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PHANTASM 

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Much like Keening, the arts of Phantasm have no especially great merit in the Shadowlands other than their artistic side. Users of Phantasm, with their ability to create elaborate, fantastic dreams in the dead as well as the living are treasured by those seeking entertainment in an otherwise dreary existence. In fact, troupes of Sandmen performing their plays and shows are one of the more established, legal means of amusement for wraiths. The power to bring living people, in the form of dreams, into the Shadowlands. Quick brought to the Shadowlands in this way may interact with the world of the dead as any wraith would be able to, including being attacked. In most cases, a dreamer who suffers too much damage in the Shadowlands drifts back to their unharmed body. In extreme cases, a powerful Sandman can cause them serious mental or physical damage.

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Failures on Phantasm rolls often have particularly disturbing or horrific effects (unless that was the wraith’s intent in the first place). Dreams and illusions spiral out of control, becoming nightmarish, and often taking as their subject the wraith’s
Passions (or his Shadow’s Dark Passions). In some cases, the wraith’s Shadow may take over his manipulation of a dream or subject, leading to a truly nightmarish experience.

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SHROUD THICKNESS RATING

RATING                       AREA                                           

    1                             Cearn                                                

    2                             Node/Graveyard                               

    3                             Deep Wilderness                                 

    4                             Rural Countryside                               

    5                             No mans land                                     

    6                             Most Urban Areas                             

    7                             Downtown alley

    8                             Downtown interior locations

    9                             Downtown Mainstreet.          

    10                           Technocratic Lab* 

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Sandmen routinely deal with other Awakened, far more than most wraiths. Whether it’s slipping old souls into new bodies for the Progenitors or communing with Silent Striders and Dreamspeakers, Sandmen pay the Dictum Mortuum little heed when it comes to their Awakened neighbours.

Phantasm works the same way on Awakened as it does on regular mortals. Vampires and Garou can be pulled into Pageants as easily as anyone else. However, an Awakened being may be able to recognize what’s going on (COMPOSURE + RESOLVE  difficulty 12) and act accordingly.

CHANGELINGS WITH ONEIROMANCY :

Generally Changelings with this ability know when their dreams are being tampered with and may act freely within their dreamscape. They too can shape the stuff of dreams. Lucid dreaming is an ability Changelings with Oneiromancy possess.

Changelings Gain +1 to rolls against the wraith for each dot of Oneiromancy in excess of the wraiths Phantasm Rank.

MAGES WITH DEMENSE BACKGROUND:

Entering a Mages Demesne is not recommended, They possess Lucid dreaming and the ability to control their own dreams as Changelings with Oneiromancy can.

Mages Gain +1 to rolls against the wraith for each dot of Demesne background  in excess of the wraiths Phantasm Rank.

WRAITH WITH PHANTASM:

As with changelings and mages with those special abilities wraith with Phantasm are also lucid dreamers.

Wraith Gain +1 to rolls against the sandman  for each dot of Phantasm in excess of the Sandman's Phantasm Rank.

Wraith Gain +1 to rolls against a Changeling for each dot of Phantasm in excess of  A Changeling's Oneiromancy Rank.

Wraith Gain +1 to rolls against a Mage  for each dot of Phantasm in excess of  A Mage's Demesne Background  Rank.

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TIPS FOR FINDING A SLEEPING CHARACTER:

For the purposes of allowing phantasm to have -any- effect. Knocked out characters are considered to be in REM sleep.

You are free to ask other players to roleplay out sleeping scenes if you want to weave your magics.

All characters require sleep whether they roleplay it out or not.

Generally a request in group chat can help you find players who may be willing to start their night with a dream before waking.

◉◉◉ MORPHEAN EMBRACE (COMMON) Is required to -force-  REM sleep on other characters. 

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PHANTASM  COMMON

◉ SLEEPSENSE (COMMON)
One of the foundations of Phantasm is the ability to watch the dreams a mortal or Slumbering wraith experiences, and in the case of the
Quick to determine what stage of sleep they’re in (non-REM (“N”) stages, where sleep gradually deepens but no dreams occur, followed by REM sleep, in which dreaming takes place). Sleepsense also allows a wraith to perceive whether a wraith is Slumbering inside an object (and thus whether that object is one of that wraith’s Fetters).

SYSTEM I: View Dream.

NORMAL ACTION
ROLL: PERCEPTION + PHANTASM RANK vs COMPOSURE + RESOLVE (+ Shroud rating if subject is in Skinlands)
SUCCESS:

Each success allows the wraith to watch the dream for one turn.

