This is a wierd style.  It is largely inspired by the <a href="http://www.lensmen.net/wiki/exalted.pl?MartialArts/DreamsAndNightmaresStyle">Dreams and Nightmares Style</a>, which is also damn wierd.

The basic premise of this style is that some places, most notably the world of dreams and the netherworld, are fundamentally unstable--but in a predictable way.  They do not follow the laws of Creation, but instead an internal logic influenced heavily by the one who observes them--the dreamer of the netherworld traveler.  These worlds can be shaped and traversed to some degree by the conscious mind, such as in lucid dreaming, but the forms they take are primarily reflections of the traveller's inner nature, as expressed through his virtues, essence, nature, and discipline.  This martial arts style may only be learned and taught in dreams or in the netherworld (or other world that shares the train of expressing the internal and being fundamentally unstable), and is expected to be used primarily by nethermancers and dream-spirits, with the occasional illusionist.  I don't want to step hard on any illusionist schticks, so any illusionist-like effects should be explicitly dreamlike, rather than image-creation.

This style may only use weapons or equipment forged of pure essence (or, may not use any armor or equipment, whichever seems more appropriate).  The charms may also all require other abilities as well, at least for the Greater Dharmas...will think more what those would be later.

Right now, collection of charms.  Will start doing the tree thing soon.

A particular feature of this style is that each apprentice charm has a lesser dharma and a greater dharma.  The greater effect may only be employed when in Dreamshaper Form, and usually requires willpower expenditure.


**Lucid Somnombulence Dharma** (root charm)
Simple, lasts for 8 hours or until interrupted.
1 wp, 16 motes

The dreamshaper grasps some of the tranquility of slumber and brings it with him to the waking world.  His eyes take on a faraway sheen and the world around him seems more dreamlike.  He respires as though sleeping, counts as sleeping for most purposes (a brainwave scanner will show REM sleep, a gate that allows only the waking to pass will stop him, etc.) and will experience an awakening after 8 hours, as though he had awoken from normal sleep.

If the dreamshaper experiences something that would cause him to wake normally (such as excessively lound noises, sharp pain, etc.) he will also "awaken" but will be disoriented as though he had just been rised form a deep sleep.

*I don't know what the effect would be, but it should be strongly disorienting*

The dreamshaper need not fear "rude awakenings" when using the Greater Dharma. 


**Dreamshaper Form**
Simple, Scene, 10 motes

The dreamshaper takes on the qualities of the internal creation, defined by his essential self rather than the rules of the world.

* He may add his Essence + Temperance to all soaks.  This soak counts as natural soak for armor-bypassing charms, and armor for soaking aggrivated damage.  His body takes on the quality of dreamstuff, fluid and ephemeral.

* He may add his Conviction to all attacks, as his confidence as much as skill determines the effects of his actions.

* He may add his Valor to the post-soak damage of his foes, as his strikes are those of a nightmare, bringing the target's fears to life inside him.

* He gains a free dodge equal to his Compassion as his body wavers and flows on the tides of essence and intent. (either against each attack, or cascading "may add to normal dodge.")



* He may use the Greater Dreamshaper Dharmas.


**Fount of Inner Peace Dharma**
Supplemental, Instant, 1 mote, +3 motes for the Greater Dharma

The Lesser Dharma may only be used on willing targets.  By touching a target, the dreamshaper may fill the target's dreams with a sense of true tranquility.  Nightmares lose their terror, and slumber is peaceful, even if the dreams are strange.  The target may use the Dreamshaper's Compassion to regain willpower, rather that his own conviction.

The Greater Dharma may be attempted on unwilling targets.  A target touched (this may be part of an attack, and will usually require an attack in combat) will feel peaceful, sleepy tranquility moving through him.  He must make a reflexive stamina+resistance roll, difficulty the dreamshaper's compassion, or lose 1 point of dex for the remainder of the scene.  If dexterity is reduced to zero, he falls asleep as in the Lesser Dharma.  Yes, this means his sleep will be peaceful and he may regain mroe willpower.  The Greater Dharma costs 3 motes in addition to activating the Lesser Dharma.

**Drifting Gate Dharma: The Gate of Time**
Simple, Extra Action, 4 motes per action, + 1 WP for the Greater Dharma

The Lesser Dharma allows the dreamshaper to drift in time.  The dreamshaper may replace his normal action with a number of acitons purchased at 4 motes each, up to his temperance--having one action that turn costs 4 motes, two actions cost 8, 3 actions 12, and so on.

