After consulting ancient codes in search of the dream lands, one night you went to sleep and started dreaming. It was not a dream like the others, it was vivid and real, so much so that you could not distinguish it from the wake. Time seems to pass more slowly in the Dream Lands and any attempt you made to wake up has been in vain. In this world, everyone addresses you by another name and claims that you have always been someone else. The memories of this identity of yours are vague and superimposed on your memories of the Waking World. Having Failed to find the way to awake, you started living your life here. The Dream is sometimes full of wonders, other times of unmentionable horrors and now you have to face this life beyond imagination. Now you are a Roamer of the Dream. Will you ever find a way to wake up?
Welcome to Roamers of the Dream - Web Version an old school inspired adventure game in which you play the role of a dream wanderer. The game system is simple to learn. You will find everything you need to create and play a character. Players will take on the role of Roamers who will have to live, survive and find a way to wake up before losing their lucidity for good.
You can find the print version at the itch.io page in many formats: pdf, epub, markdown and odt. The game is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0. Feel free to use texts or game mechanics to build up your own game. If you are searching a more generic version of the system, check out also GIST! the Generic Immediate System for Tabletop, onto Roamers is built on.
My name is Robert Howard Clark. Ever since I was young I've always been drawn to the occult and the power of dreams. That is why I have spent long years of my life searching for the keys to the Dreamlands, consulting dusty volumes of forgotten sciences. The research used my mental, physical and financial resources but, despite my spasmodic research, my efforts were worth nothing: the doors of the Dream remained closed. This until some time ago. I don't know how much time actually passed ... one night, after passing 3 o' clock in the morning, I lay down exhausted and started dreaming. This dream, however, is different from any other. It's vivid, it's lucid. I have full authority on the matter, I can make almost anything I think or want to happen. I woke up in the city of Dromar, on the shores of Lake Hali. It is a rich and lively city, inhabited by the descendants of ancient civilizations, above all the Atlanteans and Lemurians, who have a great weight here. Dromar is surrounded by pleasant countryside and dense forests, but the gaze lingers, in the distance beyond them, on the massive Walls that surround the city and its surroundings. They say that the Walls were erected for the safety of the dromarians, because outside it is not safe: there the Dream becomes incoherent and inhabited by unspeakable horrors. Here in Dromar I am another person. I didn't choose it, when I started dreaming I found myself in other clothes: those of Mathal the Wandering Healer. My appearance is also different. Everyone addresses me as Mathal, as if they had always known me in this role. I myself, if I concentrate, it is as if I remember two lives: that of Robert Howard Clark is clear in my mind, that of Mathal is like an echo that becomes, however, stronger and stronger as time passes. The dromarians understood what happened to me almost immediately and explained to me: I am a Roamer, an errant of the Dream. They were once common, indeed all their ancestors were Roamers. The more time passes, the less I become lucid and lose the ability to manipulate the Dream. They told me that one day I will not remember anything from the Wake and at that point I will be Mathal forever. Also, if I die here, my sleeping body in the Waking World will also die. I have to find a way to get out. There must be a way: artifacts, other occult tomes, portals ... I just have to venture out there, beyond the walls. Maybe, if I take on the Shifting Depths I'll find a way. I have to do something before I get trapped here.
Welcome to Roamers of the Dream, the old school inspired adventure game in which you play the role of a dream wanderer. The game system is simple to learn and in these pages you will find everything you need to create and play a character. In addition, the game setting, the city of Dromar of the Dream, is described. Players will take on the role of Roamers who will have to live, survive and find a way to wake up before losing their lucidity for good.
The Dreamlands have multiple levels of depth. The most superficial layer is that of dreams common to the people of the Waking World.
Below this is the collective unconscious, from which human beings can draw suggestions and ideas even when awake.
Below these commonly accessible levels there are more permanent Dreams, places the more real the deeper you go. The deepest level is where the city of Dromar is located.
Since the dawn of humanity, people have dreamed.
The first dreams were simple and related to everyday life: hunting, crafts, community.
As time went by, minds, relationships and lives became more complex and so did dreams.
Ideas colonized dreams and in return, dreams colonized ideas too, in a common and continuous cycle of growth.
The first to discover the shaping power of dreams were the aborigines of Australia. During the Dreamtime they used their innate dream control ability to shape their own reality.
They, however, were not the only ones nor the last.
After a few tens of thousands of years, two powerful rival civilizations arose: Atlantis and Lemuria.
The Atlanteans were well versed in science, while the Lemurians were more inclined towards Art and the beauty of things.
Both, however, despite their differences, were also thirsty for power and control and although they were divided by the vast African continent, it was not long before they came into conflict.
Their rivalry was not limited only to the physical plane. Through scientific studies one and the other mystics, they had managed to find the keys to the Dream: not only of the superficial dream nor the collective unconscious. They were able to penetrate the deeper levels of the Dream and shape it to their liking, learning the most sophisticated techniques of modeling reality. With that power they shaped both the Waking World and the Dream itself, transforming the latter into a world as physical and real as that of the Wake.