 

SYSTEM II: Detect Slumber

NORMAL ACTION:

ROLL: PERCEPTION + PHANTASM RANK vs COMPOSURE + RESOLVE ( OR PATHOS RANK IF IT IS HIGHER RATING)
For a wraith to determine if another wraith’s Slumbering inside an object, the player rolls Perception +
Phantasm (difficulty equal to the Slumbering wraith’s
Willpower or Pathos, whichever is higher). Even one success lets him perceive whether there’s a Slumbering wraith there or not.

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◉◉ DREAMWEAVER  (COMMON)
From watching dreams, most Sandmen go on to learn how to alter them. Typically a wraith does this to communicate information or try to subtly influence the sleeper’s behaviour once he wakes up. Given enough successes, a wraith can change virtually anything, or everything, about a dream. For example, if a wraith’s victim dreams of being a rock star playing a night-time concert to a packed stadium, she could change it to a classical music
performance, the stadium to an amphitheatre, night-time to day, the fans to tomato-throwing haters, and/or the good weather to a rainstorm. At the extreme, she could transform an ordinary dream into a nightmare that will haunt the victim when he awakens and prevent sleep from doing him any good.

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION

SPEND: 2 PATHOS
ROLL: MANIPULATION + PHANTASM RANK vs COMPOSURE + RESOLVE (+ Shroud rating if subject in Skinlands)

SUCCESS  

The more successes a Sandman achieves on a Dreamweaver roll, the more vivid the changes to the dream seem, and the longer they last. Also a wraith who is slumbering cannot gain benefit of slumber. Non wraith suffer "Sleeplessness" a minus 1 dot penalty to all rolls the following day.

Each success denotes how many changes can be made and the magnitude of the changes.

1 success. Three trivial changes 

2 successes change half the significant details

3 successes change all the significant details

4 Terrifying Nightmare, completely change the dream to nightmare on elm street levels and beyond.

It is not possible with this level of Phantasm to inflict injury on the sleeper.

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◉◉◉ MORPHEAN EMBRACE (COMMON)
A Sandman with this art can make others fall asleep. No character is immune from this, though they may have mental defences against it. Creatures that usually don't sleep (Wraith slumber, Vampires don't sleep, they literally become a corpse) Will sleep as mortals do.

SYSTEM:

EXTENDED ACTION: Roll until successes required are met.

If the target wraith wants to experience Morphean Embrace, the Sandman’s player doesn’t need to roll to succeed with this art.

SPEND: 1 PATHOS

GAIN:   2 ANGST IF target suffers injury during sleep.
ROLL:  PERCEPTION + PHANTASM RANK vs  Involuntary subjects COMPOSURE + RESOLVE (+ Shroud rating if subject in Skinlands)
SUCCESS:

One success per MAX health level of the character is required. This causes no damage, but each success makes the target more sleepy. 

When the successes required are met. the target immediately falls to the ground and begin to snooze.

Anything that would awaken a mortal sleeper (such as a loud noise or jostling him) will awaken a  supernatural sleeper as well.

This sleep lasts a full scene if the sleeper is not woken before this time.
A Sandman can use Oneirataxia (see below) on a sleeping target to keep him from waking up.

NOTE:

This cannot be used on characters engaged in combat, Adrenaline (or supernatural equivalents) prevent the character getting sleepy.

If the wraith loses sight of his subject, any accrued successes are lost and the wraith must make their attempt afresh. For example a character rising and going to the bathroom to splash water on their face will nullify previous successes.

This does mean that Sandmen will have to look for opportunities that will most likely lead to favourable outcomes, where movement out of confined space  is either impossible or socially unacceptable .Prisoners in cells for instance. Guards in Sentry boxes, People stuck in rush hour traffic, people stuck in board meetings. Oddly, people on the toilet or people engaged in coitus are also similarly trapped. Though in the later example "Jostling" will awaken either subject, and leave at least one of them deeply doubting their prowess.

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◉◉◉◉ PHANTASMAGORIA  (COMMON)
Often considered the true height of the Sandman’s art, Phantasmagoria allows a wraith to weave Pathos into convincing illusions.

SYSTEM:

QUICK ACTION: A Sandman can only create illusions in the Underworld unless she can Embody, in which case she can create them in the Skinlands as well.

SPEND: 3 PATHOS 

OPTIONAL SPEND: 1 HEALTH to grant the Illusion 3 points of -health- (NOT limited to spending 1 health)

ROLL: PERCEPTION + PHANTASAM RANK

DIFFICULTY: 12 + (7 + Shroud rating if wraith is embodied)

SUCCESSES:

Each success denotes how many turns the illusion lasts. The illusion can be maintained beyond this for 1 pathos per additional turn.