The Greater Dharma allows the character to, once he has unrooted himself from time, drop back into the flow at a time other than when he left.  By spending a willpower point, he may land either earlier in time (*automatically gaining initiative for this round, or perhaps adding his temperance or twice his temperance to intitiative, treat as a reflexive as it's retroactive*) or later in time (stepping forward in time, the dreamshaper seems to vanish until you suddenly notice, up to his temperance in rounds later, that he was standing there all the time).  The Greater Dharma, as noted, requires the activation of the lesser dharma and the expenditure or a willpower point.

**Drifting Gate Dharma: The Gate of Space**
Supplemental, Instant, 4 motes, + 1 WP for the Greater Dharma

The Lesser Dharma allows the dreamshaper to take on the presence of a dreamperson, both everywhere and nowhere, always watching from some undetermined location.  As it is very difficult to strike someone who is everywhere and nowhere, this makes the character's dodge Perfect, and can be used to dodge undodgeable effect--the dreamshaper was simply somewhere else when the blow fell.  Note that this charm does not provide a dodge, only enhances it.

The Greater Dharma allows the dreamshaper to return in a location other than the one that he left--he it just there, nothing strange according to the dreamlogic of it, if someone checks.  The character may appear anywhere within his temperance in yards on his location when he dodged, including behind barriers or behind his attacker.


**Face of Dreams Dharma**
Simple, Scene, 4 motes, +1 WP for the Greater Dharma

The Lesser Dharma allows the dreamshaper to abstract his identity so that he is percieved as a dream-person.  Though those he has interacted with this scene later know that they have been talking to, fighting, sleeping with, etc. *someone*, they cannot pin down any details.  They do not notice anything strange at the time, and may even recognise the dreamshaper if he allows them to before activating the charm, but remembering who the dreamshaper was is simply impossible.  Sometimes, if the dreamshaper does something strongly reminiscent of something covered by this charm, a target may recognize the similarity--just as someone in a dream may have been your teacher, only not, the dreamshaper's previous actions are remembered as being him, only not.  Much deja vu.

The Greater Dharma allows the dreamshaper to apply that level of deteched abstraction to his own perceptions of himself and the effects of the world upon him.  He becomes separated from his pain, suffering no furthur wound penalties from the point where this charm is activated.  In addition, if the dreamshaper is knocked unconscious or killed, he will "awaken" from this state.  His subjective scene ends, all his damage is converted to bashing (though overdamage may cause some of this to become lethal again) and he heals a number of bashing levels equal to his essence as the danger of the dream fade with waking.  The effect does not remove or convert agg damage.

Though the dreamshaper's wounds appear real while the greater dharma is active, those remembering the fight will recall that they were somehow inexplicably wrong--things known to be injuries, but not.


**Stalking Nightmare Dharma**
Reflexive, Instant, + 4 motes for the Greater Dharma

The dreams and images that teach this dharma are terrifying nightmares, where vicious creatures tormet the dreamshaper and he awakes every night screaming in fear, drenched in sweat.  By the end of this process, he has learned to master his nightmares, and in doing so has gained insight into the fears of others.

The Lesser Dharma is a constant effect.  The dreamshaper may add his his valor to all rolls to resist fear (including valor rolls), as after mastering the terrors of his own soul, few things rattle his composure.

The Greater Dharma allows the dreamshaper to elicit the fears of his opponents.  The dreamshaper seems to infuse his mein with all the terrors that stalk his foe, causing the imminent blow to falter unless the foe succeeds in a valor roll difficulty the dreamshaper's valor.  *(If used on someone using a perfect attack upon the dreamshaper, the foes trepedation prevents him from using the perfect attack.  No blow falls, but the cost for striking the dreamshaper is not spent either.)*  As this requires the target to view the dreamshaper, the effects may be avoided by the simple precaution of attacking with you eyes closed.


**Dancing Dreamscapes Dharma**
Supplemental, Instant, 4 motes/level, +1 WP for the greater Dharma.

Using the Lesser Dharma, the dreamshaper may draw others with him into his own person dreamscape, where his own inner world and lucid dreaming abilites determine the terrain.  He must touch all his targets on the same turn, activating this charm for each, and the effect occurs when he has touched the last.  The dreamshaper is also drawn into his private dreamrealm, and held frozen until he releases the effect.  The dreamshaper may not effect more people than his conviction.

Sleeping or willing targets are automatically drawn into the dreamshaper's dreamscape.  Unwilling targets must make a reflexive conviciton roll difficulty the dreamshaper's conviction or be trapped there.  Once in the dreamscape, anyone may make another escape attempt, at no cost, for each hour or subjective time/turn of real world time. *effects of being in someone else's dreamscape to be determined.  Dream-damage should be greatly reduced upon "waking."*

Using the Greater Dharma, the dreamshaper may traverse the dreamscapes of the world without physically passing through them, thus ignoring most physical limitations.  His body is left, sleeping, behind.  Each hour counts as a level.  His dream/spirit self travels across the world, but is only strongly aware of thing with strong symbolic signifigance and things which have dreams.  Touching the dreams of another counts as a touch for the use fo the Lesser Dharma.


