Revision as of 23:51, 19 February 2010

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Introduction

The Dreaming is both a social networking site and a game. In the game, you will portray a character who lives in a Dream World which looks, coincidentally, almost exactly like the real world. Your character is a member of the dream world's society. You can choose to go adventuring with other characters and participate in the game's ongoing plotlines. These adventures may involve live combat using foam boffer weapons. Places where you and your friends actually hang out can become special locations within the game world. You can upload pics, videos, or post blog entries about your adventures, and earn points which give you additional skills or powers.

There are no need for any game masters or referees. Anyone can play anytime they want. Adventures are run by the game's players, and plotlines are coordinated over the social networking site.

What is a LARP?

LARP stands for Live Action Role Play. In short, it is a game you play by adapting a persona and pretending you are a character in our fictional dream world. The game has rules which dictate which weapons you can use, how many times you can get hit with a boffer weapon before you get knocked out, how magic works, and other stuff like that.

When / Where Can I play?

There are two components of the game, the social networking site and the live game. You can post to the social networking site any time you want, even if your character has been knocked out of the game for the day.

The live game 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. Some players will perform rituals which create special game territories.

The Dreaming website works just like other social-networking sites you may be familiar with. Your profile on this site is your character sheet. You can use the site to find out if there are any players near you. Generally, players will gather at an agreed on time/place. It is common to play in local parks, college campuses, or other relatively secluded spots where one can get into a boffer fight without accidentally hitting a bystander.

How do I play?

To play the live game, you have to 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 characters.

The Dreaming is run on the honor system. Everybody has to keep track of their own skills and injuries. There are no referees to toss you out if you're not playing fairly. If you are caught cheating, or your play is otherwise disruptive, other players will avoid you or stop inviting you to their gatherings. It's possible for a local group to ban you from certain areas of the game.

While in-game, you will portray a character in the Dreaming. Unlike many LARPs, you do not have to wear a costume or talk in a funny accent - people in dreams look a lot like people in real life. Your character will make friends and enemies with other characters, and participate in ongoing stories and adventures. Much of the game's story is generated by other players.

Certain areas 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. You might want to participate in politics, trying to sway public opinion about something. Players are free to create governments and attempt to rule over one another. Many would-be rulers are overthrown in violent coups. 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.

In other ways, the Dreaming is a competitive game. Boffer combat is allowed in certain game areas. Characters can attack and kill one another. Death in the Dreaming is not permanent -- if someone is killed, their character merely "phases 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.

Your character is a member of an imaginary dream society. People choose to become politicians, revolutionaries, philosophers, soldiers, whatever role they'd like in the Dream World. You are encouraged to help develop the Dreaming society through your actions - start a government, create laws, try to enforce those laws, try to destroy those laws... How you relate to this world is up to you.

Dream Walks

Dream Walks are special structured game activities. You might think of one as an adventure. (sometimes called a module) The Dreaming website houses a list of Dream Walks. Each Dream Walk is a pdf file which contains a "script" for the adventure.

If you want to go on a Dream Walk, print out its script and gather up your party. You'll meet in an agreed upon local spot, like a park or a friend's house. You will use local geography as sites to have encounters, which are described in the script. Each encounter may involve different scenarios. They often involve combat, and physical or mental challenges. During Dream Walks, some players will turn into shades, hostile monsters which the others must fight off.

Every character has a unique magic item called a Dreamstone. By completing Dream Walks, you can awaken special properties of your Dreamstone. Over time, your Dreamstone will become more powerful.

In order for a Dream Walk to count, somebody must "archive" it. This means posting photos, videos, or blog entries about the adventure. This documentation is also a check against cheating. If you suspect someone has some item that they shouldn't have, you can easily check the website to see if they went on a Dream Walk to get it.

After you go on a Dreamwalk, you may record it in your "dream log", a section in your character profile. Each entry in the Dream Log gives you a point of resonance. These are the points one uses to awaken the powers of a Dreamstone. To spend these points, you simply mark them as Spent (with an asterisk) on the Dream Log.

for example:

Territories

The Dreaming takes place at locations chosen by players. By doing Dreamscaping rituals, you can turn a location into an arena, performance hall, banquet hall, sanctuary, or several other types of areas. Combat may take place in areas designated as such.

Whoever creates a location may take ownership of it. The owner of a location is imbued with special powers they may use while there.

Players can challenge each other to take control of territory. Boffer fights, chess matches, foot races, and other types of challenges are allowed to contest a location. Though you may only own one location at a time, a group of people working together can take over large portions of the Dreaming.

Someone who wins the trust of at least five property owners can become a Shaper, a type of Dream Royalty.

Combat

Combat takes place using foam boffer weapons and spell packets. Generally, characters can about five hits from a weapon before they lose consciousness. Some people have special attacks they can use with their boffer weapons.

Some characters can deliver ranged attacks or spells using spell packets. Spell packets are little pouches filled with birdseed that you throw at your target.

Combat is based on the honor system. You are expected to play fairly, only use what skills you have available, and die when you've run out of hit points.

Sometimes you will fight other players. On Dream Walks, you will generally fight shades - players who have temporarily become monsters.

How do I make a character?

1. come up with a character concept.
2. pick a Dreaming Race. Each race has a unique skill or feature which you get automatically.
3. pick a Dreaming Class. Each class has a few skills available. You will choose four of them. Skills marked "Encounter" can be recharged by resting for five minutes. Skills marked "Daily" recharge at 6 AM. Skills marked "Passive" are always active.

You have 5 health, but skills can add more.

If you have any questions or comments, please use the Discussion tab, above