onsdag 17. oktober 2018
Tiny update
I've redesigned the sadness dreamlings Core Emotion racial trait, as the old one didn't really make sense mechanically. Hopefully this version is more useful.
tirsdag 16. oktober 2018
Religions of Kerebra: Pisteis
Like so many aspects of human culture in Kerebra, the origins of the Pisteis religion is shrouded in mystery. Perhaps the Pisteic faith was an inevitability in a world as calm and peaceful as Kerebra once was. It is the oldest religion in Kerebra, that much is certain, and Pisteis temples, shrines and monasteries are found all over the plainslands in every hamlet, village and town. Pisteic monks provide education to the faithful, minister to the sick and dying and preach to the public, and are often the pillars entire communities rest upon.
The core tenets of Pisteis are contentment, detachment from material things and pacifism. It is as much a philosophy as a religion, and Pisteic monks love debating the more esoteric aspects of the faith, especially in regards to the relationship between humanity and the Worldmind. To the common practitioners of the faith, Pisteis provides a set of guidelines for living a good life of virtue and happiness. It is also a source of consolation and comfort when life turns difficult, especially in dealing with death and grief. Followers of Pisteis do not believe in an afterlife or reincarnation, but instead a process they refer to as sublimation, in which the consciousness of the deceased dissolves and becomes a part of the Worldmind, in essence becoming a part of the consciousnesses of every other living being.
Pisteis teaches that all living things are connected through their own natural psionic power. Emotions are not simply expressions of ones own state of mind, Pisteics say, but a reflection of all emotions felt by all creatures in Kerebra. This means that negative emotions such as grief and anger don't just belong to the individual, but are symptoms of communal pain; likewise, an individuals strong negative emotions will influence all things, and a community will suffer.
This is why Pisteis teaches contentment. By distancing yourself from your negative emotions and instead embracing your life as it is now, you are not only helping yourself but everyone around you. To a Pisteic, there is no greater act of love and charity than to simply be content.
When Pisteics preach detachment, it is an extension of the tenet of contentment. The faithful recognize that attachment to the material world means attaching oneself to impermanent, transient things. Things will break and people will die, and the pain and grief this causes reverberates throught the Worldmind affecting every living thing. Instead, Pisteis suggests acceptance of the inevitable end of things. Once you accept that nothing material lasts forever, you can embrace contentment and contribute to the health and happiness of your community.
The tenet of pacifism follows naturally from the first two tenets. Commiting and act of violence means hurting yourself and everyone around you after all, and such acts will spread pain through the Worldmind to every other being in Kerebra. This pain will infect everyone, causing more damage than the act of violence in itself ever could. The only way to be truly content is to be non-violent.
The clergy of the Pisteic faith is made up of priests, who usually maintain temples or shrines and tend to a community, and monks who belong to one of several monastic orders and work out of monasteries dedicated to contemplation and worship of the Pisteic philosophy and ideals.
A Pisteic priest is responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of a congregation of faithful, as well as tending to a temple or shrine. They serve as confessors, spiritual guides and councillors to a community of worshippers, and are usually looked up to as figures of authority who have a lot of influence not just spiritually but also judicially. Many priests, especially in smaller villages and towns who don't have a large council of elders, often serve as impromptu judges whenever there is a civil dispute to settle. Since most communities in Kerebra don't have proper laws or legal officials, whenever people have grievances or problems that require mediation a priest usually steps in to offer their opinion. In most communities Pisteis is the dominant faith, which means that Pisteic priests usually gain a good deal of experience in legal matters. It's not unusual for a temple to maintain a written record of rulings made by priests going back decades or even centuries. This means that different communities may have wildly differing legal practices. The Exceutores Justitia have on numerous occasions attempted to implement a codified set of official laws, but so far their efforts have only borne fruit in the larger towns where they maintain a permanent presence. Executor Knights still enforce these laws all over Kerebra, which can sometimes lead to conflicts with the Pisteic priesthood.
The monastic orders of Pisteis are not official organizations in any real sense, but have arisen organically around the various monasteries of Kerebra. Over the years particularly large monasteries have formed sister communities, and today a number of these orders maintain monasteries all over Kerebra.
The life of a Pisteic monk revolves around meditation and the reading and writing of religious texts. Pisteis has no saints or prophets, but a number of respected monks have penned religious literature that is regarded as holy by the monastic orders. Such texts are often meditations on specific topics of the faith, including the three tenets, the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind and the nature of the Worldmind. Dreamdiving is another treasured topic among monks, and many great works have been written over the religions history which are now the prized possessions of monastic libraries across Kerebra.
Monastic life is usually very structured, and based on routine and ritual. The details vary from order to order, but usually the day is divided into hours devoted to sleep, meditation, eating, reading, copying and illuminating religious literature and a few hours dedicated to private activities such as calligraphy, martial arts or a craft of personal significance to the monk. This structured life allow the monks to forget the concerns of their physical existence and focus on achieving contentment and enlightenment.
Many of Kerebras greatest Dreamdivers come from the Pisteic monastic orders. These Dreamdivers are highly usually respected individuals both in their order and monastic culture as a whole, and their names invoke respect and admiration among all pisteic clergy all over Kerebra. Dreamdiving as practiced among Pisteic monks involves deep meditation and huge mental effort, and the secrets of this esoteric craft are detailed in cryptic manuscripts and philosophical koans that an initiate must meditate on in order to unlock their true potential as Dreamdivers. Those initiates who never manage to master this art are never shamed for their failure, but many monks have left the monastic life after realising they will never be counted among the orders great Dreamdivers.
Some monks choose not to devote their life to a monastery, but instead live as itinerant monks travelling on foot from village to village, living off alms and the hospitality of the people. These monks have dedicated their lives to the tenet of detachment, forsaking worldly goods and property to live a simpler life of introspection and travel. Such monks are almost universally welcomed by Kerebran communities, and can expect to find a roof and food wherever they go. In return these monks offer blessings and sagely advice, but most of them also wish to contribute by taking on physical labour for the duration of their visit. Many a barn has been raised with the help of an itinerant Pisteic monk.
Among common folk, Pisteis is treated less like a philosophy and more as a personal faith. There are holy days when the community arranges festivals and celebrations, some of which are large and festive affaires while others are more solemn and personal rituals. The relationship between the faithful and the Worldmind is to a large extent what defines common religious Pisteic faith. Sublimation, the process by which the consciousness of the departed dissolves and melds into the Worldmind is afforded a special place in religious celebrations. Most communities celebrate a day of the dead, which goes by many names in different communities. Some towns call this celebration the Rememberance, while other communities use different names such as Spiritsnight or Kinsnight. This celebration is a lively and festive occasion where the departed are remembered, and usually involves the ritual consumption of holy water or blessed items of food to represent the sublimation of the departed into the shared subconscious of their family and friends.
Another important celebration is the harvest festival, which occurs several times a year following the harvest cycles. This is usually a private celebration with friends and family, often involving a large shared meal.
The holiest days of the year are birthdays, which means that religious gatherings take place fairly often. On a birthday, the community will gather at their temple or shrine, and the priest will hold a special sermon and bless the celebrant and their family. These birthday celebrations are closely tied to the harvest cycles, and a family with a birthday before a harvest cycle will often plant their most desired or valuable crop so that it coincides with the highest number of birthdays. A harvest blessed by multiple birthday celebrations is said to be especially fortunate and to produce especially good produce.
Other minor celebrations include a day of animals, where communities give thanks and gifts of special food to their livestock and draft animals, the blessing of the household which is a small celebration that blesses a family residence to ward off evil thoughts and emotions, and the Fourteenthnight which takes place every two weeks and is a nightly gathering of drinking and merriment to bolster the spirit and open the mind to positive thoughts and feelings. Many children are concieved at Fourteenthnight celebrations, and most such unions are blessed by the local priest before they sneak away into the night to make love in the grass beneath the stars.
The core tenets of Pisteis are contentment, detachment from material things and pacifism. It is as much a philosophy as a religion, and Pisteic monks love debating the more esoteric aspects of the faith, especially in regards to the relationship between humanity and the Worldmind. To the common practitioners of the faith, Pisteis provides a set of guidelines for living a good life of virtue and happiness. It is also a source of consolation and comfort when life turns difficult, especially in dealing with death and grief. Followers of Pisteis do not believe in an afterlife or reincarnation, but instead a process they refer to as sublimation, in which the consciousness of the deceased dissolves and becomes a part of the Worldmind, in essence becoming a part of the consciousnesses of every other living being.
Pisteis teaches that all living things are connected through their own natural psionic power. Emotions are not simply expressions of ones own state of mind, Pisteics say, but a reflection of all emotions felt by all creatures in Kerebra. This means that negative emotions such as grief and anger don't just belong to the individual, but are symptoms of communal pain; likewise, an individuals strong negative emotions will influence all things, and a community will suffer.
This is why Pisteis teaches contentment. By distancing yourself from your negative emotions and instead embracing your life as it is now, you are not only helping yourself but everyone around you. To a Pisteic, there is no greater act of love and charity than to simply be content.
When Pisteics preach detachment, it is an extension of the tenet of contentment. The faithful recognize that attachment to the material world means attaching oneself to impermanent, transient things. Things will break and people will die, and the pain and grief this causes reverberates throught the Worldmind affecting every living thing. Instead, Pisteis suggests acceptance of the inevitable end of things. Once you accept that nothing material lasts forever, you can embrace contentment and contribute to the health and happiness of your community.
The tenet of pacifism follows naturally from the first two tenets. Commiting and act of violence means hurting yourself and everyone around you after all, and such acts will spread pain through the Worldmind to every other being in Kerebra. This pain will infect everyone, causing more damage than the act of violence in itself ever could. The only way to be truly content is to be non-violent.
The clergy of the Pisteic faith is made up of priests, who usually maintain temples or shrines and tend to a community, and monks who belong to one of several monastic orders and work out of monasteries dedicated to contemplation and worship of the Pisteic philosophy and ideals.
A Pisteic priest is responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of a congregation of faithful, as well as tending to a temple or shrine. They serve as confessors, spiritual guides and councillors to a community of worshippers, and are usually looked up to as figures of authority who have a lot of influence not just spiritually but also judicially. Many priests, especially in smaller villages and towns who don't have a large council of elders, often serve as impromptu judges whenever there is a civil dispute to settle. Since most communities in Kerebra don't have proper laws or legal officials, whenever people have grievances or problems that require mediation a priest usually steps in to offer their opinion. In most communities Pisteis is the dominant faith, which means that Pisteic priests usually gain a good deal of experience in legal matters. It's not unusual for a temple to maintain a written record of rulings made by priests going back decades or even centuries. This means that different communities may have wildly differing legal practices. The Exceutores Justitia have on numerous occasions attempted to implement a codified set of official laws, but so far their efforts have only borne fruit in the larger towns where they maintain a permanent presence. Executor Knights still enforce these laws all over Kerebra, which can sometimes lead to conflicts with the Pisteic priesthood.
The monastic orders of Pisteis are not official organizations in any real sense, but have arisen organically around the various monasteries of Kerebra. Over the years particularly large monasteries have formed sister communities, and today a number of these orders maintain monasteries all over Kerebra.
The life of a Pisteic monk revolves around meditation and the reading and writing of religious texts. Pisteis has no saints or prophets, but a number of respected monks have penned religious literature that is regarded as holy by the monastic orders. Such texts are often meditations on specific topics of the faith, including the three tenets, the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind and the nature of the Worldmind. Dreamdiving is another treasured topic among monks, and many great works have been written over the religions history which are now the prized possessions of monastic libraries across Kerebra.
Monastic life is usually very structured, and based on routine and ritual. The details vary from order to order, but usually the day is divided into hours devoted to sleep, meditation, eating, reading, copying and illuminating religious literature and a few hours dedicated to private activities such as calligraphy, martial arts or a craft of personal significance to the monk. This structured life allow the monks to forget the concerns of their physical existence and focus on achieving contentment and enlightenment.
Many of Kerebras greatest Dreamdivers come from the Pisteic monastic orders. These Dreamdivers are highly usually respected individuals both in their order and monastic culture as a whole, and their names invoke respect and admiration among all pisteic clergy all over Kerebra. Dreamdiving as practiced among Pisteic monks involves deep meditation and huge mental effort, and the secrets of this esoteric craft are detailed in cryptic manuscripts and philosophical koans that an initiate must meditate on in order to unlock their true potential as Dreamdivers. Those initiates who never manage to master this art are never shamed for their failure, but many monks have left the monastic life after realising they will never be counted among the orders great Dreamdivers.
