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beautifuldreamermods) wrote2023-02-19 11:41 am
beautifuldreamermods) wrote2023-02-19 11:41 am
Dreamer FAQ
DREAMER FAQ
?So, what IS a Dreamer exactly?
Dreamer is the name given to magical warriors in the Beautiful Dreamer universe. Rather than manifesting in reality, a Dreamer is a person able to cross over into the Dream Sphere and assume a more powerful form, making their magic manifest and using that power and imagination to protect both the real world and the Dream Sphere from Nightmares and Torments.
?Who can become a Dreamer?
Anybody!
There are no in-universe limitations on who can or can't become a Dreamer and characters of any age and gender may awaken their powers. The only real roadblock is that there is no way to force this process or to encourage it to happen - ultimately, the process (ICly) comes down to luck... though whether it's bad luck or good luck depends on who you ask.
OOCly, we have some suitability standards for apped characters but these are purely to maximize playability and enjoyment for players rather than any sort of in-universe mechanic.
There are no in-universe limitations on who can or can't become a Dreamer and characters of any age and gender may awaken their powers. The only real roadblock is that there is no way to force this process or to encourage it to happen - ultimately, the process (ICly) comes down to luck... though whether it's bad luck or good luck depends on who you ask.
OOCly, we have some suitability standards for apped characters but these are purely to maximize playability and enjoyment for players rather than any sort of in-universe mechanic.
?How does a character become a Dreamer?
The process of becoming a Dreamer is ICly referred to as an Awakening and comes about as the result of a character's own imagination and willpower making tangible changes within the Dream Sphere.
The most common and 'default' way this can occur is during a Nightmare attack while a character sleeps. Characters can be targeted by a Nightmare for any number of reasons - maybe they're sleeping on some troubles that attracted the Nightmare or maybe their Figment was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. What matters most about this encounter is that the targeted character is able to summon the strength to fight back against the Nightmare, triggering their first transformation into a Dreamer. Once the character wakes from this dream, they'll find they've been granted their Sandglass, the magical item that allows them to transform and shift between worlds, as well as an instinctive understanding of how to use it. The Sandglass itself is small, around two inches in diameter, and can be hung as a pendant, a keychain, or anything you can clip it onto. You also can't misplace it, no matter how hard you try... it somehow, mysteriously, finds its way right back to your pillow...
Visual reference of a Sandglass and an example of how it changes in appearance to match the Dreamer. Art by![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
merlyn_art
Staving off a Nightmare attack is the most common cause of an Awakening but it isn't the only one. Since the root of an Awakening is a character's strong will influencing the Dream Sphere, this can happen in other ways as well - for instance, a particularly vivid lucid dream may be the cause and result of a character's Awakening. Typically, though, these alternate causes are atypical enough to be considered rare – but feel free to come up with a cool Awakening for your character if nothing above really sings to you!
As mentioned elsewhere, there is no known method of forcing an Awakening but a character who strongly wants to become a Dreamer may be able to more easily gather the willpower to fight during a Nightmare attack. Other than this, the process is generally understood to not be something one can control.
The most common and 'default' way this can occur is during a Nightmare attack while a character sleeps. Characters can be targeted by a Nightmare for any number of reasons - maybe they're sleeping on some troubles that attracted the Nightmare or maybe their Figment was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. What matters most about this encounter is that the targeted character is able to summon the strength to fight back against the Nightmare, triggering their first transformation into a Dreamer. Once the character wakes from this dream, they'll find they've been granted their Sandglass, the magical item that allows them to transform and shift between worlds, as well as an instinctive understanding of how to use it. The Sandglass itself is small, around two inches in diameter, and can be hung as a pendant, a keychain, or anything you can clip it onto. You also can't misplace it, no matter how hard you try... it somehow, mysteriously, finds its way right back to your pillow...
