Dream Magic 42 of the Weeping Pillow

Lore: This faded, tear-stained pillow seems unremarkable, yet it holds the echoes of countless nightmares. It was once the cherished possession of a child in a lonely orphanage, who found solace in the world of dreams. Night after night, the child poured their fears of abandonment into the pillow, unintentionally imbuing it with the subtle power of Dream Magic.

Roleplay:  A character carrying this pillow exhibits subtle signs of their inner turmoil. They might have troubled sleep, speak of unsettling dreams, and display a lingering sadness or a clinging nature, a subconscious reflection of their fear of being left alone.

Passive Magics:

• Comforting Slumber: The bearer finds sleep comes more easily. They gain advantage on rest-related checks to recover from exhaustion or mental stresses.
• Echoes of Loneliness: The bearer may occasionally pick up on fragments of dreams or emotions from others sleeping within a 30-foot radius. These are usually feelings of loneliness, fear, or sadness.

Active Magics:     Dream Haven (1 use per long rest): As an action, the bearer can touch a sleeping creature and create a safe dream-space within their mind. For the next hour, the target is immune to any attempts to disturb their sleep and has advantage on saves against fear or charm effects.

Statistics:

• Gear Slot: Held
• Rarity: Common
• Tier: 1

Tags: Dream, Sadness, Sleep, Comfort, Protection

Roleplay Considerations: This item is a double-edged sword. It offers comfort, but also constantly reinforces the bearer’s fear of abandonment. This could lead to a character becoming overly dependent on the pillow, clinging to others out of fear of being alone, or becoming reclusive and isolating themselves to avoid facing their anxieties.

“Activation Perception” of the Dream Magic 42 of the Weeping Pillow, covering the five traditional senses and extending into extra-sensory perceptions:

• Sight
  • What is Perceived: A faint, shifting aura of melancholy and longing surrounding the pillow.
  • Description: The aura is not brightly colored, but more like a subtle shimmer of blues and grays, occasionally flickering with hints of sadness.
  • Positives: May warn sensitive individuals about the pillow’s emotional resonance, allowing them to approach cautiously.
  • Negatives: The aura can be unsettling to those without experience with Dream Magic artifacts.
• Sound
  • What is Perceived: Soft, occasional whispers or sighs within one’s mind when the pillow is nearby.
  • Description: These sounds are not distinct words, but rather fragments of emotions – loneliness, a yearning for connection, sometimes the echoes of quiet crying.
  • Positives: Can alert the user to the pillow’s focus on dreams and emotions.
  • Negatives: The whispers can contribute to a sense of unease or disturb a character’s focus.
• Touch
  • What is Perceived: A lingering chill on the pillow’s fabric, as if it has absorbed tears.
  • Description: The chill is not physically cold, but a sensation registered by the user’s sense of touch.
  • Positives: Reinforces the pillow’s connection to sadness and the act of crying.
  • Negatives: Could be physically unpleasant, particularly with prolonged exposure.
• Smell
  • What is Perceived: A faint scent of old linens and a subtle undercurrent of something salty, like tears.
  • Description: The scent is not overpowering but subtly present when near the pillow.
  • Positives: A strong link to the pillow’s history and use.
  • Negatives: Might trigger negative memories or emotions for those who have experienced loss.
• Extra-Sensory Perception
  • What is Perceived: A wave of sadness or a sense of isolation emanating from the pillow
  • Description: This perception goes beyond the typical senses, conveying the core emotional quality of the item. It’s a direct feeling, not associated with any particular vision or sound.
  • Positives: Provides a deeper understanding of the pillow’s thematic resonance, allowing for more nuanced roleplay.
  • Negatives: Can be emotionally draining if the user is already sensitive or empathic.

The Dream Magic 42 of the Weeping Pillow is primarily a subtle and emotionally focused item. Its powers are not overtly geared towards direct combat, but can be employed creatively for both defense and offense in various situations:

Defense

• Urban Environments: In a bustling city, the pillow’s ability to induce sleep or create safe dream-spaces can be surprisingly useful.
  • Fleeing Pursuit: Quickly cast ‘Dream Haven’ on yourself, creating a temporary mental sanctuary to hide from pursuers – particularly effective if they rely on tracking magic.
  • Subtle Sabotage: Induce nightmares or unsettling visions in guards or watchmen with the pillow’s passive ability, making them less effective or demoralizing them.
• Wilderness: The pillow’s defensive capabilities are less potent in open spaces, but still hold some value.
  • Creating Comfort: ‘Comforting Slumber’ can help allies recover quickly from fatigue during perilous treks, boosting their readiness when danger arises.
  • Animal Distraction: The echoes of sadness the pillow emits might temporarily pacify or disorient emotionally sensitive creatures, buying time to escape a threat.

