d20 Adamant Entertainment Dreamscapes

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Dreamscapes

The Definitive

Guide to Worlds Beyond Sleep

Lead Designer and Writer

Joseph Miller

Additional Design and Writing

Tim Hitchcock

Editor

Tim Hitchcock

Additional Design Concepts

Adam Martin, Nathan Miller

Graphic Design and Layout

Gareth-Michael Skarka

Artwork

appears courtesy of Jupiter Media Corporation

Playtesters

J.R. Bluett, Joseph Browning, Brian Byers,

Chris Clinkenbeard, Samuel Crecelius,

Victoria French, Jason Fultz, James King,

Adam Martin, Noah Nadeau, William E. May

II, Michelle Muenzler, Chris Peterson, Eric

Stark, Suzi Yee

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And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow-You are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream. I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand-How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep-while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream?”

––Edgar Allen Poe, A Dream Within A Dream Dreamscapes provides rules to help GMs create exotic and unique Dream Planes for their players to experience and explore. It presents a generic baseline of rules for designing and campaigning within a Dream Plane and is supplemented with a number of variants in order to allow GMs to accentuate whatever facet of the Dream Plane they prefer. It also considers a variety

A Dream Within a Dream

of topics GMs should take into account when deciding upon what characteristics they want to portray in their particular version of a Dream Plane.

There are many themes and concepts explored in this book all of which are meant to provide players and GMs with options rather than set-in-stone rules. One of the predominate themes of this book is the surrealistic quality of adventuring within a Dream Plane. Portraying surrealism can be a difficult task, especially to do so in a balanced manner, therefore a wide variety of options are presented to tailor the detail and labor required from GMs as they design their own Dream Planes. Players too will have to adjust to adventures in a Dream Plane. They will need to deal with strange predicaments and amazing environments, all the while exploring their own newfound abilities to do the improbable and even the seemingly impossible. Another facet of the surreal nature of a Dream Plane is the overt contrasts and subtle allusions that populate such a world. After all, dreams range from stark black and white episodes to colorful and confusing affairs, and GMs must have a deft eye to know when each is called for and when something in between is best. Using the guidelines set forth in the rest of this book GMs will discover a pool of possibilities that Dream Planes offer them. Such planes grant the power to bring more color, richness, and depth to campaigns through the exploration of the subconscious mind and its imaginings. This can be an exciting and daunting prospect for GMs, but well worth the sacrifice of time and energy when it brings expressions of wonderment or dread upon a player’s face as the world he thought he knew turns out to be a horse of a different color.

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What Dreams Lie Within?

Dreamscapes is a book intended for people who wish to add a surrealistic quality to their fantasy roleplaying games with a minimum of new rules to read through and learn. This book expands upon the material presented within the PHB, DMG, and MM; from character races, classes, skills, feats, equipment, and spells to how to run a surrealistic campaign and what monsters might lurk within a Dream Plane. Experienced players and GMs will find the information laid out in a manner familiar to them, while beginners should have time to digest the rules and terminology within the PHB before attempting to add the rules found herein to their campaign. The flowing is a brief breakdown of what lies within the chapters of Dreamscapes:

Part I: Facets of the Dream Plane

Chapter 1––Sleep Hath Its Own World: Provides GMs

a plethora of possible planar traits a Dream Plane might have and details the effects each trait has on both the inhabitants and lands of a Dream Plane. It also introduces six example Dream Planes for inspiration and quick use in adventures and campaigns. Finally, the Dream Point System is presented as the standard method of indicating and balancing a character’s ability to exaggerate their abilities in the Dream Plane and even influence the reality of the Dream Plane itself.

Chapter 2––To Sleep! Perchance to Dream: Introduces the

various types of dreamers that might be found within a Dream Plane and discusses issues from how dreamers enter or depart the plane to how they live or die in a dream. Each of the six example Dream Planes are also discussed here to give GMs an idea of how the various dreamer types work within specific Dream Planes. Standard templates for each dreamer type are also included for ease of use within a Dream Plane campaign that assumes the standard dreamer rules presented in this chapter. This chapter also includes information on the standard racial dream traits and surreal class features, which are used to embellish characters within a Dream Plane. At the end of the chapter is a section of alternative racial dream traits and surreal class features GMs can use if they are not using the Dream Point System.

Chapter 3––Why Not?: Details the new and incredible dream

uses for skills that allow for everything from balancing on thin air to swimming up a waterfall. It describes the dream benefits a character gains when he has access to a particular feat within the Dream Plane. Dream items are also discussed from what they are made of to their symbolism. Interspersed throughout each section are new skills, feats, and equipment made specifically for use in a dream-based campaign, thus allowing GMs and players to create characters that are more focused on adventuring in the Dream Plane.

Chapter 4––Boldness has Genius: Contains information

upon how magic and magic items might be affected or altered within a Dream Plane. It presents a number of possible dream spells that characters might be able to use while in a dream world and includes information on spell templates and how they interact

with spellcasting in the Dream Plane. This chapter also delves into the question of whether intelligent items dream and provides a number of new dream-oriented magic items for use in the Dream Plane.

Appendices:

Appendix A—Monsters under the Bed: Contains guidelines

for altering and creating monsters for a Dream Plane.

Appendix B–– Alternative Dream Abilities: This appendix

provides GMs with alternative rules for racial dream traits, surreal class features, skills, and feats that are not based upon the Dream Point System.

Adventuring in Dreams

The rules presented within this tome allow for a variety of adventures from a complex and surreal campaign to a simple side-trek into a stereotypical dungeon with melodramatic villains and damsel in distress. Dream adventures can be anything a GM wants them to be. They can range from simple black and white episodes of good versus evil to devious affairs in which nothing and no one is as it seems. The effects of an adventure within a Dream Plane can be as contained or far-reaching as a GM desires, depending upon what planar and dreamer traits they choose. What one does within a dream may have no ramification upon the real world, but if a GM so chooses it can have an immanent effect. The possibilities for adventure in a Dream Plane are bounded only by a GMs imagination.

As will be seen throughout Dreamscapes, adventures within the Dream Plane allow both martial and non-martial characters to make significant contributions. Races, classes, skills, and feats are all given additional abilities within the Dream Plane and as such they can result in fantastic conclusions to most any combat or non-combat encounter.