Both worlds ended up becoming their battlefield. The two civilizations clashed hard. In the Waking World they completely annihilated and disappeared from the face of the Earth. There was literally no physical trace of their lands, their memory present only in myths.
In the Dreamlands, the world they created on one of the Deep Planes, the clash was even more catastrophic, as the shaping power was stronger in the Dream than in the Waking.
To fight each other, they spawned nightmarish creatures that withered the earth and made the lands unlivable.
When the survivors of this cataclysmic war realized that their civilizations had been annihilated in the Vigil and it was impossible for them to awaken, they found themselves having to face the need to create a refuge in the Dream, to protect themselves from the nightmare they created themselves. and now threatening the only life left to cling to.
The survivors struck a truce and with the last remaining strength, they imagined a rich city on the banks of a pleasant lake, surrounded by dense forests and gentle countryside. They broke all this from massive walls over a hundred meters high and without doors and entrances, to isolate Dromar from the nightmare outside. After that, the Atlanteans and Lumurians formed a definitive alliance, as they had no place to live but the city of Dromar. Twelve members chosen from their families, six per genus, would hold the Council and rule Dromar of the Dream, so that no more conflict would ignite between their people.
They had not thought they had left traces of either their own civilizations or their discoveries in the Waking World. They were surprised when rarely, after an indefinite time, did any of them begin to remember a life other than their own, in a different time and place. They realized that the people experiencing these effects had been "possessed" by people from the Waking World who had accessed, without their being able to predict, to shreds of their ancient dream science.
They were rare at the beginning, coming from civilizations such as the Sumerians and the Egyptians, who had more directly remained in contact with their heritage (they were in fact vassals before the cataclysm).
Slowly, again for a very select few, the scraps of science spread around the world and more Wakers found themselves in Dromar. Those of them who did not abuse their innate power of self-awareness and Lucid Dreaming retained the memories of the Waking World and began colonizing Dromar like their predecessors, making their cultural contribution to an unlikely mix. Those who abused their powers underwent horrific and uncontrollable mutations and were isolated from the rest of the population. Others did not suffer such nefarious effects, but they lost consciousness of their self, only to remember their own life in Dromar.
The urbanized portion of the land within the Great Walls known as the City of Dromar is a vast settlement on the shores of Lake Hali and crossed by the Aras River. The center is walled by mighty fortifications and divides the noble city from the suburbs. At the center of the walled city is the Xudand Palace district, characterized by the eclectic and syncretic forms of Atlantean and Lemurian architecture. Originally a step pyramid, with later additions the building plan was enriched with additional wings. In the center, the imposing pyramid is the symbol of the government of the Twelve, the Permanent Council appointed from among the great families of the Alliance.
This area is heavily guarded and access is granted to ordinary citizens only for hearings, direct convocations or during the annual Dromar foundation celebration festival.
Around the palace district stands the noble quarter of the Great Families.
The North and South districts extend immediately outside this nucleus, while to the east is the Sarrozul district, the district of officials of Sumerian and Egyptian origin.
Beyond the Aras River rises the less affluent district of Zissent Side, characterized by the mixture of the people who more recently colonized Dromar.
Outside the walls, the sparse West and Summer Districts extend to the south. To the east of the walled city lies the dense suburb of Riaroashast East, inhabited by the poorer classes of Dromarian society. To the north, the suburb of Rainreach, with a predominantly population of Japanese descent, serves as a base for the workers of the rural area extending beyond to the northeast.
At the top of the social pyramid are the descendants of Atlanteans and Lemurians. Ever since they formed the Alliance, the friction between the two populations has been minimal and more attributable to a silent cold war. Open conflicts between the two sides are severely nipped in the bud, but the intrigue of the court and between noble families is on the agenda.
Political marriages between the parties are obviously frequent and therefore it is actually difficult to really distinguish the two populations except for the general attitude and customs.
The Atlanteans are recognized for their haughty and regal bearing and their detached attitude. Lemurians are used to heavy make-up in gaudy colors and are famous for elaborate body painting.
The two peoples, in addition to being at the top of society, are also a good half of the population of Dromar.
A step immediately below is the one occupied by the descendants of Egyptians and Sumerians, who have assumed the social role of officials and notables of Dromar. They have retained much of the customs of the Waking World, including clothing and religion.
Under them the descendants of the Dreamers of Indian, Japanese and European origin. The Japanese turned to agriculture and founded the semi-independent village of Rainreach just outside the walls on the north side of the walled city. The neighborhood is characterized by the typical taste of traditional Japanese houses and some individuals have enriched themselves sufficiently to have an economic (even if not social) status equal to that of the Notable Class. Indians and Europeans mingled in an indistinct mixture of people of middle and low social status, who mostly filled the southern suburbs and the Zissent Side district within the walls.
Much of the territory of Dromar actually extends between the walled city and the Great Border Walls that isolate the region from the outside.
The walls, more than one hundred meters high, are massive and impenetrable, without any access, built with the abilities of the lost Science of Dreaming and a power that the present inhabitants of Dromar, descendants of the builders, would not know how to employ.
