There are two components to the Dreaming: the social networking website, and the live adventure game. You will develop a persona who lives in the fictional world of the Dreaming. At any time you like, you can enter the game and experience the world through your character's eyes. When in the game-world, you must follow the rules for live play.

These are special rules that everybody in the live game must know. For example, if somebody says the word "slow", and hits you with a foam weapon, you have been wounded in a way that prevents you from running.

It is possible to play the live game without ever getting into a fight. If you avoid dangerous places, you can live out your character's life without ever facing a monster or being slain by another character. Perhaps you focus instead on participating in politics, or creating art and stories on the website. This is A-OK! But anybody who plays in a "dangerous" area (one where boffer combat can take place) should know the basic rules.

The Most Important Rules

1. The honor system: There's no local game masters to stop you from cheating. But why cheat? It makes the game less fun for everybody. If somebody is cheating, stop playing with them.
2. Safety: Nobody should ever be injured during gameplay. Do not engage in risky situations. We use a "lightest touch" fighting system. When attacking someone with a boffer weapon, you only need to touch them. You don't need to hit hard in order for your hit to count. If someone is swinging too hard, let them know.
3. Follow the Law: Do not break the law while playing the Dreaming. Do not trespass or assault random strangers. If possible, we want to avoid any police attention.

In-Game and Out-of-Game

There are two “states” that someone can be in. You can be in a “dreaming” state (often abbreviated as IG, for in-game), or a “wake” state (often abbreviated as OOG, for out-of-game). To indicate that you are dreaming (and thereby, actively playing the game), wear a game badge (note: until the beta test is finished, an arm band will be fine). You cannot try to hide or camouflage your badge in any way to conceal whether or not you are Dreaming or Awake. Likewise, you are not allowed to ask people what state they are in – if you can’t see their badge, you can’t tell whether they’re dreams or wakes.

Most people in the world are “wakes” – these are people who are having dreams of living out their lives, and their unconscious minds are wandering the dreaming, doing routine things like going to class, partying, and voting in local elections. Wakes are non-players. They are not “playing”, but they are still a part of the game. For example, if you’re chasing someone and they get away, you can ask nearby wakes if they saw anyone run by.

It is considered good etiquette to act inconspicuously around wakes. See also: Disturbing the Dream

There is little distinction between in-game and out-of-game knowledge. If you hear something while in a wake state, you your character will know that knowledge as well. Even if you are unconscious, if the people who knocked you out are standing nearby and talking, you will still be able to hear what they are saying (although if you are knocked out, your eyes must be closed, so you might not be able to identify them anyway!). No one can force you to ignore something that you see or know, unless it is knowledge you gained while playing an non-player character for the game’s directors.

While you are NPCing, people think of you as portraying a different "waking self". Please do not use this information as your character. Doing so is called meta-gaming and is a form of cheating.

Shades

In the Dreaming, a wake can be inhabited by a Shade, a spirit which needs a body to act upon the Dreaming. Shades are distinguished by their blue arm bands. They also often wear masks.

There are several types of shades. Some shades can be created or commanded by players. Hostile shades, called monsters, are manifestations of the Void. Slaying them disperses some of the Void energy. Monsters are often found during Dream Walks.

Shades created by players aren't very intelligent and have little will of their own. They must obey their master's orders. You might play one of these shades as a minion if you die for the night.

Game State Signals

• Game Badges indicate that you are in-game as your normal character. (note: until the beta test is finished, an arm band will be fine. Arm bands may be any color except blue or orange)
• Blue Arm Bands indicate that the player is a shade. While wearing an arm band, you are not playing your character. You may not speak on your character's behalf or act on your character's wishes.
• Orange Arm Bands or NPC Badges are special markers which indicate you are playing an NPC. These characters have instructions given to them by a Dream Walk script or the Shaper. When you see someone wearing an NPC arm band, you do not recognize them as their normal character. Any knowledge you learn while NPCing cannot be taken in-game.

Entering or Leaving

When you enter or leave game, you are essentially wandering "off-stage", or coming in from "off-stage". Since the stage of this game goes pretty much forever, "off stage" is any place where you're not visible to other characters. You can enter game whenever you are off-stage. Just put on your badge or arm band and come on in!

Leaving the game is slightly more complex. First, you need to wander away from other players. It's possible that someone is following you, or spying on you. To give them an opportunity to make their move before you wander off-stage, you must say "Does anybody contest me leaving game?" If anyone says yes, you must keep moving before you ask again. If nobody objects, you may take off your badge or arm band.

Usually, nobody is following you. But you have to ask anyway, even if you're certain that you're alone.