Offense

• Social Situations: The pillow’s true offensive potential lies in manipulation and subterfuge.
  • Infiltration: Induce ‘Dream Haven’ on a target before interrogating them, giving them a false sense of security that lowers their guard.
  • Emotional Manipulation: Use the pillow to amplify feelings of loneliness in someone, making them more vulnerable to suggestion or breaking their resolve
• Against Dreamers: While it cannot directly manipulate another’s magical abilities, the pillow gains strength against those who wield Dream Magic themselves.
  • Disruption: The pillow’s constant aura of sadness and longing can disturb the focus of other Dream Magic users, making it harder for them to maintain their own dream manipulations.
  • Entrapment: Risky, but possible – attempting to use ‘Dream Haven’ on a hostile Dream Magic user might trap them within their own mindscape, temporarily removing them from the situation.

Important Considerations

• Subtlety is Key: The pillow’s powers are not flashy or explosive. Success lies in careful observation, manipulating emotions over time, and capitalizing on induced mental states.
• Risk of Backfire: Tapping into feelings of abandonment and loneliness can be emotionally draining for the user themselves, potentially triggering their own vulnerabilities.
• Not for Direct Combat: If faced with straightforward, physical danger, the pillow is unlikely to be the primary tool of survival. Its strengths lie in misdirection and manipulation.

The Dream Magic 42 of the Weeping Pillow, being a Common tier item with strong emotional resonance, wouldn’t be found in typical gear shops or even specialized magic item stores. Here’s a breakdown of where it might be found, and how the price would be affected by various factors:

Possible Locations:

• Antique Sellers & Pawn Shops: The pillow’s unremarkable appearance may cause it to end up in the hands of those who deal with old, discarded items. Here, an observant buyer with a sensitivity to Dream Magic might recognize its potential.
• Orphanages or Similar Institutions: If the pillow’s original owner left the orphanage or met an unfortunate end, the pillow might remain behind, forgotten and still infused with its emotional imprint.
• Traveling Vendors & Curiosity Shops: The odd nature of the pillow might attract a traveling merchant dealing in oddities and artifacts of unknown origin.
• Black Market and Shady Dealers: The pillow has the potential for emotional manipulation, making it a possible item found within more dubious networks, particularly those dealing in psychological influence.

Cost Fluctuations:

• Ignorance: If the seller is unaware of its magical properties, the pillow might be priced very low, simply as a worn, old pillow.
• Recognized Power: A seller with some understanding of Dream Magic, or who feels the pillow’s unsettling resonance, might significantly raise the price, knowing its potential value.
• The Buyer’s Need: How desperately someone needs this specific type of artifact, and whether there are other known sources, heavily affects how much they’re willing to pay.
• Location: In a city with a strong black market, the price might be higher. Conversely, in a remote orphanage, the pillow’s strange qualities could be overlooked.

Price Range Estimates:
Due to these factors, it’s hard to assign a fixed cost, but here’s a possible range in your world’s currency:

• Unknowing Seller: As low as a few coins to the equivalent of a few dollars – the price of a used, unremarkable object.
• Disreputable Market: Could go up considerably, depending on the seller’s greed and the buyer’s perceived value.
• Specialist Vendor: A vendor dealing in Dream-related items might recognize its potential and charge a significantly higher price, especially if they know it’s rare or unique.

Recipe: Echoes of the Weeping Pillow
This recipe aims to replicate the power of the original Dream Magic 42 of the Weeping Pillow, though the unique emotional resonance of an organically imbued artifact might be difficult to fully reproduce.

• Materials Needed:
  • Core: One well-used, standard-sized pillow. Ideally, it should have been owned by someone who experienced loneliness and longing, infusing it with traces of those emotions.
  • Dream Essence: A small vial containing concentrated essence of dreams. This might be collected from a natural Dream Rift (rare, dangerous locations), or obtained from a specialized alchemist.
  • Tears of Salt and Sorrow: Not literal tears, but a specific alchemical ingredient representing the saltiness of tears and the essence of sadness. This might be a rare botanical component or a carefully crafted magical tincture.
  • Soft, Absorbent Cloth: A piece of high-quality linen or silk to craft a new pillowcase.
• Tools Required:
  • Sewing Kit: Standard needles, thread, and a measure for proper crafting of the new pillowcase.
  • Alchemist’s Mortar and Pestle: If the Dream Essence or Tears of Salt and Sorrow components need further preparation.
  • Enchanter’s Workspace: A secure location with the necessary tools and magical circles used to imbue items with enchantments.
• Skill Requirements:
  • Basic Tailoring: Ability to cut and sew the new pillowcase to fit the existing pillow precisely.
  • Understanding of Dream Magic: Knowledge of the principles of Dream Magic and how to correctly infuse an item with this type of enchantment. This knowledge may be theoretical or practical.
  • Optional: Alchemy: Some proficiency in alchemy if components need to be refined or blended.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Preparation:  The original pillowcase is carefully removed. The pillow’s filling must be inspected for any physical traces of tears or other markings that might further enhance the enchantment.
  • Essence Infusion:  The Dream Essence and Tears of Salt and Sorrow are mixed (according to their specific instructions), then gently sprinkled upon the pillow’s filling, ensuring even distribution.
  • Pillowcase Creation:  The new pillowcase is meticulously crafted. During the sewing process, the crafter must focus on thoughts of abandonment, longing, and dreams left unfulfilled, further imbuing the case with these emotions.
  • Enchantment:  In the Enchanter’s Workspace, the newly crafted pillow is placed within a magical circle designed to bind Dream Magic to objects. The crafter channels their own understanding of Dream Magic and activates the enchantment.
• Important Notes:
  • Success is not guaranteed. Even with all the correct materials and skills, the emotional resonance of the Weeping Pillow is difficult to fully replicate.
  • The crafter’s mindset matters. Focusing on their own feelings of loneliness might enhance the item’s power but could also be emotionally taxing.

Lost Slumber and the Pillow of Endless Tears

The whispering winds speak of a time forgotten, when dreams were both refuge and peril. From that epoch comes the legend of the Lost Slumber, a tale obscured by the mists of countless ages.

Legends tell of a young one, cast aside like a withered leaf upon the current of life. Dwelling in a place of cold shadows and echoing halls, the young one clung to slumber as their sole solace. Each night, they poured their sorrow into a threadbare pillow, weaving a tapestry of dreams drenched in loneliness.

One moonless night, the young one’s dreams bled into the waking world. The pillow, heavy with unshed tears, pulsed with an otherworldly light. From its depths emerged a spectral form, a reflection of the young one’s despair. It spoke in a voice like rustling dead leaves, promising solace in the realm of dreams, but at a terrible cost.

Tempted by the offer of escape, the young one almost surrendered. But a flicker of defiance sparked within them. With a surge of nascent power, they banished the spectral form back into the pillow, sealing it with a whispered word of defiance.

The young one, forever marked by their ordeal, embarked on a journey, vowing to use their newfound power to protect others from the allure of the Lost Slumber. The pillow, a constant reminder of their pain and triumph, became a potent charm, imbued with the power to soothe troubled sleep and shield against the predations of the dream-world.

Moral: Though sorrow may weave a heavy cloak, even in the deepest despair, a spark of hope can ignite the will to rise and claim one’s own destiny.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu

• Emphasis on atmosphere and psychological horror. The pillow becomes a cursed relic, with subtle sanity-draining effects and the potential to create disturbing nightmares.
• Mechanics:
  • Sanity Loss: Proximity to the pillow causes a SAN loss of 1/1D4 per day. Using its active abilities incurs further SAN loss.
  • Dream Visions: The pillow may induce disturbing, fragmented dreams that hint at dark secrets or the horrors of the Mythos. These could provide clues but at the cost of mental wellbeing.

Blades in the Dark

• Focus on intrigue and shadowy factions in a gritty, urban world. The pillow becomes a tool sought after by rival gangs and occult collectors.
• Mechanics:
  • Whisper Faction: The pillow could be linked to a forgotten cult of dream weavers, making it a target for those who wish to reclaim lost power.
  • Stress Management: ‘Comforting Slumber’ could be used to reduce Stress during downtime, but carries the risk of dredging up past traumas or attracting unwanted attention.
  • Bargaining Chip: The pillow’s ability to induce emotions makes it a powerful tool for manipulation and negotiation in the underworld.

Dungeons & Dragons (5e)

• Classic fantasy setting, where the pillow is a curious magical artifact with a lingering sadness.
• Stat Block:
  • Dream Magic 42 of the Weeping Pillow
  • Wondrous Item, Common (Requires attunement)
  • See original item description for abilities.
• Mechanics:
  • Charges: ‘Dream Haven’ could have 3 charges per day, replenishing at dawn.
  • Saving Throws: Targets of the pillow’s effects might be allowed a Wisdom saving throw to resist full effects.

Knave

• Rules-light system emphasizing player ingenuity and resourcefulness. The pillow becomes a tool with potential benefits but also clear drawbacks.
• Mechanics:
  • Conditional Bonuses: ‘Comforting Slumber’ grants +1 to any resting-related roll, but -1 to Perception rolls while sleeping due to the pillow’s intense focus.
  • Creative Use: The pillow’s ability to induce dreams and emotions becomes purely narrative. Players cleverly employing it could receive a temporary bonus or gain an advantage.

Fate

• Narrative-driven system, emphasizing character Aspects and story impact. The pillow becomes a tool that shapes the character and influences the narrative.
• Aspects:
  • Troubled Dreamer: This Aspect represents the character’s connection to the pillow and could be Compelled to create emotional vulnerability or disadvantageous situations.
  • Bearer of the Weeping Pillow: Provides an edge when employing the pillow’s powers of dream manipulation and grants narrative permission to access dream-related locations or knowledge.
• Mechanics:
  • Invokes: The pillow’s active abilities can be Invoked using the appropriate Aspects, granting bonuses to rolls related to dreams, emotion, and manipulation.
  • Compels: The pillow’s inherent sadness can be Compelled against the character, leading to negative mental states, self-doubt, or triggering flashbacks to previous traumas.

Numenera & Cypher System

• Focus on exploration, the bizarre, and the unknown. The pillow is a strange artifact from a lost civilization with potentially dangerous side effects.
• Item Descriptor: Diminutive, Melancholic
• Item Focus: Manipulates Dreams
• Depletion: 1 in 1d10 chance of depletion on use
• Mechanics:
  • Difficulty Reduction: ‘Comforting Slumber’ and ‘Dream Haven’ might reduce the difficulty of tasks related to sleep, recovery, or dealing with mental stress by 1 or 2 steps.
  • Cypher: Upon depletion, the pillow releases a surge of psychic energy, causing random dreamlike effects that could be either beneficial or dangerous for the user and those nearby.

Pathfinder (2e)

• Detailed mechanics and tactical combat. The pillow becomes a magical item with specific powers and limitations.
• Stat Block:
  • Dream Magic 42 of the Weeping Pillow
  • Aura: Faint, Enchantment
  • Usage: Held in one hand; Activated (Command)
  • See original item description for abilities, using appropriate Pathfinder equivalents (Will Saves, Skill checks, etc.)
• Mechanics:
  • Focus Points: ‘Dream Haven’ might require spending a Focus Point for activation.
  • Resonance: Using the item may temporarily grant a circumstance bonus to saves against emotion effects but a penalty to saves against illusions or phantasms.

Savage Worlds

• Fast-paced, pulpy action. The pillow becomes a supernatural Edge and Hindrance, offering potent abilities with a dangerous downside.
• Mechanics:
  • Edge: Dream Weaver: Allows the character to use the pillow’s powers, perhaps linked to the Smarts or Spirit attribute.
  • Hindrance: Haunted (Minor or Major): The pillow’s sadness affects the character, making them vulnerable to Fear effects or causing them to act impulsively based on emotional triggers.

Shadowrun

• Blends magic and technology in a gritty underworld. The pillow becomes a coveted tool for shadowrunners, Awakened manipulators, and insidious corporations.
• Mechanics:
  • Astral Projection: ‘Dream Haven’ could be used to partially project one’s consciousness into the Astral Plane, potentially for scouting, spying, or even limited astral combat.
  • Addiction Potential: The pillow’s emotional resonance could be highly addictive, drawing in those seeking escape and making them vulnerable to manipulation or burnout.
  • Corporate Interest: The pillow might be the target of megacorporations seeking to exploit its powers, leading to runs involving data theft and clandestine experimentation.

Starfinder

• Spacefaring adventures with diverse races and psychic powers. The pillow becomes a relic from a lost civilization, its powers echoing across the vast expanse.
• Mechanics:
  • Solarian Connection: Solarians could resonate with the pillow’s emotional aura, amplifying their mind-affecting abilities.
  • Drift Beacon: The pillow might faintly disrupt the Drift, acting as a short-range beacon for dream creatures or entities lurking in the space between dimensions.
  • Xenoresearch Target: Alien researchers might be fascinated by the pillow’s properties, potentially leading to ethically questionable experiments or unexpected alliances.

Traveller

• Classic sci-fi with an emphasis on hard science and exploration. The pillow becomes a mysterious artifact of unknown origin, potentially hinting at psionic potential.
• Mechanics:
  • Latent Psionics: The pillow might act as a catalyst, awakening latent psionic powers in certain individuals (with the potential for unpredictable side effects).
  • Ancient Civilization Relic: It could be a relic of a lost precursor race, holding clues about their technology, culture, or even their downfall.
  • Trade Good: The pillow’s rarity and unusual properties make it a valuable – and potentially controversial – trade commodity.

Warhammer (40K or Fantasy)

• Gothic and brutal settings where dark forces are ever-present. The pillow becomes a conduit to the Warp or a cursed relic corrupted by Chaos.
• Mechanics:
  • Warp Conduit: The pillow lowers the veil between the material world and the Warp, allowing glimpses of the future or attracting the attention of malevolent entities.
  • Corruption: Use risks Warp taint, potentially twisting the user’s dreams into nightmares and opening them up to possession.
  • Heretical Artifact: The Inquisition would seek to destroy this object, seeing it as a source of heresy or a tool for daemonic manipulation.