Some monks choose not to devote their life to a monastery, but instead live as itinerant monks travelling on foot from village to village, living off alms and the hospitality of the people. These monks have dedicated their lives to the tenet of detachment, forsaking worldly goods and property to live a simpler life of introspection and travel. Such monks are almost universally welcomed by Kerebran communities, and can expect to find a roof and food wherever they go. In return these monks offer blessings and sagely advice, but most of them also wish to contribute by taking on physical labour for the duration of their visit. Many a barn has been raised with the help of an itinerant Pisteic monk.
Among common folk, Pisteis is treated less like a philosophy and more as a personal faith. There are holy days when the community arranges festivals and celebrations, some of which are large and festive affaires while others are more solemn and personal rituals. The relationship between the faithful and the Worldmind is to a large extent what defines common religious Pisteic faith. Sublimation, the process by which the consciousness of the departed dissolves and melds into the Worldmind is afforded a special place in religious celebrations. Most communities celebrate a day of the dead, which goes by many names in different communities. Some towns call this celebration the Rememberance, while other communities use different names such as Spiritsnight or Kinsnight. This celebration is a lively and festive occasion where the departed are remembered, and usually involves the ritual consumption of holy water or blessed items of food to represent the sublimation of the departed into the shared subconscious of their family and friends.
Another important celebration is the harvest festival, which occurs several times a year following the harvest cycles. This is usually a private celebration with friends and family, often involving a large shared meal.
The holiest days of the year are birthdays, which means that religious gatherings take place fairly often. On a birthday, the community will gather at their temple or shrine, and the priest will hold a special sermon and bless the celebrant and their family. These birthday celebrations are closely tied to the harvest cycles, and a family with a birthday before a harvest cycle will often plant their most desired or valuable crop so that it coincides with the highest number of birthdays. A harvest blessed by multiple birthday celebrations is said to be especially fortunate and to produce especially good produce.
Other minor celebrations include a day of animals, where communities give thanks and gifts of special food to their livestock and draft animals, the blessing of the household which is a small celebration that blesses a family residence to ward off evil thoughts and emotions, and the Fourteenthnight which takes place every two weeks and is a nightly gathering of drinking and merriment to bolster the spirit and open the mind to positive thoughts and feelings. Many children are concieved at Fourteenthnight celebrations, and most such unions are blessed by the local priest before they sneak away into the night to make love in the grass beneath the stars.
mandag 15. oktober 2018
Tiny update
I've made some slight adjustments to the shardborn and dreamling entries, adjusting some rules text to make it less ambiguous and adding a racial trait to the shardborn to reflect their close relationship with Kerebra.
søndag 14. oktober 2018
Humans of Kerebra
The most numerous inhabitants of Kerebra are humans. These people have lived in the fertile fields and rolling hills of this world for as long as even the oldest shardborn can remember. As far as anyone knows, there has never been a time in Kerebras history when it was not inhabited by humanity.
The humans of Kerebra vary significantly in appearance for some unknown reason. Skin tone ranges from fair to dark brown, and every shade in between, even though the size and climate of Kerebra would normally suggest much less variation. Kerebrans don't consider this odd in any way. For them it's simply the way of things.
Likewise, hair color is very varied. Both fair and dark hair is common, and some individuals and families even have much more striking hair colors like vibrant green or blue, or even bright red or pink. The reason for this variance is not know, nor is it something most Kerebrans even think about.
In the central plains, where the climate and temperature is most stable and comfortable, humans have built their villages and towns. Farms dot the landscape, and large portions of the plains are tilled fields and bountiful crops as far as the eye can see. These villages and towns are for the most part small, tight-knit communities where everybody knows everybody. The largest towns have a few thousand inhabitants, and most of these communities are made up of artisans and craftsmen who trade their services for grain and produce to the surrounding villages and farms. These towns are also the religious centers of Kerebra, and the largest temples of the three faiths draw pilgrims from all over the land for holy days and religious festivals.
Most peoples lives revolve around their trade. Farmers produce food and goods for their own consumption and to trade with neighboring communities for goods and services or for money.
Kerebra has an economy based on barter, supplemented with coins made from precious ores mined from the crystal mountains that lie at the heart of the plainslands. The mining towns that produce most of the metal and crystal on Kerebra mint coins from gold, silver and copper to trade for food and goods from neighboring communities, and these are some of the largest towns in Kerebra. The coins minted in these mining towns are accepted as currency all over Kerebra, and even the smalles hamlet on the outskirts of the Gravewood will trade in these coins.
All of the knowledge and skills of the human artisans and tradesmen of Kerebra comes from the Worldmind. Without the knowledge dredged forth from its depths by the Dreamdivers, arts like metalworking, weaving and animal husbandry would be all but unknown and humanity would be in a much more primitive state. It is from the Dreamdivers that the knowledge of mining and minting coins for currency originate.
This is also the reason why the people of Kerebra were able to produce weapons and armor to defend themselves aganst the first attacks of the horrors of the Rot. After it became apparent that the Rot was spreading and that peoples lives were at risk, Dreamdivers delved deeply into the depths of the Worldmind to find solutions, and they came back with the knowledge and skills to craft arms and armor.
Scholars among the Dreamdivers suspect that all knowledge on Kerebra once came from the Worldmind, and that once humans lived naked as animals until they first Dreamdived and learned how to tame the land, clothe themselves and build shelter from the elements.
Perhaps the one word that describes humanity better than any other is "social." Wherever they go, humanity forms societies that bind different individuals together in companionship. This is no different in Kerebra. Humans have close relations to the other races of the world, for the most part positive, and many shardborn, dreamlings and voor are integral parts of human communities.
Of the three, the dreamlings have perhaps the closest ties to humans. Dreamlings need humanity in two ways which bind the two races inextricably together. They depend on humans to breed, born as they are from the dreams of humanity; and they also require dreaming humans to feed themselves. Its not wonder, then, that dreamlings live in and around all human settlements. Many dreamlings feel a close connection to the human that dreamed them into being, and for the most part these humans share the sentiment and keep the dreamling around as a strange combination of friend, child and pet. Dreamlings will often leave their adopted home for extended periods of time, but sooner or later they almost always return to their "parents."
Walking down the main street of any town without stumbling on a curious dreamling is very rare.
The voor, on the other hand, have almost no ties to human settlements, yet they are drawn to them like moths to a candle. Humanity fascniates voor endlessly, and during their active periods most voor gravitate towards human settlements to learn and experience these strange, fascinating creatures. Many voor will try to insinuate themselves into social circles and communities, trying theis best to figure out the minutae of human interaction and asking endless questions about human relationships and emotions. While this can annoy others to no end, the voors motives are genuine curiosity and a deep desire to belong. Humans that recognise this and try to accomodate the voor will find themselves with close, lifelong and steadfast friends.
Of the non-human races, the shardborn are the ones who interact with humanity the least. Or, thats how it used to be until quite recently. With the forests of the gravewood completely lost to them, the shardborn have been forced to settle in the plainslands at the heart of Kerebra. This has brought them into close contact with humans, who have mostly recieved them with open arms as humans so commonly do.
Most shardborne see all of Kerebras creatures as holy and worthy of their protection, but humanity especially have earned their respect and even love. Humans for their part find shardborn odd, even disturbing; shardborn seem so strange and other, and they behave so coldly and distant that many humans find it difficult to trust them. The shardborn recognize this, and many attempt to earn trust and build relationships by offering their aid in guarding and protecting the farms, villages and towns close to their own settlements. In this age of darkness such offers are almost always recieved with heartfelt thanks, which is why the relationship between humans and shardborn is quickly growing into something enduring and strong.
The humans of Kerebra vary significantly in appearance for some unknown reason. Skin tone ranges from fair to dark brown, and every shade in between, even though the size and climate of Kerebra would normally suggest much less variation. Kerebrans don't consider this odd in any way. For them it's simply the way of things.
Likewise, hair color is very varied. Both fair and dark hair is common, and some individuals and families even have much more striking hair colors like vibrant green or blue, or even bright red or pink. The reason for this variance is not know, nor is it something most Kerebrans even think about.
In the central plains, where the climate and temperature is most stable and comfortable, humans have built their villages and towns. Farms dot the landscape, and large portions of the plains are tilled fields and bountiful crops as far as the eye can see. These villages and towns are for the most part small, tight-knit communities where everybody knows everybody. The largest towns have a few thousand inhabitants, and most of these communities are made up of artisans and craftsmen who trade their services for grain and produce to the surrounding villages and farms. These towns are also the religious centers of Kerebra, and the largest temples of the three faiths draw pilgrims from all over the land for holy days and religious festivals.
Most peoples lives revolve around their trade. Farmers produce food and goods for their own consumption and to trade with neighboring communities for goods and services or for money.
Kerebra has an economy based on barter, supplemented with coins made from precious ores mined from the crystal mountains that lie at the heart of the plainslands. The mining towns that produce most of the metal and crystal on Kerebra mint coins from gold, silver and copper to trade for food and goods from neighboring communities, and these are some of the largest towns in Kerebra. The coins minted in these mining towns are accepted as currency all over Kerebra, and even the smalles hamlet on the outskirts of the Gravewood will trade in these coins.
All of the knowledge and skills of the human artisans and tradesmen of Kerebra comes from the Worldmind. Without the knowledge dredged forth from its depths by the Dreamdivers, arts like metalworking, weaving and animal husbandry would be all but unknown and humanity would be in a much more primitive state. It is from the Dreamdivers that the knowledge of mining and minting coins for currency originate.
This is also the reason why the people of Kerebra were able to produce weapons and armor to defend themselves aganst the first attacks of the horrors of the Rot. After it became apparent that the Rot was spreading and that peoples lives were at risk, Dreamdivers delved deeply into the depths of the Worldmind to find solutions, and they came back with the knowledge and skills to craft arms and armor.
Scholars among the Dreamdivers suspect that all knowledge on Kerebra once came from the Worldmind, and that once humans lived naked as animals until they first Dreamdived and learned how to tame the land, clothe themselves and build shelter from the elements.
Perhaps the one word that describes humanity better than any other is "social." Wherever they go, humanity forms societies that bind different individuals together in companionship. This is no different in Kerebra. Humans have close relations to the other races of the world, for the most part positive, and many shardborn, dreamlings and voor are integral parts of human communities.
Of the three, the dreamlings have perhaps the closest ties to humans. Dreamlings need humanity in two ways which bind the two races inextricably together. They depend on humans to breed, born as they are from the dreams of humanity; and they also require dreaming humans to feed themselves. Its not wonder, then, that dreamlings live in and around all human settlements. Many dreamlings feel a close connection to the human that dreamed them into being, and for the most part these humans share the sentiment and keep the dreamling around as a strange combination of friend, child and pet. Dreamlings will often leave their adopted home for extended periods of time, but sooner or later they almost always return to their "parents."
Walking down the main street of any town without stumbling on a curious dreamling is very rare.
The voor, on the other hand, have almost no ties to human settlements, yet they are drawn to them like moths to a candle. Humanity fascniates voor endlessly, and during their active periods most voor gravitate towards human settlements to learn and experience these strange, fascinating creatures. Many voor will try to insinuate themselves into social circles and communities, trying theis best to figure out the minutae of human interaction and asking endless questions about human relationships and emotions. While this can annoy others to no end, the voors motives are genuine curiosity and a deep desire to belong. Humans that recognise this and try to accomodate the voor will find themselves with close, lifelong and steadfast friends.
Of the non-human races, the shardborn are the ones who interact with humanity the least. Or, thats how it used to be until quite recently. With the forests of the gravewood completely lost to them, the shardborn have been forced to settle in the plainslands at the heart of Kerebra. This has brought them into close contact with humans, who have mostly recieved them with open arms as humans so commonly do.
Most shardborne see all of Kerebras creatures as holy and worthy of their protection, but humanity especially have earned their respect and even love. Humans for their part find shardborn odd, even disturbing; shardborn seem so strange and other, and they behave so coldly and distant that many humans find it difficult to trust them. The shardborn recognize this, and many attempt to earn trust and build relationships by offering their aid in guarding and protecting the farms, villages and towns close to their own settlements. In this age of darkness such offers are almost always recieved with heartfelt thanks, which is why the relationship between humans and shardborn is quickly growing into something enduring and strong.
