Hi! Malcon again. I decided to do a little research on illusions on this wonderful magic called the world wide web. There are people out there with some great ideas on illusions that I personally had never considered. And given the time that a Lich as to consider things that is really rather amazing don’t you think?
Now…..on to these new ideas.
- An area of your dungeon filled with illusionary traps and a few real ones. When they try to disbelieve these traps they are going to be in for a surprise won’t they?
- A doorway only visible in a mirror
- Illusions in the same room with invisible monsters
- A maze with some illusionary walls that do not exist
- Illusions that give your players extra options than just the safe path to travel
- Illusions of alert and active guards when the real ones are drunk or sleeping down the hall
- Illusions of some large nasty beast like a dragon that can eat up all of the delvers damage while the real threats fire away at the adventurers with impunity.
Illusionary Traps
Traps that are just illusions tends to distract your adventurers from the real threats in the room. While your adventurers are worrying about these traps the monsters or real traps in the room may be killing them.
Hiding a Doorway in an Illusion
Secret doors are one thing. But a door hidden by an illusion might never be found. And that is the point isn’t it?
Illusions in the Same Room With Monsters
Want to distract the adventurers from the creatures doing them the most damage? Put illusions in the room of something more threatening. Do your adventurers love to target the enemy spell casters first? Make some of the zombies in the room appear as if they are wearing robes and holding wands. And then watch your adventurers spend all their efforts killing those “wizards” first.
Mazes With Illusionary Walls
This is almost unfair. Which makes it even more fun. The maze will appear to have no possible exit. And this will infuriate your delvers.
Making the Players Choose the Unsafe Path
Are there multiple ways to get to the adventurer’s ultimate destination? Would you like them to take the more dangerous and risky path? I know that I would. And illusions can make one path seem unsafe when it is. And another path look quite safe when it is extremely dangerous. Got a nice steep cliff the adventurers could fall off? Make it look like a well worn trail.
Make Your Guards Look Alert Even If They Are Not
Are some of your minions slackers? That is a problem that all evil geniuses like us have. It is just so difficult to get good help. But illusions can make your guards look dangerous even if they are really sleeping off last nights Dwarven Mead.
Illusions of Monsters to Go With the Real Ones in the Room
Sometimes it is useful to give your delvers something meaty and dangerous looking to fight when the real threat in the room is just a bunch of kobolds. If they think there is a dragon with them the delvers are going to spend all of their spells and damage on that dragon before worrying about those pesky kobolds. And that gives your kobolds a chance to do some damage while the delvers are busy.
I will discuss this subject some more with my good friend Prince Al Kazam. Al Kazam is an ancient Rakshasha who has recently moved into the city of Barrowmar. He has a wonderful palace there. You should visit it sometime. Until then…..I bid you adieu.
