Illusory damage?
- Thread starter zyzzyr
- Start date
Thanks!
Hi all,
Thanks for the info. I had looked through the PHB (obviously not well enough) and could not come across anything, so I house ruled it. Everyone had fun, and that's the main point.
An important point, now that I reread it, is that silent -> major image do not create a "touch" illusion. It is visual, auditory, olfactory, and temperature only.
Now, whether or not a dwarf fighter with Int 9 can "disbelieve" an illusion, even if he has incontrovertible proof, is probably debatable. He ahs virtually no experience with monsters of this kind, or magic, so he might think that it's some special kind of monster, or similar. Of course, he will undoubtedly realize that he is not taking damage from it, although it's very very hot (in the case of a fire elemental). Probably another willpower saving throw (with an ad hoc bonus) would be in order.
Similarly, if the dwarf announces he is going to run through the elemental, the DM might want to require a willpower saving throw - not to disbelieve, but to actually go through with what you planned on. The DC would vary depending on the quality of the illusion, and the amount of proof the character has. Once again, this would be a matter of house rule, and choice by the DM.
Anyhow, thanks for the info! I'll up the EL a bit to make up for it
Hi all,
Thanks for the info. I had looked through the PHB (obviously not well enough) and could not come across anything, so I house ruled it. Everyone had fun, and that's the main point.
An important point, now that I reread it, is that silent -> major image do not create a "touch" illusion. It is visual, auditory, olfactory, and temperature only.
Now, whether or not a dwarf fighter with Int 9 can "disbelieve" an illusion, even if he has incontrovertible proof, is probably debatable. He ahs virtually no experience with monsters of this kind, or magic, so he might think that it's some special kind of monster, or similar. Of course, he will undoubtedly realize that he is not taking damage from it, although it's very very hot (in the case of a fire elemental). Probably another willpower saving throw (with an ad hoc bonus) would be in order.
Similarly, if the dwarf announces he is going to run through the elemental, the DM might want to require a willpower saving throw - not to disbelieve, but to actually go through with what you planned on. The DC would vary depending on the quality of the illusion, and the amount of proof the character has. Once again, this would be a matter of house rule, and choice by the DM.
Anyhow, thanks for the info! I'll up the EL a bit to make up for it
Henrix
Explorer
Re: Thanks!
By the book he gets a save anytime he interacts with the illusion. If he is fighting it that would be every time he or it scores a hit, symbolizing his chances to notice that something fishy is going on. (As in "That claw shoulda torn me apart while it passed through me! Why didn't I feel anything?)
It doesn't really have much to do with logic (Int), but more with common sense and intuition (Wis). And Wis is what modifies Will saves.
The act of disbelieving, which was so important in earlier editions, is much downplayed in 3E.
zyzzyr said:
By the book he gets a save anytime he interacts with the illusion. If he is fighting it that would be every time he or it scores a hit, symbolizing his chances to notice that something fishy is going on. (As in "That claw shoulda torn me apart while it passed through me! Why didn't I feel anything?)
It doesn't really have much to do with logic (Int), but more with common sense and intuition (Wis). And Wis is what modifies Will saves.
The act of disbelieving, which was so important in earlier editions, is much downplayed in 3E.
Re: Re: Thanks!
Hi all,
You're quite right - it's based on wisdom (and hence willpower is based on wisdom). I hesitate to use the word common sense because I live in Ontario and we just had way more than our fair share of "common sense".
But yes, the reason I say that the dwarf should beat a willpower saving throw is the following situation:
He *knows* it's an illusion - the elf wizard ally told him it's an illusion, as did everyone else. But his eyes and ears tell him differently. He steels himself to rush forward, but requires the saving throw to avoid "chickening out".
I think that'd probably be a fair ruling.
Hi all,
Henrix said:
You're quite right - it's based on wisdom (and hence willpower is based on wisdom). I hesitate to use the word common sense because I live in Ontario and we just had way more than our fair share of "common sense".
But yes, the reason I say that the dwarf should beat a willpower saving throw is the following situation:
He *knows* it's an illusion - the elf wizard ally told him it's an illusion, as did everyone else. But his eyes and ears tell him differently. He steels himself to rush forward, but requires the saving throw to avoid "chickening out".
I think that'd probably be a fair ruling.