Shardborn Culture and Society + Stat Redux
Heres an update to the Shardborn race thats less broken and abusable! I loved the old racial traits, but they just opened up too many opportunities for powergaming. Hopefully this is more toned down.
Shardborn are mysterious creatures with strange bodies and seemingly cold, emotionless minds. The body of a shardborn consists of a floating torso of semi-transparent flesh with a circular hole in their chest where a faintly glowing crystal hovers, a floating head with vaguely human features and disconnected arms and legs that float at the shoulders and hips seemingly unattached to the main body. The flesh of a shardborn is almost see-through, but cloudy, looking almost like glass containers filled with pale mist. Shardborne have pale, muted skin color ranging from green to purple and pink, and the floating crystal in their chest cavity matches this color in a brighter hue. Their faces look rough and almost unfinished, as if an artisan started carving a crystal but stopped midway once the face had basic features. They have no hair of any kind on their bodies and are genderless and androgynous.
Shardborn feed by absorbing the ambient energy of the Worldmind that emanates from the natural crystal formations that are common all over Kerebra. This energy is absorbed by their body and drawn into their chest crystal, which is both the repository for the energy that sustains them and the receptacle which hold their minds and souls. All shardborn can manipulate this energy by concentrating and physically touching their crystals, a process which can subtly alter the flow of energy through their bodies to augment their physical form.
Many humans believe shardborne are immortal, static creatures; they are wrong, but not by much. Shardborn do in fact age, though at a significantly slower rate than humans, and new shardborn are created as the old ones die. But shardborn minds are eternal and undying. When a shardborn dies, either of old age or by accident or violence, their flesh dries up and crumbles to dust and all that remains are their central crystals. These crystals contain the essence of the shardborn, and a new shardborn will form around this crystal if it is properly cared for. Individuals who care for these crystals do not have the same role as human parents, and though their relationship to the newly formed shardborn shares some similiarity with human families there are significant differences. These caregivers relationships to the newborn is more akin to teachers and mentors, and while there is usually mutual trust and friendship these mentors will often only remain loose aquaintances once the new shardborn has been guided through their initial confusion and have mastered the ways of their people.
A newly born shardborn forms an adult body around their crystal core. The "newborn" shares the personality of their previous incarnation, but only inherit some of the memories of their predeccessor; the new shardborn considers their previous incarnation as their parent, and treat these legacy memories as the lessons their parent has taught them through their former life.
Fresh shardborn may remember friends from their previous life, and since their personality closely matches their parents many humans are completely unaware that their former friend has passed away and believe they have simply changed or perhaps suffer from some form of amnesia. Some shardborn try to explain the situation, but many simply don't bother.
The shardborn are the enigmatic messengers and defenders of Kerebra. For as long as there have been humans in this world, there have been shardborn to shepherd them and keep them safe from harm.
They kept mostly to themselves in those days, only rarely emerging from the forests to give aid and offer advice from the Worldmind to people in need. There were no dangers then, and Kerebra was a safe haven for all her children, so at most the shardborn emissaries would offer healing to victims of unfortunate accidents, or help rebuild a farm struck by fire or particularly bad weather.
As the Rot grows greater, the shardborn change. They feel the pain of Kerebra reverberating through the Worldmind, and are driven to act. For the first time, the shardborn take up arms and embrace their role as defenders of Kerebra and her people.
Shardborn culture is based on reverence for the world itself. They are the only people who worship Kerebra as a god, a fact that most humans find strange and often a little disturbing. Kerebra never answers their prayers, or indeed speak to them at all, but they are firm in their faith that She is indeed alive and loves all Her children equally. This religion has never gained popularity outside the shardborn race, mostly because it is incompatible with the Pisteic faith. Some among the Enkéfali feel drawn to the shardborn faith, but they are few and such views are not encouraged by the rest of the Enkéfali church.
In the past, the shardborn built great temples of psionically charged crystal harvested from the deep woods to honor Kerebra and practice their faith, but the Rots spreading corruption has driven them out of their former homes and into human lands and such ancient temples now stand in shadow, dark and corrupted. Many shardborn have sworn to reclaim their homes and temples from the Rot, but those that venture into the woods rarely return. Nevertheless this quest drives many shardborn, who often approach the Purple Knights or the Executores Justitia seeking membership in an effort to gain allies who share similiar goals.
With the loss of their woodland homes, the shardborn have been forced into human lands. A century ago they were an uncommon sight, but now their numbers have grown significantly and encounters between humans and shardborn have grown increasingly commonplace. They often prefer keeping to their own kind, as they have always done, and a number of shardborn communities have sprung up in between human villages and towns. As shardborn interact with humans, dreamlings and even voor, many of them come to respect and even admire the other races of Kerebra in a way they never had a chance to when they simply acted as emmisaries and protectors. For the first time, shardborn are involving themselves directly in the lives of the other races, and are becoming a part of the shared culture of Kerebra where they once were outsiders looking in. Many find added motivation in this evolving bond to continue their mission as Kerebras protectors even in the face of the spreading darkness.
To a human or dreamling, shardborn seem emotionless and aloof, sometimes even arrogant. They seem to have no strong feelings about anyone or anything, and this can give the impression that shardborn are disconnected from the world or that they simply do not care about anything or anyone. Nothing could be further from the truth. Shardborn care deeply about Kerebra and every one of it's inhabitants, and they are capable of strong, intense emotion. They feel not only their own emotions, but pick up background emotion from the Worldmind as well every time they feed. In a way, their emotions encompass not only their own feelings, but the emotional state of every living thing in Kerebra. This can be incredibly intense, which is why many shardborn learn to compartmentalize their feelings and suppress these invading emotions. But this also means that the shardborn are deeply tied to humanity and the other beings of Kerebra, which is a strong motivational force for many of them. They are the guardians of Kerebra and her people after all, self-appointed protectors by mandate of their faith in Kerebra as a divine being.
Racial Traits:
+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Shardborn half-crystal bodies are tough and durable, but their emotionless demeanor make them seem cold and aloof.
Outsider (Augmented Humanoid, Native): Humanoids with the Outsider (Augmented Humanoid, Native) subtype
Medium sized
Normal Speed
Darkvision: 60ft.
Birthed By Dreams: Shardborn gain a +1 natural armor bonus to their AC. When they activate their Mutable racial ability, the shardborn may choose to lose this bonus in exchange for a +1 racial bonus to either Fortitude, Reflex or Will saves. The next time the shardborn uses it's Mutable racial ability, they may choose to add this bonus to either a different save or gain a natural armor bonus of +1 again.
Dreamskilled: The shardborn gains a +2 racial bonus to any two skills of their choice. When activating their Mutable racial trait, the shardborn may select two different skills for these bonuses to apply to, losing the old ones in the process.
Inhuman Form: Though humanoid, shardborn are clearly not human and their bodies don't conform to human standards. Shardborn must have armor and items of clothing specially made or fitted to their alien bodies, and they must pay 50% extra for these items and adjustments.
Mutable: A shardborne may take 10 minutes to reshape the flow of ambient psionic energy that flows through their bodies. Doing so grants the shardborn a +2 bonus to any one physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution). The shardborn may do this a number of times per day equal to half their Hit Dice, losing the bonus to the previous attribute in exchange for the new one.
Alternately, as a full-round action, the shardborn may spend 1 power point and two uses of this ability to grant themselves a single +4 bonus to any one physical ability score. This effect lasts until the beginning of the shardborns next turn, after which the shardborne loses any bonus granted by this ability and instead gains a -2 penalty to the affected Ability Score for a number of turns equal to twice the duration of this ability.
The shardborn may augment this ability. For every additional power point spent, this effect lasts for one additional round.
Naturally Psionic: Shardborn gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a shardborn takes levels in a psionic class, they instead gain the Psionic Talent feat.
Psionic Aptitude: When a shardborn takes a level in a favored class, they can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
Alternately, as a full-round action, the shardborn may spend 1 power point and two uses of this ability to grant themselves a single +4 bonus to any one physical ability score. This effect lasts until the beginning of the shardborns next turn, after which the shardborne loses any bonus granted by this ability and instead gains a -2 penalty to the affected Ability Score for a number of turns equal to twice the duration of this ability.
The shardborn may augment this ability. For every additional power point spent, this effect lasts for one additional round.
Naturally Psionic: Shardborn gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a shardborn takes levels in a psionic class, they instead gain the Psionic Talent feat.
Psionic Aptitude: When a shardborn takes a level in a favored class, they can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
Shaped of Crystal: As half-crystal beings, shardborn are vulnerable to sonic attacks. Shardborn have -2 on any Fort save made to resist sonic spells, powers and effects, and take 50% more sonic damage.
Languages: Shardborn begin play speaking common. A shardborn with high Intelligence may choose a number of different languages from the ones available in Kerebra.
lørdag 13. oktober 2018
This is Kerebra
Welcome!
Click here for an introduction to this blog and the world of Kerebra!
This is my blog ork+pie, which is dedicated to my ongoing work with my psionic campaign setting for Pathfinder 1st Edition, Kerebra.
So, what is Kerebra?
Kerebra is a world unlike any other. It is a sentient plane, a divine being and the home world of a few unique races. It is a world that was once an innocent utopia, home to peaceful humans, enigmatic shardborn, childlike dreamlings and weird voor. But Kerebra is being invaded by a corrupting sickness called the Rot, which has infected not only the world but it's inhabitants with corruption and evil.
For the first time in Kerebras history her people know violence, crime and hatred.
Only her bravest heroes can fight back the dark, discover its source and cleanse the world of this evil.
One of the core themes of Kerebra is lost innocence. This world used to be paradise, and everyone who lived here knew only joy and contentment. There are no kings or lords, no castles or kingdoms, not even any governments or formal laws. War, crime and conflict were completely unknown to Kerebrans, and they still struggle to understand these concepts and don't yet know how to respond to them.
I began working on Kerebra a few years ago, mainly as a thought experiment: What would a Pathfinder world where the only magic is psionics look like? Being a huge fan of Dreamscarred Press and their third party material for the Pathfinder roleplaying game, I just knew I had to build that world.
After that initial idea, the world started taking on a life of its own. It grew inside my head, and after a while I knew I had to put thoughts to paper just to be able to remember it all. At first I was only writing this down for myself, but as the project grew and I started developing rules addons to accomodate some of the concepts I had in mind, I started feeling I should share this with more people.
If you like what I'm writing, feel free to comment and let me know. If you have any ideas or suggestions for me I'm happy to hear them. Any such input is an enormous help for me with this project, and I appreciate it immensely.
Have fun, and enjoy the world of Kerebra, The Sapient Land!
Click here for an introduction to this blog and the world of Kerebra!
This is my blog ork+pie, which is dedicated to my ongoing work with my psionic campaign setting for Pathfinder 1st Edition, Kerebra.
So, what is Kerebra?
Kerebra is a world unlike any other. It is a sentient plane, a divine being and the home world of a few unique races. It is a world that was once an innocent utopia, home to peaceful humans, enigmatic shardborn, childlike dreamlings and weird voor. But Kerebra is being invaded by a corrupting sickness called the Rot, which has infected not only the world but it's inhabitants with corruption and evil.
For the first time in Kerebras history her people know violence, crime and hatred.
Only her bravest heroes can fight back the dark, discover its source and cleanse the world of this evil.
One of the core themes of Kerebra is lost innocence. This world used to be paradise, and everyone who lived here knew only joy and contentment. There are no kings or lords, no castles or kingdoms, not even any governments or formal laws. War, crime and conflict were completely unknown to Kerebrans, and they still struggle to understand these concepts and don't yet know how to respond to them.
I began working on Kerebra a few years ago, mainly as a thought experiment: What would a Pathfinder world where the only magic is psionics look like? Being a huge fan of Dreamscarred Press and their third party material for the Pathfinder roleplaying game, I just knew I had to build that world.
After that initial idea, the world started taking on a life of its own. It grew inside my head, and after a while I knew I had to put thoughts to paper just to be able to remember it all. At first I was only writing this down for myself, but as the project grew and I started developing rules addons to accomodate some of the concepts I had in mind, I started feeling I should share this with more people.