How easy the illusion is to disbelieve depends on what is created.

Characters use the defence against illusion charts found here. 
 

NOTE: In the shadowlands or in the underworld these illusions are more easily believed, if they are somewhat appropriate to the setting. Example a Giant whale plasmic is a too bloody likey in the tempest ,while a super manga anime gundum, is an automatic no freaking way where ever it is.

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Phantasmagoria affects sight, hearing, taste, and smell. The wraith can even make it quasi-solid to other wraiths, and thus able to affect touch if health is optionally spent.

A Sandman cannot “heal” her illusion after something damages it. If she wants a more solid illusion she has to create a new one.

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• The "Solid" illusion (one given health) can -attack- under the direct control of the sandman.

• This counts as a NORMAL ACTION for the sandman.

• And the sandman rolls Dexterity + Phantasm rank vs targets Dodge/ Brace/ Parry defence. Sandman also rolls these stats for illusions defence.

• These attacks if successful  cause Bashing Damage. 

• If the sandman gains 1 Angst when creating the illusion the attacks can cause Lethal Damage.

• If the sandman gains 2 Angst when creating the illusion the attacks can cause Aggravated Damage.

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◉◉◉◉◉ AGON  (COMMON)
The deadliest of the Sandman’s arts, Agon allows a wraith to rip the soul from a sleeping characters body, causing excruciating, often debilitating, pain.

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION:

SPEND 3 PATHOS

GAIN:  2 ANGST
ROLL:  PERCEPTION + PHANTASM RANK vs  COMPOSURE + RESOLVE (+ Shroud rating if subject in Skinlands)

SUCCESSES:

The number of successes indicates

(a) the number of turns the wraith may hold the victim’s soul out of his body.

(b) the amount of lethal damage  the victim takes when he awakens immediately after being returned to body.

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No doubt about it, having ones soul ripped from ones body is definitely something the character is going to remember. While out of their body the character is conscious of everything happening. The sandman can do nothing other than -hold- the victim and speak to them.

The victim, likewise terrified beyond belief can perform no actions while in this disembodied state. 

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This ability is generally reserved as a terrible warning to the target character.

A victim of this art is unable to be affected twice by it in one night. Generally they will be too petrified to be able to sleep and even supernatural powers to force sleep will fail to induce the desired state.

It goes without saying, this is a gross violation of the Dictum Mortuum. 

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PHANTASM  INITIATE

RESTRICTED TO

◉ CHANTEURS  ◉ MASQUERS  ◉ SANDMEN ◉

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◉ DREAMREADING  (INITIATE)
Dreams often contain prophetic or useful information, and many wraiths have some ability to discern a dream’s meaning. A Sandman skilled at Dreamreading has far greater oneiromantic insight than his fellows.

SYSTEM:

QUICK ACTION: When the wraith wants to discern what a dream means (either one of his own, or someone else’s that he watches via Sleepsense)

ROLL: PERCEPTION + PHANTASM RANK

DIFFICULTY 12+

SUCCESS:

Each success adds one success to the wraith’s ability to interpret dreams correctly.

Ask the character who dreamed one question per success about the meaning. Focusing on "Specific" images rather than the whole.

I.E "What does the black cat represent", "Who is the girl with the red balloon?" Generally "Who, What, Why, When, How"

If your character is the dreamer, then your dreams are usually the result of other characters manipulations of a storyteller giving dreams to you. In such cases ask the relevant parties the same questions.

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◉◉ DREAM SEQUENCE (INITIATE)
Some Sandmen can cloud a mortal’s mind, convincing him that what he saw “was just a dream.” Powerful wraiths can even extend this effect to other supernatural beings.

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION:

ROLL: MANIPULATION + PHANTASM RANK vs COMPOSURE + RESOLVE (+ Shroud Rating in the Skinlands)

SUCCESS:

Just one success will convince a mortal or supernatural being that he didn’t see something he did and that it was a dream or day dream.

This only works on specific instances that would violate the Dictum Mortuum.

The Sandman must have PHANTASM ◉◉◉    to do this to wraiths, Spectres, and most other Underworld denizens

The Sandman must have PHANTASM ◉◉◉◉ to do this to Skinlands supernatural entities.

The Sandman must have PHANTASM ◉◉◉◉◉ to do this to crowds.