Whenever you enter the game "on-stage", (like if you are teleporting in, or you're a monster who is respawning at a certain point) you must take three seconds to announce your appearance. You'll have a phrase which describes what everyone else sees. In a clear speaking voice, you must repeat this three times while counting. For example, if you are a monster who is climbing up out of the water, you enter game by standing next to the water and saying, "I climb out of the water 1, I climb out of the water 2, I climb out of the water 3." While you are counting, you can take damage and cannot call defensive skills.

Disturbing the Dream

Any action which you shouldn't take in real life, such as breaking the law, attack strangers with boffer weapons, or kidnapping someone and throwing them in your car, cannot be taken in-game either. In-game this restriction is called "Disturbing the Dream".

Characters in the Dreaming are incapable of taking certain actions which might disturb the wakes. Our game is played in public, so we must take precautions to make sure we don't draw too much attention to ourselves or break the law. This is one of the reasons why most Dreaming players don't wear outlandish costumes or get in sword fights inside the mall. If you are in a crowded restaurant, it is definitely inappropriate for you to start throwing spells at people.

In-game, certain types of actions cannot be taken if it will disturb reality too much. While you might want to spell down your opponent while he's standing in line at the post office, you cannot do so because it would disturb the dream. Even mindless monsters cannot swing their weapons in contexts where it might scare people, accidentally hit a bystander, or draw police attention.

In-Game Items

Some game items have a tag, a slip of paper which describes the item's properties. For example, a magic sword might have a tag which says "Once per day, you can swing this sword for 5 damage".

If the tag describes a physical item, you must have a prop representing that item in order to use it. So the tag alone is not enough to use a magic wand - you must also find a stick or object which fits the description written on the tag. The tag should, if possible, be attached to the prop.

Searching and Stealing

If someone is unconscious, paralyzed, asleep, or otherwise incapacitated, you may go up to the player and say "I search you." There are two types of searches: Quick Searches and Full Searches.

• A Quick Search involves grabbing an object that’s visible from someone. Obvious items such as swords, worn talismans, or any immediately visible prop can be taken immediately.
• A Full Search is needed to take items out of pockets and pouches. You must then count to sixty while roleplaying patting down and searching the person. During this 60 seconds, the target of the search will pull out all his in-game tags and shuffle them, out of the sight of the searcher. He will then fan them out, and you may pick one. These tags physically change hands at the end of the 60 count. If someone searches you, please be quick to hand over your items and do not whine or take an extra-long time to get them out in hopes that someone will come and save you from being robbed.

You can only be targeted by a Full Search once per person per hour. That means that if someone full searches you at 11 PM, that person can’t do it again until midnight.

All props remain property of the owner even if they are stolen in-game. A tag may change hands, but the prop itself must be returned to the person who it's been stolen from at the earliest convenience.

Dreamstones cannot be stolen. See Rewards for more details about how to awaken special powers within a Dreamstone.

Calls

Certain game effects are linked to key words, called "calls". These calls let other people know that a game effect is taking place. For example, if someone says "3 damage" while swinging a sword at you, you will take 3 wounds if it hits.

If you are delivering a call with your weapon, you must say the call as you're swinging. If you're delivering a call with a spell packet, you must say the call before you throw the packet.

The RP The Damn Effect Rule - If you use up an expendable skill and the target doesn't role play the effect or call a defensive skill in reply, the skill is not used up. At the very minimum, they have to call “ugh” to indicate to you that they registered the attack.

See also: List of Dreaming Calls

Combat

All weapons in the game must be padded foam boffer weapons which are safe to fight with. Our goal is that no one should get hurt while playing. Though your character may be injured or killed, you (the player) shouldn't suffer the same risk.

Any character can use a one handed safety-approved “boffer” weapon. All weapon swings do one point of damage unless you call something out, in which case they may inflict more damage, or a status effect. Certain skills will allow you to use game calls with your weapon.

Weapons larger than 48 inches are called Great Weapons and require two hands to use. To use a great weapon or shield you must have the skill Martial Styles. Both hands must be on the weapon's grip in order for a hit or block to count. Martial Styles also allows you to use a shield. The perimeter of a shield must be covered in foam. A shield may not be used to attack or touch another player in any way.

To use a weapon in your off hand, you must have the skill Two Weapon Styles. One of the weapons must be a short weapon or dagger.

Weapons must be approved by the Warden of whatever territory you are in.

__Weapon Type_________Measurements__

Small weapons..............Up to 24”
Short weapons..............25” – 36”
Long weapons...............37” – 48”
Great weapons..............49” – 72”

If your swing connects with your opponent's body on anywhere except for the hands, head, neck, or groin, the opponent takes a wound. All swings must be between roughly 45 and 90 degrees and must be delivered with a safe approved boffer weapon.

It is considered courteous to call "hit" or "ouch" or "got it" after you are hit to let your opponent know that you registered the attack. We encourage you to role play the damage – after all, you just got hit with a sword – act like it!

Drum Rolling: Any swings of less than 45 degrees, or more than three strikes against the same body part do not count. This is called "machine gunning" or "drum rolling".