If you like what I'm writing, feel free to comment and let me know. If you have any ideas or suggestions for me I'm happy to hear them. Any such input is an enormous help for me with this project, and I appreciate it immensely.
Have fun, and enjoy the world of Kerebra, The Sapient Land!
The Rot
A corruption is spreading throughout Kerebra, a vile darkness that taints the vibrant beauty of the plane and infects living things with contagious darkness and evil. Dreamdivers have plumbed the depths of the Worldmind for answers, but their search has been fruitless and the people despair. There seems to be no cure or remedy for this spreading corruption, which the scholars among the Dreamdivers have named the Rot.
The Rot twists all it touches. It started in the outskirts, the deep forests that surround the inhabited lands of Kerebra, and few had heard of it except as rumors and scary tales of nightmares made flesh told around campfires and as cautionary bedside stories for children. But that was generations ago, and now the threat is very real.
Before the Rot, Kerebra knew no conflict or evil. The land was blessed with bountiful harvests, and war was completely unknown. The shardborn were simply peaceful and enigmatic emmisaries of the Worldmind in those days, and dreamlings frolicked carefree in the glens and clearings of the deep woods. People lived in peace.
This has all changed now. The deep woods are no longer safe, and only the bravest of the Purple Knights dare to enter those dark, tainted places. The tranquil peace of Kerebra has been shattered, and monsters stalk the night.
The influence of the Rot spreads every day, spreading like a contagion. For the first time, people come into open conflict with one another. Dark tempers flare, and where violence was once unknown it is now a part of everyday life for many. It seems as if the Rot has infected the collective human mind. Dark emotions have taken root in humanity, manifesting as dark deeds that shock and disturb the people of Kerebra to whom such things was completely unknown mere generations ago. Even the innocence of the dreamlings, so dependant on humanity and shaped by the human psyche, has been tarnished. Rotten dreamlings, spawned of corrupted human nightmares, have become more and more common with every passing year. There are even rumors of rotten shardborn, but no one can verify the truth of these stories.
What is true is this: The Rot is spreading faster and faster every year. The Purple Knights know this, and they are redoubling their efforts to curb the threat and find its source. The Executores Justitia are hard at work as well, but without unifying social structures or even real laws, their efforts are not as successful as they would claim. The Vigiles of the Executores try to patrol all human settlements in Kerebra, but their resources are stretched very thin and new Rot-influenced people surface and commit dark deeds every day. Even worse, the people are starting to push back against the iron hand of the Executores. Their methods are brutal and direct, and few appreciate yet another source of violence and fear in their lives.
Everything touched by the Rot falls to its corruption eventually. The deep woods have already been thoroughly corrupted, and the trees, plants and animals there are dangerous and threatening. Trees seep poison and grasp with claw-like branches at intruders, and animals half-dead and mad with unnatural hunger stalk the tall, black grass. The natural crystal formations of the forest, which once provided enchanting light and emanated the soothing energies of the Worldmind, have grown dark and dull, radiating only cold and void.
But not all Rot corruption is so conspicuous. The Rot takes hold of human minds as well, turning innocent people into violent degenerates, psychopaths and, eventually, killers and monsters. This corruption is slow at first. A dark thought, a wicked impulse or emotion. Perhaps an unkind word slips past friendly lips, or a moment of greed or envy leads to a minor act of theft or cruelty. But this is just the beginning; what is to come is much, much worse. As the Rot takes hold, people change. Jealousy, avarice, greed, hatred, these dark emotions grow and consume. The Rotten are driven to darker and more cruel acts, and their bodies slowly change. Their bodily fluids turn black and poisonous, their skin grows leasions and sores, eventually taking on a purplish hue resembling bruising. As they change physically, they seek out dark places where their true nature might go undetected, and from these shadowy corners they plot greater and greater malicious acts until they eventually grow so bestial that they lose all thought and become as bloodthirsty beasts. It's no wonder the Executores Justitia, who have studied the Rotten extensively, act so hastily and with such force to even the slightest hint of Rot influence among the people.
As the Rot spreads, the people grow desperate. Something must be done if Kerebra and her people are to survive, but no one seems to have any answers.
The Rot twists all it touches. It started in the outskirts, the deep forests that surround the inhabited lands of Kerebra, and few had heard of it except as rumors and scary tales of nightmares made flesh told around campfires and as cautionary bedside stories for children. But that was generations ago, and now the threat is very real.
Before the Rot, Kerebra knew no conflict or evil. The land was blessed with bountiful harvests, and war was completely unknown. The shardborn were simply peaceful and enigmatic emmisaries of the Worldmind in those days, and dreamlings frolicked carefree in the glens and clearings of the deep woods. People lived in peace.
This has all changed now. The deep woods are no longer safe, and only the bravest of the Purple Knights dare to enter those dark, tainted places. The tranquil peace of Kerebra has been shattered, and monsters stalk the night.
The influence of the Rot spreads every day, spreading like a contagion. For the first time, people come into open conflict with one another. Dark tempers flare, and where violence was once unknown it is now a part of everyday life for many. It seems as if the Rot has infected the collective human mind. Dark emotions have taken root in humanity, manifesting as dark deeds that shock and disturb the people of Kerebra to whom such things was completely unknown mere generations ago. Even the innocence of the dreamlings, so dependant on humanity and shaped by the human psyche, has been tarnished. Rotten dreamlings, spawned of corrupted human nightmares, have become more and more common with every passing year. There are even rumors of rotten shardborn, but no one can verify the truth of these stories.
What is true is this: The Rot is spreading faster and faster every year. The Purple Knights know this, and they are redoubling their efforts to curb the threat and find its source. The Executores Justitia are hard at work as well, but without unifying social structures or even real laws, their efforts are not as successful as they would claim. The Vigiles of the Executores try to patrol all human settlements in Kerebra, but their resources are stretched very thin and new Rot-influenced people surface and commit dark deeds every day. Even worse, the people are starting to push back against the iron hand of the Executores. Their methods are brutal and direct, and few appreciate yet another source of violence and fear in their lives.
Everything touched by the Rot falls to its corruption eventually. The deep woods have already been thoroughly corrupted, and the trees, plants and animals there are dangerous and threatening. Trees seep poison and grasp with claw-like branches at intruders, and animals half-dead and mad with unnatural hunger stalk the tall, black grass. The natural crystal formations of the forest, which once provided enchanting light and emanated the soothing energies of the Worldmind, have grown dark and dull, radiating only cold and void.
But not all Rot corruption is so conspicuous. The Rot takes hold of human minds as well, turning innocent people into violent degenerates, psychopaths and, eventually, killers and monsters. This corruption is slow at first. A dark thought, a wicked impulse or emotion. Perhaps an unkind word slips past friendly lips, or a moment of greed or envy leads to a minor act of theft or cruelty. But this is just the beginning; what is to come is much, much worse. As the Rot takes hold, people change. Jealousy, avarice, greed, hatred, these dark emotions grow and consume. The Rotten are driven to darker and more cruel acts, and their bodies slowly change. Their bodily fluids turn black and poisonous, their skin grows leasions and sores, eventually taking on a purplish hue resembling bruising. As they change physically, they seek out dark places where their true nature might go undetected, and from these shadowy corners they plot greater and greater malicious acts until they eventually grow so bestial that they lose all thought and become as bloodthirsty beasts. It's no wonder the Executores Justitia, who have studied the Rotten extensively, act so hastily and with such force to even the slightest hint of Rot influence among the people.
As the Rot spreads, the people grow desperate. Something must be done if Kerebra and her people are to survive, but no one seems to have any answers.
fredag 12. oktober 2018
Races of Kerebra: Voor Culture part 1
A voor is a strange creature. Their bodies consist of a huge eye in a mass of slender tentacles. Their skin is a deep, dark purple, soft and rubbery to the touch, and the iris of their large central eye is usually a striking color such as pink, green or yellow. They seem to float roughly five feet above the ground, but are in fact walking on their many long tentacles, which serve as both their feet and hands. Their tentacles are surprisingly dextrous, able to manipulate any item with ease. They also use their tentacles to produce speech, in a manner no scholar truly understands, and are able to produce sounds that mimic human speech almost perfectly.
Nobody knows where the voor came from, or when they entered Kerebra. But they are not native to the plane, and their alien forms point to some kind of extra planar origin. They might have travelled to Kerebra at an early point in the planes history, or perhaps they simply seeded the plane with their spores at some point. The voor themselves don't know either, and Kerebra is the only home they have ever known.
Voor have a parasitic relationship with Kerebra, but they are not harmful or hostile beings. In fact voor are curious and friendly, and though their strange shape might unnerve or concern, they are a welcoming people who value friendship and go out of their way to make friends and establish positive relations with the people of Kerebra.
Voor society is based on loose family units, though family is a bit of a misnomer as voor do not breed in the human sense of the word. When a voor reaches sexual maturity, they develop a set of special tentacles that are able to release spores. These spores adhere to the crystals that are so common throughout Kerebra, and slowly grow into lichen-like patches of purple growths. These growths then feed on the ambient psionic energy of the crystals, until they produce buds that slowly grow into young voor over a period of a few months. Voor are long lived by human standards, often living to 500 years old, and voor younglings spend roughly 50 years as larvae before they mature into an adolescent stage. Voor younglings are incapable of speech and are very simple minded, little more than animals that don't stray far from the crystals they are attached to by special umbilical tentacles. Slowly, as they absorb psionic energy from Kerebra, their minds mature until they reach the adolescent stage and learn to speak. Scholars among the Dreamdivers believe the voor are actually absorbing personality fragments from the Worldmind, and that their mature personalities are developed from the countless such fragments the voor has digested through it's larval stage. The voor themselves have offered no opinion on this theory.
Voor minds are alien things, governed by a logic that seems strange and unpredictable to humans. A voor might spend decades obsessing over tiny details of its surroundings, dedicating all its waking ours to perfecting their skills at making perfect neat pyramids from small stones. Another might decide to meet a certain number of new people each day, cataloguing their hair and eye color in books they throw away once a week. Why voor develop these obsessions is unknown, but the voor themselves treat this kind of behaviour as perfectly ordinary and don't understand why humans think its strange or unnerving.
Nobody knows where the voor came from, or when they entered Kerebra. But they are not native to the plane, and their alien forms point to some kind of extra planar origin. They might have travelled to Kerebra at an early point in the planes history, or perhaps they simply seeded the plane with their spores at some point. The voor themselves don't know either, and Kerebra is the only home they have ever known.
Voor have a parasitic relationship with Kerebra, but they are not harmful or hostile beings. In fact voor are curious and friendly, and though their strange shape might unnerve or concern, they are a welcoming people who value friendship and go out of their way to make friends and establish positive relations with the people of Kerebra.
Voor society is based on loose family units, though family is a bit of a misnomer as voor do not breed in the human sense of the word. When a voor reaches sexual maturity, they develop a set of special tentacles that are able to release spores. These spores adhere to the crystals that are so common throughout Kerebra, and slowly grow into lichen-like patches of purple growths. These growths then feed on the ambient psionic energy of the crystals, until they produce buds that slowly grow into young voor over a period of a few months. Voor are long lived by human standards, often living to 500 years old, and voor younglings spend roughly 50 years as larvae before they mature into an adolescent stage. Voor younglings are incapable of speech and are very simple minded, little more than animals that don't stray far from the crystals they are attached to by special umbilical tentacles. Slowly, as they absorb psionic energy from Kerebra, their minds mature until they reach the adolescent stage and learn to speak. Scholars among the Dreamdivers believe the voor are actually absorbing personality fragments from the Worldmind, and that their mature personalities are developed from the countless such fragments the voor has digested through it's larval stage. The voor themselves have offered no opinion on this theory.
Voor minds are alien things, governed by a logic that seems strange and unpredictable to humans. A voor might spend decades obsessing over tiny details of its surroundings, dedicating all its waking ours to perfecting their skills at making perfect neat pyramids from small stones. Another might decide to meet a certain number of new people each day, cataloguing their hair and eye color in books they throw away once a week. Why voor develop these obsessions is unknown, but the voor themselves treat this kind of behaviour as perfectly ordinary and don't understand why humans think its strange or unnerving.