Visual reference of a Sandglass and an example of how it changes in appearance to match the Dreamer. Art by
Staving off a Nightmare attack is the most common cause of an Awakening but it isn't the only one. Since the root of an Awakening is a character's strong will influencing the Dream Sphere, this can happen in other ways as well - for instance, a particularly vivid lucid dream may be the cause and result of a character's Awakening. Typically, though, these alternate causes are atypical enough to be considered rare – but feel free to come up with a cool Awakening for your character if nothing above really sings to you!
As mentioned elsewhere, there is no known method of forcing an Awakening but a character who strongly wants to become a Dreamer may be able to more easily gather the willpower to fight during a Nightmare attack. Other than this, the process is generally understood to not be something one can control.
?What happens after an Awakening?
That's up to you! ICly, characters have the option to join the Dreamer Union and become active in patrolling the Dream Sphere, though this is not considered mandatory; it's perfectly acceptable for a Dreamer to decide they don't want to fight. Please note that while no characters are forced into fighting ICly, from an OOC character choice perspective, characters who are completely unwilling to engage with this aspect of the setting at all may be a poor fit for the game – they don't need to jump in head first, but some level of engagement with the magical and mystical aspects of the setting are expected.
Regardless, once a character joins the Dreamer Union, they'll be given a rundown on the basics of their magic – younger or particularly inexperienced characters may also be assigned a Mentor, a more experienced Dreamer who will help them through the early stages of their power development. In addition, characters of school attending age (six to eighteen years) will be given the option to attend the private Promised Morning Academy which is specifically structured to accommodate students who are also working as Dreamers.
From there, the world is your oyster! Play around in the setting as you see fit.
Regardless, once a character joins the Dreamer Union, they'll be given a rundown on the basics of their magic – younger or particularly inexperienced characters may also be assigned a Mentor, a more experienced Dreamer who will help them through the early stages of their power development. In addition, characters of school attending age (six to eighteen years) will be given the option to attend the private Promised Morning Academy which is specifically structured to accommodate students who are also working as Dreamers.
From there, the world is your oyster! Play around in the setting as you see fit.
?How do Dreamers travel to the Dream Sphere?
A Dreamer hops over to the Dream Sphere by making use of their Sandglass! It functions similarly to a spinner pendant and by turning the little hourglass in the center and allowing the sand to spill into the other half, a Dreamer is transformed and taken to the Dream Sphere – so the act of transforming and of going to the Dream Sphere are one and the same.
From the perspective of the Waking World, a Dreamer quite literally vanishes into thin air then they hop over to the Dream Sphere, though because of the disparity in time passage they usually aren't gone for too long. Rather than popping back where they vanished from, once a Dreamer leaves the Dream Sphere, they'll reappear back in their bed as if waking up from a long sleep... though whether 'their bed' is actually the bed they think of as being their own or just the last bed they slept in is up to players to mess around with based on what would make for the funniest bit.
A Dreamer cannot take anything into the Dream Sphere with them, save their Sandglass, but will find any belongings they had on them safe and sound beside their bed once they emerge from the Dream Sphere.
On occasion, a Dreamer may accidentally slip into the Dream Sphere while just sleeping and not using their Sandglass - and may find themselves wandering strange and distant parts of the Dream Sphere usually beyond their reach...
From the perspective of the Waking World, a Dreamer quite literally vanishes into thin air then they hop over to the Dream Sphere, though because of the disparity in time passage they usually aren't gone for too long. Rather than popping back where they vanished from, once a Dreamer leaves the Dream Sphere, they'll reappear back in their bed as if waking up from a long sleep... though whether 'their bed' is actually the bed they think of as being their own or just the last bed they slept in is up to players to mess around with based on what would make for the funniest bit.
A Dreamer cannot take anything into the Dream Sphere with them, save their Sandglass, but will find any belongings they had on them safe and sound beside their bed once they emerge from the Dream Sphere.
On occasion, a Dreamer may accidentally slip into the Dream Sphere while just sleeping and not using their Sandglass - and may find themselves wandering strange and distant parts of the Dream Sphere usually beyond their reach...
?What should a character's Dreamer form be like?
