From: Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
Subject: Spells of the Dreaming
System: Elric!

These spells, concerning the world of dreams, are more vague than the others, but I think it's important to have a great degree of freedom as gamemaster. Have a nice sleep and pleasant dreams...

Theft of Dreams (variable) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"He sat up in his bed, his wide open eyes glistened in the darkness. Carefully, he listened. Was there a sound that had awakened him? Resolute, he lay down and tried to sleep again."

Range is touch. Chaotic. This rare spell enables the caster to rob the dreams of a sleeper. From now on, the sleeper will wake each night with the feeling of something missing. She will not benefit from the effects of sleep anymore. Not dreaming will eventually drive the target mad. She will begin to become nervous and irritable. Finally, she will suffer from hallucinations, becoming slightly insane.

[Disclaimer: I don't know anything but the name about the dream thieves described by Moorcock]

Sharing of Dreams (variable) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"The creature approached! Smelling its repulsive breath, she retreated. Suddenly, she was stepping into emptiness, and she fell! With a cry, she awoke! Again! It was the third night she had dreamed the same nightmare."

Range is special. Chaotic. Two somehow connected beings can share dreams. These dream can even overcome the bounds of time. The dreamer might see an upcoming event or dream of something long lost in the past. A powerful sorcerer might be able to manipulate these dreams. By controlling dreams, the dreamer can be enabled to enter the dreamlands.

Desire (variable) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"Tan was a poor man. All he owned were his ragged clothes and a hungry stomach. It was autumn but Dhowil, the new keeper of the inn, did not let him sleep in the kitchen. Tan was cold and sleepy, so cold... Ach! If he only had one chance, to be a hero, like Rhowan! Sunshine awoke Tan. A tall warrior kicked him. `Stand up, Tan, we've a long journey ahead today.'"

Range is touch. Chaotic. Strong wishes and hidden dreams can become true, at least in the dreamworld, if you've luck like Tan or if you're a great dream magician and spend at least 1 point of POW. What happens if you awake? Good question. Maybe the target can find a way to make his dreams permanent while he's dreaming.

Dreaming (1) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"She had an unhappy life. There was only one part of her life that she gladly awaited each day, and that was sleeping. She looked forward to her dreams. Her dream-self was a different and more interesting person. She'd have another adventure in the dreamlands tonight."

Range is self. Chaotic. Allows the caster to enter the dreamlands. What are the dreamlands? They are another world, perhaps better, built on the dreams of thousands of dreamers. There are more connections between this world and the world of dreams than might be good, ways to enter the dreamlands, permanently and physically. But, these paths are protected. Nearly every addicted dreamer is searching for a chance to stay there forever.

Call the Dreams (variable) [Rituals of the Dreaming]

"Srarea stared into the fireplace. Her companions were sleeping. It was an frightened old house they rested in. No one had dared to sleep in one of the bedrooms above. Pieces of wood crackled, or was that the stairs? Three disguised shapes tried to sneak into the living room, holding bloody knives! Realizing that they were detected, they fled upstairs. Srarea grabbed her spear and followed. One of them turned. He looked exactly like Srarea's father. His blow caught her unprepared. Then, she reacted, impaling him with her spear. The other two fled down the corridor. For a moment, it seemed that one of them turned into a lion and back again. She followed into the darkness. Suddenly she ran against the back wall of the building. How had they vanished!?"

Just as dreaming humans can reach the dreamlands, dream beings can reach the mundane world if they're called. Details are left to the gamemaster, but, it's not easy to open a passage between the two worlds. The ritual lasts 1D6 hours. If a luck roll fails, it attracts a guardian.

On Koptu, the serpent men have tried to find and close all passages to the dreamlands. Sometimes you can find a strange obelisk which guards
one of these passages. If you rest near it, you can suffer unusual dreams. These gates are protected by magical guardians which look like a great serpent with a human torso and head. In fact this creatures are built by combining a giant serpent and a human soldier slave, but that's another story.

These are the statistics of such a Naga-like creature:

STR    3D8+8    21-22
CON    3D8+8    21-22
SIZ    2D8+16    25
INT    2D8    9
POW    3D8    13-14
DEX    4D8    18
MOV slide-8    HP 23-24

Av Damage Bonus: +2D6
Weapons: Sword 115% 1D8+1+db, Brawl 60% 1D3+db,
Tail 65% 1D8+1/2db, Shield 90%, 22 HP,
Hunting Bow 85% 1D6+1+1/2db
Armor: 1D10+2 (human part), 1D6+1 (serpent part)
Skills: Dodge 80%, Search 85%, Track 85%.
Spells: for INT-2 points, gamemaster's choice.

Ancient Dreams (variable) [Spells of the Dreaming]

"`I wonder who lived in these building when they were still intact.' Perhaps it would have been better for Srarea not to have asked this question. When her party awoke the next morning, something had changed. The air smelled different. The building they had rested in was now undamaged. From outside came noises and voices."

Range is sight. Chaotic. Whoever likes can visit the past, because dreams are not strictly connected with time. Maybe a dream or an idea still lives, even if its dreamer is dead and forgotten. Old buildings and places remember the past. But, reawaking the past can be dangerous. Maybe someone doesn't like the idea that he's in fact long dead. Who knows...