Micro Managing Illusions?

[JohnPaulB]

Do you play TFT Illusions (and images) where the player's Caster character has to micromanage the illusioin or do you play where the illusion is semi-autonomous and the Caster only has to "intercede" when something requiring a critical decision occurs.

So If an Illusion guard is with the party and they are walking down the hall and turn a corner, does the caster have to put some attention on having the guard turn too or can the caster ignore the guard, expecting it to turn on its own?

If the guard Illusion is told to only let people pass who show a pass, can the caster be doing other things like having an intimate conversation with his mate?

If the wizard is busy and someone asks the Illusion a question, does the Illusion stay in pause mode until the wizard notices and then has to have the Illusion ask what was just said? Or do you have the Illusion answer rudimentarily even if the wizard is busy?

I play it that the Illusion is automated and can do basic activities without the effort of the wizard. It will not contradict the intentions of the caster, though.

[hcobb]

Remember that Maintain Illusion is useless because illusions vanish whenever wizards sleep.

I suppose you could house rule this to allow for maintain image to pop up a recorded message like: "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

[TippetsTX]

ITL pg 138... "An illusion also moves, speaks and fights as its creator commands."

The language leaves some room for interpretation, but for me it seems to imply that the wizard must maintain active control over the illusion. The illusion has no mind of its own so autonomous action is a stretch IMO. That said, however, there should be a way for the wizard to 'program' certain basic actions that don't depend on an illusion's non-existent awareness of the environment.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

That said, however, there should be a way for the wizard to 'program' certain basic actions that don't depend on an illusion's non-existent awareness of the environment.

What is seeing through the illusion's eyes when the wizard isn't?

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

What is seeing through the illusion's eyes when the wizard isn't?

Exactly. The illusion can't really perceive anything and therefore it can't react to external stimuli its own.

[Shostak]

We always had them behave like summoned creatures, so wizards could do other things while having their illusions attack or whatever. Forcing a wizard to actively manage an illusion would definitely nerf illusions. But maybe that is a good thing.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

Do you play TFT Illusions (and images) where the player's Caster character has to micromanage the illusioin or do you play where the illusion is semi-autonomous and the Caster only has to "intercede" when something requiring a critical decision occurs.

We played as a mix, where the line is sort of things the people seeing the illusion might expect based on the illusion's form (the ability to walk, fight, respond in expected ways), and things requiring some intelligence or conscious choice (which would use the wizard's consciousness, though part of knowing the Illusion spell may (must?) be training up the capacity to multi-task, at least in this way (maybe the wizard's subconscious does some of it?)).

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

So If an Illusion guard is with the party and they are walking down the hall and turn a corner, does the caster have to put some attention on having the guard turn too or can the caster ignore the guard, expecting it to turn on its own?

A little bit, but not much.

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

If the guard Illusion is told to only let people pass who show a pass, can the caster be doing other things like having an intimate conversation with his mate?

Yes, though the wizard would be aware of such things and so slightly not 100% able to be in complete rapport with his mate.

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

If the wizard is busy and someone asks the Illusion a question, does the Illusion stay in pause mode until the wizard notices and then has to have the Illusion ask what was just said? Or do you have the Illusion answer rudimentarily even if the wizard is busy?

GM's call. I would say that if the wizard's trained subconscious can easily answer the question, the illusion can, but it is a question of needing the wizard's mental resources to run things (and/or possibly the imagination of the people believing the illusion, but if that's the case then maybe the answer the illusion gives might not be the one the wizard would have it answer if the wizard were not busy).

But clearly the intent is that a wizard can do something like create a whole group of illusions and images and have them all fight effectively and even with coordinated tactics while he himself continues to also fight and cast spells, which seems rather more demanding in general than conversations and so on.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Remember that Maintain Illusion is useless because illusions vanish whenever wizards sleep.

I suppose you could house rule this to allow for maintain image to pop up a recorded message like: "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

1) Maintain Illusion seems mostly off-topic for this question, except maybe as a clue about how illusions work.

2) The GM is free to choose how the versions of spells in his game specifically work, particularly when one line in the rules doesn't seem to agree with another line in the rules.

3) In this case, the description of Maintain Illusion says "An item carrying this spell will make an illusion “permanent” once cast." And that it "may last indefinitely" and "will be maintained indefinitely". It doesn't mention sleeping casters. I'd tend to think this means that it can also not vanish when the caster sleeps. Perhaps an illusion of a creature would sleep at the same time.

4) Alternatively, a GM might rule that the "This does not mean the illusion is immune to dispelling, disbelieving, etc." part means that "etc" includes vanishing when the wizard falls unconscious. Even so, I would not then use the word "useless".

[hcobb]

Are your indefinitely maintained summoned critters (of whatever type) at least as smart as the rules for a Gate or Limiting Spell? For example what are the limits to the Necropus' vast army of skeletons?

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Are your indefinitely maintained summoned critters (of whatever type) at least as smart as the rules for a Gate or Limiting Spell? For example what are the limits to the Necropus' vast army of skeletons?

I would say it depends very much on the type. Illusions use the IQ and awareness of the caster. Zombies do too, or zero IQ if masterless. Summons have their natural IQ.

I would say that no illusions, zombies or summons have the special abilities of gates and summoning spells to magically know things (e.g. "if they could see someone's record sheet") - just whatever their natural senses and they and the controlling wizard can figure out.