Creating a Dreamer form for your character isn’t particularly complicated! There are some general guidelines to ensure all characters fit into the universe, but you have plenty of freedom within those boundaries.
Thematically, Dreamers are extremely individualistic, born as they are from the strong feelings of their original selves. Many things influence a Dreamer’s transformed state and their powers, such as their personalities and their beliefs, their worries and anxieties or even something as simple as their hobbies and passions. All this together is what creates the magic that gives a Dreamer form.
A Dreamer's transformed self will often drastically change from their appearance in the waking world – their hair and eyes will often change colour and of course, they have a stylin' new outfit. For a Dreamer, while they cannot consciously choose any aspect of their transformed self, their appearance in the Dream Sphere will always be something they will be happy and comfortable with.
Dreamers do not have a cohesive uniform style, but they do have a cohesive aesthetic; crystals and glass, glitter and sand, sheer, floaty fabrics. Colour wise, Dreamers tend to have pastel or desaturated colour schemes. If you would like visual references, yume kawaii (ゆめかわいい) and fairy kei (フェアリー系) fashions and aesthetics are a good place to start. Additionally, Beautiful Dreamer’s visual style as a whole was massively inspired by the Japan Animators Expo music video GIRL (NSFW for some nudity and sexual themes), so it can provide additional inspo material where needed.
Lastly, Dreamers have very simple naming conventions. In their transformed state, a Dreamer will be called “Dreamer [UNIQUE NAME]”, with their individual title tying back thematically to the ideas that make up a Dreamer’s identity. For ‘canon’ examples, Usagi Tsukino could be "Dreamer Moon" or "Dreamer Serenity", Ichigo Momomiya could be “Dreamer Strawberry” or “Dreamer Kitty” and Hana Nono could be “Dreamer Cheer” or “Dreamer Kiratto”.
Thematically, Dreamers are extremely individualistic, born as they are from the strong feelings of their original selves. Many things influence a Dreamer’s transformed state and their powers, such as their personalities and their beliefs, their worries and anxieties or even something as simple as their hobbies and passions. All this together is what creates the magic that gives a Dreamer form.
A Dreamer's transformed self will often drastically change from their appearance in the waking world – their hair and eyes will often change colour and of course, they have a stylin' new outfit. For a Dreamer, while they cannot consciously choose any aspect of their transformed self, their appearance in the Dream Sphere will always be something they will be happy and comfortable with.
Dreamers do not have a cohesive uniform style, but they do have a cohesive aesthetic; crystals and glass, glitter and sand, sheer, floaty fabrics. Colour wise, Dreamers tend to have pastel or desaturated colour schemes. If you would like visual references, yume kawaii (ゆめかわいい) and fairy kei (フェアリー系) fashions and aesthetics are a good place to start. Additionally, Beautiful Dreamer’s visual style as a whole was massively inspired by the Japan Animators Expo music video GIRL (NSFW for some nudity and sexual themes), so it can provide additional inspo material where needed.
Lastly, Dreamers have very simple naming conventions. In their transformed state, a Dreamer will be called “Dreamer [UNIQUE NAME]”, with their individual title tying back thematically to the ideas that make up a Dreamer’s identity. For ‘canon’ examples, Usagi Tsukino could be "Dreamer Moon" or "Dreamer Serenity", Ichigo Momomiya could be “Dreamer Strawberry” or “Dreamer Kitty” and Hana Nono could be “Dreamer Cheer” or “Dreamer Kiratto”.
?Can my character's Dreamer form be nonhuman? How different can they be to their real life self?
A Dreamer's appearance can change pretty radically from their waking world self, so don't feel like you have to stick too close to their real appearance! Similarly, while some Dreamers change to the point of being unrecognizable, some may not look all that different to how they appear in reality apart from their mahou makeover.
Generally though, characters should remain recognizably human, if only for the practicality of being able to distinguish them from Torments. You can incorporate elements of animals/bugs/etc into their Dreamer designs (catboys real) but the overall design should still read as a human.
