Help me model a power: Dreamshaping

[Kalzazz]

The DM is not interested in something which has a limitation of 'the DM picks what is most appropriate', the DM ideally shouldn't even need to see the character sheet, and certainly doesn't want to do the players job

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

I would go with Jumper (Dreams) and the ability to carry the requisite cargo.

This would bring the object over to her own dream, right? Since there is no mechanism included for making it real.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by starslayer

I have a new character I want to build, her titular ability is called dreamshaping and is the ability to take things from a person's dreams and make them into reality; in a very real 'target a was dreaming about a red sports car, PC can get a red sports car' way.

I kind of like the concept that having a dream thus 'stolen' is somewhat hard on the person who is loosing/giving up the dream...?

...


Because they are loosing their dreams, at least part of their imagination and ability to interpret the outside world is getting remove from their mind/soul. Further whatever mental energy that made the dream object in the first place is gone as well, it can't simply be recycled into another dream object.

Taking the example of the red sports car, once the PC removes the red sports car its no longer in the subjects dreams, whatever the subject had made the red sports car to address is no longer being addressed, and you've got the loss of psycic energy.

Cool.

I don't think you need to Afflict Snatcher at all. You need basically the Mental Surgery ability from Psionic Powers p.61 linked to whatever additional attacks or afflictions you need for the damaging effect, as a prerequirisite to using a Snatcher advantage of your own.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

This would bring the object over to her own dream, right? Since there is no mechanism included for making it real.

No. If we are allowed to treat "dreams" as an alternate dimension (as it is in the comic book Sandman, the Dragon Age games and the Lovecraftian Beyond the Gates of Sleep) then the things in them are real. If you travel there physically and can can bring enough cargo back, then you can have your own scorpitank or car with front wheels that can turn into skies. Although it might not work under waking world natural laws.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Yeah draining power from someone else should be modeled as an offensive power, not a limitation you get more power for.
I could accept it as a Noisy limitation or Accessibility need appropriate dream but neither hurt the victim in a real sense. They could cause a nightmare and missed sleep and lead the target to you.

Snatcher is the cleanest build, though expensive.

Limitied Snatcher for the items stolen. And Affliction for whatever the vaguely described damage is. Both with Link; only used together.
I agree.

I still would be hesitant to call it any form of limitation. Of course harming someone could lead them to you. That's the nature of victimizing others. Even a nightmare is harm, especially to us insomniacs.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by starslayer

The concept behind the power is that a dreamer connects to a part of the astral plane where there dreams are a mini-domain. In a manner similar to sandman

Because they are loosing their dreams, at least part of their imagination and ability to interpret the outside world is getting remove from their mind/soul. Further whatever mental energy that made the dream object in the first place is gone as well, it can't simply be recycled into another dream object.

Taking the example of the red sports car, once the PC removes the red sports car its no longer in the subjects dreams, whatever the subject had made the red sports car to address is no longer being addressed, and you've got the loss of psycic energy.

Once something is 'missing' from a person's dream they'll rebuild it- so a use or two should not cause irreparable harm, and some preparation can prevent the damage altogether (I was thinking that if the PC is 'guiding' the person's dreams through other powers she will have it will count as CP gained from study/devotional enchantment, and thus ~25 days of visiting a person who sleeps 8 hrs a day will garner a non-damaging use of a CP depleting power)

Ah, that's much clearer. What you want here is Snatcher modified with whatever modifiers you want and "Accessibility, Only on sleeping subjects, -20%" and "Accessibility, Subject must be dreaming about object to be snatched, -20%". Then add an Affliction with "Link, On subject Snatcher is used to create object, +10%", "Extended Duration, Permanent until snatched object is dispelled, +150%", "Disadvantage, Hidebound, +5%", and "Disadvantage, Secondary Killjoy, +15%". If you don't want it to be permeant add either "Extended Duration, 3,000x, +140%" or "Extended Duration, 10,000x, +160%".

It'll be pricey - but that's what I'd do for what you're describing here.

