Building Bhakashal - It’s Just an Illusion

Ahhh illusions, enough to set the DM’s teeth on edge, and drive even the most committed player to distraction. Why are they such a bear in game?

The main reason, I believe, is that Gygax sort of left the details unspecified, he seems to imply that an illusion can duplicate the damage done by real world creatures/objects point per point, but he doesn’t spell out the implications of a 1st level illusionist making say an illusion of a huge dragon and slaying all their foes. There are some implications of course, automatic disbelief saves for something implausible. That sounded reasonable to me until the day when one of my players cast an illusion of a dragon in front of a group of 50 0-level soldiers, 0-levels need to roll a 19 or higher to save, so approximately 45 of them (on average) would fail, take ‘real world damage’ and be incinerated by your illusion, even if they got “automatic disbelief saves”.

That wasn’t going to work.

Gygax also suggests that an illusion made by someone who hadn’t seen the thing would be worse, but he doesn’t really specify what this means. 

There are other problems. What is the AC of an illusion? If you strike it, and since it’s intangible your weapon would pass through, do you get a disbelief roll? Does it cost anything to disbelieve, e.g. if you choose to disbelieve the charging bull do you have to stand still, can you do so while fleeing? Do you take any penalties if you are hit by something you THOUGHT was an illusion and it isn’t? When an illusory troll hits someone, do you use the “to hit” of the caster or the subject of the illusion? 

You get the idea. Gygax deliberately left a lot of this stuff unspecified, which is a bit odd, given how much potential illusions have to disrupt the game. This is both frustrating and exhilarating, frustrating as it leaves things open, but exhilarating as it leaves things open! You can make illusions whatever you want them to be. 

Here is how Bhakashal handles illusion magic.

Variations on a Theme

Bhakashal has a basic set of rules for ALL generic illusions (Phantasmal Force, Improved Phantasmal Force and Spectral Force), then presents 5 potential variants that add to this basic skeleton. Each one has advantages and disadvantages in terms of simplicity and flexibility at the table.  

Basic Illusion Adjudication 

1. Illusions can duplicate animals/monsters, NPC’s, spells and objects 

2. The phantasmist must have seen the subject of the illusion before for an extended period of time to make an illusion of that subject 

3. WIS and INT bonuses apply to any disbelief save

4. To disbelieve one must remain stationary and take no other actions that round. Roll a save versus spell; if successful add +4 to compatriots' saves if they can be informed

5. "Disbelieving the real" e.g. trying to disbelieve something real forfeits any saving throw and dexterity bonus to AC for the target

6. A successful disbelief save means the illusion cannot harm the victim, but it does not disappear and it can still hurt others

7. Illusion lasts until the phantasmist ceases concentration or is hit, unless otherwise specified

8. The phantasmist must remain stationary while casting, unless noted by the spell, giving them a 2 point AC penalty 

9. Phantasmists can see through their own illusions

10. The number of creatures that can be created and directed to act in an illusion is limited to phantasmist’s level, however, if illusory creatures are stationary and move minimally (e.g. archers standing together and shooting), the limit is the number which could fit in the spell AOE

11. Illusions cast during surprise get no disbelief save opportunity until after the surprise round 

12. Anything independent with an intelligence above “non” can be impacted by an illusion:

Animals - yes

Dinosaurs – yes 

Undead - no

Demons/Devils - yes

Golems - no

Elementals - yes

Cubes and Jellies – sound only

All systems below share the Basic Illusion Adjudication rules.

Notes

Condition 2 means that the PC cannot simply make an illusion of something extremely powerful based on hearsay and have it do outsized damage. More importantly though, it means that each monster/creature that the phantasmist encounters is grist for the illusory mill. In a very real sense, the phantasmist recreates the world that they encounter in their illusions, and the more they encounter, the more versatile they become.

Condition 3 is important as spell saves are the hardest saves to make, so some bonuses should apply, and very smart, very wise people should be much more likely to disbelieve.

Condition 4 is very important as there should be some cost to disbelieving illusions, otherwise the players will just spam the process all the time and illusions become pointless. Condition 5 is important for similar reasons, if someone chooses to disbelieve then they are taking a risk, if the subject of their disbelief is real, they are less likely to resist its attack. 

Condition 6  is important as illusions can still hide things and provide cover even if they are disbelieved. This makes them useful even when disbelieved, and keeps the phantasmist in the action even if their spells are not harmful.

