Illusion Circus

[tim01300]

(newbie DM)

So I am running the Red Hand of Doom module and wanted to drop another mini quest in from one of my favorite games Baldur's gate 2 that I think my players will enjoy.

The quest is about a circus that is shut down because guests did not emerge and anyone who has gone into the tent to investigate has also not come out.

After entering the tent the players seem to be in another dimension, solving riddles and fighting there way up a tower to face an ogre mage. Along the way clues are dropped to indicate that it's not what it seems and that they are fighting illusions. After defeating him they realize the entire thing was a powerful illusion by a gnome (it's hinted he made a deal with a demon or something for power).

So my players took the bait and offered to help the guard solve their problem. A group of lvl 6 players, barb, cleric, wiz, and druid. The barb and cleric entered, into the tent filled with a dark smokey fog. When the wiz and druid realized they can't communicate with the barb/cleric they panicked and wouldn't go into the tent.

They tried a few things, cutting the tent flap (fog doesn't dissipate), dispel magic (not high enough rolls to dispel the illusion). The problem is they think it is a portal, (meta gaming) and not an illusion.

They want to burn the tent....Which in my mind would kill their teammates and everyone inside from smoke/fire. At that we ended for the night.

The split party won't survive because outside the tent a chimera is going to attack the town. They now seem stubborn against going into the tent.

What would more experienced DMs do?

[Deophaun]

What would more experienced DMs do?
Hope and pray that the wizard never attempts a spellcraft check...

[tim01300]

So far he didn't think of it, everyone is fairly new to the game. I'm really unsure what to do if they set the tent on fire. Or of ways to get the other two to go into it. Honestly I think because it was so obviously a quest ( a little boy came up and asked for help) that one player is being difficult on purpose. He enjoys arguing against doing anything that seems "questy"

[Monticularis]

I don't really consider myself an experienced DM, but I can throw a few ideas around.

I think you should just roll with it. Your goal should be to make it a fun game for your players and yourself, there's really no reason to stick to a predefined path. The players are interacting with the setting that you've given them and that's a good sign. If they wanna burn down the tent, let them. But you shouldn't kill the players inside the tent, that might create bad dynamics between your group. Just jump to the final fight (assuming the ogre mage isn't an illusion, it should also emerge from the tent) and save the illusory dungeon for a different time. The gnome might even make a good reoccurring villain.

Alternatively, the illusory magic might act weirdly once the tent is burnt. Maybe it spills out into the surrounding and covers those outside. Or maybe it is a portal and sucks the players in.

Of course, you can use the chimera as a reason for the players that's outside to go into the tent. Let those two outside get beat-up a bit by the chimera and comment that the barbarian and the cleric might be just fine inside the tent.

[BowStreetRunner]

Time for a clue...have a bystander mention that they just saw one of the people who had gone into the tent walking around nearby. When the PCs catch up to this person it turns out that one NPC actually did come out of the tent (they made their saving throw) but the details they provide are unclear as the inside was dark (no reason for a light source if everyone is just seeing an illusion anyway). They should be able to give enough information to convince the PCs that regardless of whether it is a portal or something else, there IS a way back. The NPC just isn't sure HOW they got back.