GravesTC's Dream Journal RPG (with XP and a rank/level up system)
Greetings, dreamers!
I'm not too sure what to call this so I'll stick with the title I've come up with for now. I'm currently working on a game of sorts to help keep me motivated with my journaling.
All I will say right now is that it's going to be very in depth and will require the use of your imagination to really bring it into fruition.
Stay tuned! I will be posting details very soon.
Update 1.0 - The Powers Update
I now consider this project to be complete, at least for now. I see no need to improve it further as of yet but only time can dictate that. The ''Skills and Powers'' section of my original post has had a total rework after a lot of careful consideration and I've come up with a system I deem to be appropriate. This system is called:
THE TREE OF POWER
This section goes into detail about something I've called "The Tree of Power". Simply put, the dreamer can gain new abilities that will aid them in the dreamworld, and hone them to perfection by levelling them up. These abilities vary in power and complexity, and the system is totally subjective to the dreamer. One person may find throwing a fireball harder than the other, so to speak.
This system goes hand in hand with General Goals as these abilities can be easily incorporated into them, and provides another way for the dreamer to earn XP and increase their rank. However, in doing so, they will also become more proficient at controlling their dreams and traversing the unknown depths of the subconscious mind, while simultaneously exercising their creativity.
Let's go into more detail - Powers will be divided up into categories of potency, type, etc. The number of categories present is up to the dreamer, along with the Powers contained within each category. It's important to note that this "tree" will inevitably grow with the dreamer's experience, so a predetermined list of starting Powers is useful, but not necessary, as more will be added in time like an ever-growing, continuously sprouting tree.
Each Power will start off with 10 empty "power-orbs". Successfully performing a Power 5 times will fill an empty power-orb. When all 10 have been filled, that Power will level up and the amount required to reach the next level will be increased by 2. This will continue to happen every time a Power is leveled up. Leveling up a Power will reward the dreamer with 5 XP. This design allows the dreamer to continuously practice their techniques without running the risk of progressing too quickly. It's an attempt to simulate the struggles of real life. Additionally, there is no level cap on Powers. Feel free to grind away!
I will now demonstrate some examples of this system in motion, from my own personal list of Powers. Since I'm a bit of a pyromaniac, I will highlight some of what I've been doing with fiery goodness:
Lesser Fabrication Powers
• Morph (use your willpower to twist the fabric of reality and distort and reshape matter)
• Rescale (use your willpower to expand and condense matter)
Lesser Elemental Powers (Fire)
• Fireball (use the element of fire to unleash an orb of flame upon your target)
• Flame Breath (use the element of fire to ignite your breath into flames, which will travel a short distance from you before dissipating)
• Fiery Rain (call upon the element of fire to rain fire upon a designated area)
• Mark of Flame (use the element of fire to draw outlines with flames - useful for some advanced Powers)
Greater Elemental Powers (Fire)
• Greater Fireball (use the element of fire to unleash a large orb of flame upon your target - an advanced form of Fireball - requires a thorough understanding of Rescale and Fireball)
• Flame Cloak (surround yourself with a protective aura of flames by manipulating your Flame Breath - requires a thorough understanding of Morph and Flame Breath)
• Firestorm (call upon the element of fire to unleash a storm of flames and destruction upon a designated area - an advanced form of Fiery Rain. Requires a large amount of willpower and a thorough understanding of Fiery Rain)
• Flame Wall (use the element of fire to ignite a Mark of Flame, resulting in a barrier made of ravenous flames that will form the shape of the Mark - requires a thorough understanding of Mark of Flame, Morph and Rescale)
• Lava Pit (use the element of fire to melt a Mark of Flame, resulting in a pit of molten lava that will form the shape of the Mark - requires a thorough understanding of Mark of Flame and Morph)
As you can see, my list of abilities grow in potency and complexity as the tiers rise, requiring the lesser ''foundation'' abilities as key components in order to achieve them. I theorise that this will allow my brain to process what I'm trying to do with more clarity, rather than straight up sending bolts of flame out of my palms and expecting it to change into the form I desire.
That pretty much sums up this whole idea. It's up to the dreamer to structure it as they see fit. As for me, I'm probably going to buy a Spellbook and store everything inside there. I'm not too sure yet... the possibilities are endless.