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From: hakanson@orstcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Re: RE: How do you DM an illusionist - (nf)
Message-ID: <2594@hp-pcd.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Nov-83 03:42:43 EST
Article-I.D.: hp-pcd.2594
Posted: Tue Nov 29 03:42:43 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Dec-83 20:59:04 EST
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Organization: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
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#R:dartvax:-41900:orstcs:28500005:000:1997
orstcs!hakanson    Nov 27 16:46:00 1983

Naturally, there are many ways of running illusionists.  I have yet to find
a good answer to question #1 or to question #2.  I play my NPC's just like
they were my player characters, and I'll leave it at that.

In general, illusion is possibly the most powerful form of magic, since
you nearly get "something from nothing."  You can get hit by an illusion,
if you believe it is real, and the damage is real.  And you can be killed
by an illusion.  The damage given by an illusion is permanent, unless
your DM says otherwise.  In my case, the only way the damage might become
reversible would be if the rest of the party were able to convince the
damaged character that it wasn't real.  However, I don't think that could
remove the trauma suffered by the character.  Therefore, in my world, if your
party wants to remove illusionary damage, then you should have a clever cleric
who knew the damage was illusionary give the injured character(s) an
illusionary cure-wounds spell.  Therefore, if the character believed that
he/she was being healed, the damage would go away.

Backing up a bit, an illusionist can only make accurate illusions of things
which he/she has actually seen or otherwise experienced.  I would allow
someone who has seen one umber hulk to create 1000 of them, but they
would all look suspiciously similar to anyone looking closely.  And a
phantasmal force only produces vision, not sound!

I must disagree with the opinion given earlier about walking over a pit.
If the character believes it is there, and blows his saving throw (after
the rest of the party tries to convince him otherwise), he still thinks
it's real.  If he tries to walk across it, he will think he has fallen.
However, if someone were to blindfold him and lead him across, you could
get him over without damage (tell him he's on an invisible bridge).

Well, I've gone on long enough.  Illusions are fun!

Marion Hakanson		{hp-pcd,teklabs}!orstcs!hakanson	(Usenet)
			hakanson@{oregon-state,orstcs}		(CSnet)