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Sleep Hath Its Own World

“Our life is two-fold: Sleep hath its own world, A boundary between the things misnamed Death and existence: Sleep hath its own world, And a wide realm of wild reality,

And dreams in their development have breath, And tears, and tortures, and the touch of joy; They leave a weight upon our waking thoughts, They take a weight from off our waking toils, They do divide our being; they become A portion of ourselves as of time, And look like heralds of eternity;

They pass like spirits of the past––they speak Like sybils of the future; they have power–– The tyranny of pleasure and of pain;

They make us what we were not––what they will, And shake us with the vision that’s gone by, The dread of vanished shadows––Are they so? Is not the past all shadow?––What are they? Creations of the mind? ––The mind can make Substance, and people planets of its own With beings brighter than have been, and give A breath to forms which can outlive all flesh. I would recall a vision I dreamed

Perchance in sleep––for in itself a thought, A slumbering thought, is capable of years, And curdles a long life into one hour.” ––Lord Byron, The Dream.

The conception of a Dream Plane can be as varied as the stars and to attempt to encapsulate all the possible permutations within this tome would be folly, but what can be done is a elucidation

of a variety of overarching traits that a Dream Plane might have as they relate to the planar rules set forth within the DMG (see Adventuring in Other Planes). As such the following chapter will discuss in detail the consequences and effects each particular planar trait might have on a Dream Plane and its natives. By the end of the chapter GMs should have a working understanding of the planar characteristics a Dream Plane might possess and the implications of those traits. Accordingly, GMs should be able to customize the Dream Planes they create to fit their own interpretation of what characteristics such a plane would have.

What Type of Plane?

There are five types of planes presented in the DMG: the Material Plane, Transitive Planes, the Inner Planes, the Outer Planes, and the Demiplanes. Of these planar types the Material Plane can be disregarded since the Dream Plane most definitely deviates from this standard reality that is represented by the Material Plane’s planar traits. This leaves us with four possible planar types to consider.

Transitive

The Dream Plane is a conduit for traveling to other planes. The two primary categories for transitive planes are encompassing and coexistent. An encompassing

plane shares its borders with every known plane consequently becoming a pathway to anywhere in the cosmos. Coexistent planes are two planes that simply overlap each other facilitating travel

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If the Dream Plane is designated as an encompassing transitive plane then it becomes a useful means of travel throughout the cosmos. The Dream Plane might exist in tandem with the Astral Plane or instead of it, but in either case it should be a distinctly different plane. Whereas the Astral Plane is a great, endless, and nearly empty sphere of clear silvery sky, the Dream Plane should be a great, endless, and always teeming sphere of untamed activity. What a marvelous contrast it would be if both the Astral Plane and Dream Plane paralleled with each other and planar travelers could choose between the safe, but usually uninteresting Astral Plane or the ever excitable Dream Plane when they decide to travel beyond their home worlds. The Dream Plane could also imitate the planes it touches upon so areas near the Elemental Plane of Fire would have fiery themes and images, while the regions near the Material Plane might have a more worldly tone to them.

If on the other hand, the Dream Plane is a coexistent transitive plane, then it becomes useful as a means of travel within the plane it coexists and any planes with which it is coterminous. The most likely candidate for coexistence with a Dream Plane would be the Material Plane, though it is certainly possible for the Dream Plane to overlap or be coterminous with other planes. If the Dream Plane coexists with the Material Plane, then it needs to be decided whether its natives and landscape reflect the Material Plane or not. Another decision to make is whether those upon the Dream Plane can see into the Material Plane and if so what they see. Is the Dream Plane just like the Ethereal Plane, where things in the Material Plane appear muted and indistinct, colors blurring into each other and edges turning fuzzy, or do those within the Dream Plane see murkier or clearer representation of people and objects in the Material Plane? What about those on the Material Plane, can they see into the Dream Plane and if so when and how? Another issue that needs covering is whether or not creatures native to the Dream Plane can enter the Material Plane at will, through some ritual, via a spell, or by chance. If they can enter the Material Plane do they do so in a corporeal, quasi-real, or incorporeal form? Can people in the Material Plane enter the Dream Plane by any of the above means? Finally, it must be decided if objects can be brought into and out of the Dream Plane and by what means, would it be similar to how the Plane of Shadow works, where quasi-real creatures and objects can be summoned from it into the real world or should the stuff of dreams stay just that and have no place in the Material Plane.

Inner Plane

The Dream Plane is one of the foundation stones of the universe along with the other elements within the Inner Plane. The most likely candidate for the Dream Plane to represent would be the sphere of the soul, a place of both intellect and spirit. It would be a plane of forms and allegory, a place where ideas and concepts, and the essence of emotions would take form and live and breathe. It would be a spirit realm where the animating forces of the cosmos would reside. A Dream Plane in this vein might

be the origin of all life forces, which would filter out into the other planes a place where one could meet the unborn and unrealized as well as what is and always has been. Such a Dream Plane would perhaps present those who

visited it, either in their dreams or in person, a foreshadowing of the future or a hint to an enigma that has some bearing upon the Material Plane. As an Inner Plane, the Dream Plane would have a more elemental theme in the portrayal of its planar qualities and natives. As a basic building block of the cosmos there would probably be a number of spells using it as a key element and descriptor, similar to the way spell descriptors are used to represent elemental planes in the PHB. A Dream clerical domain made up of a selection of dream-based spells would also be warranted due to the elemental nature of the Dream Plane and an example of such is provided in Chapter 4.

Outer Plane

The Dream Plane as an aligned plane and final resting place of some souls from the Material Plane. The most likely alignments for such a Dream Plane would be chaotic or neutral. A chaotic Dream Plane would be a constantly shifting plane where what exists one minute might not in the next, and where magic and thought can cause the world to change in wild and erratic ways. Chaotic and shapeshifting creatures would probably be common inhabitants or it might be the final resting place for fey and elves. A neutral Dream Plane would be slightly more stable and predictable, only influenced by lucid minds and perhaps spells from particular schools. Such a plane would be more hospitable to creatures of all types. It could be a place where visionaries and dreamers rule and find there home in the afterlife. Though less likely, the Dream Plane could have inclinations toward good or evil, though such a place would be more idyllic or dreadful depending upon which alignment it is associated with. A good Dream Plane would be a wondrous and wonderful world where one’s soul is constantly uplifted and engendered with peace, whereas an evil Dream Plane would be dark and ominous, crushing the spirits of those who enter it through constant trial and tribulation. The former could be a heavenly residence and reward for good people, while the latter might be a hellish plane where evildoers are tormented for eternity.

Another option regarding an outer plane would be to create a layered Dream Plane with each alignment represented, even a lawful level. This allows one to present a singular Dream Plane where all creatures could come in their dreams or afterlives and participate in a plane divided. Skirmishes and conflict, both open and secret might occasionally or constantly erupt between the each layer of the Dream Plane with various organizations seeking its control.

