Northern Magic
510 XP
MP Cost: 40
Threshold: 3
Components: V, M
Casting Time: One hour
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Eight hours
Prerequisites: Arcana 10 ranks, calm of the adept
Magic Attack Roll: None
Dream travel is a powerful but unreliable means of getting from here to there. The traveler journeys in his dreams, and awakes wherever his nocturnal wandering carried him. The sorcerer can even take other characters with him, although it’s more difficult than traveling alone (see "Passengers" below).
To use dream travel, the sorcerer must be asleep. Once asleep, he begins fashioning a dream that involves traveling from his present location to his intended destination. At the beginning of the journey, the Games Master secretly makes a Will saving throw for the character (DC 10+3 for every hex traveled). If the saving throw succeeds, the sorcerer will reach his destination. If the check fails, the character will fall short a percentage of the distance equal to 1d8 x 10 (so a roll of 6 would mean that the dream travel fell short 60% of the distance, meaning that the traveler made it 40% of the way there).
If the Games Master wants, this saving throw is all that’s required to handle dream travel during a game. However, it’s far more satisfying to actually role-play the dream. The player creates the setting and describes his intentions, with the Games Master interrupting to change things arbitrarily and throw obstacles in the character’s path.
If the player overcomes the obstacles and solves problems inventively, the Games Master is justified in giving a bonus to the character’s saving throw. If the dream is dull and lifeless, the Games Master can also penalize the roll.
The Games Master should remember that this is a dream; terrain on the journey may not resemble actual terrain, the character may be completely different, and the world may be completely strange. The length of the dream journey should be approximately the same as the real distance, however, and the final destination should be at least similar to the real destination. Such dream adventures should minimize combat and maximize problems, puzzles, and surreal atmosphere. If combat does occur, it has no effect on the character physically, but if he is killed, he wakes up, right where he started.
A dream journey takes approximately eight hours to complete, successful or not.
Passengers: The sorcerer can bring other characters along with him in the dream. His power score is reduced by one for each passenger he carries. Passengers must also be sleeping. A single power check launches everyone on the dream journey. If the check fails, they still attempt the dream journey but fall short of their target. The sorcerer must pay the MP cost of the trip individually for each character accompanying him in the dream.
Intelligent animals can also be drawn into the dream, but normal animals (horses, dogs, falcons, whatever) are very difficult to bring along. The Games Master must make a separate saving throw to draw in each animal and the sorcerer’s bonus to Will saves is halved when making this check.
When the dream travelers reach their destination, they awaken. In the place where they lay sleeping, their bodies and any equipment carried or worn fade away. At the same time, they fade into being at their new location, still in sleeping posture, but fully awake.
Material Components: A feather, placed under the sorcerer’s pillow when he goes to sleep.