Between these obsessive episodes and the long stretches of time voor spend attached to crystals in quiet slumber, many voor experience long periods of heightened activity, in which they are driven to seek out other people to socialize. Such active voor often take up jobs in communities, or take to adventuring to satisfy their wanderlust and curiosity. During these states the voor still follow their alien logic, tempered by their desire to be accepted by their chosen community or group. A voor might not understand why humans do what they do, and will often question their actions and motives, but almost all of them endeavour to emulate what they see and treat the human condition as a fascinating subject of study. Concepts like love, family and friendship, religious faith and the need to eat drink are endlessly fascinating to them.
Races of Kerebra: Dreamlings WIP
Dreamlings are small creatures born of peoples dreams. Driven by a defining emotion. They feed on positive emotions that match their genesis, and have the ability to meld into friendly mindscapes.
No mouths, large expressive eyes, skin of vibrant color reflecting their genesis emotion.
Core theme: Quest for individuality. Completely defined by the emotion that spawned them, they yearn to be separate from what defines them and be true individuals.
Dreamlings are born when humans of Kerebra have especially intense dreams. The nascent dreamling forms as an egg-like brightly-colored orb somewhere near the dreaming human, which grows into a fully developed adult dreamling in two or three days. They are "born" complete with personalities and innate knowledge about the world of Kerebra and it's societies, a fact that most scholars attribute to a natural connection to the Worldmind that all dreamlings share.
Dreamlings are naturally curious and playful, and their personality is colored by their core emotion much like their flesh. A dreamling born of sadness will have a gloomy outlook on life, while one born of joyful dreams will be cheerful and sociable. Most dreamlings don't change much as they age, staying relatively true to their core emotion, but at one point or another many experience a form of existential anguish when they come to realize that they are inextricably bound to a single personality trait. While a lot of dreamlings accept this fate, some choose to rebell against it by purposefully acting in ways that run counter to their core emotion. Even these dreamlings cannot completely escape their fate, but trying to become a complete being can become a sort of obsession for them.
Nevertheless, most dreamlings are cheerful, even childlike in their demeanor. Even the gloomiest of sadness dreamlings has an unquenchable thirst for life and new experiences, and they delight at the simple wonders of Kerebra.
Physically a dreamling stands just under 4 feet tall, and have brightly colored skin that reflects their core emotion. They have lithe, hairless bodies and oversized heads, and though they have no mouth, nose or ears their large eyes are very expressive and can convey a wide array of emotions. Their hands and feet have four fingers and toes each, and they are quick and agile creatures. All dreamlings are genderless, and the concept of gender confuses them endlessly.
Despite lacking a mouth, dreamlings can speak common perfectly and learn any other spoken language a human could learn. Scholars believe they produce their speech psionically. Dreamling voices are always high pitched but pleasant, and the creatures love to talk, laugh and make jokes. Many dreamlings are accomplished storytellers, even if their stories tend to be improvised and have many childlike qualities.
Dreamlings are defined by their core emotion. This does not mean that a sadness dreamling is always depressed or that a fear dreamling is constantly fearful, but these emotions influence their outlook and personality.
The defining emotions of dreamlings are fear, anger, sadness, joy, surprise and trust.
When a human on Kerebra has a particularly strong dream featuring one of these emotions, a dreamling may potentially be born from it. A dream of fear does not need to be a nightmare, and in fact nightmares have been known to spawn a different, darker dreamling who has little in common with ordinary dreamlings and quickly run away into areas afflicted with the Rot.
Fear dreamlings are a deep, rich purple color, and though their personality is no less cheerful and bubbly as other dreamlings they are always tinged with a certain restraint and caution. These dreamlings will not be the first to rush into unknown places or situations, and their slightly reserved nature means that they are not as quick to make true friends as other dreamlings are.
The dreamlings spawned from anger are bright red in hue, and have a tendency to be contrarian, though rarely hostile. They have strong opinions and may get annoyed and impatient if things don't go their way. In their own way they are perhaps the most childlike of the dreamlings, quick to anger but with an innocence that makes even their tantrums endearing.
The emotion of sadness gives birth to light blue-skinned, quiet, thoughtful dreamlings prone to introspection and philosophy. For dreamlings, that is. Compared to humans even these dreamlings are beacons of cheerfulness, but it's easy to notice their more introvert nature in groups of dreamlings.
Surprise dreamlings are bright white, the color of clouds in a blue sky. Filled with amazement and wonder, these nimble dreamlings dart to and fro, admiring flowers and trees and looking at clouds with equal awe. A bit scatterbrained, even for a dreamling, surprise dreamlings have a deep desire to explore and wander, to be amazed and see all the world has to offer.
The emotion of trust spawns dreamlings with a deep love of people. Their skin is bright green, the emerald color of fresh grass. These dreamlings are extremely social, and the inquisitive nature of dreamlings makes them exceptionally curious and very good listeners. They have a deep fascination with people, and will go to great lengths to make friends and stay close to their adoptive family.
Racial Traits:
Dreamlings come in six different varieties, each shaped by a core emotion. This emotional core influences their physical stat adjustments and racial traits.
Core Emotions:
Fear: +4 Dexterity, -2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
Anger: +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom
Sadness: +4 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
Joy: +4 charisma, -2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
Surprise: +4 wisdom, -2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
Trust : +4 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom
Outsider (native Kerebran): Dreamlings are humanoids with the Outsider (native Kerebran) subtype
Small: Dreamlings are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a -1 penalty on their CMB and to CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Base Speed: 30 feet
Natural Mindwalkers: As a move action, a dreamling may physically enter the mindscape of a willing target as a psi-like ability a number of times per day equal to their Hit Dice. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The dreamling disappears from the physical world as per the Cerebral Gatecrash power, except that the target must be friendly and willing.
In addition, dreamlings act as if under the effect of a continual Detect Active Mindscape power, and may spend 1 power point to peer into a mindscape as if they had augmented the power.
Inborn Aptitude: A dreamling has a +2 racial bonus on two skills, as determined by their core emotion:
Fear: Disguise, Perception
Anger: Intimidate, Disable Device
Sadness: Bluff, Sense Motive
Joy: Diplomacy, Handle Animal
Surprise: Acrobatics, Survival
Trust: Linguistics, Heal
Core Emotion: Each dreamling gains a racial trait based on their core emotion.
Fear: Dreamlings with a core emotion of fear are always alert, and are thus harder to surprise. Fear dreamlings gain a +2 racial bonus to their initiative in the first round of combat. After the first round, their initiative is adjusted back to normal.
Anger: A dreamling with Anger as their core emotion is easily agitated, headstrong and determined. These dreamlings gain a +2 racial bonus to Will saves made to resist fear effects.
Sadness: Dreamlings with sadness at their core are melancholy, introspective individuals (for dreamlings, that is). A sadness dreamling gains a +4 racial bonus to a single Knowledge skill, and considers all Knowledge skills as class skills.
Joy: Joy dreamlings are extremely social and curious creatures, even as dreamlings go, and most people find this endearing. A joy dreamling treats all creatures they meet as if their attitude was improved by one step, and may shift a creatures attitude by 3 steps instead of 2 with a successful Diplomacy check.
Surprise: Dreamlings with surprise as their core emotion are wild and energetic creatures even by dreamling standards, and gain a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue and exhaustion as well as any other ill effects from running and physical activity.
Trust: These dreamlings are loving creatures, quick to form bonds of friendship and love. A trust dreamling may choose one friendly creature or player character as the focus of their trust. As long as they are adjacent, the trust dreamling may use the aid another action as a free action for his trust focus a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
No Mouth, No Hunger: Dreamlings do not need to eat and drink, which is fortunate since they have no orifices at all. They absorb nutrition from being near sleeping creatures, feeding off their dreams.
Naturally Psionic: Dreamlings gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a dreamling takes levels in a psionic class, they instead gain the Psionic Talent feat.
Psionic Aptitude: When a dreamling takes a level in a favored class, they can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
Language: Dreamlings begin play knowing common. A dreamling with high Intelligence may learn a number of additional languages from those available in Kerebra.
No mouths, large expressive eyes, skin of vibrant color reflecting their genesis emotion.
Core theme: Quest for individuality. Completely defined by the emotion that spawned them, they yearn to be separate from what defines them and be true individuals.
Dreamlings are born when humans of Kerebra have especially intense dreams. The nascent dreamling forms as an egg-like brightly-colored orb somewhere near the dreaming human, which grows into a fully developed adult dreamling in two or three days. They are "born" complete with personalities and innate knowledge about the world of Kerebra and it's societies, a fact that most scholars attribute to a natural connection to the Worldmind that all dreamlings share.
Dreamlings are naturally curious and playful, and their personality is colored by their core emotion much like their flesh. A dreamling born of sadness will have a gloomy outlook on life, while one born of joyful dreams will be cheerful and sociable. Most dreamlings don't change much as they age, staying relatively true to their core emotion, but at one point or another many experience a form of existential anguish when they come to realize that they are inextricably bound to a single personality trait. While a lot of dreamlings accept this fate, some choose to rebell against it by purposefully acting in ways that run counter to their core emotion. Even these dreamlings cannot completely escape their fate, but trying to become a complete being can become a sort of obsession for them.
Nevertheless, most dreamlings are cheerful, even childlike in their demeanor. Even the gloomiest of sadness dreamlings has an unquenchable thirst for life and new experiences, and they delight at the simple wonders of Kerebra.
Physically a dreamling stands just under 4 feet tall, and have brightly colored skin that reflects their core emotion. They have lithe, hairless bodies and oversized heads, and though they have no mouth, nose or ears their large eyes are very expressive and can convey a wide array of emotions. Their hands and feet have four fingers and toes each, and they are quick and agile creatures. All dreamlings are genderless, and the concept of gender confuses them endlessly.
Despite lacking a mouth, dreamlings can speak common perfectly and learn any other spoken language a human could learn. Scholars believe they produce their speech psionically. Dreamling voices are always high pitched but pleasant, and the creatures love to talk, laugh and make jokes. Many dreamlings are accomplished storytellers, even if their stories tend to be improvised and have many childlike qualities.
Dreamlings are defined by their core emotion. This does not mean that a sadness dreamling is always depressed or that a fear dreamling is constantly fearful, but these emotions influence their outlook and personality.
The defining emotions of dreamlings are fear, anger, sadness, joy, surprise and trust.
When a human on Kerebra has a particularly strong dream featuring one of these emotions, a dreamling may potentially be born from it. A dream of fear does not need to be a nightmare, and in fact nightmares have been known to spawn a different, darker dreamling who has little in common with ordinary dreamlings and quickly run away into areas afflicted with the Rot.
Fear dreamlings are a deep, rich purple color, and though their personality is no less cheerful and bubbly as other dreamlings they are always tinged with a certain restraint and caution. These dreamlings will not be the first to rush into unknown places or situations, and their slightly reserved nature means that they are not as quick to make true friends as other dreamlings are.
The dreamlings spawned from anger are bright red in hue, and have a tendency to be contrarian, though rarely hostile. They have strong opinions and may get annoyed and impatient if things don't go their way. In their own way they are perhaps the most childlike of the dreamlings, quick to anger but with an innocence that makes even their tantrums endearing.
The emotion of sadness gives birth to light blue-skinned, quiet, thoughtful dreamlings prone to introspection and philosophy. For dreamlings, that is. Compared to humans even these dreamlings are beacons of cheerfulness, but it's easy to notice their more introvert nature in groups of dreamlings.
Surprise dreamlings are bright white, the color of clouds in a blue sky. Filled with amazement and wonder, these nimble dreamlings dart to and fro, admiring flowers and trees and looking at clouds with equal awe. A bit scatterbrained, even for a dreamling, surprise dreamlings have a deep desire to explore and wander, to be amazed and see all the world has to offer.
The emotion of trust spawns dreamlings with a deep love of people. Their skin is bright green, the emerald color of fresh grass. These dreamlings are extremely social, and the inquisitive nature of dreamlings makes them exceptionally curious and very good listeners. They have a deep fascination with people, and will go to great lengths to make friends and stay close to their adoptive family.
Racial Traits:
Dreamlings come in six different varieties, each shaped by a core emotion. This emotional core influences their physical stat adjustments and racial traits.