Demiplane

The Dream Plane as a finite and less accessible demiplane presents many options for exploration. Demiplanes can range from only a few hundred feet across, to as large as a world. Also due to their unique character, demiplanes are typically more difficult to discover through planar travel as they are not or cannot be mapped in the normal depictions of the known cosmos. Arrival in a demiplane is instead dependent upon meeting a specific condition or conditions. In light of these traits, a Dream Demiplane could be as large or small as desired, and the conditions to arrive might be as simple as falling asleep or as difficult as requiring a intricate ritual at a certain time of the

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Demiplane, the more creatures will be present and larger the Dream Demiplane should be. If secret knowledge is needed to enter the Dream Demiplane, who possesses and protects it? If the method of entry into the Dream Demiplane is only known to a select few, then the Dream Demiplane may be smaller and reflect the vision and desires of its native inhabitants.

Another important aspect of a demiplane to consider is who or what created it in the first place? Has it always been a part of the cosmos? Was a deity responsible for the formation of the Dream Demiplane? If so, does the deity reside within and influence the Dream Demiplane, simply watch over it for amusement, or have some other purpose in mind? Is it a place where the deity’s followers can gather? What if the Dream Demiplane was created by magic? Is it a place of study and refuge for a particular wizard, a wizarding university, or conclave, or has its creator long since passed from the cosmos leaving the world to its own designs?

Which Planar Traits?

There are four standard types of planar traits: physical, elemental and energy, alignment, and magic. The following sections feature a discussion of specific planar traits and provides suggestions as to which are best used to portray a Dream Plane.

Physical Traits

The three most important natural laws, in regards to depicting a Dream Plane, are how does gravity work, how does time pass, and how easily is reality altered? Of lesser importance is the question of the size and shape of a Dream Plane as most Dream Planes will be infinite in regards to this planar trait.

Gravity:

Normal gravity is the most practical type of gravity that could be present in a Dream Plane, though bendable gravity allows for many of the surreal movements one might expect in a dream without complicating things too much. Completely subjective or subjective directional gravities are possibilities, but both traits would be quite difficult to describe and adventure in, requiring more deliberation and work on the part of both GMs and players. Other types of gravity would be less likely to dominate a Dream Plane, though there might be pockets of gravitational variance throughout the dream. Heavy gravity would have its place in nightmarish areas of a Dream Plane, while light, objective directional, and no gravity zones would be found in more fantastic areas of the dream.

There would be no change to the populace and landscapes of a Dream Plane with normal gravity, but a world with the bendable or subjective gravity traits would have fantastic and bizarre structures, especially if each object had its own independent gravitational orientation. Perhaps natives of such a Dream Plane would find it completely normal to walk sideways or upside down and build structures without a thought to the concept of a preset gravity. Topsy-turvy staircases and upside down buildings would be possible in a Dream Plane where objects have independent gravitational direction. A bendable or subjective Dream Plane would also affect the climate of the world with rain

“falling” sideways, clouds forming along the ground instead of the sky, or the sun marching across the firmament, which lays beneath one’s feet. Heavy gravity would result in squat and sturdy dwellings and denizens, whereas light gravity would allow for lofty and lithe creations and creatures. No gravity would result in physically weaker creatures, as strength would become unnecessary in many respects and also result in the construction of structures far beyond what can built in areas with even light gravity. Finally, objective directional gravity would orient the inhabitants and structures of the world to a completely different concept of down and provide for some interesting notions from its populace as well as present novel problems and innovative solutions created by this different, but predictable orientation of gravity.

Recommendation: Normal, bendable, or completely subjective gravity.

New Gravity Traits

Bendable Gravity: A plane with this trait appears to

have normal gravity, but characters able to make a successful Wisdom check (DC 16) can set a new type of gravity as a free action. This change last for one round and may be maintained by concentration each round thereafter without the need for additional Wisdom checks.

Completely Subjective Gravity: This type of gravity is

similar to subjective directional gravity, except characters can determine what type of gravity and (if any) what direction is “down.” It takes a successful Wisdom check (DC 16 to set a new type of gravity or direction as a free action; this check can be made once per round. Any character that fails this Wisdom check receives a +6 bonus on subsequent checks until he succeeds. When a character creates an item in a plane with completely subjective gravity the object is considered to have the same gravity type and direction as the creator did at the time of the item’s creation. This item’s inherent gravitational trait can be changed at a later time, but requires physical contact with the object and a Wisdom check (DC 16) to set a new gravity type or direction. This check can be made once per round as a full-round action. A character that fails the Wisdom check to change an item’s gravitational trait receives no bonus to subsequent checks.

Time:

Time is an area where a Dream Plane has a plethora of potentials with which to play. Normal time is entirely appropriate for a Dream Plane and is easy to deal with, but equally valid are other time traits. The timeless trait would be fine for any type of Dream Plane, although it is recommended to use the Astral Plane’s approach to the timeless trait where time does not retroactively affect the character once he has left. An alternative to the timeless trait would be to use the ageless or determinable timeless traits, which are similar in concept to the timeless trait, but distinct in effect. Flowing and erratic time are also attractive possibilities and would be quite useable in a Dream Plane setting, the former keeps things simple for GMs and players to keep

track of, whereas the latter provides for some interesting potential when a group of adventurers arrive back home from a campaign in a Dream Plane. Last but not least, cyclical time can be a

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great boon to GMs as it creates a fast paced feel to the campaign, as the constant replenishment of abilities allows characters to push farther and faster than they would be able to do elsewhere. This also creates situations where encounters near the end of the cycle encourage characters to resolve a pressing encounter before they must face a refreshed enemy, or vice versa, to fight a delaying action in hopes of replenishing themselves at the turning of the cycle.

Whether a Dream Plane has normal, flowing, or erratic time would make little difference to the world’s denizens at least until they begin to experience other planes. An ageless or timeless Dream Plane would engender prudence and forethought in its natives. In addition the timeless trait would cause other notable effects. There would be no biological drive for predators to seek out flesh, no need to toil in the dirt for sustenance, nor would there be skirmishes over food or water supplies. Such a Dream Plane would have more time for leisure and contemplation, and as a result lend itself to more intellectual and spiritual pursuits. The battles and wars of such a world would be based less upon tangible resources, and more over the hearts and minds of men. Finally, as a side effect of the inability to heal naturally, those with the capacity to heal magically might garner more respect and power in a timeless Dream Plane. The determinable timeless trait would make “growing older” a personal decision and lead to an abundance of inhabitants who appear young, but are quite learned and experienced in the world. In such a plane old age might be a sign of an individual’s status in society undertaken in solemn ceremony or it could be so alien a concept that very few natives know what an elderly creature looks like let alone want to undergo its effects. Finally, in a plane with cyclical time the inhabitants will be used to the constant renewal of their abilities and refreshing of their bodies resulting in a culture that lends itself to a fast-paced life, full of constant change and the exploration of one’s surroundings and oneself.

