Lore: Hailing from the ancient traditions of the tribes that first walked the world of Saṃsāra, the Dreamer’s Totem is a small hand-crafted relic. It’s said that wise shamans used these totems to connect with the Dreamtime, communicating with ancestors and guiding their tribe members through their dreams. Over time, some unscrupulous individuals discovered that this bond could be abused, using Dreamtime to manipulate and control the unsuspecting. The totem has since become a symbol of both protection and deception, depending on the intentions of its wielder.
Detailed Stats:
- Size: As small as a human palm.
- Weight: Light, less than half a pound.
- Material: Primarily made of wood, with engraved symbols and adorned with feathers and beads.
- Durability: Fragile. It can be broken if mishandled or struck forcefully.
Roleplay: Holding the Dreamer’s Totem and focusing one’s mind on it, the user can connect with the spiritual realm of the Dreamtime. However, the experience and intentions of the user can cause different effects. A user with pure intentions might simply view the dreams of another or send them a comforting vision. However, those with malicious intent can twist dreams into nightmares, or subtly manipulate the dreamer’s perceptions.
Costs:
- Mana: Using the totem costs 5 mana points each time.
- Physical: Overusing the totem in a short span can induce fatigue, as meddling with dreams is mentally taxing.
Magics:
- Dream Vision: Allows the user to see into another person’s dream.
- Dream Whisper: Send a short message or vision into someone’s dream.
- Dream Twist: Subtly manipulate the contents of a dream, which can be comforting or distressing to the dreamer. This ability should be used responsibly and with caution.
Tags: Dream, Spiritual, Manipulation, Totem, Aboriginal Dreamtime, Shamanic, Deception, Nightmare, Corruption, Whispers, Ancestral, Intrigue, Vulnerability, Intention, Guidance
Defensive Use:
- Dream Warning: Before resting, the user can set an intention to be alerted in their dream if danger approaches. This could manifest as an ancestral spirit warning them or the environment in the dream becoming threatening.
- Dream Shield: The user can attempt to protect a sleeping individual from nightmares or outside dream manipulation.
Offensive Use:
- Nightmare Induction: The user can induce unsettling dreams in a target, which might cause disturbed sleep and fatigue the next day.
- Dream Manipulation: With enough skill, subtly influence an individual’s thoughts and decisions by planting ideas or suggestions in their dreams.
Environments: The Dreamer’s Totem is especially potent in natural environments close to the ancestral lands from which its traditions hail. Forests, sacred grounds, or locations with historical significance to the aboriginal tribes amplify its power. In urban environments or those disconnected from the land, the totem’s strength may wane.
Perception of the Five Senses:
- Sight:
- Perceived: The Dreamer’s Totem is intricately carved with ancestral symbols, adorned with feathers, and sometimes colorful beads.
- Positives: It has an authentic, ancient aesthetic, which can easily become a point of interest or intrigue. It evokes feelings of reverence and connection to a time long past.
- Negatives: It may appear strange or out of place to those unfamiliar with its origins. Some might view it as mere trinkets or deem it primitive.
- Touch:
- Perceived: The totem feels worn, yet the carvings are discernible to touch. The beads are smooth, and the feathers are soft.
- Positives: It feels comfortable in one’s grip, and holding it can bring a sense of calm or grounding.
- Negatives: Due to its delicate nature, handling it roughly might lead to breakage.
- Sound:
- Perceived: When shaken gently, the beads make a soft rustling sound. Occasionally, a user might hear faint whispers from the Dreamtime if they listen closely.
- Positives: The sounds can be soothing, reminiscent of wind through trees or a gentle stream.
- Negatives: The whispers, if heard, can be disconcerting, especially if unexpected or if they carry warning messages.
- Smell:
- Perceived: It has an earthy scent, like aged wood combined with the faintest hint of incense or herbs.
- Positives: The aroma can evoke a sense of nature and the great outdoors.
- Negatives: For some, it might smell old or musty, leading them to underestimate its power.
- Taste:
- Perceived: It isn’t intended for consumption, but if someone were to taste it, they’d find it woody and slightly bitter.
- Positives: None. It isn’t meant to be tasted.
- Negatives: The bitter taste can be off-putting.
- Astral Connection:
- Perceived: A user might feel an immediate link to the Dreamtime, a vast spiritual landscape where the past, present, and future intermingle.
- Positives: Allows the user to connect with ancestral spirits, receive guidance, and access the dream magics.
- Negatives: Overreliance on the astral connection can lead to disconnection from the physical world or a blurred sense of reality.
- Emotional Resonance:
- Perceived: The totem can resonate with strong emotions, sometimes amplifying or reflecting them back to the user.
- Positives: It can help the user process intense feelings or traumas.
- Negatives: It can be overwhelming if the user is already in an emotionally vulnerable state.
Recipe to Craft the Dreamer’s Totem:
- Ingredients:
- A piece of aged wood, preferably from a tree with ancestral significance.
- Feathers from a bird native to the ancestral lands, such as an eagle or crow.
- Natural beads, made of stones or seeds.
- Ritual incense or herbs.
- Natural binding material, like sinew or plant fiber.
