Illusion master spell
If the spell fails because the NPC sees through their illusion, let that be the outcome. When it comes to adjudicating illusion spells, try to avoid handing your players a victory just to make them happy. It says, “At the same time, you must remember that a properly role-played character is familiar with the laws of his world.” Meaning, that if something looks out of place or breaks those laws they are used to experiencing, then it will raise suspicion and cast doubt on the spell being used.
On page 109, there is one sentence that stands out the most to me as a DM and a player who loves illusions. In one of the latter paragraphs regarding illusions in the TSR Advanced Dungeons and Dragons player’s handbook there are more examples of believability. While this is built into the mechanics of the game with saving throws, I use it more for role-play purposes then actual mechanics. I also tend to help myself gauge the situation based on the intelligence of the creature in their reaction to the spell. Minion Mastery: Legends of Norrath Behind the ScreenĪs a dungeon master I find illusion spells to be the most entertaining and difficult in the game, because I want the player to be successful, especially when the illusion is something fantastic! For example, if a player is creating an illusion of another creature they have seen before and want it to distract an NPC in a combat encounter I tend to ask myself a few questions, does this NPC know what they are looking at? Have they experienced a creature like this before? Is this creature reacting in the manner it should? All of these questions fall under believability. Some of these illusions can also take on substance to a certain degree, these are called phantasms, which if used in a creative way, can help push the success of a spell in the players favor. Once the basics are answered, then the dungeon master has to move on to using the mechanics of the game to help determine the outcome of the illusion, which can and most likely will contribute to the success of failure of the spell. Third, if it is a combat scenario, is this new intrusion of magic on the battlefield so extreme that it pushes the boundaries of believability? These are only some of the plethora of situations that your characters can be in. Secondly, you have to consider, the situation is it a role-play encounter, a combat encounter, what is the surrounding environment like, are there multiple NPCs reacting to this spell and situation.
Illusions rely on the idea of believability, which in turn relies on the situation and the state of mind of the victim.” The difficulty about illusions is that your DM has to account for many factors.įirst, you have to take into account the spell the player is using, and then how they wish to use it. Not that they are more difficult for your player character to cast, but these spells are more difficult for you to role-play and for your DM to adjudicate. On page 108, under the section, illusions, it starts off by saying, “ Of all spells, those of the illusion school cause the most problems. The TSR Advanced D&D has multiple pages in the player’s handbook to help navigate the use of illusion spells. For new dungeon masters and players, illusions can be tricky to handle for the reasons as stated above. The current version of dungeons and dragons is my favorite version, it gives the players and dungeon masters just enough rules to manage the properly without ruining the fun. Each of those examples becomes increasingly difficult to manage, depending on the situation. Once a player reaches higher levels, they can start casting spells such as, hallucinatory terrain, dream, and project image. Due to the limitations of this spell, your choices are limited and it makes the desired result an easy decision for both player and dungeon master. For example, the spell minor illusion allows the caster to create a sound or image of an object.
Each illusion spell detailed in the Player’s Handbook tells the player how and what the spell can do.
#Illusion master spell how to#
Some illusions create phantom images that any creature can see, but the most insidious illusions plant an image directly in the mind of a creature.” The descriptor gives the reader a brief overview of the effects illusion spells can have on the creatures affected by the spell however, it does not offer much advice on how to adjudicate or navigate the complexity some of the spells can create. They cause people to see things that are not there, to miss things that are there, to hear phantom noises, or to remember things that never happened. The fifth edition Player’s Handbook states, “ Illusion spells deceive the senses or minds of others. The school of illusion is also one of the most difficult to navigate in game.