Sandman (3.5e Vestige)
Sandman, the Guardian of Somnium[edit]
Level: 5th
Binding DC: 25
Special requirement: Yes
Legend[edit]
The Sandman, as it's currently most know, is not just matter of bed-time stories and fairy tales: it's an ancient and powerful entity, created almost at dawn of life, spawn of the night and sibling to death. It represents sleep time and dreams, guarding over the Plane of Dreams (also called Dreamscape or Dal Quor). It's role is very important, as it provides rest to the fatigued, and is nature is mystic, as it is the keeper of dreams and oneiromancy (divination through dreams). It is said to resemble a small gnome, flying in a gold cloud of dust, but it's true form is unknown, as it is clear that it's not a mere mortal, not even a simple magical creature. Sometimes it's been considered a god (under the name of Hypnos or Somnus) but it is clearly not, as it doesn't answer to prayers (or if it is a god, it's uncaring of prayers). Sometimes is considered a quori, albeit much more powerful, maybe even a superiori kind of quori.
Whatever it is, it's powers are not unreachable, as it is a diffused entity, not clearly localized, maybe not even qualifiable as something or someone, more like a force or a concept than a physical being. Because of this a long forgotten binder has been able to dream of an unknown binding circle, to hear a title while in its sleep and then to bind the Sandman through the binding ritual. As for now, this vestige is quite known, although much remains a mystery.
A frequent question is: why did sleep itself have let us link to it?
This vestige is inspired by the legende of the Sandman.
Manifestation[edit]
The binding circle is lighted up by a golden light, that raises up. The noises around you begin to soften, becoming distant and a soft lullaby plays in your ears. As you succumb to temporary sleepyness and close briefly your eyes, a cloud of golden dust appears above the circle, slowly swirling. It does not speak, but you know that you may advance your request now.
Special Requirement[edit]
You must be able to sleep normally or be able to dream in some way.
Sign[edit]
Your clothes and hair release a fine golden dust when you move, that disappears almost immediately.
Influence[edit]
You speak softly, as if you don't want to disturb, and feel always ready to take a nap.
Granted abilities[edit]
With the power of the sand of dreams, you gain mastery over sleeping creature and the dreamscape.
Dreaming Guardian: While you sleep, you may conjure a semblance of yourself as a spirit that may guard the nearby area for you (up to 100 feet-30 meters-), until you wake up. If it detect any danger it wakes you up, rapidly returning to you. It use your skill check bonus for any skill check that it must do, adding half of your effective binder level as a bonus. You do not know what it perceived, if not approximately.
Golden Dreams: When you go to sleep you emit a restful aura in 60 feet (18 meters), affecting anyone else sleeping in the area, and yourself, with the effects of the spell restful slumber[1]. They are unaffected by normal nightmares and you may use this power to remove nightmares of magical origin from anyone affected by the aura, with a caster check (use your effective binder level as caster level). In addition they, and you, may sleep half the time needeed to regain spells and refreshment, as well as sleep in any armor without waking up fatigued. You must show Sandman's sign to use this ability.
Hypnos' Dream: As a standard action you may replicate the spell dream lock[2], by moving fine golden dust around your target: one creature in 50 feet (15 meters) must make a Will save. If it fails it's dazed for one round and shaken for one minute. You may affect creatures that don't sleep nor dreams but not those immune to mind-affecting effects. You may not target the same enemy before the effect's duration expires. You may use a full round action to affect any opponent in the area, no more then 30 feet (9 meters) apart from each other (similar to mass dream lock[3]). Doing so prevents you to use this ability again for 5 rounds (in any form).
Sand of Sleep: You may release a cone of sand (10 feet-3 meters-large plus 5 feet-1,5 meters-per five binder level) as a standard action. Everyone in the area must make a Reflex save to close their eyes. If they fail they are subjected to an effect similar to the deep slumber spell, but the limit is 15 HD instead of 10 and it lasts one round per binder level. Subjects that pass the save or are immune to magical sleep or are beyond the HD limit are still fatigued for one round per Charisma modifier, or exhausted, if they were already fatigued. You may use this power again after 5 rounds. You must manifest Sandman's sign to use this power.
Slumber Master: All your abilities involving enchantments or illusions are augmented in power. Increase their DC by 2. You have a +6 bonus on saving throws against sleep effects and effects that involve dreams and nightmares.
Traveller of Somnius: You may use the dream walk[4] spell once per day, though you may only affect yourself. It works as plane shift but you reach the Plane of Dreams, and you must touch a sleeping target or be no more than 30 feet (9 meters) from it.
Author: the bluez
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