Generally though, characters should remain recognizably human, if only for the practicality of being able to distinguish them from Torments. You can incorporate elements of animals/bugs/etc into their Dreamer designs (catboys real) but the overall design should still read as a human.
?What are my Dreamer's powers like? How do I get new ones?
Since powers are a bit more complicated, they've got their own page! Check that out for the full rundown on how powers work in BD.
?How do my character's powers work in the Waking World?
In short – they, uh, don't. Since a Dreamer's magic is so tied to the Dream Sphere, characters currently cannot use their powers outside of their dreams. Of course, that's just currently...
?If my character gets hurt in the Dream Sphere, do they get hurt in reality?
Thankfully, no! Dreamers can take a lot of punishment but even in the event of them taking a lot of damage in the Dream Sphere, none of those injuries will be reflected on their Waking World self. They may experience some phantom pain or residual aches and pains but they'll fade fast and there won't be any lasting effects.
!I've got another question not covered by this page!
No worries! Drop it below and we'll get you a response as quick as we can!
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When you say "a Dreamer is a person able to cross over into the Dream Sphere" does that mean that they go to sleep and astral project a body into the dream sphere while their physical body rests, or do they actually like...open up a magic portal to the dream sphere and disappear into it
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There are instances of Dreamers permanently vanishing from the Waking World, but this is exceeding rare and considered to be the result of a Dreamer being lost in or somehow permanently swallowed by the Dream Sphere.
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(Don't judge me, scanning a maxed out Wolf Link Amiibo is always one of those first things I do when I start a BOTW playthrough.)
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1) (Which may be obvious but I'm gonna ask it anyway) If the Dreamer's weapon is an actual weapon (for instance, a laser gun or a sword), would they be able to use it in battle without it counting as a special ability? idk if I'm wording it right, but I just want to make sure whether I should put "Knife" in one of his power slots or not 🥲
2) How long, ICly, does a character need to be an active Dreamer to be considered an Experienced Dreamer over a Novice? Amane's been a Dreamer for about a year in-universe, but I don't know if that would be either too short of a time to bump him up to Experienced, or too long of a time to consider him a Novice 🤔 (Or is it less about time and more of how many Tornents/Nightmares they've defeated?)
3) In canon, Amane's brother Tsukasa is possessed by an ancient supernatural (or at least riding shotgun in his body, it's kind of unclear how much is Tsukasa and how much is the evil spirit), and it made me wonder, for AU purposes-- is it possible for Torments/Nightmares to possess a Figment or Dreamer in the Dream Sphere and be brought back to the waking world? Not so much that they influence it, but more of like... a bad vibes parasite to whoever they wind up latching onto, idk (If that's game or lore breaking, though, or touches upon a future plot point, then no worries!!)
Sorry for all the questions, and thank you for your time!
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1) Since a Dreamer's weapon is one of their default abilities automatically granted to every character, you do not need a slot for it on your app! Once you get into the game, giving it extra effects or enhancing it in some way would require power purchases but it isn't something you need to count as a unique power for the purposes of the app.
2) A Dreamer moving into 'Experienced' status in-universe is more of a recognition of learned ability than time spent so there isn't a strict amount of time a character needs to have been a Dreamer to advance to that next step. There are some characters in-game currently who've been Dreamers for a long time but for various reasons are still considered Novices while others are relatively recent additions but have gotten to grips with things quick enough to climb the ranks. That said; ultimately, what's most important is what would be the most fun for you, OOCly, to play with! The Novice/Experienced split is more to do with providing avenues for players to pursue power progression and social interactions in ways they find fulfilling, so feel free to pick whichever sings to you most.
3) So! As of the first app round, this is not something that would work however... the Dream Sphere is a mysterious place and new things are being discovered all the time so it really wouldn't hurt to keep an idea like that in mind for the future... winkwink.
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Secondly I saw in another answer that Dreamers vanishing into the ds is rare but not unheard of, and I'm wondering if a friend vanishing like that is kosher to use as part of Kozakura's backstory, and if it's possible to do something plot-related with that down the line when I have a more concrete idea of how?