Recommendation: Any.

New Time Traits

Ageless: Same as the timeless trait, except it only affects aging

and does not result in retroactive aging once one leaves the plane. This means characters would still experience hunger, thirst, the effects of poison, and healing while on a plane with this trait, but not aging effects.

Cyclical Time: This planar trait sets an interval of time at

which all a characters renew themselves. This cycle can be anything from one hour to eight hours and is meant to represent the sleeping or rest cycles, depending upon the length of time chosen, of most creatures. The last minute of each cycle is known as the turning. The turning of a cycle can have a number of effects, which are listed below as examples.

Healing: Creatures heal lethal, nonlethal, and ability damage as if they have had a full day’s worth of rest.

Dream Points: Creatures regain all their dream points, if using the Dream Point System. In addition, any non-permanent dream point effect has its duration end from the dream actions of skills

to the dream benefits of feats.

Racial and Class Features Renewed: Creatures regain used racial traits and class features, including expended spell slots. Preparing Spells: Creatures with spell slots

may prepare them during the turning. Wizards and those casters that need spellbooks must have the spellbook upon their person at the turning of the cycle in order to prepare spells, unless they have spell mastery.

Determinable Timeless: Within a plane with this trait a

character can choose whether they are affected by timeless trait in regards to hunger, thirst, aging, the effects of poison, and natural healing. This choice is made when a character first arrives in the plane or for natives at the age of reason, though it can be changed later with a Wisdom check (DC 16). This check can be made once per round as a free action. Any character that fails this Wisdom check receives a +6 bonus on subsequent checks until he succeeds. If one leaves the plane they choose whether they experience some or all of the conditions suppressed by this trait.

Shape and Size:

Most Dream Planes are infinite in size and shape, though a Dream Demiplane would be finite in size and therefore have a definable shape, perhaps even a self-contained shape. A Dream Demiplane could also have one of the shifting traits, imparting an effectively surreal quality to its size and shape.

Natives of an infinite Dream Plane would likely have a sense of unfettered prospects for the future and possibilities for experience, whereas those of a finite plane would be more experienced with the concept of boundaries and the dangers of pushing past them.

As for a finite Dream Plane, a spherical shape would have the feel of a normal planet with horizons sparking the imagination and warning that “here be dragons”, whereas a hollowed out sphere, where natives live upon the inside of the world, establishes a different attitude about other cultures and exploration. Upon such a plane, one can see landmarks and cities far beyond them; there are no horizons to hide one’s destination and, as such, exploration would be less a search for the unknown and more a voyage to places seen, but never experienced. So too, there might be a kinship that forms in such worlds with races feeling closer together than upon a world with horizons and able to see the large-scale tragedies that occur around the world. It is possible that instead of stars in the sky one would see the lights of far off cities in the night, of course that is assuming there is a night as it can be wondered whether such a plane would have a sun hanging at the core of the sphere casting light to all realms all the time, unless of course the sun fluctuates in size and thus luminosity. A cube shape provides a similar outlook as a sphere, though those who experience the edge of such a plane might find the encounter slightly unsettling as they step off of a seeming cliff and strangely onto the other side. A torus shape presents its natives with both strange horizons and the ability to see other regions of the world creating an interesting mixture of some of the above notions.

A predictable shifting plane engenders within its natives an awareness of the orderly passage of time and though it might sound strange, the inhabitants of such a world would grow quite used to the changes and might even plan their journeys around them. After all, if a plane shrinks in size at regular intervals, it would make much more sense to travel during those times as one’s destination is essentially closer than it was before. A Dream Plane that changes its shape at reliable times also presents a similar consideration for natives and perhaps a belief in the purpose of the change with rituals taking place only when the

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be a chaotic place to explore offering endless possibilities in an ever-changing plane and its natives might see exploration as fruitless since little true knowledge is ever gained and foster wariness of the world. Alternatively, they could see the ever-changing world as a great and endless opportunity to prove their worth and uncover the unknown in a spirit of adventure and daring.

Recommendation: Infinite for non-demiplanes and finite or self-contained for a demiplane.

New Shape and Size Traits

Predictable Shifting: A predictable shifting plane is a finite

or self-contained plane that changes its shape and size at regular intervals. When creating a predicable shifting plane one should come up with a schedule according to which the plane changes. This can be anything from an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly timetable during which the shifting takes place. Changes in size and shape can be predictable as well with a kind of calendar of shifts mapping them out annually. The following is provided as an example for a self-contained shape plane with the predicable shifting trait.

Table 1.1: Predictable Shifting

Time Shape and Size

1st hour Large spherical 5th hour Medium spherical 9th hour Small spherical 13th hour Small cube 17th hour Medium cube 21st hour Large cube

Erratic Shifting: An erratic shifting plane is a finite or

self-contained plane that changes its shape and size in unpredictable ways or at irregular intervals. When creating an erratic shifting plane one should decide if there is a regular time at which the shift happens or if it happens without concern to time. The following is provided as an example for a finite plane with the erratic shifting trait.

Table 1.2: Erratic Shifting

D% Shape and Size (every day)

1-25 Shrink

26-30 Change shape, shrink size 31-55 No change

56-70 Change shape, same size 71-95 Enlarge

96-100 Change shape, enlarge size

Morphic Traits:

Rather than applying the alterable morphic traits that are commonplace in most planes, the surreal nature of the Dream Plane is best illustrated using highly morphic and active morphic traits. If the Dream Plane is an Outer Plane, the divinely morphic trait might be more appropriate. The magically morphic trait might work for a coexistent transitive Dream Plane similar to the Shadow Plane, where dreams, like shadow illusions have real effects. The static trait could be a possibility for a Dream Plane if one prefers a world where adventurers can have very little effect, especially if its a transitive plane mainly used for transportation. A slightly different take on the static traits is to limit its effectiveness to specific creatures, objects, or groups of individuals. This allows adventurers to have greater influence over a Dream Plane, but still limits what can be changed in the world. The sentient trait is a distinct possibility for use in a Dream Plane, but requires special consideration and extra effort on the part of GMs to make it work. Last but not least, one can make an entwined Dream Plane, which coexists and can affect the Material Plane and vice versa, though this might cause the Material Plane to become more surreal as a side effect, something GMs may wish to leave to the Dream Plane.

