How to work a party over?

[Herzog]

Aren't you thinking about Nystuls Mystic Aura ?

IIRC, that would show something as being 'magical', when it is not.

 

[theimmortalblackmage]

Herzog - Nystul's Magic Aura makes something seem magical.

Phantasmal Phasm makes some creature (Might have other appropriate targets) appear to be fake i.e. like an illusion. The thing behind this is make a PC believe that they have made their Will save for disbelieve, and watch the look on their face when they suddenly see the illusion that was before their eyes hack at them for a chunk of their hitpoints.

 

[Mark1733]

I'm currently running a 3.5ed Campaign for 7-9th level characters. The current trouble I have is that they're way too powerful combat-wise and I want to screw with their heads.

Here's what I've got so far:

I'm going to trap them in the town from 'The Created' (RM2). The mastermind for all of this will be a Mechanatrix Wizard of about 9th-12th level. He's going to be packing a lot of illusion type spells (minor image, major image, etc.) and going to have a lot of things floating around the town (invisible stalkers, doppelgangers, etc). He's a servant of the Xammux (Book of Vile Darkness) and he's basically torturing them in order to figure out how they tick.

Does the party have any major nemesis or nemeses that this guy could somehow know about? Something they have been carrying that has been a scrying focus or mind probe? Then this Mech Wiz uses illusions of these foes...making them seem like they have come back with a vengence and teamed up against the party.

Another idea is to somehow split them up via dimension doors or something so that they each end up alone in the town and have to find their way back to each other. That might be tough to run for a little while one at a time, but no one likes being alone with danger lurking everywhere. Maybe this is where dopplegangers or other enemies tailored to the party members come in handy.

 

[FoxWander]

The spell you were originally looking for is apparently Spectral Farce not Phantasmal Farce. I remembered it as Phantasmal also from a Dragon magazine, but found it thru the excellent Dragon Dex spell index with Ctrl-F "farce".

Anywho, it's in issue 229 which is in the awesome CD collection from ancient times so I have an electronic version for easy copying. Here you go.

Spectral Farce (Alteration, Illusion)
Level: 3
Range: 60 yds. + 1 yd. per level
Components: V, S
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 40’ cube + 10’ cube per level
Saving Throw: Special

The spectral farce spell is an illusion that makes images appear less believable, whether the images are real or illusory. If the images are real, the spell gives onlookers a reason to believe that they are fake. For example, spectral farce could make a charging red dragon’s movements seem unrealistic, and also silence the sound of its claws raking against stone as it landed in a cavern. This could make enemies of the dragon believe that it's an illusion and take actions to disbelieve its existence.

If the images are illusory, the spectral farce spell can be highly effective at promoting disbelief. It grants a +4 saving throw when determining whether a viewer believes an illusion is real. If the viewer has already failed a saving throw, there is a chance that another saving throw will be allowed after spectral farce is cast. The chance is equal to 50% plus the level of the spellcaster.

This spell can have all of the elements utilized in a spectral force spell, including sight, sound, smell and heat. Sometimes these are used primarily to mask an element, such as the case above where a dragon’s claws were silenced.​

Definitely the kind of spell for the tricks you're looking for. But the same effect could be achieved with the creative use of existing illusions to give a cartoonish, surreal or phantasmal look to real objects or creatures. Or you could simply establish your enemy caster as a summoner first, and then mix up the summons with illusions of the same things. Since your party will already be used to monsters popping out of nowhere to attack them they'll have no justification to attempt disbelieving illusions that do the same thing. And if they DO start disbelieving anyway, that's when you throw in real monsters that deliberately look false via illusions. So now your real "false" monsters get automatic surprise attacks!

make sure your caster maxes out sleight of hand so he can use deceptive spellcasting to keep your party from using spellcraft to know what he's actually casting.

Also take the Deceptive and Invisible Spell feats from Cityscape. Lightning bolts that come from nowhere will have them jumping at shadows and attacking "invisible" casters. And an invisible fireball will just completely screw with their heads! Would an invisible obscuring mist make monsters look partially transparent? Looks like "illusionary" monsters.

 

[PythonPuncher]

Fyi ... info on Phantasmal Force

Level: 1
Schools: Illusion/Phantasm
Range: 60 yds. + 10 yds./level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1
Area of Effect: 400 sq. ft. +100 sq. ft./level
Saving Throw: Special This spell creates the illusion of any object, creature, or force, as long as it is within the boundaries of the spell's area of effect.

The illusion is visual and affects all believing creatures (undead are immune) that view it. It does not create sound, smell, or temperature. Effects that depend on these senses usually fail. The illusion lasts until struck by an opponent--unless the spellcaster causes the illusion to react appropriately--or until the wizard ceases concentration upon the spell (due to desire, moving, or a successful attack that causes damage). Saving throws for illusions are explained under "Illusions" in Chapter 7: Magic and under "Adjudicating Illusions" at the beginning of Appendix 2. Creatures that disbelieve the illusion see it for what it is and add +4 to associates' saving throws if this knowledge can be communicated effectively. Creatures believing the illusion are subject to its effects (again, as explained in Chapter 7).

