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Powers & Upgrades
Mar. 21st, 2023 08:17 pmBASE ABILITIES
- Part and parcel of becoming a Dreamer is awakening to several new kinds of powers and abilities as manifestations of a Dreamer's individual magic. These abilities can be used in battle to combat opponents or they can be used to interact with the setting in various ways. At base, all Dreamers apping into the game, regardless of skill level, will share the following abilities:
- Weapon Summon: While in the Dream Sphere, a Dreamer's Sandglass will transform and become their weapon, able to be summoned out of thin air at will. This signature weapon will appear to be made of glass and be filled with the sand that can be seen inside a Dreamer's Sandglass. Note that ‘weapon’ here is being used loosely and that you’re also free to have characters summon tools or toys or things that you wouldn’t usually consider to be a weapon. A character’s signature weapon can also change in appearance depending on both power and character development, but this is largely an aesthetic change only (unless you specifically have a power that will alter your weapon).
Enhanced Strength and Durability: In comparison to their human selves, Dreamers hit harder and are able to take blows from enemies that would be extremely dangerous for a regular human. This aspect of their powerset is largely a meta conceit to put all characters on the same level, but it can be played with as you like. Before any additional powers, a Dreamer's strength should be capped at what would be reasonable for an unaugmented human being to pull off (i.e, they could be as strong as a bodybuilder but not a robot).
Enhanced Movement Capabilities: In order to help them get around the Dream Sphere, Dreamers will find they have become overall more agile. They can run much faster and have much greater stamina to do so and perhaps most excitingly, they can now bunnyhop around like a demented platformer mascot. They can't quite fly with this ability, but they could probably jump up to a second floor window without any problems.
On top of the above, Dreamers will also have a number of unique abilities that make up their individual powersets. These unique abilities are ranked on a letter scale ascending from E: E, D, C, B, and A. S and EX also exist as ‘endgame’ states representing total mastery of power but will require more than just points to unlock...
A Dreamer's magic becomes more impactful the higher its rank is: while Fire Mastery E might create a torch-sized flame, Fire Mastery A could light a bonfire the size of a house. If in doubt, go with your instinct for what is reasonable or ask a mod if you're unsure.
Powers can be more or less anything! They can range from things that have raw combat utility or they can be more general – or even a bit silly! You can also have your character develop powers that function in a more passive sense and enhance their innate abilities over something more flashy. Your Dreamer's powers should serve as an expression of their personality and overall vibe, so feel free to have fun with it.
For playability & lore reasons, we do have a handful of powers that are restricted or blanket banned:
- ⧖ Time travel (limited time control powers are fine)
⧖ Long-range teleportation (short-range blinking/flash stepping is fine)
⧖ Powers directly related to control over life and death (Necromancy, etc)
⧖ Dream walking/dream manipulation/etc (I THINK THIS ONE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF)
If you have concerns that a power you're interested in falls under any of these categories, please feel free to check in with the mods and we'll be happy to work with you!
POWER PROGRESSION
- When apping into the game, characters will list a minimum of four unique powers on their app that they'd like to start with. Dreamers starting out as Novices will receive one of these powers at D-Rank while Experienced Dreamers apping into the game will receive two at D-Rank. Following this, characters can receive new unique powers via AC rewards - see the Bonus Threads page for more information on how to collect these.
Newly purchased powers will start at E Rank and cost four points. Once a Dreamer ranks up and becomes Experienced, you may choose to spend an extra two points (totaling six) to start a new power at D Rank instead.
You can also use points to upgrade a power, raising its ranking by one step. In turn, this will increase the effectiveness of your characters' power and their overall control of it. Upgrades can cover:
- ⧖ Improvements to a power's range, magnitude, or quantity. (Examples: extending effective range of hydrokinesis or total amount of water that can be manipulated, increasing number of manipulable objects/familiars that can be summoned at once.)
⧖ Improvements to a power's precision. (Examples: pyrokinesis capable of being used simply to generate heat and not actual flames.)
⧖ Extensions of a power's applications or execution. (Examples: modifying a basic electrical shock power into an ability to create electric force fields.)