Core Emotions:
Fear: +4 Dexterity, -2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
Anger: +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom
Sadness: +4 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
Joy: +4 charisma, -2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
Surprise: +4 wisdom, -2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
Trust : +4 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom
Outsider (native Kerebran): Dreamlings are humanoids with the Outsider (native Kerebran) subtype
Small: Dreamlings are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a -1 penalty on their CMB and to CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Base Speed: 30 feet
Natural Mindwalkers: As a move action, a dreamling may physically enter the mindscape of a willing target as a psi-like ability a number of times per day equal to their Hit Dice. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The dreamling disappears from the physical world as per the Cerebral Gatecrash power, except that the target must be friendly and willing.
In addition, dreamlings act as if under the effect of a continual Detect Active Mindscape power, and may spend 1 power point to peer into a mindscape as if they had augmented the power.
Inborn Aptitude: A dreamling has a +2 racial bonus on two skills, as determined by their core emotion:
Fear: Disguise, Perception
Anger: Intimidate, Disable Device
Sadness: Bluff, Sense Motive
Joy: Diplomacy, Handle Animal
Surprise: Acrobatics, Survival
Trust: Linguistics, Heal
Core Emotion: Each dreamling gains a racial trait based on their core emotion.
Fear: Dreamlings with a core emotion of fear are always alert, and are thus harder to surprise. Fear dreamlings gain a +2 racial bonus to their initiative in the first round of combat. After the first round, their initiative is adjusted back to normal.
Anger: A dreamling with Anger as their core emotion is easily agitated, headstrong and determined. These dreamlings gain a +2 racial bonus to Will saves made to resist fear effects.
Sadness: Dreamlings with sadness at their core are melancholy, introspective individuals (for dreamlings, that is). A sadness dreamling gains a +4 racial bonus to a single Knowledge skill, and considers all Knowledge skills as class skills.
Joy: Joy dreamlings are extremely social and curious creatures, even as dreamlings go, and most people find this endearing. A joy dreamling treats all creatures they meet as if their attitude was improved by one step, and may shift a creatures attitude by 3 steps instead of 2 with a successful Diplomacy check.
Surprise: Dreamlings with surprise as their core emotion are wild and energetic creatures even by dreamling standards, and gain a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue and exhaustion as well as any other ill effects from running and physical activity.
Trust: These dreamlings are loving creatures, quick to form bonds of friendship and love. A trust dreamling may choose one friendly creature or player character as the focus of their trust. As long as they are adjacent, the trust dreamling may use the aid another action as a free action for his trust focus a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
No Mouth, No Hunger: Dreamlings do not need to eat and drink, which is fortunate since they have no orifices at all. They absorb nutrition from being near sleeping creatures, feeding off their dreams.
Naturally Psionic: Dreamlings gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a dreamling takes levels in a psionic class, they instead gain the Psionic Talent feat.
Psionic Aptitude: When a dreamling takes a level in a favored class, they can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
Language: Dreamlings begin play knowing common. A dreamling with high Intelligence may learn a number of additional languages from those available in Kerebra.
The Mindcrasher, Psychic Warrior archetype
Archetype: Mindcrasher (Psychic warrior)
Mindbending
At first level, the mindcrasher can make a grapple check as a standard action against any target within 15 ft. using his Wisdom modifier in place of his Strength modifier for his CMB.
On a successful check, the target gains the grappled condition, but the Mindcrasher does not. The Mindcrasher may roll to maintain the grapple every turn as a move action, no matter how many targets the mindcrasher is currently mindbending; a single roll is made for every target of the mindcrashers mindbending ability. The target may roll to break free of the grapple as normal, but the Mindcrasher uses his Wisdom modifier + his Charisma modifier in place of Dexterity and Strength to calculate his CMD for the purposes of mindbending. The target may not attempt to reverse the grapple. This ability can not be used to move, damage or pin a grappled opponent. Feats or abilities that modify grapple checks do not apply to the mindbending ability.
As a swift action, the mindcrasher may choose to deal 1d6 + (½ his class level, minimum 1 + his Wisdom modifier) damage to one of the targets of his mindbending ability. By expending his psionic focus as a part of this action, the mindcrasher can deal this damage to all the targets of his mindbending ability instead. This can not be combined with the mindstrike crash talent, though mindstrike still increases the size of the damage dice from d6s to d8s.
Starting at 2nd level, the mindcrasher adds a bonus to combat maneuver checks performed as a part of the mindbending ability equal to ½ his class level.
A Mindcrasher may act normally while maintaining mindbending.
A Mindcrasher can mindbend additional enemies as he gains levels. At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the mindcrasher may mindbend an additional enemy up to a maximum of his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).
At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, the damage the mindcrasher can inflict with mindbending increases by 1d6. At 10th level, the mindcrasher doubles his Wisdom modifier before applying it to the damage from mindbending.
At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the distance at which the mindcrasher can grapple using mindbending increases by 5’, up to a maximum of 40’ at 20th level.
This ability replaces warrior's path. The mindcrasher’s secondary path ability still gives him a path as normal, but as the mindcrasher only gains one warrior's path, the twisting path and pathweaving abilities do not function for him. However, this archetype is still compatible with other archetypes that alter or replace secondary path, twisting path, and/or pathweaving.
At 2nd level, the mindcrasher gains Mind Architect as a bonus feat. He does not need to meet the prerequisites to qualify for this feat.
This replaces the psychic warrior bonus feat normally gained at 2nd level, but does not make the mindcrasher incompatible with other archetypes that replace or alter bonus feats.
Crash the Gate
At 3rd level, the mindcrasher may enter the mindscape of a single grappled target of his mindbending ability as a move action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity. No roll is required.
Once the mindcrasher enters his targets mindscape, he does not fall unconscious. Instead, the mindcrasher is aware of his surroundings as if he had the Waking Mindscape feat. His physical body may only take move actions as long as he is inside the mindscape.
If the mindcrasher possesses the Waking Mindscape feat, his physical form may instead act normally outside the dreamscape; his actions are shared between his physical form and his dreamscape form however. This means that the mindcrasher may take a move action inside the mindscape and a standard action with his physical form, but not a move action with both his mindscape form and his physical form.
This replaces Expanded Path.
Crash Talents
At 4th level, and every 4th level thereafter, the mindcrasher may select a crash talent. Crash talents are only active and may only be activated whenever the mindcrasher is inside a mindscape unless otherwise specified. Unless noted otherwise, each crash talent may only be selected once.
This replaces path skill.
A mindcrasher may select a crash talent in place of a bonus feat.
This alters bonus feats, but does not make the mindcrasher incompatible with other archetypes that alter or replace bonus feats.
The mindcrasher may select the following crash talents:
Crashing Speed
At first level, the mindcrasher can make a grapple check as a standard action against any target within 15 ft. using his Wisdom modifier in place of his Strength modifier for his CMB.
On a successful check, the target gains the grappled condition, but the Mindcrasher does not. The Mindcrasher may roll to maintain the grapple every turn as a move action, no matter how many targets the mindcrasher is currently mindbending; a single roll is made for every target of the mindcrashers mindbending ability. The target may roll to break free of the grapple as normal, but the Mindcrasher uses his Wisdom modifier + his Charisma modifier in place of Dexterity and Strength to calculate his CMD for the purposes of mindbending. The target may not attempt to reverse the grapple. This ability can not be used to move, damage or pin a grappled opponent. Feats or abilities that modify grapple checks do not apply to the mindbending ability.
As a swift action, the mindcrasher may choose to deal 1d6 + (½ his class level, minimum 1 + his Wisdom modifier) damage to one of the targets of his mindbending ability. By expending his psionic focus as a part of this action, the mindcrasher can deal this damage to all the targets of his mindbending ability instead. This can not be combined with the mindstrike crash talent, though mindstrike still increases the size of the damage dice from d6s to d8s.
Starting at 2nd level, the mindcrasher adds a bonus to combat maneuver checks performed as a part of the mindbending ability equal to ½ his class level.
A Mindcrasher may act normally while maintaining mindbending.
A Mindcrasher can mindbend additional enemies as he gains levels. At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the mindcrasher may mindbend an additional enemy up to a maximum of his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).
At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, the damage the mindcrasher can inflict with mindbending increases by 1d6. At 10th level, the mindcrasher doubles his Wisdom modifier before applying it to the damage from mindbending.
At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the distance at which the mindcrasher can grapple using mindbending increases by 5’, up to a maximum of 40’ at 20th level.
This ability replaces warrior's path. The mindcrasher’s secondary path ability still gives him a path as normal, but as the mindcrasher only gains one warrior's path, the twisting path and pathweaving abilities do not function for him. However, this archetype is still compatible with other archetypes that alter or replace secondary path, twisting path, and/or pathweaving.
At 2nd level, the mindcrasher gains Mind Architect as a bonus feat. He does not need to meet the prerequisites to qualify for this feat.
This replaces the psychic warrior bonus feat normally gained at 2nd level, but does not make the mindcrasher incompatible with other archetypes that replace or alter bonus feats.
Crash the Gate
At 3rd level, the mindcrasher may enter the mindscape of a single grappled target of his mindbending ability as a move action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity. No roll is required.
Once the mindcrasher enters his targets mindscape, he does not fall unconscious. Instead, the mindcrasher is aware of his surroundings as if he had the Waking Mindscape feat. His physical body may only take move actions as long as he is inside the mindscape.
If the mindcrasher possesses the Waking Mindscape feat, his physical form may instead act normally outside the dreamscape; his actions are shared between his physical form and his dreamscape form however. This means that the mindcrasher may take a move action inside the mindscape and a standard action with his physical form, but not a move action with both his mindscape form and his physical form.
This replaces Expanded Path.
Crash Talents
At 4th level, and every 4th level thereafter, the mindcrasher may select a crash talent. Crash talents are only active and may only be activated whenever the mindcrasher is inside a mindscape unless otherwise specified. Unless noted otherwise, each crash talent may only be selected once.
This replaces path skill.
A mindcrasher may select a crash talent in place of a bonus feat.
This alters bonus feats, but does not make the mindcrasher incompatible with other archetypes that alter or replace bonus feats.
The mindcrasher may select the following crash talents:
Crashing Speed
The mindcrashers base speed increases by 10 feet when he is inside a mindscape. The mindcrasher can expend his psionic focus as a swift action to increase his base speed inside a mindscape by 30 feet for a single round.
Cerebral Assault
Cerebral Assault
When using his Crash the Gate ability to enter another creatures mindscape, the mindcrasher can force the creature to enter its own mindscape with him. The target does not fall unconscious, but instead operates as if it had the Crash the Gate class feature and the Waking Dreamscape feat. The mindcrasher and the target enter the mindscape together, in a random part of the mindscape chosen by the GM, 20 feet apart.
Manifest Adversity
Manifest Adversity
The mindcrasher can erect a special harmful structure called a Pillar inside an opponents mindscape. Pillars follow all the rules for harmful structures, as per the Architect of Ruin feat, except as noted here. A pillar has a physical form in the mindscape, but unlike a structure it only takes up a 5’ square. A pillar only has 20 hit points, and hardness 5. Erecting a Pillar does not cost architect points. The mindbender chooses the location of the Pillar in the mindscape when he erects it. If the pillar is erected before the mindbender enters the dreamscape, he chooses its location as he enters the mindscape.
This crash talent can be selected multiple times. Each time, you gain another Pillar.
The mindcrasher must be 6th level to select this crash talent.
Upon gaining this crash talent, the mindcrasher selects one of the following structures:
Pillar of Despair
A black pillar of polished stone radiates waves of despair. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape is shaken.
This crash talent can be selected multiple times. Each time, you gain another Pillar.
The mindcrasher must be 6th level to select this crash talent.
Upon gaining this crash talent, the mindcrasher selects one of the following structures:
Pillar of Despair
A black pillar of polished stone radiates waves of despair. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape is shaken.
Pillar of Vulnerability
A pillar of gleaming marble oozes blood from every crack and fissure. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape reduces any damage reduction they have by 2.
Pillar of Vertigo
A glowing green pillar shines with an unsettling light. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape is sickened.
Pillar of Vengeance
A pillar of bone and ashes burns the ground beneath it. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape takes 1d4 bleed damage per turn.
Warp the Mindscape
The mindcrasher may alter the opponents mindscape to suit his needs. As a move action the mindcrasher may create a 20’ square of hostile terrain. Hostile terrain functions as difficult terrain, except every square counts as three squares instead of two. In addition, creatures moving over hostile terrain must make a Reflex save (DC equals 10 + the mindcrashers manifester level) for each square or be knocked prone. The mindcrasher and his allies are immune to the effects of hostile terrain created by the mindcrasher.
