So ... in one homebrew world, there's a land 'across the mountains' where dwell the 'beast headed men'.
On one level they're just gnolls, yuan-ti, kenku, and so on. On another, I want that place to be different. Like, weird different. And one idea I have is the Cult of Dreams. The Cult of Dreams are an order of monks, who - though the power of meditation and focus - restrict access to the Realm of Dreams. Basically, unless you pay up - you cannot sleep. Bam. On a sidenote, elves can meditate all they like, but they also get no rests unless they pay.
Obviously, this is kinda absurd, but I so happen to like it.
Now, I want something slightly more sinister than a money grabbing scheme. Not least because ... it has to be something everyone can pay, right? Everyone needs sleep, so it doesn't work unless the poor and desperate have some way to pay.
Enter the Dream Tithe: If you lack the coin to pay, you can pay with dreams. Once per week, you put on a medallion, and sleep wearing that. You awake rested and fresh, having dreamt nothing. Right?
So .. what is the Dream Tithe? Do the dreamers work in dream slave pits, or are souls slowly drained, or are suggestions perhaps planted in their minds?
It needn't be like, super nefarious and evil. Just wicked enough to be disconcerting.
Any ideas? =)
By the way, the Cult is composed primarily (maybe entirely) of kenku monks. Because who else?
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Some games have sanity points much like exhaustion. You could slowly build up or take away sanity points due to not feeling anything in their dreams, the lack of dreaming having an adverse effect. Maybe there is a way to gain sanity back. If someone is reqiring a tithe from your players and this is a dark setting, I tend to like the sanity system rather than exhaustion. Though the effects could be similar. Maybe multiple long rests build to one sanity point being lost. Or one insanity point being gained. However you want to word it.
How has everyone been affected by the kenku monks having sealed the dream world away. Have certain gods made it their champion's mission to investigate or unseal the dream gate?
Back to your question, what is the dream tithe? What do the kenku monks get out of receiving other's dreams? Does it increase their ability to speak (mimic) or to experience more outside of their realm? After reading your post I am drawn to the TV series "Sandman". Might be able to get some ideas from that.
If the kenku are involved, maybe this is a plot to get their creativity back?
I ... don't subscribe to the fluff published by the Wizards. They ... lost their creativity?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Some games have sanity points much like exhaustion. You could slowly build up or take away sanity points due to not feeling anything in their dreams, the lack of dreaming having an adverse effect. Maybe there is a way to gain sanity back. If someone is reqiring a tithe from your players and this is a dark setting, I tend to like the sanity system rather than exhaustion. Though the effects could be similar. Maybe multiple long rests build to one sanity point being lost. Or one insanity point being gained. However you want to word it.
How has everyone been affected by the kenku monks having sealed the dream world away. Have certain gods made it their champion's mission to investigate or unseal the dream gate?
Back to your question, what is the dream tithe? What do the kenku monks get out of receiving other's dreams? Does it increase their ability to speak (mimic) or to experience more outside of their realm? After reading your post I am drawn to the TV series "Sandman". Might be able to get some ideas from that.
Hm, Sanity is an option. I had been planning on using exhaustion. And of course casters can't replenish spell slots.
Not everyone in the world is affected - but everyone in the 'lands of the beastheaded men'. There's a whole 'spheres of influence' system below everything. Gods are substantially 'smaller' in this world. Still, it's interesting that no god has taken an interest. In part, it's because gods can only interfere in their own 'realm' as well as 'sphere of influence'. But surely there should have been a god of dreams somewhere who should have taken offense at this. Hm =)
Maybe that god has a substantial following of kenku? This isn't known, at least not to my players.
I'm not quite sure what the kenku gain. They are dream monks, and I'm fairly sure it they are doing important stuff in the dream world that requires more 'dream power' than they themselves can generate. Is what they're doing nefarious? Maybe, haven't decided yet. Anyways I'm also pretty sure it gives them powers in the real world - propably it just gives them a feat that let's them cast a few spells. But ... maybe more at higher levels.
It's possible there were two gods with domains related to dreams. And one was the kenku god, and the other was ... someone else. A nice dream lady. And the kenku dreamt up (yea yea) this scheme to secure all dreams for their god.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
If the kenku are involved, maybe this is a plot to get their creativity back?
I ... don't subscribe to the fluff published by the Wizards. They ... lost their creativity?
In their original 5E write-up in Volo's Guide to Monsters, kenku had been afflicted by an ancient curse from a powerful fey that robbed them of all creative ability. They couldn't even learn to speak, only mimic words (and other sounds) they'd previously heard. This was removed when they were revised for Mordenkainin Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
In their original 5E write-up in Volo's Guide to Monsters, kenku had been afflicted by an ancient curse from a powerful fey that robbed them of all creative ability. They couldn't even learn to speak, only mimic words (and other sounds) they'd previously heard. This was removed when they were revised for Mordenkainin Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.
Right.
Generally speaking, our corporate overlords are surprisingly crap at anything creative. The backgrounds they are able to come up with for damn near anything - that I can recall offhand - is just ... terrible. I mean ... I have no issue with kenku speaking in mimiced voices - I kinda like it. But a curse just doesn't work as a reason. What evil wizard, when he's about to curse an entire race of creatures, comes up with "mwahahahaha!! I will curse all of you to lose your CREATIVITY! FOREVER!!!"
The kenku would likely shrug their shoulders, and go "... ooookaaay?!" Mimicking the wizards voice.
It doesn't work.
