Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.10 $; site uiucdcsp Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcsp!hogge From: hogge@uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU Newsgroups: net.games.frp Subject: Re: Illusionists Message-ID: <6700009@uiucdcsp> Date: Sun, 24-Nov-85 05:13:00 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcsp.6700009 Posted: Sun Nov 24 05:13:00 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 26-Nov-85 20:14:44 EST References: <620@drutx.UUCP> Lines: 57 Nf-ID: #R:drutx.UUCP:620:uiucdcsp:6700009:000:3101 Nf-From: uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU!hogge Nov 24 04:13:00 1985 > Similarly, if the party *really believed* that that bridge over the chasm >were there, they would be able to walk across it -- though to someone who >didn't believe they would seem to be walking on air, and though if they for >one instant disbelieved they would plunge into the chasm... >...Conversely, I can imagine the illusionist creating an illusory bridge and >letting the poor grunt Orcs on the other side stream across. Then just before >they reached the near side, someone could yell "It's an illusion!" -- and >watch them all go the way of Gandalf & the Balrog. Though you've qualified the first case, low-level illusions shouldn't be this powerful. Low-level illusions should be in the mind only, so the party would *think* it's crossing the bridge, though in reality they would take one step and fall into the chasm. (The Illusionist party member would presumably get a kick out of this.) Only high level illusion spells should come close to altering reality (as in AD&D "Alter Reality" and "Shades"). Low level illusions (ie. Phantasmal Forces) are a bitch to judge. However, this is an easy, nasty, and fun way to judge them: 1. If a being (player character or monster) suspects that something s/he can sense isn't real, s/he tries to disbelieve. The attempt is automatic, no saving throw required. In the case of a character, the DM tells the character whether the sensory input is real or illision. 2. If an illusion is thrown and sensed (seen) by a being and the being doesn't think to try to disbelieve it, the illusion takes "full" effect in the being's belief system. Calculate any damage upon the being as what the being expects to take. In the case of falling into a chasm, the damage is full. In the case of a thrown fireball, do the number of dice the being would expect (based on either the current situation or what he has taken in the past--for instance, an Orc doesn't expect a 20 die fireball since he's never survived one). Comments on this system: 1. Your players have to keep on their toes and look for fishyness in what's going on, otherwise they could be burned bad. 2. You have to be smart in your choice of key illusions, throwing them when the party least expects them, otherwise they'll see right through your plots. In the heat of battle, a really clever illusion which misdirects all the players is a LOT of fun. 3. Character-thrown illusions are still somewhat hard to handle. You have to make judgements about the likelihood of your monster disbelieving the illusion based on intelligence, past experience, and the illusion's cleverness. So throw some dice. (Note on handling illusions of damage spells such as Fireball--if I believed one was coming at me, I'd hope for the best. In otherwords, in the absence of knowledge about how much damage it's going to be, I'd WANT it to be low. Therefore, I kind of like the idea of miminum dice (5d6) or less in such cases.) 4. If any or all of this system duplicates what's said in the DM guide, sorry. I haven't looked at the thing in a long while. 5. #4 is an illusion. Ha!