For context I've been running a homebrew campaign for my friends however, one player, playing School of Illusion Wizard, has been saying things that make me concerned about how the campaign will run once they start hitting higher levels.
They've been saying some of their plans for once they get the illusory reality feature include, trapping enemies in adamantine boxes with Major Image and changing the architecture of buildings with Mirage Arcana.
I've already talked about the latter with them saying I don't believe the spell works that way based on its description but my main concern is the whole trapping enemies in indestructible boxes thing. While I don't want to punish or limit the player I'm concerned that this mentality will result in important fights and quests becoming redundant because they basically have a guaranteed way of taking enemies out the equation and while I could design encounters to combat this specific strategy, it again feels like I'd be punishing the player or at the very least forced to design encounters around this one player.
My main concern aside from the above is that will this make the game very boring for the other players as well since they won't get to fight enemies if the wizard just sticks them in a box while they go about their business and I know that the others do enjoy combat and would want to fight the major campaign villains.
If you guys have any suggestions on what to do for any of the above I'd really appreciate the input.
You couldn't change the architecture of existing buildings, I think. Illusory Reality lets you pick one object that is part of the illusion and make it real; a building isn't a single object, and I'd say it's not "part of the illusion", it's already real.
I don't see a reason the adamantine box wouldn't work. You could use a spell slot to trap an enemy in an adamantine box. Of course, the enemy could just break the box - adamantine isn't indestructible, it's just decently tough. According to the situations at https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/running-the-game#Objects , an adamantine box should have an AC of 23 and HP of 27 or 18 depending on size (and might be the lower number if the creature doesn't need to break the whole box, just punch a hole; those are just suggestions anyway).
You only get illusory reality by what, level 14? The sort of creatures you face by then might not have too much difficulty breaking out of an AC23/HP18 box; for example, the first CR14 monster I see on DNDBeyond (alphabetically) is Adult Black Dragon, and looking at the numbers it looks like it would take, on average, about one turns worth of actions (not counting legendary actions) to break free. More if it rolls poorly, could break it in just one attack out of its three multiattacks if it rolls well. (And its acid breath would break through guaranteed.) A bit lower down on the alphabetical list is Death Tyrant; just one disintegration ray (out of the three rays the Death Tyrant gets to use each turn) would turn that adamantine box into a fine powder.
So, decently effective against a dragon - one wizard turn to waste a dragon's entire turn is a decent trade - but mostly a waste of time vs a Death Tyrant. ...oh, and note that Major Image is only up to a 20-foot cube size - and many iconic monsters are larger than that. (Dragons, for example.)Sure, you could trap an orc in a box, but by that level, who cares about redshirt orcs?
Alternatively, trapping someone in a box could be adjudicated like trying to trap them with many other spells - if the size of the box is decently close to the size of the monster, maybe they'd get a dex save to not get trapped. That could also make sense. (Unless the box is way bigger than the monster, of course. Then maybe it doesn't make sense to get a save.)
But yeah, level 14 wizards can do some super-powerful stuff!
"The object remains real for 1 minute. For example, you can create an illusion of a bridge over a chasm and then make it real long enough for your allies to cross.
The object can’t deal damage or otherwise directly harm anyone."
Adding on, the illusion only remains real for a minute so if it's becoming an issue you could try come up with something that's going to slow down progress, and then they don't have a 100% permanently trap monster spell.
My advice is to use a creature that would heavily benefit from these things. One example would be a Zorbo or similar creature, where it would turn into the Adamantine and use that to its advantage, thus easily rending the box and getting out.. The other is a little bit more janky, but if one were to use a creature with Fire Absorption or the like, then cast Heat Metal on the box, then they could use the box as a healing crate and essentially cast Healing Spirit on it, as well as protecting themselves from the party (consider that they can't get through Adamantine either).
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Hi people.
For context I've been running a homebrew campaign for my friends however, one player, playing School of Illusion Wizard, has been saying things that make me concerned about how the campaign will run once they start hitting higher levels.
They've been saying some of their plans for once they get the illusory reality feature include, trapping enemies in adamantine boxes with Major Image and changing the architecture of buildings with Mirage Arcana.
I've already talked about the latter with them saying I don't believe the spell works that way based on its description but my main concern is the whole trapping enemies in indestructible boxes thing. While I don't want to punish or limit the player I'm concerned that this mentality will result in important fights and quests becoming redundant because they basically have a guaranteed way of taking enemies out the equation and while I could design encounters to combat this specific strategy, it again feels like I'd be punishing the player or at the very least forced to design encounters around this one player.
My main concern aside from the above is that will this make the game very boring for the other players as well since they won't get to fight enemies if the wizard just sticks them in a box while they go about their business and I know that the others do enjoy combat and would want to fight the major campaign villains.
If you guys have any suggestions on what to do for any of the above I'd really appreciate the input.
You couldn't change the architecture of existing buildings, I think. Illusory Reality lets you pick one object that is part of the illusion and make it real; a building isn't a single object, and I'd say it's not "part of the illusion", it's already real.
I don't see a reason the adamantine box wouldn't work. You could use a spell slot to trap an enemy in an adamantine box. Of course, the enemy could just break the box - adamantine isn't indestructible, it's just decently tough. According to the situations at https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/running-the-game#Objects , an adamantine box should have an AC of 23 and HP of 27 or 18 depending on size (and might be the lower number if the creature doesn't need to break the whole box, just punch a hole; those are just suggestions anyway).
You only get illusory reality by what, level 14? The sort of creatures you face by then might not have too much difficulty breaking out of an AC23/HP18 box; for example, the first CR14 monster I see on DNDBeyond (alphabetically) is Adult Black Dragon, and looking at the numbers it looks like it would take, on average, about one turns worth of actions (not counting legendary actions) to break free. More if it rolls poorly, could break it in just one attack out of its three multiattacks if it rolls well. (And its acid breath would break through guaranteed.) A bit lower down on the alphabetical list is Death Tyrant; just one disintegration ray (out of the three rays the Death Tyrant gets to use each turn) would turn that adamantine box into a fine powder.
So, decently effective against a dragon - one wizard turn to waste a dragon's entire turn is a decent trade - but mostly a waste of time vs a Death Tyrant. ...oh, and note that Major Image is only up to a 20-foot cube size - and many iconic monsters are larger than that. (Dragons, for example.)Sure, you could trap an orc in a box, but by that level, who cares about redshirt orcs?
Alternatively, trapping someone in a box could be adjudicated like trying to trap them with many other spells - if the size of the box is decently close to the size of the monster, maybe they'd get a dex save to not get trapped. That could also make sense. (Unless the box is way bigger than the monster, of course. Then maybe it doesn't make sense to get a save.)
But yeah, level 14 wizards can do some super-powerful stuff!
Thanks you :) that actually helps a lot
"The object remains real for 1 minute. For example, you can create an illusion of a bridge over a chasm and then make it real long enough for your allies to cross.
The object can’t deal damage or otherwise directly harm anyone."
Adding on, the illusion only remains real for a minute so if it's becoming an issue you could try come up with something that's going to slow down progress, and then they don't have a 100% permanently trap monster spell.
My advice is to use a creature that would heavily benefit from these things. One example would be a Zorbo or similar creature, where it would turn into the Adamantine and use that to its advantage, thus easily rending the box and getting out.. The other is a little bit more janky, but if one were to use a creature with Fire Absorption or the like, then cast Heat Metal on the box, then they could use the box as a healing crate and essentially cast Healing Spirit on it, as well as protecting themselves from the party (consider that they can't get through Adamantine either).
I is the feels good.
- Kefko, the Traveler