Shamanic Calling: Speaker of Dreams

You have answered the call of the strange spirits of dreams, enigmatic beings born of mortal imaginations and creations. Dream spirits often exhibit a bizarre logic that, while seemingly consistent, is unrelated to the reason commonly accepted in the waking world.

Obeisance of Dreams

Shamans who speak for dreams must balance their waking lives with the nature of their calling. Mortal ideas are uncertain and ever-changing, yet always seem at the time to follow a reasonable path. Things long forgotten or hidden can surface during slumber, but such revelations can be scarring if not handled properly. The responsibilities of a dream shaman are often linked to the spiritual and mental health of her community.

Narrative. It is impossible to tell whether stories and legends create archetypal structures within mortal minds or whether those structures gave rise to the tales themselves, but the narrative structure is one of the pillars of the realm of dream. Archetypal characters and roles may be counted among the dream spirits, or they may be mantles that spirits can don. Many shamans who are called to dreams recognize the importance of the narrative and honor it by seeking out tales and oral traditions and keeping them alive. In addition, a shaman who finds herself in a situation that strongly resembles a story archetype will often "play the part" of the most appropriate character or role, and may work to keep others from disrupting the narrative.

Mutability. While a dream may seem logical and consistent while the dreamer is asleep, he may realize upon waking that it was chaotic and ever shifting. Dreams follow their own logic, not the consistent reason of the waking world. Some dream shamans embrace this aspect of dream, believing that the only constant is change. For these shamans, permanence is an illusion, and tradition holds no inherent value. Such a shaman will not act solely to preserve the status quo, and may upset it simply because it has stood for too long.

Subjectivity. One cannot truly explain a dream to another and properly convey its emotional impact. Every dreamer interacts with dream in a unique and personal way--even if two individuals should dream of the same thing, their dreams will be wildly different. Dreaming shamans will often extend this emphasis on personal experience and interpretation to the waking world. They believe that one cannot fully understand a situation without knowing the experiences and perspectives of all those involved in it, and do not believe that a decision can truly be reached without that understanding.

Secrets. Dreams often confront dreamers with what they would rather keep hidden, pulling forth forgotten or suppressed memories. At other times, dreams reveal the path ahead, tapping into the dreamer's unconscious mind to provide an answer that had been hidden. Some shamans of dream deal in secrets, seeking out hidden knowledge wherever they can. These shamans do not necessarily leverage these secrets for their own ends-- though some may.

Speaker of Dreams Calling Spells Shaman Level | Calling Spells ------------ | -------------- 1st | silent image, sleep 3rd | phantasmal force, suggestion 5th | major image, sending 7th | dimension door, phantasmal killer 9th | dream, seeming

Blessings of Dream

When you choose this calling at 1st level, you gain the minor illusion, prestidigitation, and touch of madness cantrips. You also become proficient in your choice of one of the following skills: Deception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth.

Dreamreader

Also at 1st level, your connection to dreams allows you to touch the minds of other creatures. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic communication, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.

In addition, by touching the forehead of a sleeping creature, you can experience the sleeper's dream. You cannot interact with the dream or affect it in any way; you just see it in your head, exactly as it is being dreamed by the sleeper. While dream reading, you remain in a trance-like state, oblivious to the physical world. The reading lasts for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the sleeper awakens.

Read Thoughts

At 6th level, you gain the ability to read a creature's thoughts. You can then use your access to the creature's mind to command it.

As an action, choose one creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your shaman spell save DC. If the creature succeeds on the saving throw, you can't use this feature on it again until you complete a long rest.

If the creature fails its save, you can read its surface thoughts (those foremost in its mind, reflecting its current emotions and what it is actively thinking about) when it is within 60 feet of you. This effect lasts for 1 minute.

During that time, you can use your action to end this effect and cast the suggestion spell on the creature without expending spirit points. The target automatically fails its saving throw against the spell.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Thought Shield

Starting at 10th level, your thoughts can't be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it, and you are immune to being charmed. You also have resistance to psychic damage, and whenever a creature deals psychic damage to you, that creature takes the same amount of damage that you do.

Dreamscape

Upon reaching 14th level, you learn to thrust a creature into a waking dream. As an action, choose a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. It must make a Wisdom saving throw against your shaman spell save DC. On a failed save, it is charmed or frightened by you (your choice) for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the creature takes any damage.

Until this illusion ends, the creature thinks it is lost in a realm of dreams or nightmares, the appearance of which you choose. The creature can see and hear only itself, you, and the illusion.

Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.