 

[pawsplay]

You could probably get the PCs to make at least some bad decisions by having a group of monsters veiled as themselves, wielding weapons affected by Nystal's Magic Aura. This hilarious part is that they won't be able to figure out, immediately, why their disbelief doesn't seem to be working.

You know what else is hilarious? Invisible medusa rogue archers! HAHAHA!

EDIT: And you need a trap. My favoriate is a tunnel that deadends. Obviously, the end of the tunnel is an illusion of a wall. On the other side of it is a an antimagic zone with a 60' pit trap onto spikes.

 

[theimmortalblackmage]

I made a trap like that once. It was a door that opened into a room that was painted to look like it was 10' deep. In reality there was a reverse gravity trap set into it and it was 60' deep. ^>^ Man they were so surprised.

I think I'm going to have to use Force Golems as well. Man they're fun!

Thanks so much Fox Wander!

 

[theimmortalblackmage]

Spectral Farce Conversion

2nd Ed Edition
Spectral Farce (Alteration, Illusion)
Level: 3
Range: 60 yds. + 1 yd. per level
Components: V, S
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 40’ cube + 10’ cube per level
Saving Throw: Special

The spectral farce spell is an illusion that makes images appear less believable, whether the images are real or illusory. If the images are real, the spell gives onlookers a reason to believe that they are fake. For example, spectral farce could make a charging red dragon’s movements seem unrealistic, and also silence the sound of its claws raking against stone as it landed in a cavern. This could make enemies of the dragon believe that it's an illusion and take actions to disbelieve its existence.

If the images are illusory, the spectral farce spell can be highly effective at promoting disbelief. It grants a +4 saving throw when determining whether a viewer believes an illusion is real. If the viewer has already failed a saving throw, there is a chance that another saving throw will be allowed after spectral farce is cast. The chance is equal to 50% plus the level of the spellcaster.

This spell can have all of the elements utilized in a spectral force spell, including sight, sound, smell and heat. Sometimes these are used primarily to mask an element, such as the case above where a dragon’s claws were silenced.

3rd Ed Edition
Spectral Farce Illusion (Figment)
Level: 3
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet per caster level)
Components: V, S
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 3 rounds
Area of Effect: 40’ cube + 10’ cube per level
Saving Throw: Special

The spectral farce spell is an illusion that makes images appear less believable, whether the images are real or illusory. If the images are real, the spell gives onlookers a reason to believe that they are fake. For example, spectral farce could make a charging red dragon’s movements seem unrealistic, and also silence the sound of its claws raking against stone as it landed in a cavern. This could make enemies of the dragon believe that it's an illusion and take actions to disbelieve its existence.

If the images are illusory, the spectral farce spell can be highly effective at promoting disbelief. Saves made to determine whether a viewer believes an illusion is real or not are made at -3. If the viewer has already failed a saving throw, there is a chance that another saving throw will be allowed after spectral farce is cast. The chance is equal to 50% plus the level of the spellcaster.

This spell can have all of the elements utilized in a spectral force spell, including sight, sound, smell and heat. Sometimes these are used primarily to mask an element, such as the case above where a dragon’s claws were silenced.

Comments? Feedback? Over/Under powered? In line with original spell?

 

[Herzog]

1. Casting time
The casting time '3' in 2nd edition is an indication of the 'speed' of the casting. roughly the same in this case, IIRC, to an attack with a dagger.
Casting time should thus be '1 standard action', and not three rounds.

2. Area of Effect
I would change this to 'one existing illusion or one creature or object not larger than 40’ cube + 10’ cube per level'.

3. Effect on real object or creature.
There is no 'disbelief' action anymore in 3rd edition. Illusions can only be detected by interacting with them. This 'interaction' is subject to DM interpretation, and I would therefore include the same conditions in this spell. Something like:
If the affected creature or object is interacted with, the interacting creature gets a saving throw just as if it was an illusion. A failed saving throw will make the character think it is an illusion, and the character will act accordingly.

4. Reference to Spectral Force.
I could be mistaken, but I think 3rd edition no longer has Spectral Force, so you should change that reference to point to an existing 3rd edition spell, preferably one in the PHB.

No pointers balance-wise though. You'd have to playtest this to find out how powerful it is.

 

[FoxWander]

<snip>

4. Reference to Spectral Force.
I could be mistaken, but I think 3rd edition no longer has Spectral Force, so you should change that reference to point to an existing 3rd edition spell, preferably one in the PHB.

No pointers balance-wise though. You'd have to playtest this to find out how powerful it is.

Several good suggestions above, but to clarify this one- yes, there is NO "Spectral Force" spell in 3E, so you should change that reference to Major Image instead- which is the equivalent 3E spell. Furthermore- "spectral" has quite a different meaning in similarly named 3E spells, so I'd change the spell name as well. In keeping with the play on the actual illusion spell name that farce was to force, I'd suggest naming it Misleading Image.