A tulpa, an idea-form so forcefully visualized that it assumes material substance, is known to Tibetan mysticism. The tulpa is dreamed into being by a creative mind in a state of intense and deliberate imagination. Such creations often grow beyond the direct control of their creators, becoming free-willed beings halfway to possessing reality of their own. Sometimes a tulpa becomes wicked or even physically monstrous, but this is the product of flawed discipline on the part of the creator, rather than any fault of the dream-being itself. A tulpa may look like a human being, an animal, a monster or just about any kind of physiologically plausible being of which the willworker can conceive.
Successes are allocated to construct the tulpa’s Mental, Physical and Social Attributes (to a maximum of the mage’s Prime dots in any single Attribute; at least one dot must be placed in every Attribute), and extra damage and armor (on a one-for-one basis). The tulpa possesses a Willpower score[1] and self-awareness, no matter how rudimentary. Its Size is 5 or less (the caster can decide to make it less than average human Size). The tulpa may be free-willed or bound to the will of the caster, as desired. An especially strong-willed tulpa may defy its binding creator and escape.
A physically monstrous or otherwise bizarre tulpa invokes Disbelief[2] when witnessed by Sleepers.
Note that at this level of mastery, this spell cannot be given an indefinite Duration (i.e., the tulpa cannot have a “natural” life span of human years). The being dissolves when the spell expires. Unless the tulpa created is specifically designed to accept the inevitability of its own demise without emotional trauma, a Wisdom degeneration roll might be required for the caster (unless he has Wisdom 2 or lower).
The mage could, however, recast this spell before the previous one expires, giving the tulpa a new Duration. Note that this is an exception to the normal rules for spell control. The tulpa is allowed to persist over a series of castings as long as the previous one does not expire before a successive spell is cast.
Free Council Rote: Dream Warrior
This Free Council magic forms a sentient being of pure Mana, invested with at least minimal social skills and reason. Those mages who cannot afford to give indefinite existence to such a creation do not use this rote lightly, as it is often cruel to craft an essentially living being with so brief an existence.
Silver Ladder Rote: Dream Defender
Silver Ladder mages sometimes use their own rote to create perfect servants, entrusting their personal care to no being they themselves have not fabricated.