No walkway has been planned on the walls, and it is impossible to climb them. The walls also extend over the surface of Lake Hali, making practicable only a part of the inlet on which the City is built.
Beyond the suburbs and countryside of Dromar, pleasant slopes and dense forests extend. Two ancient roads lead north. At one time they connected the main city to smaller villages located on the hills. These villages were completely abandoned long ago.
The history of Dromar is long and not fully known even to its inhabitants. The only repositories of its recorded history are the tomes of the Xudand Palace Library. If you could freely access it (but access is indeed restricted by the Order of Librarians) you could discover information on various settlements and abandoned outposts in the thick of the forests. Dromarians usually do not venture there, but it is not forbidden to do so if some reckless dared.
The forests are inhabited by various dream creatures, as are the waters of Lake Hali.
Venturing into the Shifting Depths is extremely dangerous and rarely does anyone who ventures there come back alive without suffering permanent consequences. The Depths is what remains of the matter of the Dream that did not take a definite shape when the city of Dromar was created.Venturing into the Shifting Depths is extremely dangerous and those who do venture rarely come back alive and if they do it is not without permanent consequences. The Depths is what remains of the matter of the Dream that did not take a definite shape when the city of Dromar was created. It is strictly forbidden to go down and there are very few entrances from which to enter. A well-guarded entrance is the portal, always sealed, located in the second underground level of the Xudand Palace. The guardhouse is placed to defend both the insane who want to violate the seals from the outside, and for any threats that might penetrate the Depths. It is not entirely impossible to bribe the officer on guard, but persuading him not to report you requires a particular dose of Personality, as well as a large amount of money to offer a large bribe. Despite the attempts to defend the Shifting Depths, the changing matter of which it is formed continues to open ephemeral portals in random places in the city. Not only do creatures of the Dream and the Nightmare emerge from these, but you can use them to access the Depths themselves. The Depths will take on the aspect of dismal subdivisions to the mad adventurers, since it is the only aspect they will be able to perceive of a matter that really has no form or identity. The "rooms" of the depths have no real rationality or coherence and it is impossible to map them. Whenever you venture into a new area, retracing your way to the surface backwards will not be possible. The only way out will be to try to find a new portal to the outside. Two reasons can push the Roamers to venture into these dangerous depths: given the changing nature of those places, it is possible that the wishes of the dreamers take consistency in objects of rare value and power. Furthermore, walking the Depths is the only way to get past the Great Walls and access the Dream region outside Dromar.
Every action in the game is a task. Many of them can be adjudicated from the context and how the player describes the character performing them. Sometimes a check will be needed.
To determine the success of any task which outcome is not obvious nor granted, there are two types of check:
Opposition Check: performed when two characters oppose one another. Both of them roll 2d6 and add modifiers, re-rolling ties. Who rolls higher wins.
Target Number Check: performed, when the Referee determines a fixed difficulty, as follows:
Roll 2d6.
Add the roll modifiers granted by stats, skills or gear.
Compare the modified roll to the target number: if the result is equal or greater, the action succeeds.
| Target Number | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| 2 | Trivial |
| 4 | Easy |
| 6 | Routine |
| 8 | Average |
| 10 | Hard |
| 12 | Very hard |
| 14 | Nearly Hopeless |
A natural roll of 2 or 12 (without applying any modifier) is always a Critical Failure or Success.
Character generation is very streamlined: you can start the game within minutes and the character sheets can be contained in an index card. The same procedure is used by the Referee to generate foes and NPCs:
Roll 2d6 six times and assign to stats in order or as you wish.
Choose or roll an Occupation. The character is able to do anything related to their occupation as a Skilled Level skill. Tools of the trade are also taken for granted.
(Optional) Choose or roll a Trait.
Choose three skills and distribute among them 6 score points. The maximum score for a skill in character generation is 3.
Choose or roll a Name (or make your own).
Roll 16+5d6 to determine character's Age.
Choose or roll Temperament.
Choose or roll Ancestry.
Starting Lucidity is 2 + 1d2 (roll a d6, odds are equal to 1, even are equal to 2).
Choose two items as starting gear.
Might (MIG): physical prowess, power and strength.
Agility (AGI): quickness, the ability of moving quickly and easily.
Shape (SHA): physical resistance and ability to sustain stain and damage.
Mind (MIN): the measure of intelligence, common sense and spiritual power.
Knowledge (KNO): the measure of learning and experience.
Personality (PER): emotional strength, personality and standing
A Stat score determines both the Roll Modifier to apply to Checks and the Level to be used as a freeform qualitative indicator of the Stat rank.
The scale may go beyond 17. These scores are super-human domains. To determine a Roll Modifier take the score divided by 3, truncate decimals and then subtract 2.
| Stat Score | Roll Modifier | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 2 | -2 | Abysmal |
| 3 - 5 | -1 | Poor |
| 6 - 8 | 0 | Mediocre |
| 9 - 11 | +1 | Good |
| 12 - 14 | +2 | Great |
| 15 - 17 | +3 | Superb |
If circumstances impact negatively a character's Stat, its score may temporarily drop to a lower Level. For example, when a character with a Good Personality loses a social contest, their Personality drops to Mediocre Level.