A highly morphic Dream Plane that reacts to sentient thought would make for some interesting possibilities. Does the Dream Plane react to one’s every thought or are only certain thoughts realized within it? How does the world react to passing whim or fleeting desire? Could the various aspects of an individual’s personality become personified? After all, the Dream Plane’s responsiveness to sentient thought would determine the

characteristics of its natives. An oversensitive Dream Plane might cause its inhabitants to be more guarded in their thoughts, as they may not wish to upset their surroundings with frivolous notions. If however, the Dream Plane is less responsive, then the feat of changing one’s environment becomes an act of will power where one must force the plane to conform to certain wishes. Such a Dream Plane would foster strong-willed natives firm in both their actions and beliefs, and perhaps even archetypical in their nature. Another possibility, represented in the activated morphic trait, is the belief that strength of character and force of personality might be the true driving forces behind the ability to change a Dream Plane’s environs. The natives of this Dream Plane would be poignant and colorful characters each with their own personal magnetism and influence over the events within the world. Epic enterprises and even larger egos would dominate and shape the landscape in the image of the most charismatic and passionate of the Dream Plane’s leaders.

A static Dream Plane, on the other hand, would offer its natives little power over their world. Perhaps it fosters futility for those within it or, if it is an idyllic place, great joy in their unchanging paradise. It might also be the case that the natives themselves are simply part of the Dream Plane and unchangeable in their thoughts or actions. Such a plane would be eerie to outsiders who would see the world in action, but be unable to affect it or interact with it in any way. In a manner of speaking, they would be insubstantial to the Dream Plane. A limited static Dream Plane however, would offer both outsiders

and natives the opportunity to influence the world with recognizable limitations. If the objects of the world are static there would be no non-magical ability to construct things, as wood and stone

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would be unaffected by axe or pick. In such a world those with the power to create resources would likely be given special treatment or positions of power. If, however, the natives were the static element of the plane, then the nature of conflict would be changed as attrition of forces would be impossible. Instead imprisonment and planar exile might become the only means to quell one’s enemies. Secret prisons of enormous size would be found in a plane with this trait and every imaginable precaution would be taken to ensure inmates do not escape. Finally, if only a select group of individuals are static, then these would likely be the plane’s overlords, feared and envied for their indestructible nature. Of course envy can turn to hate and eventually to rebellion, which could result in some if not all of these superior beings being imprisoned or exiled from the Dream Plane by its natives.

A Dream Plane with either sentient thought or empathy presents a plethora of opportunities for extraordinary encounters. Natives in such a world might worship the Dream Plane as a deity, seeking protection from its whim and wrath. Even those who do not venerate the Dream Plane must be considerate of the world itself and cautious of stoking its fury through their actions. If it is decided that a Dream Plane is sentient, one should consider what alignment the plane might have and what possible actions it might take for its followers or against its enemies. Another question that should be asked is what brought about the sentience of the Dream Plane? Was a deity’s essence dispersed throughout the Dream Plane or was it caused by an artifact or magical process? Is it made up of the collective consciousness of a particular world or plane? All of these questions lead to more questions and concerns, but also great potential for GMs to explore.

An entwined morphic Dream Plane would create an interesting relationship between natives of the Material and Dream planes. There might be a subtle war between both planes for dominance and resentment of the usurpers who are constantly changing the world “under their noses”. On the other hand, perhaps a symbiotic relationship would develop between the inhabitants of both planes with each working together. It is even possible that there might be different times of the day, such as the daylight hours, when the Material Plane is more dominant and other hours, at night, when the Dream Plane reigns over the lands. The possibilities with entwined planes are endless and can create a surreal bond between the Material Plane and Dream Plane that will foster imaginative thinking and bizarre adventures that cross over from one plane to the next in the blink of an eye.

Recommendation: Highly morphic or activated morphic.

New Morphic Traits

Empathic: Some planes respond to the needs of the character

within it, especially when situations become distressing or dire. The more desperate a certain situation is, the greater the likelihood that the plane comes to a character’s aid. In such a case, the GM makes a secret Charisma check on behalf of a character to determine if the plane is moved enough by a

character’s predicament to help them. The following are three types of assistance the plane might offer to those who succeed:

Plausible Assistance: An item or creature appears that is both appropriate to a character’s current

setting and needed by the character, such as a bottle of whiskey at a bar to crack over another patron’s head, a guard answering a character’s call for help while within a city, or a sword in the guardhouse of an dungeon after his has been lost or broken: Charisma check DC 10.

Implausible Assistance: A needed item or creature appears, but is not appropriate to his current setting, such as a bottle of holy water in a graveyard crawling with undead, a unicorn appearing in the mountains to heal the character, or a map of a brigand’s campsite found within the drawer of his inn: Charisma check DC 15.

Desperate Assistance: A solution to a desperate situation is discovered, such as when one is hopelessly lost or stranded, stuck or trapped without a tangible exit or escape, or being faced with an opponent whose CR is +5 or greater than the party level: Charisma check DC 20.

The resulting aid a character receives from the plane is always at the discretion of the GM. It is encouraged that the GM make Charisma checks secretly and at dramatically appropriate moments. Also GMs should feel free to use these checks to help characters that find themselves in an unexpectedly bad situation due to poor luck.

Entwined Morphic: This trait can only be used in

conjunction with coexistent planes. The actions upon one plane affect the other and vice versa as if both are the same plane, even though both planes might have their own divergent traits.

Limited Static: Similar to the static trait except not

everything is unchangeable within the plane. A plane with this trait lists all living and non-living things, either in general or specific that cannot be altered, the rest is considered to be changeable.

Activated Morphic: A plane with this trait introduces some

mechanism to allow individuals to trigger its alteration. This may be as simple as requiring a Wisdom check to change the character’s immediate environment or complicated as the use of the Dream Point System detailed at the end of this chapter.

Elemental and Energy Traits

None of the elemental traits fit well with the concept of a Dream Plane, though there may be some areas within the plane where certain elements might dominate. A minor positive-dominant Dream Plane is a possibility as it could be used to create a vibrant and idyllic world of sharpened senses and abundant beauty, but the other energy traits would be too disruptive to extended play. Even a minor-negative plane is probably too troublesome as the constant damage it causes would make it impossible for prolonged adventurers, though as stated before small areas within the Dream Plane with this trait might be appropriate.

Natives of a minor positive-dominant Dream Plane would likely have optimistic outlooks upon life, as the enchanting world they live in would foster a respect for the beauty of all things and foster a sense of tranquility. The accelerated healing present in such a plan would make death from injury or accident less likely and so the experience of mortality would be one only expected in the elderly. Murder and premature loss of life would be poignant in such a Dream Plane and would strike sharply at the inherent hopeful nature of its natives.

