01-08-2018, 05:00 PM | #1 |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Tyler, Texas
|
Fantasy Trip Illusions
This is a sort of opposite of the Fantasy Trip Glitches, Contradictions, Ambiguities thread. Here, I'd like to mention TFT illusions. I'm fairly sure that TFT's treatment of illusions is unique (or extremely unusual). You'll recall that illusions act exactly like the real thing, including being able to cause damage to living creatures. You either have to do enough damage to kill it, or make an IQ roll to disbelieve it (and forego a combat action).
Because of this unique treatment, I strongly feel that illusions are one of the critical TFT "must keeps". So I'd like for this thread to be a list of issues and questions that arise when dealing with illusions. I doubt that it's really possible to write a comprehensive rule to cover every contingency. But a list like this would give some idea of what the problems are. And at least provide a "this is a list of common issues and the relevant guidelines" resource. I'll start. The rules state that an illusion of a particular person has the abilities that that person had (or that you think he had). What happens when people with very different opinions of that person's abilities are involved in the same encounter. I would suggest that the GM define the person as the character who knows him best thinks he is. Unless, of course, the Rule of Funny is applicable. |
01-09-2018, 01:18 AM | #2 |
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alsea, OR
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
I agree. I'll note that it's not unique, but it's uncommon.
I also like that "Disbelieve" is actually a 0-slot spell, known to most everyone (Wizard)... Which is relatively unique. The other thing I particularly like is that there are no colleges for the magic system, no spell prerequisites except stats. |
01-09-2018, 05:21 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Columbia, Maryland
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
I agree. I love how TFT handled illusions, and images. Of course, players really have to be on their toes when facing illusions since they can be quite deadly.
|
01-09-2018, 07:18 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Tyler, Texas
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
Quote:
|
|
01-09-2018, 08:32 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Jun 2012
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
A question on Illusions that I have seen raised elsewhere by others, how do they interact with projectile weapons?
An image struck by a projectile will vanish and the projectile continue on, but the rules don't say for an illusion. Would an Illusionary wall stop an arrow? |
01-09-2018, 09:02 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Tyler, Texas
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
Quote:
Yeah, it's the fantasy equivalent of Star Trek TNG technobabble, but what are you gonna do? I also told my players - at the beginning of the campaigns - that the effects of illusions were often inconsistent in unusual cases. Wizards pretty much know how an illusory swordsman will fight. They may not be able to predict how large or fast an object an illusory wall will block. There's sufficient variation that the scientific method won't help either. In other words, just go with the ruling and understand that attempts to abuse illusion rules have a good chance of blowing back on you. Last edited by tbeard1999; 01-09-2018 at 06:32 PM. |
|
01-16-2018, 02:13 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
Quote:
Images and illusions were very different for a reason, and it worked extremely well. It's also one of the most elegant treatments I've ever seen on the topic in any game. All in all, I don't personally find that there is much to quibble with in illusions per se. |
|
01-16-2018, 02:46 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
Actually, this post from a different thread raises what might be a large loop-hole in the rules. I'll quote it in its entirety here so everyone understands my point:
Quote:
I think this loophole should be closed in the next edition of TFT... (Great story, though! And obviously, closing this loophole makes things like "doppelgangers" more useful than they might otherwise be...) Last edited by JLV; 01-16-2018 at 02:50 PM. |
|
01-16-2018, 02:49 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
If you shoot an illusory wall, you will see an illusory version of your projectile bounce off of it and it will hit the ground. I would rule that the illusory wall would act as soft but complete cover, as regards whether the real projectile hits a target hiding behind it. Assuming it's not disbelieved, the illusory wall could be brought down by attacks, spells, etc., that would bring down the real thing, and in the same way.
If you tossed a rock at it, to you and everyone else affected by the illusion, the rock would appear to bounce off of it and hit the ground. The real rock would continue through, entirely unimpeded. It is very likely that the illusory wall would hide the sound of the rock hitting the ground on the other side, and any additional affects that may come from that. If the arbalest bolt could damage the real wall, the real arbalest bolt would damage the illusory wall in the same manner, and potentially leave behind an illusory bolt. The real arbalest bolt would continue through unimpeded, as above. Yes, that means that there's an illusory arrow, rock, etc., that the attacker could potentially pick back up and reuse. It remains illusory, though, and ends when the original illusion ends -- but as long as the illusion continues, it acts as a real projectile against anyone else affected by the illusion. If the attacker somehow finds their original, real projectile, that might be when they get a chance to disbelieve the illusion.
__________________
Chris Goodwin I've started a subreddit for discussion of INWO and Illuminati. Check it out! |
01-16-2018, 02:51 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
|
Re: Fantasy Trip Illusions
Quote:
__________________
Chris Goodwin I've started a subreddit for discussion of INWO and Illuminati. Check it out! |
|
|
|