benl@alice.UucP (Benjamin J. Liberman) (11/26/85)
I am at the moment finishing "The Art of Illusion", a magic system that may coexist with probably any other magic system, and should work with any role playing system, but will work especially well with Runequest (for which it is designed). If I get enough reactions, I will post it to the net. If not, it will be in some issue of "Buffalo Steak Tartar" (that is, if the editors will allow it). (I bet my .signature came out twice. Just watch.) -- _______ / \ / \ / O O \ ---------||||-----| |-----||||--------- Ben Liberman | | (201) 635-5752(6975) - ihnp4!allegra!alice!benl -- -- _______ / \ / \ / O O \ ---------||||-----| |-----||||--------- Ben Liberman | | (201) 635-5752(6975) - ihnp4!allegra!alice!benl
james@alberta.UUCP (James Borynec) (11/26/85)
We use a system for illusionist spells that removes all of the various
illusion spells and ties them together. We stole the idea off the net
a few years ago. I regret that I do not know who it came from.
The number of illusion points varies as the level of spell cast.
50 illusion points = a lvl1 spell, 80pts = lvl 2 spell, 120 = lvl 3
180 = lvl4, 300 = lvl 5, 400 = lvl6, 600 = lvl7
By the way,here are some very useful illusions:
- a light that only the party can see (it will interact with the
environment, and return 'illusionary' images of the room.
-making a curved hallway seem straight (a great way to wreck a map)
-images of the party doing stupid things (sow a little distrust)
-One way illusions.. imagine a room with illusionary walls. outside
these walls are 50 archer rangers, ready aim, fire!
---- cut here ----
.if `\*(DD`` \{\
.ll 7i
.nr tf 1
.he 'Spell''Illusions'
.fo ''- % -'\*(td'
.bp 1
.ds DD "DND
.. \}
This is a description of the meaning of the spell cost tables
found on the "Illusion Worksheet".
At each illusionist spell level there is
a single, general purpose, illusion spell.
It is these spells which are effected by this system.
Associated with each spell is a point value.
The spells may be used to create different effects,
where each effect also has associated with it a cost (in points).
The effects that can be produced,
and their costs are given and explained below.
.(b L
Sense static
====================
sound 3
sight 5
taste 7
smell 10
tactile 13
physical 20
mental 40
.)b
This is pretty straight forward; you pay a cost for each sense you affect.
The distinction between tactile and physical is one of degree;
tactile gives something a feel and physical gives it mass.
Very small objects need only tactile (e.g. an illusion of rain).
Mental makes the illusion appear to have thoughts if ESPed or whatever.
For each sense the illusion covers,
you have to pay an additional cost on the next table to control it.
(In the worksheet, these tables have been combined.)
.(b L
Behavior (for each sense)
==========================
static 0
mechanical 5
creature 10 (locomotion, claw/claw/bite, etc.)
skilled 20 (speech, swordplay, spellcasting, etc.)
.)b
Static means it never changes;
mechanical means it changes
but in a very straight forward and predictable way.
Illusions of a living being must typically have at least
creature behavior unless the thing is, for example, asleep.
.(b L
Environmental interaction
==========================
none 0 Full cost for each different
preprogrammed 5 entity; cost X (n+1)/2 for n
reactive 10 similar entities.
simple actions 15
complex tasks 20
intelligent plans 50
--------------------------
reaction to thoughts 60
.)b
This indicates how well the illusion reacts to things going on around it.
None indicates the illusion will not do anything (it just sits).
Preprogrammed can change, but the illusionist has to
decide just what it will do when the spell is cast.
Reactive means the illusion itself will react to
small changes in the environment without the illusionist's control
(things like facing the enemy if the enemy moves, etc.).
The next three indicate more or less the intelligence needed
for the depicted creatures to do what they are doing.
It is somewhat easier to control multiple instances
of the same type of creature in an illusion,
so the cost for each after the first is only half.
Thus 5 orcs cost 3x what one orc costs,
but an orc, a goblin, a kobold, an ogre, and a hill giant
cost 5x what one orc costs.
.sp
Reaction to thoughts can be added in with the others.
It allows the illusion to react to a specific individual's thoughts
in a way predetermined by the illusionist.
The illusionist could make an illusion of a person
that appeared to be someone else's long-dead mother, for example,
even though the illusionist had never seen the mother.
Alternatively, an illusionist could create an illusion of
a servant that would anticipate someone's every need.
.sp
Note that this table is orthogonal to the behavior table,
in that the behavior requires expenditure for each sense
and environmental interaction requires it for each creature.
There is correlation, however,
since the more complicated types of interaction require more
advanced behavior.
.(b L
Duration
==========================
total concentration 0
partial concentration 10 (No spellcasting; movement & dodging OK)
minimal concentration 70 (Spellcasting of non-concentration spells)
no concentration 2/round (5 segments)
--------------------------
permanent 200
repetitions 10/repetition
triggering 40 (as magic mouth)
.)b
Concentration determines how many and what kinds of other activities can
occupy the spellcaster.
.sp
Repetitions are exact repetitions, NO variation at all.
If you created illusionary flaming oil dropping on people and
followed that with a repetition,
the illusion would most likely be seen through
since the victims would probably have moved between repetitions,
and the repetition would be inappropriate.
.sp
Triggered illusions work like magic mouths.
.(b L
Damage (all as per effect being depicted)
=========================================
none 0
illusionary 5
slight & illusionary 20 (1 point/die)
real if believed 80
real 200
.)b
Illusionary damage will be seen as such
during the next quiet period for the victim.