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Alignment Traits

The mildly chaotic or neutral-aligned traits are the most probable of the alignment traits to be present within a Dream Plane, though the latter is the less disruptive option. A Dream Plane could be good or evil-aligned, though it is more likely for portions of the plane to have these traits rather than the whole. A law-aligned Dream Plane is hard to fathom, though small pockets of law-aligned areas might be feasible.

Natives of a mildly chaotic-aligned Dream Plane would probably be more daring and reckless in their actions: a world of rebels, free spirits, and destroyers. Whim and pleasure would guide most actions in the plane and make its inhabitants unpredictable and unfettered in their actions. A good-aligned Dream Plane on the other hand would foster philanthropic and affable personalities within its natives, whereas an evil-aligned world would lead to oppressive and selfish dispositions. Recommendation: Mildly neutral or chaotic-aligned.

Magic Traits

Normal magic would be a good choice for the basis of a Dream Plane, though the other types of magic traits could be present as well. Wild magic would certainly be appropriate for a more chaotic interpretation of the Dream Plane, while dead magic would lend itself to a darker more nightmarish plane. Impeded, enhanced, or limited magic are all possibilities as well with certain types of magic being more difficult to cast, potent in effect, or even restricted from use within a Dream Plane. The choice of which spells and schools are affected by these traits will shape the overall mood of a Dream Plane and each choice should be made in order to create a certain quality for the plane to embody.

A Dream Plane with the wild magic trait encourages spellcasting inhabitants to be more cautious casters, though some might find the untamed nature of magic an exciting risk that is always worth taking. Dead magic would have dire effects on its natives making life in such a plane more arduous and encouraging the development of physical strength. Depending upon the impeded, enhanced, or limited magic within a Dream Plane other facets of life within the world will be affected and as a result the natives will have preferences for certain spells, wariness of some, and no experience of others.

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Example Dream Planes

With a wide variety of traits to choose from GMs can make a unique Dream Plane to fit almost any adventure. In order to help spark the imagination the following section provides six example Dream Planes, two transitive, one each of the inner and outer plane types, and two demiplanes. These Dream Planes use the above-mentioned planar traits to create unique dream world that GMs and players can explore.

The Between

The Between encompasses or borders upon all of the known planes within the cosmos and can be used to travel to any of them via either spell or portal. A vast region of ever-changing environs and fantastic possibilities, The Between is a place where characters can experience both the improbable and bizarre in the blink of an eye. Regions of The Between that border upon other planes typically reflect the planar traits of those worlds and mirror certain elements within them, as such characters can encounter most any type of terrain. Planar travelers are a common sight within The Between, but a wide variety of natives can also be found in the stabilized pockets of the plane. These inhabited areas are weird and wonderful islands of eccentric civility within the peculiar and unpredictable world of The Between.

The Between has the following planar traits:

Completely subjective gravity

Timeless: Age, hunger, thirst, poison, and natural healing do

not function in The Between, though they resume functioning when the traveler leaves The Between, but not retroactively.

Highly morphic: The Between is constantly changing and

only a wish or miracle spell can stabilize an area within this plane. A character can shape their immediate environment out to 5 feet per effective character level by making a Wisdom check (DC 16). Characters can aid another on this Wisdom check. If successful, the character initiating the Wisdom check and all who aid him must focus, as if concentrating on a spell in order to maintain the effect. If concentration is lost or dropped the land reverts to its normal and unstable condition. If two opposing characters are trying to form the lands in their own image then make opposed Wisdom checks with the one that has a greater total, which is also above DC 16 shaping the overlapping area of influence as he sees fit.

Mildly-neutral aligned

Enhanced magic: All spells and spell-like abilities used

within The Between may be employed as if they were improved by the Quicken Spell feat. Already quickened spells and spell-like abilities are unaffected, as are spells from magic items. Spells so quickened are still prepared and cast at their unmodified level. As with the Quicken Spell feat, only one quickened spell can be cast per round.

Wild magic: On a plane with the wild magic trait spells and

spell-like abilities function in radically different and sometimes dangerous ways. Any spell or spell-like ability used on a wild magic plane has a chance to go awry. The caster must make a level check (DC 15 + the level of the spell or effect) for the magic to function normally. For spell-like abilities, use the level or HD of the creature employing the ability for the caster level check and the level of the spell-like ability to set the DC for the caster level check. Failure on this check means that something strange happens; roll d% and consult the following table.

Table 1.3: Wild Magic in the Between

d% Effect

01 The caster is cursed as per the bestow curse spell for 1 round per caster level. No Will save. 02-09 The caster is blinded or deafened for 1 round per caster level. No Fortitude save.

10-19 Spell rebounds on caster with normal effect. If the spell cannot affect the caster, it simply fails. 20-29 All creatures within 15 ft. of the caster, including himself, come under the effect of a confusion

spell. Will negates.

30-39 The spell affects a random target or area. Randomly choose a different target from among those in range of the spell or center the spell at a random place within range of the spell. To generate direction randomly, roll 1d8 and count clockwise around the compass, starting with south. To generate range randomly, roll 3d6. Multiply the result by 5 feet for Close range spells, 20 feet for Medium range spells, or 80 feet for long-range spells.

40-49 Nothing happens. The spell does not function. Any material components are used up. The spell or spell slot is used up, and charges or uses from an item are used up.

50-59 Nothing happens. The spell does not function. Any material components are not consumed. The spell is not expended from the caster’s mind (a spell slot or prepared spell can be used again). An item does not lose charges, and the effect does not count against an item’s or spell-like ability’s use limit.

60-79 The spell functions normally.

80-89 The spell functions normally, but any material components are not consumed. The spell is not expended from the caster’s mind (a spell slot or prepared spell can be used again). An item does not lose charges, and the effect does not count against an item’s or spell-like ability’s use limit. 90-99 The spell functions strongly. Saving throws against the spell incur a –2 penalty. The spell has

the maximum possible effect, as if it were cast with the Maximize Spell feat. If the spell is already maximized with the feat, there is no further effect.

100 The caster gains a moment of prescience, as per the spell, except the duration only lasts for 1 round per caster level.

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The Realm of Reverie

The Realm of Reverie is a coexistent and coterminous plane, its landscapes and landmarks easily recognized by those from the Material Plane, though slightly accentuated and exaggerated. Planar travelers can use the Realm of Reverie to travel

throughout the Material Plane, though they are also known to use it as a place of refuge and healing. Though the Realm of Reverie reflects the Material Plane there are plenty of differences, from its unpredictable climates to its fantastic inhabitants. The Realm of Reverie is alive with dreamers, explorers, and natives, each experiencing the plane in their own unique manner. The fey are the most influential race within the Realm of Reverie and are the only creatures able to affect the normally static landscapes and structures of the world.

