The Shaper is the titular ruler of a dream country. A dream country may select or dethrone a shaper by public vote.

The Shaper is addressed as "Lord Shaper", or "Lady Shaper"

The Shaper's Duties

The Shaper's job, in short, is to help the dream country be interesting place. A shaper has special powers which he can use within the dream country. These powers are often used to enhance folklore, create challenges, or incite drama.

Most Visions believe that the Dreaming is healthier if it is filled with narrative. A shaper that unites the dream country in peace actually harms the universe - mortals from the Waking World will have gray lives if their dreams have no color. A shaper might agitate or inflame tension, or complicate otherwise simple events. Not all narrative needs to be violent though - a shaper can create traditions, activities, rumors, or other events that people will talk about. As long as the Dreaming is filled with stories, even if those stories are about people uniting to overthrow the shaper, the shaper is doing a good job.

The Shaper's Powers

When the Shaper is in territories which are members of his or her Dream Country, the shaper may use the word Veritas to shape the Dreaming.

Possible uses include:

• building on Folklore. For example:
  • "Veritas: a gnome lives in this tree. If you put your ear up to it, you can hear him working in his little gnome shop, swearing occasionally."
  • "Veritas: In this area, you can sometimes hear a rumbling, deep beneath the earth."
• creating game effects. For example:
  • "Veritas: All of the sand on the beach is burning hot. If you step off the picnic benches or beach towels, you will take 1 damage. If you can make it to the parking lot, you're safe."
  • A sign posted next to a door: "Veritas: if you pass through this gate, you will be in a cave, deep beneath the earth. You may only enter and exit once. When you exit, it will be as if you have taken a full five minute rest."
  • A sign posted on a tree: "Veritas: once per night, if you are dead, you may respawn while touching this tree."
• creating shades (ie NPCs) for a specific purpose. For example:
  • "Veritas: you are now a vision who has lost her way. You are looking for directions to the park next to the library - you know your way from there. If anyone escorts you there, you will inadvertently lead them into an ambush."
  • "Veritas: your name is Giovanni, you are a traveling gypsy who likes to trade. You have a bag full of knick knacks and trinkets (a bunch of dollar store crap) which you'll be happy to trade with people. You love haggling. You've also heard the following rumors..."
• creating monsters. For example:
  • "Veritas: you are now an Adept. Go hide in the park next to the library and attack any Dreams that you see."
  • "Veritas: you are now an Imp. Pick a name for yourself. You have been sent by your master, a Demon called Verigoth. You are not hostile, and will only attack if provoked. Try to convince people that if they don't open the box, more monsters will come. If nobody opens the box in the next hour, come tell me."
• creating artifacts. These cannot have any special properties or powers, but may have special significance to certain characters or races. A Shaper may only maintain four artifacts at a time. An artifact may be marked by an expiration date, at which point the properties will fade. Some examples of artifacts include:
  • A card attached to a treasure chest, which says "Veritas, you can hear a faint humming within this box." If the box is opened, you will see a paper inside which says, "Veritas: you have released a monsterous shade which possesses you immediately. Your stats are..."
  • A card which goes with a piece of amethyst. The card says "Veritas: This is a beautiful and precious gemstone."
  • A card which goes with a cloak. The card says "Veritas: this is the cloak of Arendel, a great Vision hero. It has been passed down from vision to vision for a decade."
• creating Dream Walks. The Shaper may create adventures and other plotlines for people to participate in. This may represent events in the Dream Country or outside threats to it, often from monsters. These events should be Archived, but do not count for Resonance. There is no treasure to be gained from these adventures either, but they can impact future Dream Walks or local folklore.

All of these effects expire immediately if the Shaper who created them is dethroned. In-Game, these effects are said to have "lost veracity" and ceased to be true.

Restrictions on the Usage of Veritas

• You cannot change what has already happened. For example, "Veritas: Franz won the election," or "Veritas: you didn't die during the adventure."
• There are already combat rules and skills - Veritas should not be used during combat or to directly impact combat. For example, the Shaper should not say "Veritas: All the Lost Souls die," "Veritas: The Flurry skill now grants you 5 attacks instead of 3," or "Veritas: One of your daily skills recharges."
• Although Veritas can be used to narrate things which happen in the game, Veritas shouldn't be used to create impossible situations which can't be easily visualized. For example, "Veritas: 300 troops march over the hill," "Veritas: an imp follows you everywhere and records everything you say in a notebook," or "Veritas: I am flying above your head." Though the Dreaming requires imagination, you should endeavor to make the game require as little imagination as possible. It is preferable to create a Veritas effect by using props, costume, or other special effects. Rather than saying, "Veritas: you grow a pair of wings", you should be prepared to provide a pair of wings the player can wear as a prop. Never narrate when you can create an experience.
• Veritas shouldn't be used unfairly. The Shaper cannot use Veritas to defend himself or his friends. The usage of Veritas should not impact combat between players.