Whereas you could easily state that: Kenku have no language of their own. Through some strange mental afinity, the Kenku developed a supreme talent for mimicry - but never developed voices or a language of their own. Instead, there is status among their race in 'stealing' particularly rare or beautiful sounds and voices. Some Kenku will go to great lengths to pick up some particularly hard to get voice - and the right words too - to make a compliment to the one they're trying to woo, in the voice of a popular princess, or famed bard.
Simple, checks out, isn't nonsense. I'm not saying it's the wisdom of the gods, grated to me by divine right. I'm just saying theirs is actively crap - and mine isn't.
Sorry. I tend to carry on a bit about my lack of admiration for WoTC's ability to create.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
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So ... in one homebrew world, there's a land 'across the mountains' where dwell the 'beast headed men'.
On one level they're just gnolls, yuan-ti, kenku, and so on. On another, I want that place to be different. Like, weird different. And one idea I have is the Cult of Dreams. The Cult of Dreams are an order of monks, who - though the power of meditation and focus - restrict access to the Realm of Dreams. Basically, unless you pay up - you cannot sleep. Bam. On a sidenote, elves can meditate all they like, but they also get no rests unless they pay.
Obviously, this is kinda absurd, but I so happen to like it.
Now, I want something slightly more sinister than a money grabbing scheme. Not least because ... it has to be something everyone can pay, right? Everyone needs sleep, so it doesn't work unless the poor and desperate have some way to pay.
Enter the Dream Tithe: If you lack the coin to pay, you can pay with dreams. Once per week, you put on a medallion, and sleep wearing that. You awake rested and fresh, having dreamt nothing. Right?
So .. what is the Dream Tithe? Do the dreamers work in dream slave pits, or are souls slowly drained, or are suggestions perhaps planted in their minds?
It needn't be like, super nefarious and evil. Just wicked enough to be disconcerting.
Any ideas? =)
By the way, the Cult is composed primarily (maybe entirely) of kenku monks. Because who else?
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Some games have sanity points much like exhaustion. You could slowly build up or take away sanity points due to not feeling anything in their dreams, the lack of dreaming having an adverse effect. Maybe there is a way to gain sanity back. If someone is reqiring a tithe from your players and this is a dark setting, I tend to like the sanity system rather than exhaustion. Though the effects could be similar. Maybe multiple long rests build to one sanity point being lost. Or one insanity point being gained. However you want to word it.
How has everyone been affected by the kenku monks having sealed the dream world away. Have certain gods made it their champion's mission to investigate or unseal the dream gate?
Back to your question, what is the dream tithe? What do the kenku monks get out of receiving other's dreams? Does it increase their ability to speak (mimic) or to experience more outside of their realm? After reading your post I am drawn to the TV series "Sandman". Might be able to get some ideas from that.
I honestly think this is an awesome idea.
If the kenku are involved, maybe this is a plot to get their creativity back?
I ... don't subscribe to the fluff published by the Wizards. They ... lost their creativity?
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Hm, Sanity is an option. I had been planning on using exhaustion. And of course casters can't replenish spell slots.
Not everyone in the world is affected - but everyone in the 'lands of the beastheaded men'. There's a whole 'spheres of influence' system below everything. Gods are substantially 'smaller' in this world. Still, it's interesting that no god has taken an interest. In part, it's because gods can only interfere in their own 'realm' as well as 'sphere of influence'. But surely there should have been a god of dreams somewhere who should have taken offense at this. Hm =)
Maybe that god has a substantial following of kenku? This isn't known, at least not to my players.
I'm not quite sure what the kenku gain. They are dream monks, and I'm fairly sure it they are doing important stuff in the dream world that requires more 'dream power' than they themselves can generate. Is what they're doing nefarious? Maybe, haven't decided yet. Anyways I'm also pretty sure it gives them powers in the real world - propably it just gives them a feat that let's them cast a few spells. But ... maybe more at higher levels.
It's possible there were two gods with domains related to dreams. And one was the kenku god, and the other was ... someone else. A nice dream lady. And the kenku dreamt up (yea yea) this scheme to secure all dreams for their god.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
In their original 5E write-up in Volo's Guide to Monsters, kenku had been afflicted by an ancient curse from a powerful fey that robbed them of all creative ability. They couldn't even learn to speak, only mimic words (and other sounds) they'd previously heard. This was removed when they were revised for Mordenkainin Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Right.
Generally speaking, our corporate overlords are surprisingly crap at anything creative. The backgrounds they are able to come up with for damn near anything - that I can recall offhand - is just ... terrible. I mean ... I have no issue with kenku speaking in mimiced voices - I kinda like it. But a curse just doesn't work as a reason. What evil wizard, when he's about to curse an entire race of creatures, comes up with "mwahahahaha!! I will curse all of you to lose your CREATIVITY! FOREVER!!!"
The kenku would likely shrug their shoulders, and go "... ooookaaay?!" Mimicking the wizards voice.
It doesn't work.
Whereas you could easily state that: Kenku have no language of their own. Through some strange mental afinity, the Kenku developed a supreme talent for mimicry - but never developed voices or a language of their own. Instead, there is status among their race in 'stealing' particularly rare or beautiful sounds and voices. Some Kenku will go to great lengths to pick up some particularly hard to get voice - and the right words too - to make a compliment to the one they're trying to woo, in the voice of a popular princess, or famed bard.
Simple, checks out, isn't nonsense. I'm not saying it's the wisdom of the gods, grated to me by divine right. I'm just saying theirs is actively crap - and mine isn't.
Sorry. I tend to carry on a bit about my lack of admiration for WoTC's ability to create.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.