The Realm of Reverie has the following planar traits:

Bendable Gravity Ageless

Flowing time: 1 round in Material Plane equals 3 rounds in

the Realm of Reverie. Every day within the Realm of Reverie is but 8 hours within the Material Plane.

Limited static: The Realm of Reverie coexists with the

Material Plane and mirrors its landscapes and structures closely, thus when the Material Plane is physically changed so too is the Realm of Reverie altered in a similar manner. There are some slight differences between these two entwined planes, but those who travel through the Realm of Reverie will have a tough time detecting them due to their subtle nature. The only ways to change a locale within the Realm of Reverie are to make a DC 16 Strength check to move unattended objects or change the area in the Material Plane. If the Strength check is succeeded the object remains in its new location, but over the course of each day it will slowly seek to realign itself with the Material Plane moving 5 feet for every hour back towards its original placement. Fey within the Realm of Reverie, treat the plane as alterable morphic. They can affect the landscapes and structures of the Realm of Reverie and move objects without need for Strength checks. The changes made by fey within the Realm of Reverie can effect the Material Plane if the fey make a Wisdom check (DC 16), but fey only rarely use this ability as it causes them to manifest within the Material Plane in their physical form while using it and for one minute thereafter. The climate and illumination of the Realm of Reverie does not necessarily match the Material Plane and can be quite divergent from the reality present there. The creatures within the Realm of Reverie, both visitors and natives are not static in nature and can be affected as normal by a variety of effects.

Minor positive-dominant: The Realm of Reverie is

resplendent with vibrant colors, smells, sounds, and tastes. It is teeming with life of all sorts and is a place of refuge and rest for many creatures and as such all individuals within it gain fast healing 2 and are considered to have a full day’s rest every 8 hours they spend within the plane, even if the individuals have not rested. Undead creatures suffer 2 points of damage every round they are in the Realm of Reverie.

Mildly good-aligned

Impeded magic: Conjuration (creation) and necromancy

spells are impeded.

Enhanced magic: Conjuration (healing) spells are cast as

though they were prepared with the Empower Spell feat, though they do not require the higher spell slots. Illusion spells are cast as though they were prepared with both the Extend Spell and Widen Spell feats, though they do not require the higher spell slots. All spells and spell-like abilities used by fey within the Realm of Reverie may be employed as if they were improved by the Quicken Spell feat. Already quickened spells and spell-like abilities are unaffected, as are spells from magic items. Spells so quickened are still prepared and cast at their unmodified level. As with the Quicken Spell feat, only one quickened spell can be cast per round.

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damage is one-fifth (20%) normal, and all special abilities that do not deal lethal damage are only 20% likely to work. (Roll for each use and each affected character separately.) Furthermore, the essential creature’s AC bonuses and essential object’s hardness are only one-fifth as large. A creature that succeeds on its save sees the essential object, force, or creature as transparent images superimposed on indistinct forms. Objects automatically succeed on their Will saves against these spell-like abilities. A character cannot have more than twice their Hit Dice in creatures created via the image spells at any one time.

Mildly neutral-aligned

Enhanced magic: All spells and spell-like abilities used

within the Plane of Essence may be employed as if they were improved by both the Silent Spell and Still Spell feats. Already silent or stilled spells and spell-like abilities are unaffected, as are spells from magic items. Spells with these feats attached are still prepared and cast at their unmodified level.

The Ten-Tiered Dream of Morpheus

In the Outer Planes lies the Ten-Tiered Dream of Morpheus, a world where dreams and nightmares live and die in an eternal struggle over the unconscious mind of a long slumbering deity. This is a world where the delights and torments of a cursed god are manifest. A variety of creatures, which by fate or chance have been drawn into the Ten-Tiered Dream of Morpheus find themselves in the midst of a tumultuous battle between the fractious elements of a deity’s soul.

The Ten-Tiered Dream of Morpheus has the following planar traits:

Bendable gravity Determinable timeless

Divine morphic: Morpheus and his minions can change the

Ten-Tiered Dream with a mere thought, but for others the world has the activated morphic trait.

Sentient: Though the plane itself is sentient, its desires and

schemes are fractured and no single dominant personality to drive its actions. As such the various tiers of Morpheus’s dream are divergent in their reactions to presence and actions of the individuals within it.

Empathic

Activated morphic: Uses the standard Dream Point System

to determine what a character can and cannot change in the Ten-Tiered Dream of Morpheus.

Alignment traits: There are ten regions within the Ten-Tiered

Dream of Morpheus. The Hearth is the resting place of the deity Morpheus and is strongly neutral-aligned, while the other tiers around it range from the mildly good and law-aligned Citadel to mildly chaotic and evil-aligned Hollow.

The Plane of Essence

The Plane of Essence resides within the Inner Planes and is a place where ideas, emotions, and dreams have substance and shape of their own. It is possible to meet the elemental forms of all things and interact with them. Those within this plane can create quasi-real objects and creatures at will and populate the world with fanciful concepts and terrifying constructs. All manner of man and beast can be found within the Plane of Essence from the mundane to the extraordinary. The Plane of Essence is the birthplace of all dreams and the holding station for all notions not yet realized.

The Plane of Essence has the following planar traits:

Completely subjective gravity

Erratic time: Time within the Plane of Essence does not flow

in a predictable fashion. Every eight hours by Material Plane standards the time flow within the Plane of Essence changes occurring to the following table.

Table 1.4: Erratic Time on the Plane of Essence

d% Time on Material Plane Time on Plane of Essence 01 8 hours 1 round 02-10 8 hours 1 minute 11-40 8 hours 1 hour 41-60 8 hours 8 hours 61-90 8 hours 1 day 91-99 8 hours 1 week 100 8 hours 1 year

Timeless: Age, hunger, thirst, poison, and natural healing

do not function in the Plane of Essence, though they resume functioning when the traveler leaves the Plane of Essence, but not retroactively. The Plane of Essence is timeless in respect to magic, any spell with a noninstantaneous duration is permanent until discharged or dismissed. Spells that require concentration still do so within the Plane of Essence and are lost once concentration is lost, even if normally they would persist afterward for some amount of time.