**True Masks Dharma**
Simple, Scene, 4/level, + 1 WP for the Greater Dharma.  No more levels may be purchased than Essence + Compassion.

This Dharma allows the dreamshaper to manifest his dream-nature in the physical world.

The Lesser Dharma allows the dreamshaper to take on a symbolic visage, a dream-face that speaks to the unconscious of all who gaze upon him.  Every level allows him to modify one of his social stats by one.  Two levels may be used to create an emotional effect. *more elaboration on this later.  I suspect each "mask" forces an effect on an opponent who either fails or succeeds a virtue roll, but not both.*

The Greater Dharma allows the dreamshaper to take on a physical symbolic form, expressing his Nature to the world.  Each level may enhance a physical attribute by 1, or may be spent for other changes (use Beastman Gifts for inspiration).  The dreamshaper should be able to easily stunt why his new form is appropriate to his nature, and he must continually attempt to fulfull his nature as long as the tranformation is active, just as though he had no willpower.

Bonuses from True Masks Dharma count towards the maximum number of bonus dice on a single roll.

TrueMasksDharmaTranformations


**Brushing the Dreamer's Dharma**
Simple, Special, 4 motes + 1 WP for the Greater Dharma.

By observing a target, a dreamshaper may measure its dharma, seeing how the essential self shines through even in the stiflingly stable physical world.

The Lesser Dharma allows the dreamshaper to be aware of a single individual's dharma (the internal rules which define themselves).  This allows the dreamshaper to, with scrutiny, determine the target's nature, primary virtues, tainted virtues, and essence at least roughly, and sometimes to guage the amount of Taint in their soul.  This awareness, and an awareness of the target's location, persists for a scene and can be extended by activating the charm again.  Those who actively wish to conceal themselves may force the adept to roll Perception + Martial Arts with a difficulty of the target's Essence each time the charm is activated.

The Greater Dharma allows the dreamshaper to actually touch the target's dharma, either realigning it or knocking it out of alignment.  This requires an unarmed touch which does no damage, which may be an undamaging unarmed martial arts attack.  Those who have been this touched by the dreamshaper suffer terrible nightmares of impossible, alternate selves for a number of weeks equal to the results of a Charisma or Manipulation + Martial Arts roll.  These nightmares halve the effectiveness of sleep, both in term of essence mote and willpower regeneration, and the dreamshaper gains a glimps of his target's nightmares whenever his target is sleeping.  This sometimes provides enough of a link to use the Lesser Dharma.

A dreamshaper may also use Brushing the Dreamer's Greater Dharma to remove the effects of Brushing the Dreamer's Greater Dharma.  Some other techiques (herbal remedies, medicine charms, or even limit breaking) may also end the effects.

(I have no clue what the actual duration of the Greater Dharma should be.  The number there is utterly arbitrary, but it should probably be either days or weeks.  Perhaps days for Exalts, and weeks for mere normals?)


**Discipline's Avatar Dharma** (Ultimate Master Charm)
Simple, Scene, Varriable Mote Cost, + 1 Willpower for Greater Dharma

This charm is obviously only available to adepts, though there might (might) be corresponding charms for other types of things.

By using the charm, the adept infuses himself with the fundamental nature of his own discipline.  He spends a number of motes, which then become a discount on all charms of his discipline skills, reducing their mote costs by up to half in the manner of the No Moon anima power.

Either that is the Greater Dharma (really, even for an Ultimate Master Charm that's pretty scary), or there is no Lesser Dharma and the Greater Dharma allows you do to the same for all you favored skills (really scary on humans), or something that allows you to do something in particular, specific to your discipline and nature.

*other Discipline's Avatar Dharma ideas might be a 2 motes per die per action diceadder to any discipline skill*

<b>...</b> --2004/02/27 14:33 EST<br>
I'm looking forward to hearing just how crazy you think I am. --zebediah


<b>...</b> --2004/02/28 21:50 EST<br>
This does not feel like a martial art. You are not mimicing dreams to be good in combat, you are invoking them. This seems like a really cool and obscure lore or occult charm tree idea though.
-jss

<b>...</b> --2004/02/29 09:46 EST<br>
Yeah, actually, you're right--t succeeds in being part of the martial arts schtick in the "become a thing" axis, but fails on the "to be a total combat badass" axis.  With GM permission, I may try to turn it into what I always thought martial arts should be--a single tree that draws from multiple skills--pobably primarily Occult and the Nethermancer and Illusionist skills. I'll think on that.--zebediah