Mindstrike
As long as the mindcrasher is psionically focused, the damage from mindbending increases to d8. The mindcrasher may expend his psionic focus as a free action before mindbending damage is rolled to maximize the result of each die. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
Overwhelming Mind
As a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, the mindcrasher may perform a bull rush or drag combat maneuver on an opponent grappled by his mindbending ability. If the combat maneuver check is successful, the target is released from the mindbending grapple. The target of this ability does not need to be within reach of the mindbenders physical attacks.
If he chooses to perform a drag combat maneuver he does not move with his target, but instead moves his target towards him. He can’t drag the target any further than the distance it takes to move adjacent to him. This bull rush or drag combat maneuver uses the same modifiers as his mindbending ability. If the combat maneuver check is successful, the mindcrasher deals his mindbending damage to the target. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
The mindcrasher must have the mindstrike crash talent to select this crash talent.
Overpowering Mind
When the mindcrasher uses the overwhelming mind crash talent, he counts as having the Greater Bull Rush and Greater Drag feats for the purposes of provoking attacks of opportunity from allies. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
The mindcrasher must be 6th level and possess the overwhelming mind crash talent to select this talent.
A pillar of gleaming marble oozes blood from every crack and fissure. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape reduces any damage reduction they have by 2.
Pillar of Vertigo
A glowing green pillar shines with an unsettling light. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape is sickened.
Pillar of Vengeance
A pillar of bone and ashes burns the ground beneath it. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape takes 1d4 bleed damage per turn.
Warp the Mindscape
The mindcrasher may alter the opponents mindscape to suit his needs. As a move action the mindcrasher may create a 20’ square of hostile terrain. Hostile terrain functions as difficult terrain, except every square counts as three squares instead of two. In addition, creatures moving over hostile terrain must make a Reflex save (DC equals 10 + the mindcrashers manifester level) for each square or be knocked prone. The mindcrasher and his allies are immune to the effects of hostile terrain created by the mindcrasher.
Mindstrike
As long as the mindcrasher is psionically focused, the damage from mindbending increases to d8. The mindcrasher may expend his psionic focus as a free action before mindbending damage is rolled to maximize the result of each die. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
Overwhelming Mind
As a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, the mindcrasher may perform a bull rush or drag combat maneuver on an opponent grappled by his mindbending ability. If the combat maneuver check is successful, the target is released from the mindbending grapple. The target of this ability does not need to be within reach of the mindbenders physical attacks.
If he chooses to perform a drag combat maneuver he does not move with his target, but instead moves his target towards him. He can’t drag the target any further than the distance it takes to move adjacent to him. This bull rush or drag combat maneuver uses the same modifiers as his mindbending ability. If the combat maneuver check is successful, the mindcrasher deals his mindbending damage to the target. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
The mindcrasher must have the mindstrike crash talent to select this crash talent.
Overpowering Mind
When the mindcrasher uses the overwhelming mind crash talent, he counts as having the Greater Bull Rush and Greater Drag feats for the purposes of provoking attacks of opportunity from allies. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
The mindcrasher must be 6th level and possess the overwhelming mind crash talent to select this talent.
Batter the Gates
When the mindcrasher uses his mindbending ability or the overwhelming mind crash talent, he may erect a harmful structure or pillar in the opponents mindscape as a part of the combat maneuver. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
The mindcrasher must be 8th level and possess the overpowering mind crash talent and strike the mind class ability to select this talent.
Cerebral Grappler
The mindcrasher can grapple one additional opponent with his mindbending ability. When performing a combat maneuver check as part of his mindbending ability or the overwhelming mind crash talent, the mindbender gains a +2 bonus to his combat maneuver roll. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
This crash talent can be taken multiple times, gaining an additional mindbending target each time but no further bonuses to his mindbending combat maneuver checks.
The mindcrasher must be 6th level to select this crash talent.
Strike the Mind
At 6th level, the mindcrasher gains the Monument Strike and Architect of Ruin feats. The mindcrasher may use Monument Strike to erect any Pillar he knows in addition to the normal structures he can erect with the Architect of Ruin feat. Pillars do not cost architect points to erect.
If the mindcrasher already has the Architect of Ruin feat, he gains 1 architect point that can only be spent on harmful structures instead.
This ability replaces martial power.
When the mindcrasher uses his mindbending ability or the overwhelming mind crash talent, he may erect a harmful structure or pillar in the opponents mindscape as a part of the combat maneuver. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
The mindcrasher must be 8th level and possess the overpowering mind crash talent and strike the mind class ability to select this talent.
Cerebral Grappler
The mindcrasher can grapple one additional opponent with his mindbending ability. When performing a combat maneuver check as part of his mindbending ability or the overwhelming mind crash talent, the mindbender gains a +2 bonus to his combat maneuver roll. This crash talent may be used outside a mindscape.
This crash talent can be taken multiple times, gaining an additional mindbending target each time but no further bonuses to his mindbending combat maneuver checks.
The mindcrasher must be 6th level to select this crash talent.
Strike the Mind
At 6th level, the mindcrasher gains the Monument Strike and Architect of Ruin feats. The mindcrasher may use Monument Strike to erect any Pillar he knows in addition to the normal structures he can erect with the Architect of Ruin feat. Pillars do not cost architect points to erect.
If the mindcrasher already has the Architect of Ruin feat, he gains 1 architect point that can only be spent on harmful structures instead.
This ability replaces martial power.
Mindscapes, a subsystem for psionics WIP
What is a mindscape
Every sentient being has a mindscape, a mental realm that is a reflection of their conscious and subconscious inner world. Only intelligent beings, creatures with an Intelligence score of 3 or more, can have mindscapes. Mindscapes can either be latent or active. Most mindscapes are latent, as creating and maintaining an active mindscape requires psionic potential and conscious effort. Latent mindscapes take on a form that reflects the creatures personality in some way. The mindscape of a fearful person could take the form of a nightmarish hellscape, while an artist might subconsciously create an artistic and beautiful latent mindscape that reflects their personal flair and values. Latent mindscapes are often, but not always influenced by the alignment of the owner. The creator of a latent mindscape does not have direct access to their own mental realm, but often visits it when dreaming. A creature capable of lucid dreaming may even exercise some control of their latent mindscape, but this ability pales in comparison to the kind of alterations a trained psionic individual can introduce to their mindscape.
The subconscious is a powerful thing, however, and latent mindscapes can often have dangerous features and obstacles that reflect some inner conflict or trauma of the mindscapes owner. Deep fears or negative emotions can manifest in a latent mindscape as dangerous creatures or terrain, and dealing with them can be difficult as they are normally not capable of dying inside the mindscape that spawned them. A creature spawned in a latent mindscape returns to life some time after being slain, normally within 1d6 hours after dying. If the owner of the latent mindscape is present within the mindscape and is capable of lucid dreaming, they may attempt a Will save (DC 10 + the slain creatures CR) to attempt to suppress the part of their psyche that spawned the creature. A successful save extends this duration to 1d6 days instead.
It is possible for the owner of a latent mindscape to die while present in his mindscape, but it is not fatal. Instead, if the owner is killed while visiting his mindscape through lucid dreaming, they enter a dark, dreamless sleep state and wake up fatigued the next morning.
A latent mindscape may also be home to NPC characters that represent parts of the owners psyche. Interacting with these NPCs may provide valuable insight into the subconscious mind of the mindscapes owner, and it might even be possible to change parts of the owners personality by influencing these NPCs. This is the stuff of entire adventures, however, and as such is not covered by these rules in any detail.
An active mindscape is a persistent mental landscape created by focusing psionic energies into mental constructs. Any psionic character with ranks in Autohypnosis can create an active Mindscape. Doing so requires 8 hours of deep meditation, followed by a DC 15 Autohypnosis check. After meditating and succeeding the Autohypnosis check, a persistent active mindscape is created within the character’s mind. A character can visit his mindscape at any time by taking a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity and making a successful DC 10 Autohypnosis check. A character entering a mindscape does not disappear from the physical world. The character creates a detailed mental simulacrum of themselves and projects it into the mindscape. Extreme mental exertion is required to construct this kind of mental avatar. While inside a mindscape, the character is unconscious and is considered helpless.
If the owner of an active mindscape is killed inside his own mindscape, they immediately jump back into their physical body and must make a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + the damage dealt by the killing blow, or be stunned for one round.
A mindscape can be up to 100’ in diameter +10 for every manifester level beyond 1st.
The active mindscape is persistent, meaning that any action taken or alteration made within it are permanent unless otherwise specified.
A newly created mindscape is a flat, featureless gray plane. Once within this mental plane, the owner of the mindscape can make superficial alterations to the landscape and features of the mindscape by making a successful Autohypnosis check of varying DC depending on the nature of the alterations made.
Possible alterations include buildings, plant and animal life (any plants and animals created are harmless and passive), weather (any weather effects created are harmless and applies no penalties or ill effects) and lighting (even in pitch darkness, no penalties are conferred by mindscape lighting conditions). Any such alterations are purely cosmetic, they can not be used to make attacks or deal damage and apply no harmful or beneficial effects. Features of a mindscape can provide cover and concealment.
A character who has created an active mindscape may invite another willing creature into his personal mental landscape. Any willing creature touched can enter into a meditative trance along with the character, who makes a single DC 15 Autohypnosis check to enter the mindscape as a group. For each creature beyond the first, the DC of this check increases by +1. It is impossible to force an unwilling creature into a mindscape this way.
A non-psionic creature can be invited into a mindscape in this way, but doing so raises the DC of the check by an additional +2. On a successful Autohypnosis check to enter the mindscape, all willing participants are rendered unconscious for as long as they are inside the mindscape.
Once inside a mindscape, a creature can leave at any time as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Anyone inside the mindscape of an unconscious creature can remain there and act as normal. Anyone who is physically inside the mindscape of a creature as it dies immediately appear next to the corpse, and must make a Will save (DC equals 10 + the CR of the creature, minimum 12) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds; creatures who succeed at this save are instead dazed for 1 round.
Psionic Powers:
Cerebral Gatecrash
Discipline: Telepathy; Level: Psion/Wilder 2, Psychic Warrior 2, Dread 2, Tactician 2, Vitalist 2, Cryptic 2, Gifted Blade 2
MANIFESTING
Display: Audio, visual
Manifesting Time: 1 Standard Action
EFFECT
Range:Touch; Target: One Creature with a mindscape
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates; power resistance: Yes
Power Points: 3
By sheer force of will, you pierce the mental barriers of the target and break into their mindscape. Treat this just as if you had entered your own mindscape, except you cannot bring other participants into a mindscape this way.
Once inside the mindscape, you can exert your dominance there and take control of the mindscape. Any Mindscape feats you have function in an enemies mindscape.
Augment: You may augment this power in one or more of three ways:
For every additional 2 power points you spend, the DC to negate your changes in the mindscape increase by +1.
For every additional 4 power points spent, you may bring one willing ally with you into the mindscape.
By spending 2 additional power point, you can increase the range of this power to close (25 ft + 5 ft./2 levels).
Detect Active Mindscape
Discipline:Telepathy; Level Cryptic 0, dread 0, gifted blade 1, marksman 0, psion/wilder 0, psychic warrior 0, sighted seeker 1, tactician 0, vitalist 0
Display: Auditory and visual
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone -shaped emanation centered on you
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None; Power Resistance: No
Power Points: Psionic focus or 1
As detect psionics, except noted here.
Instead of detecting psionic auras, you detect the presence of an active mindscape.
1st round: Presence or absence of an active mindscape
2nd round: Location of an active mindscape; you know which creatures have an active mindscape.
3rd round: You learn the size of each creatures mindscape, as well as whether or not they have structures erected.
Augment: By spending an additional 2 power points, you may peer into a single mindscape you know is active and present. Looking into a mindscape reveals any erected structures and defences present.
Cerebral Link
Discipline: Telepathy; Level: Psion/Wilder 2, Psychic Warrior 2, Dread 2, Tactician 2, Vitalist 2, Cryptic 2, Gifted Blade 2
MANIFESTING
Display: Audio, visual
Manifesting Time: 1 Standard Action
EFFECT
Range:Touch; Target: One willing creature with a mindscape
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless); power resistance: No
Power Points: 3
This power forges a permanent link between two mindscapes, allowing for travel between them. Once manifested, a portal-like structure is erected in both mindscapes. To travel between mindscapes, one needs to move through the portal structure. Once you fully pass through the portal surface, you appear next to the portal in the other creatures mindscape.
