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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!
no subject
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!
no subject
Okay good, because as it turns out, after an AU backstory brainstorming session, I have… a lot of follow-up questions..... I'm also going to ramble about some of my ideas for Frieren just to make sure they're OK to use. Let me know if anything I mention here needs tweaked!
1. I thought about this some more. Just to make sure we're on the same page, would it be okay for Frieren's basic weapon attacks to be of varying power based on how long she's spent charging them? A basic uncharged attack can be fired off instantly, does a small amount of damage and can knock back a Torment. A basic charged attack can either do a moderate amount of damage or take out a Torment in one shot (depends on charging duration/Torment power level). And finally, her signature attack is an extra powerful version of her basic attacks: it has a long charge time (for boss encounters, probably multiple turns) but deals massive damage.
…and rest assured, there will be bonking. It's absolutely not her favored method of attack, nor her most effective, but hey, if she's within bonking range, might as well!
2. Sounds good! Frieren's powers are going to revolve around analyzing/locating foes, concealing her magical presence, and looking for openings/weaknesses to deal a fatal strike. She's basically a highly mobile glass cannon who could really use allies to take aggro off her while she charges up her attacks. I'm going to say her actual attacks require her staff, but analysis/concealment don't.
4. Perfect! I've seen a few characters with temporary mimic-type powers but I wonder if it would be possible to buy another character's power and learn it permanently (with player permission, of course)? If I went for this down the line, I would personally toss in an additional requirement of a certain level of CR with the character!
And now for extra questions—
7. Nightmare attacks can cause memory loss, but how granular can this get? For example, could the victim forget just one memory, assuming they were able to fight back at some point? What I have in mind is that Frieren gets attacked by a Nightmare in her backstory, causing her to forget one of her powers (the minor spells one, if that matters) and the method by which she originally learned it. This is… a bit of a hack to work around the fact that I need Frieren to have learned three specific powers from her mentor, but can only start with two, haha. She would learn it back as part of her character arc!
8. Can I say that Frieren based her basic attacks (and, later, her signature move) off of the attacks of the Nightmare that caused her Awakening? Mainly asking this just in case beam attacks just aren't a thing Nightmares can do for whatever reason (I'm not too sure about how varied they can actually be).
9. Could a Dreamer actually die from a normal Nightmare attack? Or disappear?
10. Could a DU Dreamer be assigned the mentor role against their will (i.e. by a superior hoping for them to open up a little) or is it strictly on a volunteer basis? Just looking for an excuse to give Frieren the role in case I can't come up with something else!
11. Are there accommodations for disabled DU workers? I'm going to play Frieren as autistic. While she can live alone and take care of herself well enough, she struggles with doing so in a timely manner. Think sleeping in and taking a long, long time to get ready for the day, resulting in her being late to work… pretty much all the time. Just wondering if DU management would be accepting of this!
12. Is there such a thing as a research position within the DU? I'm planning for Frieren to be a full-time DU worker who goes on Excursions and Torment Hunts, but also studies Nightmares and Dreamer powers and makes her findings available to fellow Dreamers. If this is a thing, would she earn extra money for it? How much? Just trying to gauge how much she'd have to work with!
13. Is giving yourself a Dreamer name and naming your signature move something Dreamers do instinctively upon Awakening, or is it some kind of convention invented by the DU/early Dreamers/whoever else? If the latter is true, how would a Dreamer that breaks those conventions be perceived by their peers, generally?
14. Beyond the obvious "if they're keeping it on the down low, don't out someone as a Dreamer by calling them their Dreamer name in waking life", is it bad etiquette to call someone by their Dreamer name in the Waking World and vice versa? Because depending on the answer above I could see Frieren just… sticking with whichever name she learned first, haha.
no subject
4. That would be fine! Like any other power, it would start at a low rank and would need to be upgraded from there. I would also say that any powers she learns directly from other characters will be slightly less effective than the originals, just for the sake of fairness to the folks whose powers she's learning.
7. That would work just fine! Memory loss in victims varies from character to character - in-universe, the process by which it happens isn't fully understood and from a player perspective, this aspect of the lore is left a little loose to let people play around with it as best suits their character.
8. This would be absolutely fine!
9. Thankfully, Dreamers can't die due to damage taken in the Dream Sphere! Just as their aches and pains largely disappear when they wake up, any injury that would otherwise be 'fatal' to them simply boots them out of the Dream Sphere. There are instances of Dreamers disappearing and being 'lost' within the Dream Sphere, but this isn't typically something connected to Nightmare attacks.
10. Not only can this happen, we have a few Government Assigned Mentors as it is! The DU is, unfortunately, full of pleasantly interfering types like that.
11. They absolutely would! Since Dreamers have such wonky schedules as it is, a character needing a bit of flexibility in their work schedule isn't anything the DU is new to – especially if this is because of a disability that needs accommodating for in the Waking World too. She'd be offered additional help and support if and when she asked for it as well.
12. This is generally what a good handful of full time Dreamers do, so she'd definitely be allowed to take up a job like that - we have another character in game who has a similar position so she'd have a coworker as well! It wouldn't be something she would earn a huge amount of extra money for, but depending on how much time she spends in the Dream Sphere itself, she'd get a bonus or two here and there.
13. This is something Dreamers instinctively do! Some characters will choose their own Dreamer name but a lot of characters tend to Awaken and already know the name of their Dreamer form and their powers. From a player perspective, this is mostly just to let people whose characters might not be inclined to give their attacks fancy names the chance to still play around in that space and make their grumpy old mahous shout cool finishing moves.
14. It varies from character to character! Referring to someone by their Dreamer name in the Dream Sphere is generally the done thing to do but how much anyone really minds being referred to by their real name in the Dream Sphere (and vice versa in the waking world) will depend on the individual character's relationship with their other self. She wouldn't necessarily get in trouble for it, if that's your worry!
no subject
12. Ooh, what character is it? :o
I have just a couple extra questions:
15. Is it at all possible to regain memories lost from a Nightmare attack? I ask because I thought it would be nice if Frieren could regain the memories of being taught the minor spells power after relearning it on her own, since they are quite important to her. (Honestly though, the alternative would still be fun for me to play out!)
16. How soon after joining the DU could an experienced Dreamer realistically become eligible for a mentorship/research position?
Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to all these!! I'm excited to play around with all of this—I have a ton of ideas I'd love to play out!
no subject
12. That's our Kozakura! I bbbbelieve we may have another character or two doing something similar but. Don't quote me on that.
15. Once they're gone, they're just gone, unfortunately! Characters can definitely still feel some emotional deja vu when repeating past actions but those memories can't be recovered.
16. Anytime they like! Since 'experienced' status is a recognition of mastery, if an experienced Dreamer is happy to buckle down and get started, they're free to just go ahead and give it a try.
no subject
rip that TDM threadThanks again for all these clarifications and for taking the time to indulge my overly-specific questions!! Time to work on an updated AU planning post!