Condition 8 is important as illusions have the potential to be game changing, so there should be some cost and effort to directing them, the phantasmist has to make the illusion react appropriately if it is to be plausible, so that requires focus. As the phantasmist progresses in power this condition mitigates (e.g. Improved Phantasmal Force and Spectral Force allow some movement and have the illusion independent for a short time), but it is the default. 

Condition 9 is necessary as otherwise many of the phantasmist’s illusions would impact them as much as their victims.

Beyond the Basics

Here are five systems for illusion adjudication that all share the basic system in common. Two are simple, two are more complex, one is crunchy.

Advanced Illusion Adjudication A (Simple)

1. As Basic Illusion Adjudication above, plus:

2. Illusions get disbelief saves when they are out of context or missing a needed sense component

3. AC, attack bonus and damage from illusions are all as the subject of the illusion, damage that reduces the target to below 0 HP will leave them unconscious for a number of rounds equal to the -HP score, when they wake all illusory damage will be gone

Notes: This is as simple as it gets, all illusory damage is temporary and leads to unconsciousness. Still a significant impact, but it allows the phantasmist to take out opponents without slaying them, and there is no need to adjudicate the details of disbelief.

Example: Phantasmist in the Raosk needs to distract a city guard, he makes a Phantasmal Force illusion of a large Jugyi mercenary carrying a trident, that illusion strikes at the guard. The illusion is in context, it is crowded and there are a lot of Jugyi around, but it is silent and gives off no heat. Neither is a problem in a crowded, loud public space however, so there is no immediate reason for a disbelief save. 

The illusion attacks as a 0-level jugyi mercenary, +1 attack bonus, rolls an 19, and hits doing 2-8 damage for a trident, rolls for 7 hp damage, reducing the guard to -3 hp, he drops unconscious and will be out for 3 minutes, but will wake up with his regular HP. 

Advanced Illusion Adjudication B (Simple)

1. As Basic Illusion Adjudication above, plus:

2. All illusions get automatic disbelief saves, rolled every round of combat

3. If the saves are failed then damage, AC and Attack Bonus are as the subject of the illusion

Notes: This system assumes that the illusion will have various ‘tells’ that can be spotted during the encounter, a leaf blowing through an opponent, a sword meeting no resistance on a strike, the illusion being silent when it should make noise, etc. In exchange for automatic disbelief saves for all targets, if the saves are unsuccessful, the illusion does damage as the real world equivalent, which makes phantasmists fairly formidable, as at least some of the targets of an illusion will fail their saving throw.

The primary advantage to this system is that it frees the referee from having to adjudicate the environmental conditions, track potential causes of disbelief, etc., but it doesn’t nerf their power too much, if believed, they behave like the real thing. So this is a fast and dirty option for refs and players who don’t want to muck about with things.

Example: The party is in a bad spot, a group of 5 carnivorous apes has sprung from the far side of the room towards them as the warlord releases them from their chains. The phantasmist makes an illusion of a displacer beast, he and the party had narrowly survived an encounter with one several weeks ago. 

The apes get an automatic disbelief saving throw, and have to roll a 13 or higher to save, so they fail 60% of the time. Say there are 5 apes, this means at least a few of them will likely believe that the displacer beast is real and react appropriately, engaging with it rather than the PCs, avoiding it and thus the PCs, etc. And as they believe it to be real, it will do real damage to them. Even if they make their save, they still have to spend a round disbelieving.

Advanced Illusion Adjudication C

1. As Basic Illusion Adjudication above, plus:

2. Illusions have a damage cap of 1-3 HP per attack routine per phantasmist level, maximum damage equal to damage subject of illusion can do

3. Damage that reduces the target to below 0 HP will leave them unconscious for a number of rounds equal to the -HP score, when they wake they will be at 1/2 of their total HP, and will regain a HP per turn thereafter

4. The illusion has the AC and Attack Bonus of the phantasmist

5. Conditions for potential disbelief save:

1. If the illusion is missing a relevant sense component

2. If the illusion is struck in combat

3. When these conditions do not apply but context indicates a disbelief save 

6. Each point of the caster's DEX bonus allows them to mitigate one type 5 b) disbelief opportunity per illusion, experience also allows the phantasmist to improve on this front: every 3 levels of experience the phantasmist may mitigate 1 further 5 b) disbelief opportunity

Notes:

This version mutes the potential damage from the illusion in a few ways, a cap of 1-3 hp damage per attack routine per phantasmist level, the illusion uses the attack bonus and has the AC of the phantasmist, and the damage is only partly permanent, some is temporary, so the result of dropping to 0 hp is unconsciousness. In exchange for these limitations, disbelief saves are not automatic, but instead rely on missing sense components, context (why is there a frost giant in the desert?) or the illusion being struck and the weapon passing through. 

