I'm curious: What was the Players' reactions when you told them they'd been fooled. Were they, "Well played, sir," or something negative?
They seems to take it well. One of them had just that day loaned me a 1989 book by Gary Gygax, [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Master-Game-Gary-Gygax/dp/039951533X"]Master Of The Game[/ame], and realised with a certain humour that he'd read about this very "fake boss" encounter in that book but hadn't realised it was happening when it took place.
The group as a whole seemed to take the fake crypt as very much in keeping with everything else they'd seen. The dungeon was full of tricks, traps and illusions - when I randomly rolled the scrolls in the crypt it turned up several illusion-type spells which they noted felt appropriate for the dungeon. A fake final battle and illusory cave-in seemed quite appropriate rather than GM unfairness. I suppose if I'd asked for some sort of dice roll to allow them a chance to notice the illustory nature while escaping?.... but that's maybe my 3.5 mindset showing.
Another thing to note: they went to Room 19 first so they had already recovered the FIRST KEY. After the fact, I pointed out they had a key they had found no use for, and that they hadn't super-keen explored Room 19 for secret doors, so perhaps the fact it was a fake wasn't without clues. (And better clues than that leather bag being intact.
)
This brings up a question I had never considered before:
Does this illusion make the entire Tomb collapse, or just up to up the stairs to the pit trap? The text says:I always read it as just collapsing that pseudo-crypt and up the stairs. But reading it closer, now, there are a couple of little phrases that might suggest the whole Tomb:
"if the party runs out"
"If this doesn't make them suspicious enough to take another run through to check things out"
"Runs out"? "Take another run through"?
GQuail, your posts reads like the Players ran all the way out of the Tomb? Is that the way you ran the illusion?
Yes, my group ran out the whole way, and I played the illusion as being functional throughout the whole of the tomb. I read Gygax's comments as strongly implying the whole tomb would appear to be collapsing - and indeed, I had the very entrance of the tomb apparently clog up.
On a re-read I totally see the interpretation that its just the lower level, possibly still leaving the secret door to Area 19 visible. In that version then even if they beat the fake Lich they may continue to explore and could find the rest of the dugneon... or they may assume they've won and depart.
I think I prefer the way you suggest, Bullgrit, because that way failure to find the rest of the dungeon feels more like a player failure. They choose to leave afterwards so the mocking tone of Gary is very slightly more deserved.