The following occupations are deliberately vague and evocative, without a neat description. The player chooses how to play the role and interpret their characteristics.
In agreement with the referee, the player may propose an occupation of his own design.
| D66 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Windwalker | Hunter | Inquisitor | Stalker | Jester | Arachnomaster |
| 2 | Adept | Valkyrie/Berserker | Mystic | Binder | Spellsword | Warpriest |
| 3 | Transmuter | Arcanist | Shadowblade | Healer | Chameleon | Stormcaster |
| 4 | Scavenger | Conjurer | Seer | Mauler | Totemist | Beastmaster |
| 5 | Spellsinger | Trickster | Soulknife | Outrider | Geomancer | Shadowsmith |
| 6 | Lorechaser | Shadowstalker | Elementalist | Pathfinder | Doomcaster | Shaman |
Traits can be used to enhance the character's conception and background and to provide a prompt to the player of how to play the role. Traits are entirely optional.
| D66 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hilarious | Jittery | Foolish | Ritzy | Lethal | Hideous |
| 2 | Puny | Literate | Pure | Sneaky | Weary | Fearless |
| 3 | Clumsy | Mushy | Classy | Disillusioned | Witty | Classy |
| 4 | Gentle | Fierce | Greedy | Ruthless | Whimsical | Greasy |
| 5 | Ill-fated | Wacky | Craven | Wise | Rude | Judicious |
| 6 | Quaint | Spiritual | Quixotic | Elfin | Wandering | Cheerful |
Roll on the following table to determine a character's temperament or choose one. Then consult the Temperament Table to know how to play it.
| D66 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Observer | Peacemaker | Loyalist | Enthusiast | Challenger | Peacemaker |
| 2 | Perfectionist | Performer | Individualist | Loyalist | Enthusiast | Challenger |
| 3 | Helper | Perfectionist | Performer | Individualist | Loyalist | Enthusiast |
| 4 | Observer | Helper | Perfectionist | Performer | Individualist | Loyalist |
| 5 | Challenger | Observer | Helper | Perfectionist | Performer | Individualist |
| 6 | Enthusiast | Challenger | Observer | Helper | Peacemaker | Peacemaker |
The Temperament table provides a concise description of the character's psychology.
| Profile | Fixation | Holy idea | Temptation | Vice | Virtue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfectionist | Resentment | Perfection | Hypocrisy, hypercriticism | Anger | Serenity |
| Helper | Flattery | Freedom, Will | Deny own needs, manipulation | Pride | Humility |
| Performer | Vanity | Hope, Law | Pushing self to always be "the best" | Deceit | Truthfulness, Authenticity |
| Individualist | Melancholy | Origin | To overuse imagination in search of self | Envy | Equanimity (Emotional Balance) |
| Observer | Stinginess | Omniscience, transparency | Replacing direct experience with concepts | Avarice | Non-Attachment |
| Loyalist | Cowardice | Faith | Indecision, doubt, seeking reassurance | Fear | Courage |
| Enthusiast | Planning | Wisdom, Plan | Thinking fulfillment is somewhere else | Gluttony | Sobriety |
| Challenger | Vengeance | Truth | Thinking they are completely self-sufficient | Lust | Innocence |
| Peacemaker | Indolence | Love | Avoiding conflicts, avoiding self-assertion | Sloth | Action |
The Dream has been "colonized" by all those who have accessed it voluntarily or have been trapped by inability to wake up or loss of Lucidity (see A brief history of the Dreamlands). Various peoples of antiquity and later have discovered the doors of the Dream. This is why your character, when they are embodied in an individual in the Dream, will have an Ancestry (see Social Hierarchy to know what impact this can have).
| D66 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlantean | Lemurian | Egyptian | Sumerian | Japanese | European |
| 2 | Atlantean | Lemurian | Egyptian | Sumerian | Japanese | European |
| 3 | Atlantean | Lemurian | Lemurian | Sumerian | Japanese | Indian |
| 4 | Atlantean | Lemurian | Lemurian | Sumerian | Japanese | Indian |
| 5 | Atlantean | Atlantean | Lemurian | Egyptian | European | Indian |
| 6 | Atlantean | Atlantean | Lemurian | Egyptian | European | Indian |
Any useful skill, in a situation that requires a check, grants a roll modifier equal to its score. The total score of all the character's skills may not exceed the sum of Mind and Knowledge scores.
Note that every character has each of the nine fundamental skills at Skilled Level. Skills are a situational bonus to be added to a roll.
| Skill Score | Level |
|---|---|
| 0 | Skilled |
| 1 | Competent |
| 2 | Professional |
| 3 | Veteran |
| 4 | Master |
The nine skills fall under primary domains of competence and could be enough to play. Referees may expand or modify the list, maybe branching each skill into a tree, as they see fit.
Note, however, that Magic and Lucidity should be kept in the list if you are going to use the free-form magic system proposed below.
Athletic: agility, stamina, strength, sports.