However, as the phantasmist might be able to have the illusion “react” appropriately, there is a mechanism based on DEX bonus and level to compensate for some of these instances. Note that with this system having your illusions “mix it up” automatically increases the odds they will be disbelieved. 

Example: Holon the Gray is a 5th level Togmu phantasmist, he spies 4 guards outside of the door to the complex he needs to enter. Holon casts a Phantasmal Force spell and creates the illusion of an owlbear, the one that scarred Holon’s face last year. 

The illusion makes no sound, and it is night time and dark with no one around, so that would be suspicious unless the phantasmist gains surprise with his attack. The dice are rolled and the guards are surprised, this means the first attack is made without opportunity for disbelief. 

The phantasmal owlbear attacks as a real owlbear, normally 1-6/1-6/2-12 damage. A 5th level phantasmist can do 1-3 per attack routine per level, so that’s a max of [1-3]x5 so in this case say 1-3/1-3/3-9 damage. The owlbear strikes one of the guards and does 5hp of damage, dropping the guard to -1 hp, so he drops to the ground and will be unconscious for 1 round. It strikes another for 7 hp damage, dropping him to -3, so he’s out for 3 rounds. 

One of the remaining guards attacks the owlbear. It is AC 8 like Holon, and the guard strikes it and his sword passes through. Holon uses one of his two points of DEX bonus to mitigate that strike, making the illusion react rather than having the sword pass through it, avoiding a disbelief attempt. The second guard also scores a hit, and Holon uses his second DEX bonus point to have the illusion react appropriately.

Holon now has two “reactions” left (based on level) to use. 

Initiative is rolled and the guards win. They thrust with their spears, one misses and the other hits. Holon burns his second last “reaction” point, so the guard will not disbelieve. He then has the owlbear attack, the two claws miss but the bite does not, and it does 10 hp damage, dropping the guard to -5 hp, so he is out for 5 rounds. The last guard bolts fearing for his life.

The guards on the ground will be up at the end of this round, two rounds later and 5 rounds later. Now the first guard wakes up, he is at ½ his regular HP after being knocked unconscious. He sees the owlbear and his defeated comrades and takes out his sword, swinging wildly. This time he connects, so Holon uses his last point of adjustment, the next time the illusion is hit it will be a disbelief opportunity.

Fresh initiative time. Holon wins this time, and the owlbear attacks three times, hits two and knocks the guard out again, this time for 3 rounds. Holon disperses the illusion and walks into the complex…

Advanced Illusion Adjudication D

1. As Basic Illusion Adjudication above, plus:

2. The phantasmist has to have been damaged by the subject of illusion for the illusion to be capable of permanent damage, if so illusions do the same damage as their real world equivalent

3. If the phantasmist has not been damaged by the creature in question before, damage from an illusion of that creature that reduces the target to below 0 HP will leave them unconscious for a number of rounds equal to the -HP score, when they wake they will have their HP back.

4. The illusion will have the AC and Attack Bonus of its subject

5. Victims get an automatic disbelief save versus illusion, modifiers are based on several characteristics:

1. Complexity of illusion 

2. Plausibility of illusion

3. Caster’s intelligence/wisdom (use INT/WIS bonus)

4. Target’s intelligence/wisdom (use INT/WIS bonus)

5. Familiarity of caster with environment

6. Complexity of environment

A -2/0/+2 save modifier model should be used, e.g. simple illusions -2 on saves, complex illusions 0, very complex +2 on saves, etc 

6. Save is made when the illusion appears, then again only if context demands it

Notes: This version introduces a wrinkle: for an illusion to damage a target, the phantasmist has to have experienced damage from the subject of an illusion before. So, for example, if you make an illusory knife then it can cut your opponents like a real knife if you have ever been cut before. Odds are that most PCs will have fallen down, been cut, been struck by something heavy, etc., so many illusions will be able to do real damage. However, if you make the illusion of a lion and you have never been damaged by a lion before, the illusion can only do partial damage.