When used on crowds

The Sandman rolls as above at difficulty 10+ Shroud rating (12+ in the underworld)

Crowd individuals roll Composure + Resolve at Difficulty 10+ Shroud rating (12+ in the underworld)

Crowd members that fail the roll are affected as per normal. 

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◉◉◉ DEEP SLUMBER  (INITIATE)
A wraith under the effects of Deep Slumber recovers Corpus more quickly when Slumbering.
A Sandman can use this art on himself before he Slumbers.

This is a superior form of slumbering, the default slumbering rules are found on the Corpus Page. 

DEEP SLUMBERING:

• A wraith may opt to heal damage by Slumbering otherwise they recover health at the same rate of mortals.

• The wraith must approach one of his Fetters and fade into it.

• He must spend 1 turn per dot of fetter strength to heal 2 x fetter strength points of Bashing Damage.

• He must spend 1 scene per dot of fetter strength to heal 2 x fetter strength points of Lethal Damage.

• In order to heal Aggravated damage the wraith must spend 1 turn per dot of fetter strength and at the end of this period make a roll.

SYSTEM HEAL AGGRAVATED DAMAGE

ROLL: INTELLIGENCE + PHANTASM RANK + FETTER STRENGTH

DIFFICULTY: 10 + 1 per point of health to heal.

SUCCESS: Each success heals 1 aggravated damage.

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◉◉◉◉ TABLEAU OF TERROR  (INITIATE)
Some Sandmen have made special study of the art of Phantasmagoria (see above) in an effort to make their illusions more effective for specific purposes. The best known result of this work is Tableau of Terror, which creates an illusion so terrifying, horrifying, or simply disturbing that anyone viewing it runs screaming in fear.

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION:

SPEND: 2 PATHOS 

ROLL:    PERCEPTION + PHANTASM RANK

DIFFICULTY: 12 + (7+ Shroud rating if wraith is embodied)

SUCCESSES:

Each success determines the maximum number of turns the Tableau can last.

Characters use the defence against illusion charts found here.

However each success on the roll, moves the believability down 1 notch, meaning that -anything- could be deemed "Too Damned Likely" with enough successes on the Sandman's roll.

 

Anyone who fails to disbelieve the illusion suffers  experiences extreme fear.

If he fails by just 1–2, the victim just flees as fast as he can.

If he fails by 3–4  A wraiths Shadow gains 1 Angst , Vampires  frenzy  and garou beserek frenzy.
If he fails by 5 or more, he becomes paralyzed or catatonic from fear and can’t do anything.

Unlike a full illusion created by Phantasmagoria, a Tableau of Terror cannot be made solid by investing it with Corpus. It’s just a highly convincing image crafted as a specific effect.

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◉◉◉◉◉ ONEIRATAXIA  (INITIATE)
Also known as Sleep Manipulation (or, to less respectful wraiths, Insomnia Bomb), Oneirataxia allows a wraith to prevent the Quick and wraiths from sleeping, waking up, or dreaming.

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SYSTEM I: Sleep Deprivation

NORMAL ACTION:

SPEND: 2 PATHOS

ROLL: MANIPULATION + PHANTASM RANK vs COMPOSURE + RESOLVE (+ Shroud Rating in the Skinlands)

SUCCESS:

Target cannot sleep or slumber for 24 hours.

Lack of sleep inflicts a minus one attribute dot penalty per success rolled on sleep deprivation roll to all actions each day until the victim gets sound, uninterrupted sleep.

If this penalty ever reduces the victims highest rated attribute to zero the victim experiences a nervous breakdown, requiring medical assistance or even temporary institutionalized.

Wraith are unable to slumber must must heal damage in the normal way.

Trying to get subjects to sleep with Morphean Embrace requires more successes than those rolled on Oneirataxia .

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SYSTEM I: Prevent waking.

NORMAL ACTION:

SPEND: 2 PATHOS

ROLL: MANIPULATION + PHANTASM RANK vs COMPOSURE + RESOLVE (+ Shroud Rating in the Skinlands)

SUCCESS:

Keeps a sleeping/ slumbering character in to a coma, torpor or hibernation.
Each success indicates that the sleep/Slumber continues for one 12-hour period.

A botch on this roll typically makes the Sandman himself go to sleep for 12 hours.

 

SYSTEM I: Prevent Dreaming.

NORMAL ACTION:

SPEND: 2 PATHOS

ROLL: MANIPULATION + PHANTASM RANK vs COMPOSURE + RESOLVE (+ Shroud Rating in the Skinlands)

SUCCESS:

This simply prevents the subject dreaming, preventing the subject from experiencing any dreams grants them a degree of protection from those who would invade their dreams or read their dreams.

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