Artistic: creativity, artist, musician, singer, actor.
Intellectual: knowledge, wisdom, medicine.
Magic: abitily to cast spells.
Martial: brawling, wrestling, combat, warfare.
Primal: will, insight, fortitude, sixth sense.
Skillful: "hands stuff", tracking, burglary, sailing.
Social: speaking, carousing, gossip, etiquette.
Lucidity: level of consciousness of the waking self (see below).
A Dreamer who has a high Level of Lucidity may cast spells as well, but can not develop a Magic Skill until Lucidity drops to Skilled (Zero) Level.
Lucidity is the measure of a character's awareness of their dreaming state. A Master Level of Lucidity means that a character is fully aware to be in a dream and can easily manipulate the dreaming matter.
More the time a character spends in the dream, the more the level of Lucidity will tend to decrease. This leads to an increasingly lower awareness and control of the dreaming state, which directly affects the ability to effectively cast spells.
Any useful item, for a task that requires a Check, grants a +1 roll modifier. There are three types of gear: tools, armors and weapons.
The Dream has a technological level more or less coinciding with the early 19th Century of the Waking World. Advances are held back by Dromar's isolation from the Outside and from the fact that new Roamers rarely arrive or that they do not maintain Lucidity for a long time to be able to introduce substantial innovations.
Tools are generic items that can be useful for carrying out your activities. A list of these is not provided and it is left to the players, with the referee's approval, to choose which tools are consistent with the character and setting. Remember that the tools of the trade of an occupation are taken for granted.
Armor items grant a damage reduction ranging between 1 and 3, depending on the thickness.
| Armor | Damage Reduction |
|---|---|
| Leather | -1 |
| Chain | -2 |
| Plate | -3 |
| Weapon | Classification | Relevant Stat | Rarity | Attack Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle axe | Bludgeoning | Might | Uncommon | +1 |
| Mace | Bludgeoning | Might | Uncommon | +1 |
| War hammer | Bludgeoning | Might | Uncommon | +2 |
| Arming sword | Slashing | Might | Common | +1 |
| Dagger | Slashing | Might | Common | - |
| Estoc | Slashing | Might | Uncommon | +1 |
| Falchion | Slashing | Might | Rare | +1 |
| Katana | Slashing | Might | Rare | +3 |
| Knife | Slashing | Might | Common | - |
| Longsword | Slashing | Might | Uncommon | +2 |
| Rapier | Slashing | Might | Common | +1 |
| Sabre | Slashing | Might | Common | +1 |
| Shortsword | Slashing | Might | Common | +1 |
| Glaive | Polearm | Might | Rare | +1 |
| Halberd | Polearm | Might | Uncommon | +1 |
| Lance | Polearm | Might | Common | +1 |
| Pike | Polearm | Might | Common | +1 |
| Swordstaff | Polearm | Might | Rare | +1 |
| War scythe | Polearm | Might | Rare | +1 |
| Longbow | Bow | Agility | Common | +1 |
| Crossbow | Bow | Agility | Uncommon | +2 |
| Bombard | Firearm | Agility | Rare | +3 |
| Cannon | Firearm | Agility | Rare | +4 |
| Culverin | Firearm | Agility | Rare | +1 |
| Hand cannon | Firearm | Agility | Rare | +2 |
| Mortar | Firearm | Agility | Rare | +3 |
| Musket | Firearm | Agility | Uncommon | +2 |
| Chakram | Throwing | Agility | Uncommon | +1 |
| Francisca | Throwing | Agility | Common | +1 |
| Kunai | Throwing | Agility | Rare | +2 |
| Shuriken | Throwing | Agility | Rare | +1 |
| Throwing knife | Throwing | Agility | Common | +1 |
| Throwing spear | Throwing | Agility | Common | +2 |
Combat is a task checked by Opposition, split up in rounds. Every round a character has two actions chosen from: move, attack, defense, use of powers. It is possible to perform a double action (of the same type) forgoing the other.
The combat procedure takes place as follows:
Each side determines initiative by rolling 2d6. Who rolls higher acts first. Agility and relevant skills modifiers are applied to this roll.
On their turn, characters take their actions.
The round ends. Repeat steps 2-3 until the combat ends.
Once applied every relevant modifier (if a Critical is not rolled), the higher rolls wins.
Stat and Skills Modifiers are situational and depend also on the attack type. The Referee has to adjudicate which modifier is adequate to the situation.
A character has a total of Hit Points equal to Shape score multiplied by 2.
Every time an attack hits an opponent, the difference between the rolls is applied to the losing side as damage. Armor reduces the damage by its score.
If the parrying opponent throws higher than the attackers, this does not apply as damage.
A Critical is an automatic success/failure: the opponent HP is halved (rounded down).
When the total damage is equal to a third of total HP, the character is wounded and unable to use their Stat modifiers.
When the total damage is equal to two third of total HP, the character is severely wounded and unable to combat further. If a character blows on a severely wounded opponent, the latter may be dead or definitely out of combat. The winner chooses the opponent's final fate.
