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<blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 9070533" data-attributes="member: 6801845">I'm assuming most DMs have fallen back on illusionism at one time or another.&nbsp; Typically something along the lines of a semi-panicked response because the players did something totally out of left field and it's been a long week and you just don't have the mental reserves to improvise something.&nbsp; Or perhaps as a DM you've backed yourself into a corner and really can't think of out of it.&nbsp; DMs aren't perfect after all.But this whole topic tends to be a rabbit hole of philosophical debate.&nbsp; Like ... is it really a choice if you can go left or right but there's no knowledge behind that choice?&nbsp; If you have to have knowledge to make a choice, how much?I try to avoid illusionism myself - I sketch out an extra encounter or three for a sessions and don't think in terms of plots or story lines and instead focus on actors, their motivations and goals.&nbsp; I don't think it's inherently wrong unless it's overused such as in Mass Effect 3 where nothing you had done up until the final scenes made any difference.&nbsp; But everyone knows that if you're playing Curse of Strahd that the ultimate goal players will actually want is to take out Mr. Toothy in the end which may require some sleight of hand by the DM.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Oofta, post: 9070533, member: 6801845"] I'm assuming most DMs have fallen back on illusionism at one time or another. Typically something along the lines of a semi-panicked response because the players did something totally out of left field and it's been a long week and you just don't have the mental reserves to improvise something. Or perhaps as a DM you've backed yourself into a corner and really can't think of out of it. DMs aren't perfect after all. But this whole topic tends to be a rabbit hole of philosophical debate. Like ... is it really a choice if you can go left or right but there's no knowledge behind that choice? If you have to have knowledge to make a choice, how much? I try to avoid illusionism myself - I sketch out an extra encounter or three for a sessions and don't think in terms of plots or story lines and instead focus on actors, their motivations and goals. I don't think it's inherently wrong unless it's overused such as in Mass Effect 3 where nothing you had done up until the final scenes made any difference. But everyone knows that if you're playing Curse of Strahd that the ultimate goal players will actually want is to take out Mr. Toothy in the end which may require some sleight of hand by the DM. [/QUOTE]

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