⧖ Expansions on a theme. (Examples: character with rain-related powers gaining snow-related versions of those powers.)
⧖ Basically, anything that can be justified as an "upgrade" of an existing power.
Upgrades will cost two points and raise the associated ability's rank by one step.
In short, players are encouraged to establish a thematic 'base' powerset for their character and to build their abilities from there with upgrades and new powers as they see fit. For Novice Dreamers, their powers cap at B Rank, while Experienced Dreamers can go as far as A Rank. Once a character has three or more powers at A Rank, they can select one to ascend to S Rank.
SIGNATURE ABILITIES
- Signature Abilities are a character's biggest, flashiest attacks in the vein of a Limit Break or a Noble Phantasm. They are high-power, once-per-battle attacks that Dreamers can use to dish out massive amounts of damage and to permanently purify Nightmares. Essentially, these are your big once-an-episode stock footage attacks. If you were playing Sailor Moon or Mew Ichigo, this would be your Moon Tiara Action or Ribbon Strawberry Check.
Signature Abilities can not be used by Novice Dreamers – once a Dreamer selects their Combat Archetype, they will automatically be granted a Signature Ability. Simply submit a power request as you would for any other new ability, but go into some detail about your Signature Ability's look and feel as well as its particular use and effects. A Signature Ability should also have a name that your character can dramatically call out when making use of it. There are no limitations on what you can call it, other that it should contain the word Dream in some way or form.
Power-wise, Signature Abilities come with a few limitations. As well as the above restrictions on all powers, there are some drawbacks that come with use of a Signature Ability:
- ⧖ Like other powers, Signature Abilities are ranked. Their maximum possible rank is whatever your current highest ranked power is – if all your powers are Rank B, then your Signature Ability is capped at Rank B too.
⧖ Signature Abilities are one use only per battle. Once used, the Dreamer can continue to contribute to the battle but after three turns pass or the battle ends (whichever comes first) they will be returned to the real world and thus ejected from battle.
Make sure to use your Signature Ability wisely!
TANDEM POWERS
- Tandem Powers are a branch of power upgrades available to Experienced Dreamers that allow them to combine their magic with their allies to explosive results! Tandem Powers are a synthesis of the two Dreamers' magic and imagination and as such, they are considered to be a representation of the relationship between two Dreamers as well as an extension of their magic. Powers blending to the degree that births a Tandem Power generally comes from some level of intensity between two Dreamers... good or bad.
Mechanically speaking, Tandem Powers are combo moves that can be used in battle and regular play just the same as any other power. Tandem Powers are overall stronger than solo magic, but they come with a few caveats: they are typically more specific and situational, can only be used when both Dreamers are working together and have the potential to change or even become nonfunctional if the relationship changes.
To purchase a Tandem Power, either player may fill out the appropriate form and submit it, with each player paying half of the total cost of purchase. Upgrading functions the same, with a note that Tandem Powers are capped in accordance with the weaker character in the duo; for example, if one character's highest power Rank is A and the other's highest is C, their Tandem Power will be capped at C until the second character gets a bit stronger.
New Tandem Powers cost ten points overall (5 points per player). Upgrades will cost six points (three per player) and raise the associated ability's rank by one step. Due to their nature, Tandem Powers automatically start at Rank C and are hard capped at S Rank. Both characters must have at least one C Rank Power to purchase a Tandem Power.
FINAL NOTES
- As mentioned on the Dreamer FAQ, players can choose to app their characters into the game as either a Novice Dreamer or an Experienced Dreamer. This is mostly to allow OOC flexibility for people who are more interested in jumping directly into playing around in the setting or to give players who already have a character in the game a leg-up in getting their new characters caught up on things. There are also a few differences from an IC perspective, though not too many – Experienced Dreamers will have a few unique opportunities within the Dreamer Union, such as becoming Mentors to less worldweary Dreamers and going on Torment Hunts with higher Risk levels.
For more info about the Dreamer Union and Torment Hunts, be sure to check their respective pages!
New Power:
Upgrade:
Tandem Power:
Tandem Power Upgrade / Alteration:
Signature Ability: