Chapter 5: Dream Beast power - incomplete, errata?

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nijineko's picture
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Chapter 5: Dream Beast power - incomplete, errata?

Reading the Dream Beast power from the 3.x pdfs, the power seems incomplete and unfinished....

As it currently stands, there is no saving throw, no resistance, it affects everyone/thing(?) within long range indiscriminately, it is not mind affecting (which is a plus, actually), and creates a DM-fiat "nightmare-ish" creature that pounds on everyone not protected by successful concentration.

As it is currently written, you could theoretically walk up to a deity-level entity with full entourage and staff, trigger this 6th level power, and actually reasonably expect to bring everyone within long range to -1, except for those whom you concentrate for.

It says that it draws / merges everyone into a "dreamscape", but it does not give any characteristics or traits for it - though i suppose one could use the Plane of Dreams as a guideline.

The creature created is "nightmarish" to whomever happens to be "nearby" - best/worst of everyone's fears combined? again, no stats, though it states DM-fiat. But, again, without an area of affect given, nearby technically means long range. There is no scope, scale, or guidelines suggested for how to resolve combat with the creature, what can and cannot affect it, if the power can be escaped once triggered, or anything. If one takes "nightmarish" to be the sole scale of measure, then one might use the common traits of human nightmares to set some basics: when you try to run, you slow down and it is right on your heels about to grab you; it can always get in front of you; everything you do to it is ineffectual; it can prevent/ignore/counter anything you attempt to do to it, to anyone or anything else, or attempt to do to get away; and so on. It is stated that the manifester has to concentrate on this power and do nothing else to prevent the dream beast from attacking whom the manifester chooses... but without guidelines for how the dream beast can and cannot act - there is likewise no idea for how the manifesters concentration might be disrupted.

There are no limits suggested that would prevent this from affecting all animals, insects, even mindless creatures, undead, constructs, even objects and so on. The description text states only "everyone" and "anyone" which implies certain things, such as objects, non-sentient creatures and things... but it is not mechanically specific.

This power as written is basically a nuclear bomb. It effectively kills everything within long range, save those for whom the manifester concentrates.

So, my question is more or less wondering if this sort of thing is still being worked on, or if the 3.x version is abandoned/orphaned, and who should fix it, and if no one else, can I fix it?

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Re: Chapter 5: Dream Beast power - incomplete, errata?

Additional thoughts: there is no definition about the dreamscape... are they cut off from any interaction with the prime? are creatures immune to dream affected? Can they escape the creature by exceeding the range or shifting planes? Is the range centered on the creature or the manifester? There are more thoughts, but i'll wait for some feedback. Anyone?

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arukibito ga michi wo erabu no ka, michi ga arukibito wo erabu no deshoka?

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