Dream Combat
This strange and dangerous power has been all but lost to the world. Once, however, the Warrior Salubri used Dream combat to confront ghosts or demons that they could not affect physically. The power also works on mortals, Cainites, or any other creature with a consciousness or soul.
Note: This power is much more akin to the rank 3 power of Morpheus than the rank 5 ability to create a "real" dream. Except for willpower, the participants cannot harm one another. While the dream scape lasts, both participants are considered to be asleep. Interactions between dream magic and Dream Combat will have to be adjudicated by the ST in the unlikely event that they occur. Note also that the initiator of the combat is at an automatic disadvantage because of the willpower cost involved. -Jamie
By locking the target's gaze with her third eye, the Salubri draws the target's mind into a shared dreamscape. In this dream world, both the Salubri and her target can imagine any reality they want, whether for battle or more peaceful pursuits. The target cannot suffer any direct, physical harm from Dream Combat, but the psychic damage can be devastating - and for spirits, who exist as purely psychic entities, Dream Combat can kill.
System: To inititate Dream Combat, the Warrior must look her target in the eye and expend two points of Willpower. The two combatants then engage in a resisted willpower roll at a difficulty of the opponent's permanent willpower. If the Salubri wins, she pulls her target into a dreamscape. Neither leaves until the Salubri is defeated (runs out of Willpower), or ends the power of her own will.
In the dreamscape, both participants can do anything they imagine. They can fly, change their shape, duplicate themselves, create any environment they want, and so on. Affecting each other is more difficult. Combatants can dream up whatever weapons or powers they please; it doesn't matter because the real contest takes place between their wills.
Physical Traits don't really exist in the dreamscape. As dreamers battle, use these substitutes:
- Manipulation replaces Strength.
- Charisma replaces Dexterity.
- The character's highest rated Virtue replaces Stamina.
- Willpower replaces health levels.
- Initiative = Wits + Charisma.
- Attack Rolls consist of Charisma + Ability. The dream fighters try to imagine their attacks with sufficient skill and force to make their target believe them. Dream-warriors can imagine any attack they choose, from shooting the enemy to growing 100 feet tall and squishing him underfoot. If the character cannot relate the attack somehow to Brawling, Firearms or Melee (or possibly Archery or Athletics), however, use unmodified Charisma for the attack pool.
- Dodge and Parry are handled as appropriate, using Charisma in place of Dexterity.
- Damage rolls consist of the attacker's Manipulation + net successes rolled on the attack.
- Soak uses the character's highest rated virtue. There is no analog to bashing, lethal or aggravated damage, nor does Fortitude play any role.
- Damage applies to the target's effective maximum Willpower. The target suffers penalties to all dice pools as his Willpower drops. Down to half his Willpower (round fractions upward), he stays at OK. Each subsequent point of Willpower lost imposes a -1 wound penalty to all actions.
- A dream-warrior can spend Willpower points without incurring any penalty. As the character's willpower rating drops, he has fewer points to expend.
- A character reduced to 0 Willpower is incapacitated in some way. Depending on what his enemy wants, the victim could suffer torpor, zombie-like obedience or insanity. A spirit drained of willpower is incapacitated and vulnerable to whatever powers might be used against it. Alternately, an incapacitated spirit may be destroyed through an imagined act of Diablerie before the dream ends (this does not improve the vampire's Generation or change his Traits in any way, but provides a dandy excuse for the character to develop new Merits such as Iron Will, Strong Blood or Medium - or Flaws such as Nightmares, Beacon of the Unholy or Glowing Eyes. Storytellers are encouraged to see spirit-diablerie as a blank check to do interesting things to the character.)
Yack! -Jamie