This power does nothing if the target does not have a mindscape, or is not psionic.
The creature with which you forge a link must be willing, otherwise the power fails.
If the creatures passing through the portal are under the effects of the Enter the Gate power, or are otherwise physically present in the mindscape, they physically appear next to the owner of the mindscape they are currently in when they exit the mindscape. Otherwise they simply exit the mindscape as normal.
Augment: By spending an additional 7 power points, you may target an unwilling creature with this power, forcing a connection between their mindscape and yours.
Enter the Gate
Discipline: Telepathy; Level: Psion/Wilder 4, Psychic Warrior 4, Dread 4, Tactician 4, Vitalist 4, Cryptic 4, Gifted Blade 4
MANIFESTING
Display: Audio, visual
Manifesting Time: 1 Standard Action
EFFECT
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless); power resistance: Yes
Power Points: 7
You dissolve your form and physically transport yourself into your own mindscape. Your physical form turns into quickly fading ectoplasm, and you appear inside your mindscape with all possessions and gear. You may leave the mindscape at any time as a swift action, reappearing in the exact spot you were when you discorporated. Anyone who is physically inside the mindscape of a creature as it dies immediately appear next to the corpse, and must make a Will save (DC equals 10 + the CR of the creature, minimum 12) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds; creatures who succeed at this save are instead dazed for 1 round.
Augment: By spending an additional 5 power points, you may instead target to one or more willing allies. These allies are then discorporated and appear in physical form inside your mindscape.
When augmented in this way, once the allies exit the mindscape they appear next to your current location. You cannot travel physically into your own mindscape with this power or by any other method while others are physically present inside it, though you can enter your mindscape normally.
Feats
Mindscape feats are special psionic feats that alter or augment a mindscape. To qualify for a Mindscape feat, a character must have levels in a psionic class or have the [psionic] subtype, or otherwise be capable of creating a mindscape. All mindscape feats count as psionic feats.
Waking Mindscape (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Autohypnosis, 5 ranks
Benefit: You no longer fall unconscious while inside a mindscape. When entering a mindscape, you are still aware of your physical surroundings. The intense concentration required to project into a mindscape means your physical body can only take move actions for as long as you remain inside the mindscape, and you can only speak in single words or short sentences.
In addition, if you have the Mindscape Architect feat, you may shape and dismiss your own structures and make superficial alterations in your mindscape without entering it.
Mindscape Architect (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Autohypnosis, 5 ranks
Benefit: You are adept at constructing mindscapes, and can materialize objects and structures that provide additional benefits while inside a mindscape you have constructed.
You gain a pool of 3 architect points to spend on structures in your mindscape. Each structure has a listed cost, and you may spend your architect points on structures after 8 hours of rest, when you regain your power points. Any architect points invested in structures are locked, and can only be regained by dismissing the corresponding structure. Your spent architect points refresh when you meditate to regain your power points, but only if you have already dismissed the corresponding structures.You may not build duplicates of any one structure.
A mindscape structure takes up a 10’ square area of the mindscape, is 15’ tall and is clearly visible from anywhere in the mindscape unless it is concealed by a landscape feature. A mindscape structure has Hardness 15 and 30 HP.
You choose the location of the structure within the mindscape as you erect it. If you are outside your mindscape as you erect the structure, you choose it’s location as you enter your mindscape.
You must be inside your mindscape in order to shape a structure there and invest architect points into it, or to dismiss a structure there. Shaping and dismissing a structure is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
The character chooses the location of the structure when he erects it. If they are outside the mindscape when they erect it, they choose its location as they enter the mindscape.
By investing an additional architect point in a structure, you can benefit from that structures effect even while not inside your mindscape as long as you maintain psionic focus.
The following structires can be built inside your mindscape with Mindscape Architect:
1 point:
Effigy of Aptitude
You can construct an effigy of aptitude, a monument to your own ego. An effigy of aptitude gives a +2 aptitude bonus to a single skill of your choice for as long as you remain in your mindscape.
Monument of Puissance
You can construct a monument of puissance, celebrating your own power. You gain a +1 bonus to your manifester level for the purpose of manifesting powers with the [telepathy] descriptor for as long as you remain in your mindscape.
Banner of Resilience
You can construct a banner of resilience, a celebration of your own mental fortitude. You gain a +2 bonus to your choice of Reflex, Fortitude or Will saves for as long as you remain in your mindscape.
2 point:
Statuary of Contemplation
You can construct a statuary of contemplation, a monument of deep meditation. You gain a second psionic focus for as long as you remain in your mindscape. This second focus can only be used to maintain or expend your psionic focus for the purposes of your psionic feats (except Mindscape Architect) and class features.
Cornucopia of Sustenance
You can construct a cornucopia of sustenance, a monument of renewed energy and vigor. This structure provides enough food and drink to allow a single creature to function for a single day. To feed additional creatures, you need to spend 1 power point per creature fed, to a maximum of your manifesting modifier per day.
If you spend an additional architect point on this structure, it functions as a Ring of Sustenance for you outside your mindscape.
Architect of Ruin (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Mindscape Architect
Benefit: You have learned to use your mindscape-shaping abilities to do harm. While inside another creatures mindscape, you can use the Mindscape Architect feat to erect harmful structures.
A harmful structure functions like a normal structure, except it's effects always affect the mindscapes owner outside the mindscape as if an additional point had been spent to construct the structure. You must spend architect points on structures created in your opponent’s mind as if you had erected a structure in your own mindscape. You choose the location of the harmful structure as you erect it. If you are outside the enemies mindscape as you erect it, you or the owner of the mindscape determine their location based on who enters the mindscape first.
You gain an additional architect point, which can only be spent to erect harmful structures.
If the owner of the mindscape is present, they may resist this alteration of their mental space. An unwilling mindscape owner gets a Will save (DC equal to 10 + your manifester level) to negate any changes made to their mindscape. If successful, the harmful structure is removed. The owner may attempt one such Will save every round for as long as the structure persists. Any harmful structures fade on their own after the owner of the mindscape where they are erected gets 8 hours of sleep.
The following harmful structures can be built inside an enemy mindscape using Architect of Ruin:
1 point
Barricade of Spite
You construct a barricade of malice inside the hostile mindscape, interfering with their manifesting abilities. As long as the structure stands, the owner of the mindscape takes a -1 penalty to their manifester level.
Migraine Banner
You raise a migraine-inducing banner, filling the mindscape with a debilitating aura. As long as the structure stands, the owner of the mindscape takes a -2 penalty to Will saves.
Weakening Monument
You construct a dark, distressing monument inside the hostile mindscape. As long as the structure stands, the owner of the mindscape takes a -2 penalty to attack and damage rolls.
2 point
Blood Red Sun
You call a blood red sun into existence, bathing the mindscape in crimson light that causes unbearable pain. As long as the structure stands, the owner of the mindscape is staggered. Any attempt to remove the staggered condition suppresses it for 1 round instead.
Shrieking Statue
You construct a grotesque statue whose howl fills your opponent’s mind. As long as this structure stands, the owner of the mindscape loses their Dexterity bonus to AC.
Persistent Ruin (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Architect of Ruin, Shape the Mind
Benefit: Your harmful structures and negative features are more difficult to get rid of. The DC of Will saves to resist your structures and terrain features increases by +4.
You gain 1 architect point, which can only be spent to erect harmful structures.
Purge the Mindscape (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Mindscape Architect
Benefit: You have learned to purge your mindscape of harmful influences without entering it. You may as a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity remove a single structure or feature of your mindscape without entering your mindscape or making an Autohypnosis check, by expending your psionic focus.
If inside your mindscape, this feat grants a +4 bonus to the Will save to resist changes to your mindscape instead.
Monument Strike (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Mindscape Architect, psychic strike class feature or warriors path class feature, BAB +6
Benefit: You focus your creative power into a single strike, erecting a harmful structure in your opponent’s mindscape.
As a standard action, you may expend your psionic focus and make a single attack at your highest base attack bonus against a creature that has a mindscape. If you have the psychic strike class feature or other source of precision damage such as sneak attack, you may add your bonus damage to this attack.
If the attack hits, you immediately erect a harmful structure in your opponent’s mindscape costing no more than 1 architect point. This costs architect points as normal. If you expend two additional architect point as part of this attack, you may instead erect a 2-point structure for a total of 3 architect points.
As with the Mindscape Architect feat, a particular harmful structure may only be erected once. Harmful structures fade on their own once the owner of the mindscape where they are erected gets 8 hours of sleep.
This feat can not be used against a creature that lacks a mindscape.
This feat can be used outside a mindscape.
You gain 1 architect point, which can only be spent to erect harmful structures.
Shape the Mind (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Autohypnosis 5 ranks
Benefit: You are able to shape a mindscape in such a way that the features you create can grant bonuses or penalties.
Shaping a feature is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
You may shape an area no larger than a 10’ square. Any bonuses applied to a terrain are granted to you and a number of allies equal to your Wisdom modifier. All penalties are applied to enemy creatures in the terrain. This allows you to create areas of difficult terrain, weather effects that impose penalties and lighting that obscures vision.
You may also create the following features:
Quickening terrain: Grants a bonus/penalty to Reflex saves
Favourable terrain: Grants a bonus/penalty to AC
Invigorating terrain: Grants a bonus/penalty to attack rolls
Charged terrain: Grants bonus energy damage
The DC to create a feature is 15 +1 for every point of bonus or penalty the terrain gives, to a maximum of +/-4.
The owner of the mindscape may roll a Will save (DC equals 10 + your manifester level) to resist these changes. On a successful save, the terrain reverts to its original state. The owner gets a Will save to resist alterations to his mindscape each round for as long as the changes persist.
Creating a feature costs 1 architect point. Architect points that can only be spent to erect harmful structures can also be spent on terrain features in an opponents mindscape.
You gain 1 architect point.
Dangerous Mind (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Mindscape Architect, Architect of Ruin, Shape the Mind
Benefits: You have understood the secrets of defending your mindscape, by laying psionic traps inside your own or an enemys mind.
You may craft and place traps inside a mindscape. Crafting a trap requires an Autohypnosis roll (DC = traps craft DC + 5) and expending your psionic focus. If you are able to manifest powers, you may place a power you know of level 3 or lower with a range of touch in the trap. Otherwise, this functions as the trap creation rules in the Core Rulebook. Unlike other changes to a mindscape (except harmful structures), this trap disappears the next time the owner of the mindscape rests for 8 hours and recovers his power points and architect points. Unlike terrain features and harmful structures, if the owner of the mindscape is present they do not receive a Will save to resist the addition of traps to their mindscape.
Creating a trap costs 1 architect point. Architect points that can only be spent to erect harmful structures can also be spent on traps.
You gain 1 architect point.
Extra Architect Point (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Mindscape Architect, manifester level 6th
Benefit: You gain 1 architect point.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.
Mindscape Novice
Prerequisites: Lucid Dreaming, Must not be psionic.
Benefit: You gain the ability to create an active mindscape, though you do not become a psionic creature or gain the [psionic] subtype. Autohypnosis becomes a class skill for you. This feat also allows you to qualify for Mindscape feats as though you were a psionic creature.
If you ever take levels in a psionic class or otherwise gain the [psionic] subtype, you lose this feat and gain Mindscape Familiarity instead.
Mindscape Familiarity (Mindscape)
Prerequisites: Two mindscape feats.
Benefit: You have become adept at sensing the psionic energies emanating from active mindscapes. You may spend 2 power points as a free action to detect whether a creature has an active mindscape, as if you had manifested detect mindscape and concentrated for three rounds.
Lucid Dreamer
Prerequisites: Int 13, Must not be psionic
Benefit: You are capable of lucid dreaming, and able to visit your own latent mindscape. You may freely explore your own latent mindscape while sleeping, and may attempt to alter it in subtle, cosmetic ways by making an Intellect test DC 15. If you die inside your own latent mindscape you slip into a dreamless sleep, suffering from the fatigued condition for an hour after you wake up normally.
If you ever take levels in a psionic class or otherwise gain the [psionic] subtype, you lose this feat and gain Waking Mindscape instead.
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