When HPs drop to 0, the character falls unconscious and makes a Shape Check against 10+. On failure the character is dead.
A wounded character recovers half of their Hit Points if wounds are treated after the combat with bandages and medicament. A severely wounded character needs immediate medical treatment by an expert in a dedicated facility. If the treatment is not feasible, the character makes a Shape Check against 10+ every hour. On failure, the character loses an amount of HP equal to the difference between the roll and 10. If HPs drop to 0, immediately perform the same check. On failure the character is dead.
After an amount of days equal to damage divided by 4 of rest a wounded character recovers their full HP. A severely wounded character needs a hospitalization period in days equal to damage divided by 2 rounded up.
Everyone with Magic or Lucidity skill may try to cast a spell. Spells are invoked by wording a simple frase composed by an action verb and an object.
To cast a spell a player has to make a Magic/Lucidity Check against the difficulty set by the Referee.
As a baseline, here is the Difficulty level by Magic/Lucidity:
| Magic/Lucidity | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Unskilled | Hopeless |
| Skilled | Very Hard |
| Competent | Hard |
| Professional | Routine |
| Master | Easy |
Note that difficulty is situational and it is perfectly feasible in a desperate situation that even a Master may confront a Difficult task.
There are five main action verbs a character must state to set a spell:
Convey: to move/communicate
Feel: to perceive/sense
Create: to grow/mutate/heal
Control: to manipulate/command/master
Destroy: to weak/break/damage
There are six possible objects for a spell:
Energy: this include electricity and fire among others.
Matter: every tangible and natural element such as objects, water, air and so on.
Time: the space-time fabric, limited to the Dream.
Mind: everything that deals with mental domains.
Body: the physical part of a person or creature.
Soul: everything that deals with spiritual force.
When a character fails a Magic Check, it is mandatory to roll on the Accidents Table. Accidents may be bland or severe and cause injury, mutations or even the loss of Lucidity/Magic themselves.
| D66 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucidity/Magic Loss | Mutation | Mutation | Mutation | Mutation | Mutation |
| 2 | Mutation | Lucidity/Magic Loss | Mutation | Mutation | Mutation | Mutation |
| 3 | Mutation | Mutation | Lucidity/Magic Loss | Injury | Injury | Injury |
| 4 | Mutation | Mutation | Injury | Lucidity/Magic Loss | Injury | Injury |
| 5 | Mutation | Mutation | Injury | Injury | Lucidity/Magic Loss | Injury |
| 6 | Mutation | Mutation | Injury | Injury | Injury | Lucidity/Magic Loss |
You lose one Level of the skill you're using to cast the spell. Just remember that a if your Lucidity Score is 0 (Skilled Level) and you suffer a loss, this will cause permanent loss of self-consciousness, turning the character into an NPC.
Also, a Magic loss at a Skilled Level causes the temporary inability to use the skill for 1d6 days.
Mutations can have negative, neutral or positive effects. These accumulate with each subsequent roll.
| Roll (D66) | Effect |
|---|---|
| 11 | Scales: you become slightly repellent on sight (PER-1) |
| 12 | Crab Claws: your hand become claws (Natural Weapon +1) |
| 13 | Fangs: your teeth and mouth develops in a full animal jaw (PER-2, Natural Weapon +1) |
| 14 | Serpentine Tail: it instantly grows from your back. It may be used as a whip (PER-2, Natural Weapon +1) |
| 15 | Monkey Tail: it instantly grows from your back. It may be used as a prehensile appendage and you can hide it enveloping around your waist (AGI+1) |
| 16 | Feathered Wings: they instantly grow behind your back. You gain Flight+1 and become pleasing to see and revered as an angelic creature (PER+3) |
| 21 | Bat Wings: they instantly grow behind your back. You gain Flight+1, but become heavily repellent on sight (PER-3). |
| 22 | Ageing: you age by 1d6*4 years. If you age over 10 years, roll on the injury table also. |
| 23 | Rejuvenate: you rejuvenate by 1d6*4 years. If your final age is lower than 15, you awake. Otherwise, choose a random Stat between Might/Agility/Shape. That Stat increases by a d6/2 roll. |
| 24 | Gender Swap: you become an individual of the opposite sex. |
| 25 | Ethnic Minority: you become an individual of an ethnic minority. This may have consequences on your social status or acceptance. |
| 26 | Devouring Cancer: you develop an aggressive tumor that will kill you in 2d6 months. The tumor could be healed with a spell. Pain halves Lucidity levels (round up) after half of the illness period. |
| 31 | Wilting Limb: one of your limbs wilts (AGI-2) |
| 32 | Animal Whisperer: assume the ability to understand what animals say and feel. |