- Steps:
- Begin by purifying the workspace with the ritual incense or herbs, ensuring that no negative energies are present.
- Take the aged wood and carve ancestral symbols into it, channeling intent and reverence as you work.
- Drill small holes for the beads and the feathers.
- Thread the beads onto the totem, binding them in place with the natural fibers.
- Attach the feathers to the base or top of the totem, again using the natural binding material.
- Once completed, the totem should be blessed in a sacred place, preferably under a new moon or during a significant ancestral festival.
- Meditate with the totem, forging a personal connection and imbuing it with your energy. This will also help attune it to the Dreamtime.
Note: It’s essential that during the creation of the totem, the crafter maintains pure intentions and respect for the ancestral traditions it represents.
Totem of Whispers
Before the time of waking, when the world was shrouded in dreams, the tribes of Saṃsāra lived in harmony with the spirits of the land. Their shamans, wise in the ways of the Dreamtime, held a sacred object – the Dreamer’s Totem. Carved from ancient wood and adorned with feathers of the night owl, this totem was a bridge between the waking world and the realm of dreams.
One such shaman, named Kai, was revered for his ability to guide his people through the labyrinth of dreams. He would hold the totem aloft, its feathers whispering secrets of the Dreamtime, and lead his tribe through visions of healing, wisdom, and prophecy.
But whispers can deceive, and dreams can be twisted. A darkness crept into the heart of a young warrior named Ren. He coveted the power of the totem, seeking to control the dreams of others, to bend their will to his own.
Ren stole the totem under the cloak of night, its whispers turning to shadows in his grasp. He delved into the Dreamtime, not with reverence, but with ambition. He learned to twist dreams into nightmares, to plant seeds of fear and doubt in the minds of his tribe.
The once harmonious tribe was fractured, plagued by suspicion and unrest. Kai, sensing the disruption in the Dreamtime, confronted Ren. Their battle raged, not with weapons of steel, but with the very fabric of dreams.
In the end, Kai, guided by the true spirit of the totem, overcame Ren’s dark influence. The totem was reclaimed, its whispers cleansed, and the tribe slowly healed. But the memory of Ren’s treachery remained, a reminder of the totem’s duality – a tool of healing and a weapon of deception.
Moral: The Dreamer’s Totem holds the power of dreams, a force that can illuminate or deceive, heal or harm. Its whispers echo the intentions of the heart, a reminder that true power lies in wisdom and compassion, not in manipulation and control.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Type: Occult Item
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Sanity Cost: 1d4 Sanity points to attune to the totem, plus 1d6 Sanity points if used for malicious purposes.
- Powers:
- Dream Vision: The user may spend 2 Magic Points and make a successful POW roll to view the dreams of a sleeping target within short range.
- Dream Whisper: The user may spend 3 Magic Points and make a successful POW roll to send a simple message or vision to a sleeping target within short range.
- Dream Twist: The user may spend 4 Magic Points and make a successful POW roll to manipulate the dream of a sleeping target within short range. This could involve creating nightmares, implanting suggestions, or altering the dream environment.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These uses are best represented through roleplaying and narrative descriptions, with the Keeper determining the specific effects and Sanity cost based on the situation.
Blades in the Dark
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Type: Arcane Item
- Effect:
- Dream Vision: When performing a downtime activity to gather information on a target, the user may use the totem to gain insight into the target’s dreams, potentially revealing secrets or hidden desires.
- Dream Whisper: The user may use the totem to subtly influence a target’s emotions or actions by sending them a dream. This could be used to create a sense of unease, plant a seed of doubt, or inspire a particular course of action.
- Dream Twist: The user may use the totem to inflict a minor harm on a target by giving them a nightmare. This could result in the target suffering from reduced stress or a minor consequence.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These effects can be incorporated into the fiction through creative roleplaying and with the GM’s approval.
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Rarity: Rare
- Attunement: Requires attunement by a creature with a connection to the Dreamtime.
- Properties: This totem has 5 charges and regains 1d4 + 1 charges daily at dawn. While holding the totem, you can use an action and expend charges to cast the following spells:
- Dream Vision: Detect Thoughts (2 charges). The target must be asleep to glean meaningful information from their dreams.
- Dream Whisper: Sending (3 charges). The message appears within the target’s dream.
- Dream Twist: Modify Memory (4 charges). You can only alter minor details within the target’s dreams, not their waking memories.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These uses could be incorporated as spell-like abilities, using existing spells like dream, protection from evil and good, or phantasmal killer as a basis.
Knave
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Tags: Arcane, Mystical, Corrupting
- Effect:
- Dream Vision: The user can use the totem to catch glimpses of another creature’s dreams. This could provide a clue, a warning, or a useful piece of information (GM’s discretion).
- Dream Whisper: The user can use the totem to send a simple message or image to a sleeping creature.
- Dream Twist: The user can use the totem to give a sleeping creature a nightmare, potentially causing them to wake up with a point of exhaustion.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These effects can be incorporated into the narrative, with the GM determining the specific effects based on the situation and the player’s creativity.