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2) That's also totally fine! Those sorts of things are written into the lore specifically for players to use in their backstories so feel free to run with it. You're also free to expand on it and run some sort of player plot or more general arc revolving around that disappearance later down the line if you like!
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On the list of restricted/banned powers, there's "Dream walking/dream manipulation/etc." I do not want to be OP or break the game in any way, but I was trying to decide on a fourth potential power for a character I'm apping in. In canon, they're a Nightmaren, a being of nightmare themself, and in the AU I'm basically saying that they helped their father create more Torments and Nightmares in the Dream Sphere by screwing with people. Because they had this weird "farming Torments" thing going on, I was considering having one of their potential powers be... not being able to control Torments or anything like that, but being able to personally register as neutral to them or calm them to some degree. I wasn't sure if that would fall under "dream manipulation" or otherwise be too much, though!
(If not, it's no problem, I can go with an ability to cause fear in others instead. I was considering it, though, so I thought I'd check the possibility!)
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Something like this that directly interacts with a known quantity of the setting would be fine, though.
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Generally that will differ a bit between individual Torments and Nightmares since that can be made up from a lot of different things - one that's more shadowy and smoky won't make a mess, one made of plant matter might ooze sap etc - but when they're dispersed, they'll poof away into nonexistence.
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I fully admit the mod team knows zip and zilch about YGO past like, the Battle City arc of the very first anime so we would need a bit more info from you about how it works in canon before we nail it down but hopefully this is a helpful start!
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Follow-up question... under the assumption that Hibiki's weapons are already say, gauntlets so that she can punch... would being able to smack enemies with her scarf also be a power?
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2) That would also be a separate power!
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When it comes to signature weapons, would they be allowed to have a form/mode change feature? Think like Bloodborne's trick weapons. The powers page touches upon it, but I just wanted to confirm whether something like this would require a separate power or is something that the weapon could do.
My thoughts just went "uhuhu this is normal for this weapon" but every thing has their own rules for how weapons works. IT DIDN'T CROSS MY MIND UNTIL I STARTED MY THREADS I'M SORRY
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If it's purely an aesthetic change that doesn't hugely affect the way the weapon functions then you can just have it by default but if it's something that changes how it works in battle then giving it a separate 'form change' power with its own upgrade path would be necessary.
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sorry i've got a lot of questions and i can only hope i'm not forgetting some
- Does a Dreamer need their weapon to be able to use their powers? If they lose their weapon, can they just magically summon it back to them?
- Where does the Sandglass go when the Dreamer's in the Dream Sphere? I keep assuming it ends up somewhere on their weapon but I don't actually know…
- Is it possible for a Dreamer to inherit, or be taught how to use, another Dreamer's power(s), through analysis and/or diligent study?
- Is there a cap on how many powers a Dreamer can have?
- Relatedly: Frieren's whole thing in canon is collecting/learning tons of spells, especially ones that are extremely mundane and specific (see the "Other Spells" category on this page for examples). Would it be okay to roll all of this up into a sort of "minor spells" power, and if yes, what would be an acceptable method for Frieren to add to her spell repertoire?
One idea I have is that she would need to do the thing in waking life in order to be able to replicate it with her magic in the Dream Sphere. For example, for the flower field spell, she would need to plant and grow the appropriate flower; for the lost accessory spell, she would need to actually help someone find a lost item, and so on. The spells could be applied in creative ways in the Dream Sphere by pulling from the whole "dreams are weird and symbolic sometimes" thing. Upgrades to this power would allow Frieren to collect more spells.
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1. That would be fine, in regards to both her basic attack and her Signature Attack! When it comes to things weapons can do, so long as it's basically just dealing like... starter level damage before upgrades, I'm not super strict as to how their attacks are performed. A weapon's basic attack is basically just flavour in my eyes, so as long as the end result is about the same I don't particularly mind if it's cool laser beams or just bonking Torments with her staff. Actually, now I kind of want to see her doing a bonk???
