D&D 1E How do you play an illusionist?

Wolfram stout · May 21, 2024

Me Too. Got one up to about 11th level in 1st ed. Everyone hit the highlights, but in 1st there were a lot of good lockdown spells for the Illusionist. 1st level Color Spray and Wall of god was my go to spells with PF when useable, 2nd was Blind, Deafness, Blur IPG Mirror Image, 3rd level, Fear, Cont Light. And once I got to cast 4th level: Phantasmal Killer, and Shadow Monsters.

Fun Stuff. I remember casting them more than the standard illusion spells. I will say looking back that my DM was very generous in letting me find the best Illusionist spells on the list. That is a key point know that I do think about it. If you go by strict random spell acquisition you could have a really wierd and maybe near useless caster.

Lanefan · May 21, 2024

Alzrius said:
Right, but how do you adjudicate that in terms of an affected character's reaction (if they fail the subsequent save)? Do they think that their friend is just crazy, and the illusion is really real?

Perhaps, or they're confused, or whatever. Situationally dependent.

Alzrius said:
Or do they find themselves reacting to the illusion viscerally (i.e. they still flinch if an illusionary monster swipes at them) but can otherwise bring themselves to ignore it in favor of focusing on someone else (e.g. the party)?

No, in the fog of combat they'd think it's real; and maybe even perhaps that it's a threat they can see that nobody else can.

Lanefan · May 21, 2024

Snarf Zagyg said:
It's not a criticism. I was ... well, let's just say that I was always good with rules.

But as I often remark, get 5 AD&D players to discuss a rule, and you'll get six different recollections of what the rule was (and all of them could be correct, given the table variation). Which is why I always try to confine my comments to the rules as written, not as I remember.

If I confined my 1e comments to the rules as written, most of the time I'd not have a clue what I was talking about.

Lanefan · May 21, 2024

Wolfram stout said:
Me Too. Got one up to about 11th level in 1st ed. Everyone hit the highlights, but in 1st there were a lot of good lockdown spells for the Illusionist. 1st level Color Spray and Wall of god was my go to spells with PF when useable, 2nd was Blind, Deafness, Blur IPG Mirror Image, 3rd level, Fear, Cont Light. And once I got to cast 4th level: Phantasmal Killer, and Shadow Monsters.

Wall of God?

Yeah, I can see how that'd be mighty effective in many situations.

James Gasik · May 21, 2024

Did it look anything like this?

Snarf Zagyg · May 21, 2024

Lanefan said:
Wall of God?

Yeah, I can see how that'd be mighty effective in many situations.

I mean, that's the great thing about an Illusionist.

"Behold, the WALL OF GOD!"

If you can dream it, you can make it happen.

James Gasik · May 22, 2024

DM: "I don't know, the NPC knows this section of the city pretty well and he's certain there was no Wall of God here yesterday..."

Whizbang Dustyboots · May 22, 2024

James Gasik said:
DM: "I don't know, the NPC knows this section of the city pretty well and he's certain there was no Wall of God here yesterday..."

That's why you include the Angels of Gosh appearing first and blowing their horns.

bloodtide · May 22, 2024

The trick about illusions in 1E (and 2E) was by the core rules illusions were so vague. All of the illusion spells are written as save or die spells. The lowest level illlusionist could use the lowest level spells to make a demi god "think" they fell in a pit and took 1000 points of damage and auto die.

There was a mostly good article in Dragon every year or so about "fixing" illusions.

3E does the best to fix illusions with the idea that figments....the illusions that can make an image of anything... so you could not just make an illusion of "the target is dead" and auto kill anything.

1e/2e was a bit vague with mental damage...but 5E does it right with psyche damage.

Wolfram stout · May 22, 2024

Lanefan said:
Wall of God?

Yeah, I can see how that'd be mighty effective in many situations.

Well untill the DM countered it with the Wall of the Faithless.

D&D 1E How do you play an illusionist?

Wolfram stout

Adventurer

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

James Gasik

We don't talk about Pun-Pun

Snarf Zagyg

Notorious Liquefactionist

James Gasik

We don't talk about Pun-Pun

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero

bloodtide

Legend

Wolfram stout

Adventurer

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