| 33 | Tinnitus: a persistent noise affects your ears to the point that over time you are no longer able to hear anything else. |
| 34 | Flashing Flakes: the vision is blurred by bright flashes that look like snowflakes. Over time this situation worsens, effectively making a person completely blind (AGI-3). |
| 35 | Night Crawler: the victim of this mutation becomes a totally nocturnal creature, which receives damage from direct sunlight (SHA-2 permanently on each exposition to the sun). During the day, the victim suffers the effects of sleepiness typical of the night for the diurnal ones (AGI-1 during the day). |
| 36 | Rotting Flesh: the victim's flesh begins to rot and flake off. This is a purely aesthetic effect, the victim remains in excellent physical health, but repellent to sight and smell (PER-4). |
| 41 | Splitted Soul: Your soul divided into two parts and you develop a second personality. Roll again on the Temperament Table to determine it (reroll if Temperament is the same as the current one). |
| 42 | Dark Viewer: your sight becomes extremely sensible to light. During the night you can see perfectly, but in the sunlight you risk to damage your eyes if unprotected. (+2 in darkness, -2 in daylight on all physical rolls). |
| 43 | Tentacles: one of the limbs becomes a tentacle (PER-2). In some situations this could be useful for grabbing things or people. |
| 44 | Bone-Blades: the bones of the arms and hands are welded into a single elongated bone, pointed and cutting, as if the arm became a bone sword (treat this as a slashing weapon. PER-1). |
| 45 | Cannibalistic Urge: you suffer from an irrepressible hunger for fresh human flesh, which subsides only once satisfied. The mutation is triggered immediately and then occurs without warning and with unexpected frequency at other times. It can be extremely dangerous for fellow adventurers. |
| 46 | Excessive Legs: you grow another leg (PER-3, AGI+2). |
| 51 | Dog Ears: the ears change into those of a dog, this effect has an aesthetic impact, but also a functional one: hearing becomes more acute and capable of picking up frequencies beyond those of the human ear (PER-1, Enhanced Hearing). |
| 52 | Epiphany: the effort of the spell opens the doors of perception and makes your mind more powerful (MIN+2). |
| 53 | Hawk Eye: eyesight becomes incredibly sharp (enhanced sight). |
| 54 | Chitinous Skin: a chitinous layer covers all the skin making it much more resistant to wounds (SHA +1). |
| 55 | Hind Legs: the legs arch like those of a cat, making the victim more agile and faster (PER-1, AGI+2) |
| 56 | Mighty Thew: your muscles become hypertrophied, increasing strength and giving a vigorous appearance (MIG+2) |
| 61 | Compulsive Rage: Uncontrollable rage overtakes you at any given moment and the fury sets you off for 4d6 minutes. Nothing can calm you down, in those moments you could kill your best friend without wanting to. Anger is unleashed when you are under pressure or suffer injury. |
| 62 | Ridged Forehead: a bony crest grows on your forehead (PER-1). |
| 63 | Living Skeleton: your flesh and muscles atrophy so much that the skin seems to directly dress your bones. Other than that you suffer no permanent health effects, but you are not a pretty sight (PER-3). |
| 64 | Burning Blood: Your blood becomes a corrosive acid when exposed to air. The effect of the acid does not harm you as long as the blood flows through the veins. |
| 65 | Ruinous Gaze: Whatever you look at, it disintegrates at the sight. Better if you keep your eyes closed. |
| 66 | Soul Eater: Normal food is no longer able to support you. The only way you have to feed yourself is to absorb the souls of the creatures you kill. This is the only way you can get hold of them. |
Injuries are traumatic events that usually affect physical Stats, but in rare cases damage also Mental Stats and even cause death.
| 2D6 | Injury |
|---|---|
| 2 | You are dead |
| 3 | You lose 2+1d3 Might |
| 4 | You lose 2 point on the Mind Score |
| 5 | Choose one of the following Stats: Agility, Might and Shape.You lose 3 point. |
| 6 | Choose one of the following Stats: Agility, Might and Shape.You lose 2 point. |
| 7 | Choose one of the following Stats: Agility, Might and Shape.You lose 1 point. |
| 8 | Choose one of the following Stats: Agility, Might and Shape.You lose 2 point. |
| 9 | Choose one of the following Stats: Agility, Might and Shape.You lose 3 point. |
| 10 | You lose 2 point on the Knowledge Score |
| 11 | You lose 2+1d3 Shape |
| 12 | You are miraculously unharmed |
Dream Creatures are colorful and unlike anything you might encounter in Wake or the more superficial levels of Dreaming. They divide by size, having a different impact on their physical characteristics. Sentient beings are effectively NPCs, but they have no limitations on characteristics and abilities like humans. To build the other creatures, the reference table below may be useful.