2. No and yes! That said, if it's what you wanted to play with, you could definitely flavour it in such a way that a character DOES need their Sandglass to make their magic work – for example, one of my characters has magic based around music and singing and her Sandglass does double duty as a microphone. Some of her powers would still work without it but it definitely wouldn't be as effective.
3. That's up to you! Some players have drawn their own designs for their characters' Dreamer forms and have the Sandglass clipped to the outfit somewhere. Since a Sandglass transforms into a Dreamer's weapon once it's summoned I guess it should technically disappear from their outfit but uh... rule of fashion!!
4. Absolutely yes! From an in-universe perspective, a character's magic develops through training and experimentation and basically keeping an open imagination for what their powers can do. In addition, we have a Dreamer in-game right now who is basically the successor to another character and whose powers function the same way.
5. Not currently! I'll probably reserve the right to eventually start capping powers if the game goes on long enough that people are turning into level 20 DND wizards but right now I don't see it being a huge problem, so I'm being relatively lax about it.
6. I think this could be really fun, so long as the spells remain relatively minor! So say, 'growing a flower' as part of this spell's effects would be fine, but once it starts moving into having combat utility or wide scale effects is when it would need to be purchased as its own power.
Hope this is all helpful!
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1) Weapon! Just double checking that it's okay if the weapon itself wasn't used offensively but just as a support item? Like, he's not using the sandglass itself to fight Torments, he's fighting but using his weapon as a sort of 'support' thing to help him
go fasterget buffs? Or can Torments/Nightmares only be cleansed via the Sandglass and we all get the really dumb image of Sonic bonking a Badnik on the head with a ring?And yes, I am planning on making him drop his weapon every time he gets hit in battle because it is, in fact, going to be a ring. You're welcomed, Beautiful Dreamers. (☞¬‿¬)☞
"Doesn't his weapon float?" Yeah, but we don't let logistics get in the way of a good joke.
2) Bouncing off of that, I know Keiwa's weapon transformation thing is pretty involved but I'm guess just changing the size of your sandglass weapon shouldn't be a separate power? Like, having the ring go from being the side of a large hula hoop to the size of a bangle is just a visual change so it's not considered a power, stuff like that.
3) Signature Ability; can I just make him go Super for like 3 turns then get booted out? It doesn't have to be like... an Attack attack right? I can just make it his Final Smash including the bit where his inertia just sends him flying out of the bounding box?
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2. That would also be fine! So long as it doesn't massively change its utility in system-based battles, I don't see a issue with that.
3. Since Signatures are how Nightmares get fully purified it would be ideal for him to have some sort of 'attack' phase where he makes contact but we can also just handwave that going Super makes his attacks have a purifying effect on Nightmares if you'd rather play it like that! Off the top of Claire's sleep deprived head, my suggestion would be something like 'goes Super for 3 turns, gets associated buffs & attacks do purifying damage on nightmare but aren't a guaranteed kill' but obvs feel free to go with what your heart desires.
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Generally, the main impetus is a character losing sight of or connection with the feelings that initially helped them become a Dreamer. Having their Sandglass smashed in the real world can also cause them to lose their ability to cross over. And sometimes it just happens For Reasons nobody can quite explain...
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I'm bouncing some ideas, and would of course like to give Sousuke is signature scarf as a weapon.
Sousuke's a coward, though. Good luck getting him to willingly fight anything. (Which probably means lots of deflection abilities in his future)
Would it be okay, though, if his scarf had a sort of sentience in the sense that, if his Dreamer Form is in quite a pinch and in danger, could it lash out and attack for him? Like one would with a sword or something, but it does it on its own to protect him in extreme circumstances, if that makes sense.
Of course, I'm totally fine with limiting what that "sentience" would entail to a reasonable level. But I wanted to know your feedback on it first.
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If a pair of Dreamers were to start fighting, would it be possible for them to knock each other out? Or at least exhaust the other party enough to to make them wake up?
for the record, wondering if this sort of thing would be feasible. :O
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