See Legacies – The Ancient, for all the fluff
Doctrine
Parentage: Thyrsus, Free Council
Prerequisites: Mind 2, Occult 2, and 2 dots between Academics, Persuasion and Socialize
Initiation: Suffer a Dreamspeaker initiation, involving hallucinations and extreme emotional influences (the source likely being some strange Astral Reaching phenomena/Mystery, for those inclined to stick their nose into it). Mechanically this influence should be represented by the Madness Persistent Condition, however its ‘natural’ resolution should be changed to “Join the Dreamspeakers”.
Either go Mad trying to find out what it is, go Banisher in your rejection of the madness and chaos, have some other more experienced Mage purge the influence from your mind, or take up the call, find a Dreamspeaker tutor (or Astral Daimonomikon) and initiate into the Legacy.
Magic:
Ruling: Mind
Yantras: Succeed on an Occult roll relating to the Dreamborn relevant to the spell (+2), utilizing your Magic for the furtherance or protection of your community (+1), seek out the symbols of the Axis Mundai for wisdom (+2), take drugs, fight a bear (+1, +2 if you suffer a Negative Condition).
Oblations: Drumming or listening to drums and other rhythmic instruments. Dancing. Physical ordeals, such as suspension and controlled strangulation. Isolation in a sacred place. Take drugs, doesn’t matter what drugs.
Attainments:
First Attainment Dreamwalking
Pre-Requisite: Initiation
The most fundamental ability of the Dreamspeakers is the ability to sense and move through the dream accordingly. Through a Scene’s worth of ritual preparation, a Dreamspeaker gains the ability to enter a walking trace such that they may enter the Dream (Astral) without losing sight of the world.
Mechanically, this permits the Dreamspeaker to exist in the physical, and the Astral in their Dream Form, simultaneously. Damage is not transferred, and both ‘selves’ can take actions at the same time, however only one self can take physical, or spellcasting action each ‘turn’. This does not include minor actions such as walking or opening a door, but fighting, unlocking a lock, casting a spell or cracking open a pecan certainly would.
At this stage, the Dreamspeaker still requires a Demesne or a Hallow to enter the Dream (Astral), however they may stay in it for a period not exceeding their dots in Mind on the Advanced Duration table. Should the Dream Form be destroyed, then the Dreamspeaker will still suffer Soul Shock, and entering/exiting the Dream (Astral) still follows all the normal rules. Should the Dreamspeaker raise their Amnion in the Astral, then their ‘physical’ self will still suffer the effects of the armour’s egotism, but not gain any benefits.
This is a weird version of One Mind, Two Thoughts. Lots of Reach in excess. I don’t give a fuck. This is their core ability.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 1
Understanding how to walk the Dream while one walks in reality, can provide an enhanced perspective on
the nature of existence. As such, Dreamspeakers usually at the same time as they initiate, learn how to
perceive the existence of any Spirits or Dreamborn (or other Goetic entities) that exist within Twilight. This
takes the form of a persistent Unveiling effect that grants the Dreamspeaker the ability to ‘see’ Spirits and
Goetia, as well as phenomena under their purviews. This does not grant any further insight however, that is
the purview of Mage sight.
Unveiling for Spirits and Goetia. Doubling up on the Mind, but whatever. Dreamborn are Goetia, and Mental Twilight is usually pretty deserted.
Second Attainment: The Sacred Place
Pre-Requisite: Mind 2
The Dreamspeaker in effect gains the benefit of the 3-dot Astral Adept merit and may meditate into the
Dream (Astral) from any location by spending a point of Willpower and undertaking a personalized ritual.
This ritual does however take the form of the time required for the Dreamspeaker to attempt to enter the
Astral, and at the culmination of the ritual may attempt to enter the Astral as an Instant Action. It is worth
mentioning that entering the Astral in such a way may be done with regards to the Dreamspeaker’s
Dreamwalking Attainment, leaving their physical body and mind free to walk the world while their dream
form walks the Dream (Astral).
Atypical Attainment, provides a 3-dot Merit. You could also get that with Magic, allegedly, but I seriously doubt in most other cases you could do so with 2 dots. In this case I argue you’re Ruling your innate Legacy- provided connection to the Dream to draw you in, rather than following any of the other ‘paths to the Astral’.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 2
Astral Essence and Spiritual Essence maintain a common nexus, as the Dreamborn in part define the
existence of the Shadow. Understanding this truth of existence, Dreamspeakers who advance in their study
of the Spirit learn how to transfer Essence between themselves, willing Goetia and Spirits, and how to draw
it from Resonant conditions. In doing so, the Dreamspeaker may change the ‘character’ of such Essence, and
may store a number of points within themselves, taking up space in their Mana capacity. The Dreamspeaker
may also not transfer more points per turn than their Gnosis-derived Mana-per-turn rate.
Channel Essence, Instant Casting, Affect-Spirits, uses Mind 2 as well. Limiting factors of willing entities accommodates that Reach.