| Size | Might | Agility | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiny | 1d3 | 1d6 | 1d3 |
| Small | 1d6 | 1d6 | 1d6 |
| Medium | 2d6 | 2d6 | 2d6 |
| Large | 3d6 | 2d6+2 | 3d6 |
| Very Large | 4d6 | 2d6 | 4d6 |
| Massive | 5d6 | 2d6-2 | 5d6 |
| Colossal | 6d6 | 2d6-4 | 6d6 |
| D666 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Nodokatsu | Uille | Keishwetha | Ruarial | Stéardik | Harunda |
| 12 | Paulia | Dubhghain | Kayoi | Peignach | Henripesh | Isayoko |
| 13 | Nihirofumi | Phaëlle | Adimi | Ruadhnaith | Míchelle | Ayanao |
| 14 | Yasuteri | Anuel | Nichikazu | Sanièle | Vindar | Balla |
| 15 | Yoshime | Patrichín | Daikl | Vendré | Munil | Shunta |
| 16 | Sakumasa | Clanck | Tejalata | Smeetal | Clarajendra | Clauri |
| 21 | Hirohikō | Jacquel | Yosuke | Canin | Aoibhne | Rielmo |
| 22 | Shigenni | Muirial | Yoshinjō | Yamie | Tiarán | Albertoly |
| 23 | Katsunejirō | Neamhnach | Smeetake | Éibhe | Earguette | Matimi |
| 24 | Anish | Phaël | Tamilissa | Danirban | Agnolod | Takeyan |
| 25 | Dubhghar | Maurette | Bréada | Laksha | Toshiho | Yugesh |
| 26 | Amhón | Munisharath | Mathal | Umasatabely | Massim | Alent |
| 31 | Órlait | Amhán | Dubhaveena | Melica | Motoakiko | Comhán |
| 32 | Vrushahbaz | Laurette | Gopindira | Vanshō | Nehiko | Ailibhne |
| 33 | Feidheall | Pierna | Vendumarish | Masashana | Davia | Brónán |
| 34 | Laude | Muiri | Odileach | Rajit | Shitesh | Chaince |
| 35 | Patric | Fintal | Vinchar | Pujatarō | Agafonio | Chaël |
| 36 | Sweta | Maoibeárla | Satyank | Noriyukie | Sachela | Muireabh |
| 41 | Naraymond | Fabrigheas | Grégis | Harshal | Narian | Sachna |
| 42 | Harles | Máireamhach | Ginivas | Shunsako | Yōsuki | Surette |
| 43 | Hatiana | Dabhach | Kumio | Roibhil | Séamod | Etsuei |
| 44 | Sanatha | Devanan | Avdik | Caoibhine | Damitaramed | Camira |
| 45 | Savide | Tuathi | Antella | Aruno | Subranielle | Tomon |
| 46 | Palla | Uillia | Masayoshio | Caoibhlain | Hernan | Kaila |
| 51 | Ryōseiji | Sophinne | Vitto | Bipankar | Roine | Cesaria |
| 52 | Nerion | Bhupindriel | Asata | Prakesh | Neabh | Adria |
| 53 | Ravinori | Muirghearaj | Michi | Meall | Ramed | Rajime |
| 54 | Yoshiyuka | Lorali | Aureano | Ranganesh | Jenne | Ludovicolò |
| 55 | Lenaida | Floria | Andhya | Mayan | Greachán | Tadaakihiro |
| 56 | Tante | Cúmhac | Kenti | Amira | Sével | Tsuke |
| 61 | Nichi | Kihiron | Nicolaudio | Gopina | Oresh | Shika |
| 62 | Naoshiori | Prata | Santio | Kersante | Phannesh | Tatsugu |
| 63 | Kanamiakio | Vadia | Susando | Maximilena | Severo | Rinji |
| 64 | Avdeyuka | Bhars | Aryamayya | Bastino | Amvrosip | Ninana |
| 65 | Nagemasano | Ferner | Armina | Agostavim | Avdiktorita | Olgerma |
| 66 | Nagamao | Manmohankaj | Soniami | Larandrea | Pranish | Stendra |
This game is the first attempt to develop a full set from the GIST! toolkit.
It draws its inspiration from numerous sources and rulesets. The biggest influences come from Traveller and Cepheus Engine (for the main resolution system), Maze Rats (for the use of random tables) and FUDGE (for free-form magic and difficulty scale).
The temperaments are derived from the Enneagram of Personality and the table is taken and adapted from Wikipedia.
The city of Dromar draws inspiration from the works of Yoshitoshi ABe (Haibane Renmei) and Haruki Murakami (Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World). No reference to the works of Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan) is intended.
The Dreamlands and Lake Hali pay homage to the pioneers of the fantastic: H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Ambrose Bierce and Robert W. Chambers.
Special thanks to Giuseppe Cavallini and Pieralberto Cavallo for their support and suggestions while writing Roamers of the Dreams. And obviously to my wife Cristina for allowing me to dedicate myself to the creation of this game and giving valuable advice on design and layout.
Roamers of the Dream: And Old School Adventure Game in the Dreamlands.
Texts, maps, design and layout: 2021 by Roberto Bisceglie
Maps generated with Medieval Fantasy City Generator by watabou and edited in open source software.
Cover Illustration: Aurora Borealis in High Latitudes from the book William MacKenzie’s National Encyclopedia (1891).
Interior Illustrations generated in Artbreeder under the Creative Commons CC0 license.
“Roamers of the Dream” and “Wolf Moon Games” are trademarks of Roberto Bisceglie, all rights are reserved.
Texts and maps are released under CC-BY-SA 4.0.
Dedicated to my wife Cristina.
To stay up to date on errata, new material and editions, visit the project page: https://zeruhur.itch.io/roamers-of-the-dream