D&D: Best Uses For The Dream Spell

The dream spell in Dungeons & Dragons lets the caster contact another being through their dreams, which has a number of uses in many different types of campaigns. The dream spell is a 5th level D&D illusion spell that can be taken by Bards and Wizards when they hit level nine. It can only affect those who sleep, which means that elves cannot be targeted by the dream spell, even though they still need to take long rests, as they don’t sleep in the same manner as other humanoids.

The dream spell can affect anyone known to the caster, so long as they are on the same plane of existence. The caster or a dedicated messenger can enter the dreams of the target and can shape their environment. The target remembers everything said during the duration of the spell, which means that the two can effectively communicate over massive distances. The caster or messenger can also appear as a nightmare, forcing the target to make a saving throw. If the target fails the saving throw, then they take 3d6 psychic damage and don’t benefit from a short or long rest.

It’s likely that the DM could use the dream spell as a hook for a campaign, or as a means of nudging the player in the right direction. The dream spell has an incredible amount of utility when used by players, as the ability to contact someone over massive distances and with few restrictions can be invaluable. The ability to screw with an enemy’s mind when they are at their most vulnerable can also be the key to victory against a powerful foe.

Dream-Based Telecommunications Solutions For D&D Kingdoms

The technology available in the real world makes it easy to communicate with people from across the globe. Anyone with the Internet is only a Skype call away from someone on the other side of the planet. This technology didn’t exist in the past, which meant that communication over long distances was incredibly time-consuming. This was especially frustrating to rulers of nations, especially those who commanded an empire that contained lots of countries, as it meant that it took a while before they learned of important events in their territories.

Rulers of D&D kingdoms could be a lot luckier. The dream spell would be incredibly valuable to rulers in a fantasy world, as it allows for extended periods of communication between two individuals. This would allow rulers to communicate with their viceroys in far-off lands, discuss battle plans with generals in the field, communicate secret plans without fear of detection, or even just stay in touch with family and friends. That kind of communication would be worth a lot to someone in a position of power, which could mean daily cash rewards, or simply being owed a favor that could be cashed in at the right time. There are some spells that allow long-range communication, such as animal messenger and sending, but these have a hard limit on how many words can be sent. The long duration of dream would make it a more appealing prospect to someone who needs time to get their point across, or when lots of information needs to be shared.

Weakening D&D Enemy Spellcasters On The Eve Of Battle

In D&D, most spellcasters need to take a long rest to replenish their spells. The spellcasting enemies in the Monster Manual have spell slots listed for their spells, which suggests that they follow the same rules as the players. The combat encounters with monsters in D&D are made with the premise that the player will either win or be forced to run away. If the enemy of the campaign is a recurring villain, then the DM will have provisions in place to ensure that the enemy can escape, or will force the players to flee.

The nightmare effect of the dream spell robs the target of the benefits from rest. The official errata for D&D confirmed that sleep is a necessary component of a long rest. This should mean that enemy spellcasters won’t restore any used spell slots. A canny party could time their confrontation so that it happens the day after the enemy caster has been casting spells, either to beef up their own defenses or through battling other foes. The tricky part with this use is that D&D enemy spellcasters could have a defense against the dream spell, which means the party might only get one shot at using this tactic, and if the enemy passes their save, then the opportunity will be lost. This tactic also won’t work against Warlocks, as they can restore their slots from a short rest.

Becoming A D&D Freddy Krueger To Dissuade Or Deal With Enemies

The 3d6 damage caused by failing a save against the nightmare effect of the dream spell is chump change to most of the big threats in D&D. The player won’t just be fighting demons and dragons in a D&D campaign as they will also face evil kings, corrupt noblemen, and warmongering dukes. Game of Thrones proved that people in positions of power aren’t always the strongest or the smartest individuals. In the world of D&D, the political figures that haven’t earned a few hit dice on the battlefield are prime targets for a dream spell. According to the Monster Manual, the average noble only has nine hit points, while a commoner has four. This means a single D&D dream spell could cheat and kill them, which is an incredibly powerful tool, especially considering how little trace it leaves behind.

The average D&D party consists of good and neutral characters, who might balk at the prospect of assassination through dreams. For these characters, the threat of a dream death could be enough to get what they want. Even if the enemy is strong enough to tank a dream spell, their friends and loved ones might not be.  This is also true for the servants of the enemy, who might start to question their allegiance if they learn that the party has powers equal to that of a Death Note. The reason Freddy Krueger is so scary is that he attacks people when they are at their most vulnerable. If the player is in Dungeons & Dragons campaign that is filled with political machinations or centered around a large-scale war between nations, then the dream spell becomes an overpowered D&D weapon, in how it can slay a key enemy every evening, or the threat of its power can force foes to back down from a conflict.

Source: Wizards of the Coast

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Scott Baird
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Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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