming bigger, and teachers and older children seeming bigger and more intimidating. 5) If you want to be dramatic instead of subtle, DEFINITELY play to expectations. (A deeply religious person undergoing a crisis of conscience may not be surprised at all to see an Angel of the Lord overhead with drawn sword and booming voice!) In extreme cases, you might even work directly with the dreamer ... my group of angels who were trying to rescue a mortal from her self-destructive dreams directly told her she was having a dream and tried suggesting ways she could escape or fight back! (I wouldn't advise that in every case, or even most of them, but it can work on occasion.) __________________ “It's not railroading if you offer the PCs tickets and they stampede to the box office, waving their money. Metaphorically speaking” --Elizabeth McCoy, In Nomine Line Editor Author: "What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Stronger"

12-31-2013, 12:12 AM	#4
PenitentDemon Join Date: Aug 2008	Re: Dreams into Nightmares, and Back? Curious... what rolls does the dreamer make, if a group of angels of blandine directly wrestle with the figments created by his subconcious? what rolls does he make waiting for the random success on a 6 or 111, to cantapault him back to her side of the marches? Well I can see how to make A dream into a nightmare, any ideas how to make a nightmare a peaceful dream? How do these suggestions sound just as starting points. In the dream where your being chased, if the figure was a mysterious quantity, it turns out to be a friend, and you were scared because of how you were being pursued for no real reason. Not sure what to do with the Dream about your Parents/Wife finding your collection of porn/drugs, any ideas?