Highly morphic: A mere thought is all that is needed to

spark change in the Plane of Essence. And all creatures within the Plane of Essence gain the following spell-like abilities. At will- minor image. 3/day- hallucinatory terrain, major image. 1/day- permanent image. These “illusory” spell-like abilities draw upon the raw essence of the plane and are not figments. As such, the forces, objects, and creatures created by these spell-like abilities are actually one-fifth (20%) as strong as real things, though creatures believing them to be real are affected by them at full strength. Any creature that interacts with an “essential” force, object, or creature can make a Will save to recognize its true nature. An essential force can mimic any spell of at least one level lower than the effective spell level of the chosen spell-like ability and has its normal effects unless the creature being targeted succeeds its Will save. Each disbelieving creature only takes one-fifth damage from the effect or if it is a non-damaging spell it is only 20% likely to have an effect on any one particular creature. Essential objects and creatures have one-fifth the hit points of normal objects and creatures of its kind (regardless

of whether it’s recognized as a essential). An essential creature deals normal damage and has all normal abilities and weaknesses. Against a creature that recognizes it as an essential creature, however, the essential creature’s

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Erratic shifting: The Orbs of Terror changed shapes at

irregular intervals and in an unpredictable manner. Use the following table to determine how often this shifting occurs and what the result is:

Table 1.5: Erratic Shifting in the Orbs of Terror

D% Shape and Size (every 3d8 hours)

01-24 The spheres divide and multiply creating smaller and less powerful Orbs of Terror.

25-64 The spheres rearrange and thus change their connections to the other Orbs of Terror.

65-89 Spheres combine and condense into larger and more powerful Orbs of Terror

91-100 All the spheres combine into one massive Orb of Terror creating the “perfect storm” of nightmarish reality.

Activated morphic: Uses the Dream Point System with the

Dream Point Threshold and Backlash variant to determine what a character can and cannot change in the Orbs of Terror and what the consequences of doing so are.

Limited static: Unlike the rest of the Orbs of Terror, the

Terrorlords and their minions are static. Nor can they be harmed by any means, except by cold iron weapons and positive energy effects.

No alignment-traits: The Orbs

of Terror are strongly opposed to all alignments. All creatures suffer a -4 penalty to all their Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks, except the Terrorlords and their minions.

Enhanced spells: Spells and

spell-like abilities that have a harmful affect (by imposing a penalty or by providing some effect that hinders or harms the caster’s enemies in a concrete way) may, at the caster’s option, be employed as if they were improved by both the Empower Spell and Widen Spell feats. Already empowered or widened spells and spell-like abilities are unaffected, as are spells from magic items. Spells with these feats attached are still prepared and cast at their unmodified level.

Impeded spells: Spells and

spell-like abilities that have a direct beneficial effect (by granting a bonus or by providing some effect that concretely aids the caster or his allies) or use planar travel are impeded.

Orbs of Terror

This Demiplane is a series of spheres, which mimic each of the known planes of the cosmos in a twisted and warped caricature of themselves. Those drawn into this frightful land must contend with all manner of nightmarish events and creatures. Leaving the Orbs of Terror is much more difficult than entering with only a few planar portals available for use, and thus heavily guarded and planar travel spells being impeded by the plane itself. There are very few creatures that make the Orbs of Terror their home and fewer still that survive for long doing so. Only the Terrorlords and their chosen minions are able to withstand the horrors of this plane. As such travelers should beware as this plane and the Terrorlords have, but one purpose: to destroy the bodies, minds, and spirits of all who enter.

The Orbs of Terror have the following planar traits:

Timeless: Age, hunger, thirst, poison, and natural healing

do not function in the Plane of Essence, though they resume functioning when the traveler leaves the Plane of Essence, and retroactively so.

Self-contained shape: The Orbs of Terror are a series of

interlocking spheres with openings between them where they meet, thus allowing travel between the orbs.

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The Endless Tower

This Demiplane is a self-contained cylindrical plane in the shape of a nightmarish tower, which feeds off of the emotions of those within it and seeks to hold them with a hunger born of its dark desires. Those who find themselves within the Endless Tower often arrive in the dungeon and must work their way up to the summit in order to leave. There, of course, are individuals, hidden paths, trials, and tests that can help adventurers in the goal of escaping the Endless Tower, but there are just as many obstacles and tribulations that will seek to hinder escape. Endless Tower is a series of stories connected by a sequence of winding stairwells placed in varying rooms upon each floor. Not all stairwells lead to where one might think and often there is more than one stairwell upon a particular floor. Choosing the right stairwell will get one closer to the summit of the tower and freedom, the wrong way and one might just end up back in the dungeon again. Almost every room within the Endless Tower is filled with some kind of peril, be it overt and obvious or subtle and sly. The Endless Tower often draws upon the nightmares and fancies of those within it to conjure up appropriate tasks and tests for those who wander its stairwells. There are many creatures, which have given up all hope of ever leaving the Endless Tower and have bargained their souls with its living walls for some modicum of comfort in return for keeping others from escaping. As one gets closer to the summit the temptations of the Endless Tower will become greater and the price of failure even higher. The Endless Tower at times will bargain with those within its walls granting them their fondest dream if they take an oath to serve it. These arrangements are preferred by the Endless Tower as those who take the oath continue to provide the it with the emotions it needs to survive and helps make escape less likely for others.

The Endless Tower has the following planar traits:

Self-contained shape: The Endless Tower is a cylindrical

plane in the shape of a tower. There are no windows or doors leading outside, though there may be the appearance of such at the Endless Tower’s discretion.

Sentient: A malicious spirit possesses the Endless Tower and

draws sentient creatures into it in order to drain them of their life and sustain itself. The Endless Tower has a great deal of control over itself and can create new floors and trials particular to certain characters or groups. It however has some restrictions upon what it can do to those it brings into the Endless Tower. It cannot create a hopeless situation in which a character has no chance of survival. The Endless Tower will often bargain with individuals that prove to be resourceful in hopes of making them into servants of its malicious ends. As such, the Endless Tower is more than willing to grant the fondest desires of those who will take an oath to serve it as their pleasure feeds the Endless Tower as well as the sufferings produced within those who struggle against its will.

Mildly chaotic aligned

Activated morphic: Uses the Dream Point System with the

Dream Point Threshold and Backlash and Attacking Dream Points variants to determine what a character can and cannot change in the Endless Tower and what the consequences of doing so are. The Difficulty Class for skills checks increase by 2 for every floor a character has won through, up

to a maximum increase of 20. The Endless Tower seeks to make things more difficult upon its inhabitants the closer it gets to the summit, though completing certain tasks helps to offset this penalty.

Limited spells: Spells and spell-like abilities that use planar

travel are restricted from use within the Endless Tower. The only means of escape is to reach the summit.