In exchange for this concession, the illusion has the attack bonus and AC of the target, not the phantasmist (both are usually worse for the phantasmist), and there are modifiers for the disbelief save, so the phantasmist can fine tune the likelihood of disbelief. By keeping the illusion simple and plausible the phantasmist can significantly improve the odds of it being believed. 

Example: Bharshana the Bold is a 6th level phantasmist. She has been casing the Red Remorhaz Tavern for a week now, it’s proprietor, Bagwar Yimmis, a Kutya spider, leaves every night around midnight, leaving his lieutenants to close up shop. Bharshana spent three evenings in the Red Remorhaz this week, memorizing it’s layout and form. She enters the tavern, finds a table near the back in the half darkness, orders a drink and sits back. There are people gambling, people fighting, chaos and revelry abound. Barshana casts Spectral Force, and creates the illusion of a Noble House Lord, with the crest of a House from a distant ward, that storms into the tavern and demands to speak to Bagwar Yimmis. Several of his lieutenants show up and argue with him quite loudly, not willing to pull steel on a House Lord, but also not willing to be pushed around on their turf. 

The referee totals modifiers for their automatic disbelief saves:

Complexity of illusion - low -2

Plausibility of illusion - moderate: 0

Caster’s intelligence/wisdom (use INT/WIS bonus) -2

Target’s intelligence/wisdom (use INT/WIS bonus) none

Familiarity of caster with environment - very familiar -2

Complexity of environment - very: +2

So a total of -4 on each lieutenant’s saving throw. Both fail their saves.

Barshana’s goal is to spook Bagwar, so he has the illusion of the House Lord get more and more agitated, and eventually he pulls a broadsword and strikes one of the two lieutenants.

Initiative is rolled, Barshana wins, and the illusion strikes the first of the two men. Damage is as the subject of the illusion, in this case a high level fighter-lord would do say 2-8 +7 damage, it rolls a 14, more than enough to slay the lieutenant, and he drops to the ground dead from real damage, as Barshana has tasted steel before.

Barshana now has the illusion to tell the other lieutenant to pass a message on to Bagwar that he “isn’t safe anymore”, and leaves. 

Advanced Illusion Adjudication E

1. As Basic Illusion Adjudication above, plus:

2. The phantasmist has to have been damaged by the subject of illusion for the illusion to be capable of permanent damage, if so illusions do the same damage as their real world equivalent

3. Otherwise, damage that reduces the target to below 0 HP will leave them unconscious for a number of rounds equal to the -HP score, when they wake they will be at 1/2 of their total HP, and will regain a HP per turn thereafter.

4. HD of creature that can be portrayed is limited to phantasmist’s level

5. Level of spell imitated is limited to spells castable by the relevant caster of the phantasmist’s level 

6. The illusion has the AC and Attack Bonus of the phantasmist

7. Disbelief saves are automatic for targets of higher level/HD than the phantasmist, for all others, disbelief saves only happen if the illusion is significantly strange in some way

Notes: 

This final version requires that you have been damaged by the subject of the illusion for it to do permanent damage to a target and it places restrictions on what can be depicted, e.g. the HD and number of subjects that can be duplicated using an illusion. In exchange for these limitations, only creatures above the caster in level/HD get disbelief saves versus the spell. 

Conclusions

Each variation on illusions has its strengths and weaknesses. Systems A and B are very simple, and require minimal adjudication by the referee, so for groups that want their illusions to be simple and fast these systems work well. The main difference is that System A has fewer opportunities for disbelief, and does all temporary damage, System B does real damage, but has multiple save opportunities.

System C is more complex, it caps damage and makes part of the damage real and part illusory, but in exchange it gives the caster the ability to mitigate disbelief save opportunities and keep doing damage. System D gives the possibility for real damage from the illusion, but requires that the caster has been damaged before by the subject of the illusion in order to do damage. Though this version does get an automatic save opportunity, there are modifiers that can make it much harder depending on the kind of illusion made. Finally option E restricts damage, but also restricts disbelief saves to creatures of higher level/HD than the caster.

No matter what your preference, one of these systems should allow you to run illusions in your game with confidence.