Slight & illusionary does a little bit of real damage
unless the victim disbelieves before the damage occurs.
Real if believed does damage unless the victim successfully disbelieves
either before or afterwards,
otherwise the damage is illusionary.
Illusionary damage cannot kill a creature
but rather makes it become unconscious for a number of rounds equal to
the number of points below zero he is, plus 1d4 additional rounds.
.sp
While real damage can result from an illusion,
the physical damage is not from the spell, but from the damaged party
(though said party will believe the damage to have come from the spell).
Illusions are NEVER real.
Even the illusion of a bridge which has a physical aspect is not real.
A creature may be able to feel the bridge when testing it with one foot,
but if the creature steps onto the bridge, it will fall through!
.(b L
Area of effect
==================
area 2/sq "
mobile 30
replications 1/sqrt(# of replicas)
restriction 10/individual included or excluded
.)b
These are all orthogonal.
Area covers the size of the illusion;
mobile indicates this area can move around.
Replications are exact duplicates of parts of the illusion
but must all fit within the area of effect.
If, for example,
a marching skeleton costs N points and takes a 2x2 foot area,
100 marching skeletons cost 10 x N points for replications
and 8 points for the area.
(You can get 25 skeletons per square inch).
Restriction applies to victims,
so you can create illusions which only some people can see
or which everyone but specified people can see.
.(b L
Ease of dispelling
==========================================
dispelled by disbelief 0
dispelled by touch 5
dispelled by touch in disbelief 10
not dispelled by touch in disbelief 50
.)b
Self-explanatory, I think.
If it's dispelled by disbelief,
the illusion is seen through as soon as the creature disbelieves it.
.sp
Examples :
.sp
1) An army of 100 skeletons:
We'll make 4 different skeletons and make 25 replications of
each one.
.(b
sound: mechanical 3+5 8
sight: creature 5+20 25
simple actions 15 x (5/2) 38 (the 5/2 is for 4 skeletons)
total concentration 0 0
no damage 0 0
area 4 sq " 2 x 4 8
mobile area 30 30
replications 4 * sqrt(25) 20
dispelled by t.i.d. 10 10
-----
TOTAL 138
.)b
.sp
2) An illusionary flash of light if anyone touches your backpack but you:
.(b
sight: static 5 + 0 5
no interaction 0 0
duration 1 segment 1 1
triggering 40 40
no damage 0 0
area of effect (1 sq ") 2 2
dispelled by disbelief 0 0
restriction (not you) 10 10
-----
TOTAL 58
.)b
A phantasmal force can do this;
if you used improved p.f. you could add
some slight & illusionary damage to it (i.e. blinded for a few segments)
.sp
3) Everyone's favorite: an illusionary fireball!
.(b
sight: mechanical 5 + 5 10
tactile: static 13 + 0 13 (heat)
sound: static 3 + 0 3
smell: static 10 + 0 10 (burning flesh, etc.)
no interaction 0 0
total concentration 0 0
area (12.58 sq ") 2 * 13 26
dispelled by t.i.d. 10 10
-----
TOTAL (less damage) 72
.)b
There is no way for a first level spell to include damage in the above
and still have the effect be believable.
An i.p.f. could do slight and illusionary damage.
Real if believed damage requires a fourth level spell,
and real damage a sixth level spell.
.sp
4) Illusionary bridge over a chasm:
.(b L
sight: static 5 + 0 5
physical: static 20 + 0 20
no interaction 0 0
no concentration 0 0
no damage 0 0
area (5 sq ") 5 x 2 10
dispelled by t.i.d. 10 10
-----
TOTAL 45
.)b
But remember, this is only useful as a trap,
since it can not support any weight.
.sp
5) Someone's long-dead mother appearing and giving advice (just to him)
.(b
sound: creature 3 + 20 23
sight: skilled 5 + 10 15
simple actions 15 15
reaction to thoughts 60 60
total concentration 0 0
no damage 0 0
area <= 1 sq " 2 2
restriction to 1 person 10 10
dispelled by t.i.d. 20 20
-----
TOTAL 145
.)b
This one could be very effective.
You might even want to add some substance to the "vision" and
let it perform more complex tasks.
.(b L
physical: static 20 + 0 20
complex tasks (diff.) 5 5
-----
NEW TOTAL 170
.)bdb@cstvax.UUCP (Dave Berry) (12/03/85)
In article <742@alberta.UUCP> james@pembina.UUCP (James Borynec) writes: >We use a system for illusionist spells that removes all of the various >illusion spells and ties them together. SPI's Dragonquest system did something similar, though not as good as yours. General knowledge (ie. low-level) illusions affected one sense only. Special knowledge illusions were combinations of general knowledge illusions. Only tactile illusions could do damage, and then only when combined with some other illusion (usually visual) so that the target could identify the source of an attack. Thus low-level illusions couldn't do damage. > > By the way,here are some very useful illusions: > - a light that only the party can see (it will interact with the > environment, and return 'illusionary' images of the room. WHHAAT?!! Surely to cast an illusion you need to know what you're going to cast an illusion of? A character with infravision casting an illusion of the room he can see for some friends who can't see in the dark is a good idea, but I can't agree with your suggestion. PS. I'm surprised to charge points by area of the illusion, rather than by volume. -- Dave Berry. CS postgrad, Univ. of Edinburgh ...mcvax!ukc!cstvax!db