3. Dreaming, Relics and Spellcasting

Designing Dream Creatures

Choose an Aspect for the Dream Creature tied to it's concept, and determine it's Region of origin. The Region may not be Core, unless you are a Core or Shadow Magi, and for those Magi, the Creatures they have may not be otherwise. For each point invested in the Ring (and there must be at least one), either divide 3 points between the creature's Skills (the cap is the same as your Magi), or choose one point of Powers (see "Dream Creature Powers"). The Energy of the creature is the total number of points invested in the Ring (which must total one or more, regardless of the number of bonuses). Dream Creatures have no access to Consequences.

In example, Tony's signature blue furok:

Blue Furok (4e)

Naroom Dream Creature

Aspect: Big Blue Wall O' Fur

Fists: 3 (Good)

Endurance: 4 (Great)

Investigation: 2 (Fair)

Power: Toughness [2]

Dreaming Creatures

As an action, you can concentrate to summon a Dream Creature from a ring you are wearing. Roll your Rapport (Dreaming) skill against a difficulty equal to the Energy of the Dream Creature you are trying to summon. If you succeed, take a number of Energy stress levels equal to the Energy of the Creature, and pay an additional Energy if the Creature is of a region not of your own. As with any other case of Stress, you may take a Consequence instead of paying the normal cost. The creature appears next to you, it's Energy full . The creature acts alongside you on the next turn, although it provides a Block so long as it is summoned and nearby. You can command the creature vocally or mentally, and it obeys unquestioningly. Although Dream Creatures have a starting energy equal to the points invested in them, like Magi, they have no maximum to their capacity.

Designing Relics

Relics apply a continuous, but intermittent, effect to the bearer, usually providing a bonus to Skills or temporary Stunts. Each Relic provides roughly two points of Power, Skills or Stunts for each point invested in the Relic. Many effects may only be assigned to Relics of a particular Region, at the storyteller's discretion. You may only construct Relics of your Region, unless you have taken the Regional Adoption Power.

Let's give Tony some shiny new sneakers, from just before he tumbled down the rabbit hole into the Moonlands:

Tony Jones' Sneakers (2e)

Universal Relic

Effect: Speed [2] - As the Dream Creature Power

Effect: Athletics +2

Using Relics

You can activate any one of your Relics with a single action, although they only remain active for a number of turns equal to your successes on a Lore (Relic Use) test, beginning with the current turn. If a Relic is suppressed due to a Power, Effect or Spell, it's effect ends immediately, and remains so until reactivated, which can not occur until the remainder of it's activation time has expired.

Powers and Effects, Creatures and Relics

One of the primary reasons for using Relics to hold Powers and Effects is that they are unable to be damaged by normal attacks, and can only be deactivated for a time, whereas a creature may be defeated, and needs to be summoned before it can use any powers allocated to it. Powers are activated abilities that provide a single benefit at the time of activation, while Effects provide either a continuous bonus, or are triggered by outside occurrences. Each ability is rated on a scale according to the amount of Energy it generates, with approximately 1 energy per turn per point of the Power or Effect being the average.

For instance, Furok's Effect "Restoration" is triggered by damage, which can happen both on your turn and others, and gives 1/2 the energy invested in Furok back, so would be likely be a 1 point Effect. If the Effect rounded up instead of down, it might be a 2 point Effect instead. You will need to discuss options with your Storyteller, and be prepared to adjust either the cost of the Power or Effect or it's effects as required to fit the game.

Designing Spells

Spells are each individual to the creator, designed to bring about some effect each time they are cast. Most often this is harmful or helpful to the subject, but rarely there are spells that affect the battlefield itself for a short time, or cause a long-term change to a magi or creature. Spells can bypass the Block provided by Dream Creatures, except in particular special circumstances. In the case of long-lasting spells, the spell can not be cast again until the previous instance has been released, which can be done without an action on the caster's turn. The general calculation for effect of Spells is that they provide Energy cost in effect, although the Discipline (Spellcasting) roll often modifies the effect

As a basic example, let's spend some points for Tony to have a Naroom "Growth" spell to keep his Furok in fighting fit:

Growth (2e)

Naroom Spell

Result: Add Energy to a Dream Creature equal to the cost of this spell added to the Discipline (Spellcasting) roll, if the result is greater than 0.

Casting Spells

During combat, a spell requires a single action's worth of focus to cast. Roll Discipline (Spellcasting) against a difficulty of the spell's Energy and pay the Energy cost of the spell from your magi's stress track, paying one additional Energy if the Spell is from a Region not of your own. You must choose all targets to be affected when the spell is cast.

If we were to examine how this works in combat, the Cald spell "Fireball" is a 3 point attack spell, being cast by Endather, a Cald Magi with a Spellcasting of 1 (Average), against a Furok with four Energy remaining. Endather pays the cost for the spell from his Energy (3). When cast, it does a base of 3 (Good) damage, modified by the attack roll (Spellcasting, then -4 to +4) which results in [1 +2], giving a total of six as Energy Stress to the defender. The Furok ends quite toasty, and is undreamed.

Outside of combat, feel free to describe the use of magic as befits the story. Casting a "Growth" spell to spout a handful of vine seeds in order to climb a sheer cliff is perfectly in tune with it's concept and Region, but a Naroom magi could just as easily bend tree limbs for shade, or cause an ancient oak to give up a staff for walking, without requiring the use of any specific spell.