Introduction

City of Dreams is a persistent 24/7 LARP which can be run in any city. Players portray characters in a dream world which shares geography with the real world. In the Dreaming, you can engage in politics, fight monsters and other players in real-time boffer combat, and help decide the fate of the Dream Country.

When / Where Can I play?

The Dreaming is always going on. Any time you wish to play, put on the Game Badge. This signals to other players that you are "in-game", and are a character who they may interact with. Generally, you will want to play at the same time as other players. We recommend the evenings, at a pre-agreed on spot. Check the internet for your local Dreaming group to find when and where people generally gather and play. It is common to play in local parks, college campus, or other relatively secluded spots where one can get into a boffer fight without accidentally clocking someone.

How do I play?

You build a character using our game rules. Among other things, you will pick a race, a class, and a few skills. This gives you the ability to fight with boffer weapons, throw spells, or perform other game actions which can harm other players.

Everybody has to keep track of their own skills and injuries. The Dreaming is run on the honor system. If you are caught cheating, or your play is otherwise disruptive, a local rules committee can ban you from the game for a period of time.

While in-game, you will portray a character in the Dreaming. You do not have to wear a costume or talk in a funny accent. Your character will make friends and enemies with other characters, and participate in ongoing stories and adventures. Some of the plot will be run by the game's staff, local players who have volunteered to maintain the Dreaming, but much of the plot is generated by other players.

Certain places in your city are hotspots for the game, and may be points for action or intrigue. A park, restaurant, or trail through the woods can have a special meaning to characters in the Dreaming. They may be able to take special actions there which affect the Dream Country or its residents.

What Happens During Games?

In many ways, the Dreaming is a social game. For some, the Dreaming involves politics. There are a variety of public offices, and a player-run government.Each race has its own role within the dreaming society. You might be interested in participating in guilds or organizations, or just socializing with other characters.

Characters can attack one another, but dream characters are difficult to kill. If someone is killed, their characters merely "phase out" of the Dreaming for the night. While incapacitated in this way, you might have the opportunity to be summoned and play the game as a shade, a weak minion who does the bidding of his summoner.

Sometimes, players run modules for each other. Modules typically take the form of adventures that your characters go on, and may involve varying types of scenarios and encounters. They often involve combat, and physical or mental challenges. Both the players who run the module and the players who go on the module get rewards that are useful elsewhere in the Dreaming.

Some characters, called archivists, record events and stories which take place within the Dreaming. They receive rewards for documenting the game with photos, videos, and blog entries.

A common hobby in the Dreaming is attempting to create "lucidity". This is done by creating surreal or interesting events for non-players to experience. Characters of the Dreaming try to make the world a little bit more dreamlike through flash mobs, surreal posters, or planning strange events.

Combat

Combat takes place using foam boffer weapons and spell packets. Generally, characters can take between three and five hits from a weapon before they lose consciousness. Certain characters will have special attacks they can use with their boffer weapons.

Some characters can deliver ranged attacks or spells using spell packets.

You will often do battle with monsters, played by other players of the Dreaming. Often, you will do battle with other players. If you knock another character out, you may kill them by delivering a killing blow. Doing so causes them to "phase out", and be banished from the Dreaming until the next sunrise. During this time, they can still hang out and watch the game, but may not participate except as a shade.

Sometimes players will kill each other to stop them from participating in public votes. There are certain ways to take items from other players while they are knocked out, but you can only lose one item this way.

How do I make a character?

1. pick a race. Each race has a unique skill or feature which you get automatically.
2. pick a class
3. Pick skills. Some skills are "rechargable", meaning that after they are used, you cannot use them again until you rest for five minutes. Other skills can only be used once per 24 hour period (beginning at sunrise).