Fate Core/Condensed
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Aspect: Whispers of the Dreamtime
- Invoke:
- Dream Vision: Gain insight into a target’s dreams, potentially revealing their secrets, fears, or desires.
- Dream Whisper: Subtly influence a target’s emotions or actions by sending them a dream or vision.
- Dream Twist: Inflict a minor consequence on a target by giving them a nightmare or unsettling dream.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These can be incorporated through creative roleplaying and aspect invocation, with the GM providing narrative justification.
- Compel: The totem’s connection to the Dreamtime can be unpredictable or dangerous, potentially leading to unwanted consequences or attracting the attention of malevolent entities.
Numenera & Cypher System
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Level: 4
- Form: Artifact (held)
- Effect:
- Dream Vision: Spend 2 Intellect points to see into the dreams of a sleeping creature within short range.
- Dream Whisper: Spend 3 Intellect points to send a simple message or vision to a sleeping creature within short range.
- Dream Twist: Spend 4 Intellect points to manipulate the dream of a sleeping creature within short range, potentially causing a minor negative effect.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These can be incorporated as special abilities, with appropriate costs and effects determined by the GM.
Pathfinder (2nd Edition)
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Aura: moderate illusion; CL: 7th
- Slot: none; Price: 300 gp; Weight: 1 lb.
- Description: This intricately carved totem is adorned with feathers and beads. While holding the totem, you can use an action and expend charges to activate the following powers (this totem has 5 charges and regains 1d4+1 charges daily at dawn):
- Dream Vision: You can cast the dream spell, but you only receive visions of the target’s dreams and cannot communicate with them (2 charges).
- Dream Whisper: You can cast the sending spell, but the message appears within the target’s dream (3 charges).
- Dream Twist: You can cast the nightmare spell (4 charges).
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These uses could be incorporated as spell-like abilities, using existing spells like divination, remove fear, or modify memory as a basis.
Savage Worlds
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Trappings: Intricately carved wooden totem with feathers and beads
- Power Points: 7
- Powers:
- Dream Vision: The user may spend 2 Power Points to make a Spirit roll to see into the dreams of a sleeping creature within short range.
- Dream Whisper: The user may spend 3 Power Points to make a Spirit roll to send a simple message or vision to a sleeping creature within short range.
- Dream Twist: The user may spend 4 Power Points to make a Spirit roll to manipulate the dream of a sleeping creature within short range, potentially inflicting the Shaken condition.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These uses can be incorporated as Edges or by spending Power Points to activate specific effects (GM’s discretion).
Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Type: Focus (Manipulation)
- Force: 5
- Background Count: 2
- Powers:
- Dream Vision: The user may use the totem to cast the Detect Thoughts spell on a sleeping target.
- Dream Whisper: The user may use the totem to cast the Influence spell on a sleeping target, subtly altering their dreams to implant suggestions or emotions.
- Dream Twist: The user may use the totem to cast the Nightmare spell, inflicting psychological trauma on a sleeping target.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These effects can be incorporated through the use of other spells (like Increase Willpower for Dream Shield or Confusion for Nightmare Induction) with the totem providing a bonus to the spellcasting test.
Starfinder
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Level: 6th
- Price: 5,000 credits
- Bulk: L
- Activation: Standard action (emotion, mystic, psychic)
- Frequency: once per day per power
- Effects:
- Dream Vision: The user can cast detect thoughts on a sleeping target to perceive their dreams.
- Dream Whisper: The user can cast mindlink on a sleeping target to send them a short message or vision within their dream.
- Dream Twist: The user can cast phantasmal killer on a sleeping target, manifesting their fears as a deadly illusion within their dream.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These could be incorporated as spell-like abilities, potentially using spells like divination, remove fear, or modify memory as a basis.
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- TL: 11
- Law Level: 4
- Tech Level: 14
- Effect: This psionic device allows the user to manipulate the dreams of others.
- Functions:
- Dream Vision: The user can attempt an INT check (DM+3) to perceive the dreams of a sleeping target.
- Dream Whisper: The user can attempt an INT check (DM+4) to send a simple telepathic message to a sleeping target.
- Dream Twist: The user can attempt an INT check (DM+5) to inflict a nightmare on a sleeping target, potentially causing them to suffer 1d3 points of END damage from lack of sleep.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These can be incorporated through narrative descriptions and GM adjudication, potentially granting temporary bonuses or inflicting penalties in specific situations.
Warhammer 40,000 (Wrath & Glory)
Name: Dreamer’s Totem
- Rarity: Scarce
- Availability: Forbidden Lore (or specific to psyker factions)
- Warp Charge: 3
- Effects:
- Dream Vision: The psyker may make a Willpower test (DN 4) to perceive the dreams of a sleeping target.
- Dream Whisper: The psyker may make a Willpower test (DN 5) to send a simple message or vision to a sleeping target.
- Dream Twist: The psyker may make a Willpower test (DN 6) to inflict a nightmare on a sleeping target, potentially causing them to suffer 1d3 points of psychic damage.
- Dream Warning/Dream Shield/Nightmare Induction/Dream Manipulation: These can be incorporated as minor psychic powers, with appropriate Warp Charge costs and effects.