Flurries: After you take three swings, whether they hit or miss, you must pause for at least one full second. If someone attacks you and does not pause, every additional hit after the third does not count. You must say "flurry" to indicate to your opponent that the attack did not effect you because they have not paused.

Safety Guidelines

Lightest Touch: Our game uses a "lightest touch" boffer style. This means that you only need to swing hard enough to touch your opponent with your weapon. A hit still counts even if it only grazed you. There is no such thing as "not swinging hard enough for the hit to count".

We want to emphasize that “boffer sword” fighting is an entirely unique style – it is not trying to emulate what a real sword fight would be like, nor is it trying to be overly-realistic. The emphasis in boffer combat is on speed, skill, and finesse – not strength or landing hits on vital areas.

Charging: You are not allowed to touch your opponent in any way shape or form except for through safety-approved boffer weapons and spell packets. Any type of body contact is called "charging" An opponent is also charging if they are close enough to you so that you can reach out and touch their torso.

Violations: People who are found to be fighting in an unsafe way may be issued a yellow card or red card from a local Warden. If a Red Card is presented, you (the player) will have your right to use weapons removed for the night.

Legal Targets: Strikes to the head, neck, or groin are illegal. Shots against the hands do not count if they are currently holding something. Anyone found to be repeatedly striking these spots will be issued a yellow card. Safety reports may be filed on the website.

Weapon Construction: In order to ensure that all weapons are safe, they must adhere to certain safety guidelines, as described in this document. At any time, the Warden of the territory you are in may ask to check your weapon. If they find any fault with its construction, such as thin foam or exposed pipe, they will reject the weapon. This means you may not fight with it until it is fixed or remade.

Life and Death

All weapons do one point of damage (called a wound). People can use certain skills and abilities which may change this – if they call out a game effect or number of damage while they're swinging, the weapon delivers that game effect or number of damage instead of a wound.

Every character has a certain number of health. This is the number of wounds you can take before you lose consciousness. All characters begin with five health. (You can gain two more by picking the skill Toughness.) You cannot fall into negative numbers. For example, if you have two health left, and somebody hits you for ten damage, you will only be at 0 health.

Certain spells or abilities can grant you additional protection, called armor. Armor works just like health, except that points of armor are lost before health. Armor is not refreshed by healing spells, it needs to be refit. The spell or ability which grants you the armor will describe how to refit it. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. For example, if you were granted 1 point of armor from a Dead God, and 1 point of armor from your Dreamstone, you still only have one point of armor. Only the highest number you are being granted counts. Note that there is no bonus for wearing real armor as part of your costume.

When you have zero health left, you must fall down and act like you're knocked out. While you're playing dead, you can't look around, call out for help, use items or skills, or do anything. If you're lying in the middle of a battle, you're allowed to crawl a few feet over so you don't get stepped on.

Once you reach 0 health, you will be knocked-out for five minutes. While unconscious, you are helpless against any attempts to kill you. During this time someone may lay a weapon on your torso and deliver a Death Blow. To do this, they say "Death Blow 1, Death Blow 2, Death Blow 3". This must take at least three seconds, and anyone may stop it by knocking the killer's weapon aside. When the blow is finished, you say "I phase out", and take off your game badge or arm band. If someone death blows you while you are still conscious, you may say "no effect" and ignore the blow.

If you are unconscious for five minutes and you do not receive a death blow, you will have completed a 5-minute rest. You regain all your health and encounter skills, and are conscious again.

If you are killed, your character vanishes for the rest of the day. You will be reborn at sunrise with no wounds. In the meantime, you can choose to be a Summoner's shade minion. You may still post to the Aether.

Dragging Someone

An incapacitated or otherwise immobile character may be dragged. To do this, you must have two free hands (so all in-game items you are holding must be sheathed or dropped). Put a hand on the character's shoulder and say "I drag you". Once the character stands up, you may move at a walking speed with the character. Using any in-game skills or taking damage while dragging causes the dragged character to be dropped.

When you drop a character, he must lie down where you dropped him. If you pick him up again, you have to wait for him to sit down and stand back up.

Cuts in Play

This rule is very important. If someone is hurt out-of-game, call out "Cut!" If you hear someone call "Cut!", you must immediately stop what you're doing and go down to one knee. If you see other people on one knee, they is probably a cut in effect and you should also go down to one knee. When the action is cut, the game is stopped, and everything should freeze. During a cut, you may not be communicating with friends, planning strategy, or fighting.

Cuts can be used to clarify rules or describe a special scene or effect, though this will not happen often. Since calling a Cut stops the game, do not call cuts lightly. They are usually used for emergencies, or to improve the flow of the game.

When the game resumes from a Cut, the person who called the cut will yell "everybody ready? 3-2-1, Action!"