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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Grumbleputty" data-source="post: 7237193" data-attributes="member: 31985">Some ill-considered, unconnected and potentially ridiculous additional thoughts:a) Helpless "Extras"- innocents trapped in costumes or concealed under illusions, with Magic Mouths cast on them to deliver their lines. Part of the challenge is knowing who is a real threat and who is just a helpless pawn.b) Make the whole stage a Portal to a series of demi-planes that are the "sets". The whole cast gets transported when the scene changes (this way your players won't need to waste a bunch of time trying to disbelieve every feature they try to interact with- most of it can be real)c) Involve the audience- have the actors draw mystical energy from the crowd to power their attacks and defenses. This would force the characters to "role-play" within the play and find ways to do whatever they're trying to do within the plot of the scene they're in.d) Have a bunch of minions hidden above the stage inside the pocket dimensions of a dozen Rope Trick spells- on their cue, ropes drop down all around the party out of mid-air and their assailants slide down onto the stagee) Related to (c): If the whole play is some sort if ritual, perhaps the audience will suffer some sort of psionic backlash if the play is interrupted. Again, it keeps the party from just crashing onto the stage and jumping into melee- they need to do a bunch of skill challenges along the way to keep the plot of the play moving before they get to the big battle scene at the climax.f) A big musical number. g) Overall (and I know this messes with your core idea), I'd avoid relying on illusions too much. From the player's standpoint, it might be fun for a short encounter, but after a while it could feel limiting. Usually it's good to encourage the players to say "I'm going to jump onto that table, use the chandelier to swing over the Otyugh and free the Duke from the guillotine trap"- if any of those elements might not exist, it dampens their incentive to use the elements around them in creative ways.h) Another idea that dovetails with (c) and (e)- Imagine a giant, knock-down drag-out battle going on backstage between the party and the villain and his minions (I know you said he didn't have any minions, but bear with me). Since "The Show Must Go On", at any given point one or two of the characters and some of the minions might need to go onstage and play their roles. You'll have this battle where all throughout different combinations of party members and bad guys need to disengage from the combat, throw on a costume and perform in the play, while their fellows are still duking it out behind the scenes....I hope any of this helps!</blockquote>

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