Nibbens
2015-03-06, 02:19 PM
First, a brief clarifying of PFs Illusion disbelief rules.
Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion.
A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.
A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. a character faced with proof that an illusion isn't real needs no saving throw. If any viewer successfully disbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a +4 bonus.
Okay, so let's say for example that you have a group of PCs traveling into an Aboleth's (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/aberrations/aboleth) lair. From what we know of the creature, they use illusions to devastating effects - in particular would be their lair, where they can upkeep the Illusory Walls permanently, Programmed image is permanent until triggered, and then it lasts for 16 minutes, and Mirage Arcana to quite literally terraform his lair exactly the way he wants it to look for 32 hours per day in a single casting, Veil can create any servant the aboleth has to look like multiple Cthulhus for all he cares for 16 hours per day and to top it all of he can do all of this at will.
So, that means that when your heroes enter an Aboleths Lair, everything they see is false and made to be exactly what the Aboleth wants them to see.
Now, here comes my problem - If you have four PCs (it only gets worse with five and six man parties) this means you have every surface interacted with a differing times by differing people with everyone making separate will saves. Character X doesn't believe illusion A but believes illusion B and C. Character Y doesn't believe Illusion B, but believes A and C. And so on and so forth.
This can get easily out of hand and the amount of dice rolls could potentially destroy your flow of game - not to mention keeping track of who is believeing and disbelieving what and the Bam! Combat happens - with more illusions...
So, yeah... I guess my question is how do DMs handle the barrage of illusions (such as utilized by a Aboleth) without letting it bog down the game to a crawl? Or, are there any DMs out there who've successfully ran an Aboleths Lair without making your PCs hate you (for disrupting gameplay - not necessarily making them miserable... because thats what illusions do).
Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion.
A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.
A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. a character faced with proof that an illusion isn't real needs no saving throw. If any viewer successfully disbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a +4 bonus.
Okay, so let's say for example that you have a group of PCs traveling into an Aboleth's (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/aberrations/aboleth) lair. From what we know of the creature, they use illusions to devastating effects - in particular would be their lair, where they can upkeep the Illusory Walls permanently, Programmed image is permanent until triggered, and then it lasts for 16 minutes, and Mirage Arcana to quite literally terraform his lair exactly the way he wants it to look for 32 hours per day in a single casting, Veil can create any servant the aboleth has to look like multiple Cthulhus for all he cares for 16 hours per day and to top it all of he can do all of this at will.
So, that means that when your heroes enter an Aboleths Lair, everything they see is false and made to be exactly what the Aboleth wants them to see.
Now, here comes my problem - If you have four PCs (it only gets worse with five and six man parties) this means you have every surface interacted with a differing times by differing people with everyone making separate will saves. Character X doesn't believe illusion A but believes illusion B and C. Character Y doesn't believe Illusion B, but believes A and C. And so on and so forth.
This can get easily out of hand and the amount of dice rolls could potentially destroy your flow of game - not to mention keeping track of who is believeing and disbelieving what and the Bam! Combat happens - with more illusions...
So, yeah... I guess my question is how do DMs handle the barrage of illusions (such as utilized by a Aboleth) without letting it bog down the game to a crawl? Or, are there any DMs out there who've successfully ran an Aboleths Lair without making your PCs hate you (for disrupting gameplay - not necessarily making them miserable... because thats what illusions do).