Third Attainment: Call upon the Dreamborn
Pre-Requisite: Mind 3
This Attainment is usually taught deep in the Astral, either from the Dreamborn that reside there, or
inscribed in some part of the Axis Mundai in a Daimonomikon. Once learned, the Dreamspeaker gains the
ability to call upon one aspect of the Dreamborn, enhancing a Mental or Social attribute by a number of
points each to their dots in the Mind Arcanum (up to their Gnosis-derived Maximum). This enhancement is
persistent, however should the Dreamspeaker seek to apply this enhancement to a different attribute, they
must travel back to the Astral and seek further Wisdom from a different Dreamspeaker or find a different
Daimonomikon. This ‘change’ does not cost further experiences, but merely permits the Dreamspeaker to
draw upon different Wisdom.
Persistent Augment Mind, with potency equal to Arcanum dots. Self-only, requires a ritual to do, and capped at Gnosis-derived Maximum. I’d say that’s balanced. Also to change it to a different attribute you have to go back to the Axis Mundai and bargain with a different Dreamspeaker.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 3
Having bargained with such a Dreamborn for power, a Dreamspeaker who understands the power of the
Shadow may from that point onwards seek to call upon that Dreamborn’s power and influences. As an
Instant Action, the Dreamspeaker may seek to manifest an Influences of any Dreamborn which they have
utilized Call upon the Dreamborn with. The use of such influences lasts for a single Scene, and the
Dreamborn must spend Willpower in the place of Essence for any costs (unless they have a source of
essence handy). Furthermore the Dreamspeaker can only channel a number of points of Influence equal to
their dots in the Spirit Arcanum, divided however they like (and cannot use Influences that such a
Dreamborn does not have). Thus a Spirit 4 Dreamspeaker could use a Rank 3 Spirit’s 3-dot influence, and its
1-dot influence, or the 2 1-dot influences of a Rank 1 Dreamborn.
Atypical Attainment, draw upon Influences. Reach into Instant Casting, and Advanced Duration. No secondary factory, Potency-primary.
Fourth Attainment: Dreamstuff
Pre-Requisite: Mind 4
In an Instant Action, the Dreamspeaker learns how to project their understanding of the Dream into the
world, projecting their mind and soul out of their body and into the state of Twilight.
This take the form of the “Astral Projection” spell, and lasts for a period equal to the Mage’s dots in the Mind Arcanum on the Advanced Duration table. This dream-form may do more than merely explore twilight, and the Dreamspeaker’s connection to the Dream (Astral) has grown so strong that when projecting themselves out of their body, they may move between the physical and Astral by spending a point of Willpower and undertaking an Instant Action.
If acting in such a way however, the Dreamspeaker cannot make use of their Dreamwalking ability to simultaneously exist in both the Dream (Astral) and physicality.
Astral Projection, Instant Casting, Advanced Duration, but self-only, and has no use for secondary factors. Also Astral Travel as in instant action in that form, but whoop de fucking doo.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 4
The Dreamspeaker’s understanding of the diverse worlds of spirit, mind and flesh have enhanced their ability to unite their Dream-self with the Shadow. At any point in the Dreamspeaker’s Dreamstuff projection,
the Mage may attempt to cross their dream form over the Gauntlet and into the Shadow. This is only
possible in a location where the Mage’s Spirit dots exceeds the Gauntlet strength, but can be done
reflexively.
The risk however, is that due the nature of the Gauntlet, if the Dreamspeaker’s Astral Form ‘dies’ in a location in the Shadow where they could not move back across the Gauntlet, then they will be incapable of resolving the Soul Shocked condition which results, unless they travel to that location and re-unite with the part of themselves that was left behind as their soul snapped back into their body.
It’s really just a Reaching effect. I made it reflexive because it’s fucking simple as hell to do with a spell, so it’s best if they have SOME actual benefit from learning the Attainment.
Fifth Attainment: To Dream
Pre-Requisite: Mind 5
At this level of proficiency, the Dreamspeaker has learned some of the most intimate secrets of the Dream,
and has learned how to coax the creation of new lesser Dreamborn out of the stuff of the Dream. In a scene-
long ritual, the Dreamspeaker may either create a new Rank 1, or Rank 2 Dreamborn (Axis Mundai Goetia). If
allowed to run free throughout the Dream and find its place, such a creation will be lasting, however if
pressed into the Dreamspeaker’s service these creations are left devoid of a place in the Dream and will
discorporate in a year when their Dreamspeaker’s invested will runs out.
Whispers spread amongst younger Dreamspeakers, that it Attainment is a pre-requisite for learning how to transcend the nature of physicality and become a greater Dreamborn. Others speak of connecting with a secret existed ‘above’ the Dreamborn, becoming one with the Supernal symbol which defines even the Dreamborn themselves.
Create Consciousness. Advanced Duration, the Rank 2 effect. Reach in excess, but Rank 1s are pathetic. Utterly Pathetic, and they’re usually confined to the Axis Mundai. So you get some more gas because of the limitation.
Optional Arcanum: Spirit 5
The Dreamspeaker’s understanding of the Shadow is such that when creating such a Dreamborn, they may
grant them instead of an existence purely in the Dream (Astral), a physical existence of their own. Such
Astral beings gain manifestations based on their Rank, which they may use as if they were Spirits.
Furthermore, if summoned from the Astral, these Dreamborn will remain when the summoning spell runs
out, the pull of the Shadow anchoring them until they are discorporated and flow back into the Dream
(Astral).
Dreamborn that can manifest without assistance, when summoned. Also they stick around when summoned. So create a shitload of Rank 2s, then summon them all. Kind of worth it.