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Ah, that's much clearer. What you want here is Snatcher modified with whatever modifiers you want and "Accessibility, Only on sleeping subjects, -20%" and "Accessibility, Subject must be dreaming about object to be snatched, -20%". Then add an Affliction with "Link, On subject Snatcher is used to create object, +10%", "Extended Duration, Permanent until snatched object is dispelled, +150%", "Disadvantage, Hidebound, +5%", and "Disadvantage, Secondary Killjoy, +15%". If you don't want it to be permeant add either "Extended Duration, 3,000x, +140%" or "Extended Duration, 10,000x, +160%".

It'll be pricey - but that's what I'd do for what you're describing here.

I don't know Ghostdancer, Flynn, Refplace, that actually makes the depleting nature of the power more expensive than a non-depleting version, I know sometimes exactly matching limitations to a concept can be dodgy, but it seems strange to me that the depleting version would not at least be somewhat less expensive than an non-depleting version, doubly so since the depleting verison makes it into a power that you can't use on allies (or at least not willy nilly, RPM has well established the willingness of most allies to suffer temporary discomfort in order to gain advantage later).:


I would think that a build like this is far more 'true' to the description and also much more mechanically simple:
Affliction: Dreamshape 110

Dreamshape: Snatcher (accessibility: only while sleeping -20%,Accessibility: only things you are dreaming about -30%, permanent +300%, creation +100%, extra weight (say 25 tonnes) +120%, Large Items +50%, Costs CP *1/5) 100

The lost points from use would manifest as disadvantages related to loss of creativity and mental reserves

[Christopher R. Rice]

Being able to inflict character point loss on a target is MUCH more expensive than that. I would never allow that build unless the subject was totally understanding that by creating something he would be giving up a portion of himself in the process. But that's just me as the GM, your GM may decide otherwise.

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Being able to inflict character point loss on a target is MUCH more expensive than that. I would never allow that build unless the subject was totally understanding that by creating something he would be giving up a portion of himself in the process. But that's just me as the GM, your GM may decide otherwise.

First off; I agree with your statement of 'the character needs to be understanding in order for this to work'. I would instead go with a phrasing of 'anyone can feel when something is going to cost a CP and shut that process down immediately if they don't allow it to happen'- someone could be tricked, coerced or otherwise manipulated into sacrificing a CP- but the affliction by itself should not be able to do so.

Secondly however: Afflicting character point loss on a target is not very expensive at all. All but the most expensive resurrections cost 25 character points as they inflict a retroactive extra life, so killing someone costs them 25 cp. Severing limbs gives them 'one/no arm/leg'. Failing fright checks inflicts disadvantages, mind control /w conditioning, disadvantage afflictions /w permanant, radiation, corruption, awe, terror, neutralize /w permanant, forcing someone into situations where they have to overcome/suppress their disadvantages <and thus on the meta scale not getting CP that session for not playing to their disadvantages>, killing enemies/rivals/watchers, framing them for crimes (and thus giving them the disadvantage Social Stigma: criminal), etc.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by starslayer

First off; I agree with your statement of 'the character needs to be understanding in order for this to work'. I would instead go with a phrasing of 'anyone can feel when something is going to cost a CP and shut that process down immediately if they don't allow it to happen'- someone could be tricked, coerced or otherwise manipulated into sacrificing a CP- but the affliction by itself should not be able to do so.

Ok.

Originally Posted by starslayer

Secondly however: Afflicting character point loss on a target is not very expensive at all. All but the most expensive resurrections cost 25 character points as they inflict a retroactive extra life, so killing someone costs them 25 cp. Severing limbs gives them 'one/no arm/leg'. Failing fright checks inflicts disadvantages, mind control /w conditioning, disadvantage afflictions /w permanant, radiation, corruption, awe, terror, neutralize /w permanant, forcing someone into situations where they have to overcome/suppress their disadvantages <and thus on the meta scale not getting CP that session for not playing to their disadvantages>, killing enemies/rivals/watchers, framing them for crimes (and thus giving them the disadvantage Social Stigma: criminal), etc.

I priced it at around 100 points here from this thread.