For a while, I thought I had reached a blissful state where I need never worry about menaces again. I was high enough in most of my stats that I rarely faced more-than-straightforward challenges in my everyday grinding, and on the rare occasions when I DID die or go to prison I could get out again pretty quickly.
BUT then I started to pursue two storylines of danger and madness (one relating to some bestial giants and the other one that shall not be Named). I’ve already died once or twice as a result of these stories, (which actually I was rather glad of, as I finally got what was going on with the challenge level of playing the boatman, and that’s a quality I don’t mind spending some actions to raise). But the nightmares are another story–I’m finding myself continually on the verge of going crazy. The dream cards are so rare and I’ve been building them up for ever so long–I really don’t want to lose any of my progress! I’ve been chugging laudanum, but it’s not really doing much good, especially as I’ve been developing quite the habit. I could drink up the last of my First Sporing but I only have a few bottles of that, so it’s not a very permanent solution. And I always have the WORST luck with the cheery gentleman.
So my question is, are there any other ways of reducing nightmares (open to a Person of Some Importance) that I’ve overlooked? For instance, I know some of the options at Hunter’s Keep can help with that–but I like London and don’t really enjoy being away. And there was that one option at the University, but I’m past that stage now. I’m really hoping there’s SOMETHING I’ve missed because otherwise I’m going to be doing an awful lot of laudanum. Or else my secondary character is going to be spending pretty much all his–er, her?–time in the Royal Beth.
Well, you could sleep away your wounds instead of letting yourself die. That should result in a little Nightmares management. An affiliation with God’s Editors can help, as the second option on that card will reduce Nightmares. Social actions are probably the best way of handling menaces, if you don’t waiting a little while for people to accept your requests.
[quote=WordsLikeWeeds]For a while, I thought I had reached a blissful state where I need never worry about menaces again. I was high enough in most of my stats that I rarely faced more-than-straightforward challenges in my everyday grinding, and on the rare occasions when I DID die or go to prison I could get out again pretty quickly.
BUT then I started to pursue two storylines of danger and madness (one relating to some bestial giants and the other one that shall not be Named). I’ve already died once or twice as a result of these stories, (which actually I was rather glad of, as I finally got what was going on with the challenge level of playing the boatman, and that’s a quality I don’t mind spending some actions to raise). But the nightmares are another story–I’m finding myself continually on the verge of going crazy. The dream cards are so rare and I’ve been building them up for ever so long–I really don’t want to lose any of my progress! I’ve been chugging laudanum, but it’s not really doing much good, especially as I’ve been developing quite the habit. I could drink up the last of my First Sporing but I only have a few bottles of that, so it’s not a very permanent solution. And I always have the WORST luck with the cheery gentleman.
So my question is, are there any other ways of reducing nightmares (open to a Person of Some Importance) that I’ve overlooked? For instance, I know some of the options at Hunter’s Keep can help with that–but I like London and don’t really enjoy being away. And there was that one option at the University, but I’m past that stage now. I’m really hoping there’s SOMETHING I’ve missed because otherwise I’m going to be doing an awful lot of laudanum. Or else my secondary character is going to be spending pretty much all his–er, her?–time in the Royal Beth.[/quote]
The newer Storylets at your Lodgings under the heading Time in Bed will often help with Nightmares, though you need to have Wounds at least at 2 to open them.
Since I have so many Memories of Light, I usually go to the Mirror Marches when my Nightmares get too high, as most of those Storylets reduce Nightmares. You do lose a little Dream quality but not much. You enter by choosing the mahogany-framed mirror in the mirror house at Mrs. Plenty’s Distracting Carnival.
A few bits of advice: First off, stop using Laudanum immediately. As your habit goes up, Laudanum becomes less effective: At a mere 3, it becomes as effective as many other options (But with the addition of boosting your habit further and adding wounds). Even without a laudanum habit, it’s only 1 CP more than other options, while giving 1 CP of wounds.
Thankfully, there are a number of options available to you. First, if you have a dream hound, you can have it guard your sleep. Secondly, on the card to investigate Doctor Schlomo you can have your nightmares reduced for free. Third, there’s the opportunity card to lower nightmares (and get counting the days as well), something about restful sleep. Finally, there’s social options. Sharing your nightmares with someone will reduce your nightmares by 5 CP. They’ll likely reciprocate, but even then you’ll come out ahead at 2 CP per action.
Thank you everyone! I had been putting off God’s Editors, so I’ll see about getting into that. Maybe I’ll take a trip to the Mirror Marches as well, I’ve never been there so I suppose it’s worth sacrificing a little bit of dreams for new (to me) content.
What is a Dream Hound and how does one get it? I’ve never even heard of the thing.
[quote=WordsLikeWeeds]Thank you everyone! I had been putting off God’s Editors, so I’ll see about getting into that. Maybe I’ll take a trip to the Mirror Marches as well, I’ve never been there so I suppose it’s worth sacrificing a little bit of dreams for new (to me) content.
What is a Dream Hound and how does one get it? I’ve never even heard of the thing.[/quote]
It is a Pet you can obtain during the Fate-Locked continuation of the Theological Husbandry storyline from the Labyrinth of Tigers.
In addition, it might be worth doing the lizard/mandrake cards, as a success reduce nightmares slightly, and a failure can increase them (But success is likelier than failure).
Otherwise, having urchins transported back to the flit on the Urchins/Orient card reduce nightmare by around 3 cp alongside giving 15 cp in net connections.
Having your own library to relax in can be beneficial as well, as long as you are seeking the Name. On a success (and it usually succeeds) nightmares are reduced, and on a failure nightmares raise, but so does Unaccountably Peckish. I call that win-win, myself.
Having a Deshrieked Mandrake and a Reprehensible Lizard helps too; both have an opportunity card that on a success (pretty good odds) give 1 cp of Nightmare decrease and some items, etc.
Some Connection dependant cards also give a Nightmare decrease these days; Altars and alms-houses: the Church gives this for the 10 x Rostygold option.
A day out in your Clay Sedan Chair gives 1 cp decrease on a failure when following Jack’s trail.
If you are involved in the Soul Trade as a Shepherd of Souls, delivering souls and contracts to the C.V.R. representative (via Opportunity card) reduces Nightmares if you take the most expensive option (i.e., if you give him 100 Infernal Contracts and 1000 Souls). You can grind for Souls in Spite via a Storylet under the heading “Unfinished Business in Spite” and you can grind for Contracts in Watchmakers’ Hill via the Storylet “Unfinished Business in Watchmakers’ Hill”. This option also gets you lots of Connected: Society and Connected: Church if you care about that (10 levels for every 100 Contracts/1000 Souls–not 10 change points, 10 LEVELS). edited by cathyr19355 on 1/14/2013
greyfields first sporing is actually pretty great for getting persuasive if you haven’t capped it, it gives 10CP
Also I guess you can try drinking wine at the carnival, but that has the effect of raising your scandal if you fail a luck challenge. But scandal’s easy to get rid of if you have high Making Waves so
Now I suddenly became aware I have quite a few of those… Guess I know what i can do when those relickers appear =) (Yes, I wouldn’t mind a Brass Skull)
on a wine-related note, black wings absinthe gives 5 CP of dangerous and probably 5CP of shadowy as well at the cost of a BUNCH of wounds and scandal. presumably sharing it cuts down on the wound and scandal increase
No-one has mentioned the purchase of honeyed laudanum with fate when the opportunity arises. It stops you losing your dream qualities on insanity so it’s a good insurance to have. I’m still waiting and waiting to get stormy eyed as last time I went mad there were a lot of options in there for that quality.