I'm putting together a campaign and I want to include an NPC living in a tiny cabin hidden by an illusion. In my mind the NPC isn't a powerful spellcaster and the illusion is something they cobbled together using magical items or scrolls or something like that.
One idea I had was that the NPC managed to acquire three spell scrolls of programmed illusion:
You create an illusion of an object, a creature, or some other visible phenomenon within range that activates when a specific condition occurs. The illusion is imperceptible until then. It must be no larger than a 30-foot cube, and you decide when you cast the spell how the illusion behaves and what sounds it makes. This scripted performance can last up to 5 minutes.
When the condition you specify occurs, the illusion springs into existence and performs in the manner you described. Once the illusion finishes performing, it disappears and remains dormant for 10 minutes. After this time, the illusion can be activated again.
The triggering condition can be as general or as detailed as you like, though it must be based on visual or audible conditions that occur within 30 feet of the area. For example, you could create an illusion of yourself to appear and warn off others who attempt to open a trapped door, or you could set the illusion to trigger only when a creature says the correct word or phrase.
I'm thinking that with three scrolls, the NPC set up the spells so that as soon as one programmed illusion wears off another one will start (Spell A goes for 5 minutes, then Spell B for 5 minutes, then Spell C for 5 minutes, then Spell A activates again), all creating the exact same image, causing a permanent illusion over the cabin.
Based on the description, do you think "the effect of a programmed illusion spell wears off" would work as a triggering condition? Alternative, the triggering condition of "a cabin still exists in this space"? (note: I know I could use NPC magic or my own ruling as DM but I want it to feel like something a fairly ordinary person could do with money and planning time)
Alternatively, are there any similar makeshift illusions that my NPC might use?
Seems like it could work. And if you’re the DM, you can easily rule that it does work.
About the only thing to keep in mind is if you do make that ruling, it should be fair game for the PCs to do the same thing. And there may be other spells with triggers that should probably work the same way.
Really, the easiest way is to do what you touched on. There’s a magic item that does it. Seems reasonable that if a person can get their hands on 3 6th-level spell scrolls, they could commission an item to do the job. (A level 6 scroll costs 15,000 gp and 8 weeks to scribe. And that’s just cost to the scriber. Then they’ll want to make a profit. This is not a cheap endeavor.) And then you don’t have to worry about any other unintended precedents you may be setting.
I'm putting together a campaign and I want to include an NPC living in a tiny cabin hidden by an illusion. In my mind the NPC isn't a powerful spellcaster and the illusion is something they cobbled together using magical items or scrolls or something like that.
One idea I had was that the NPC managed to acquire three spell scrolls of programmed illusion:
I'm thinking that with three scrolls, the NPC set up the spells so that as soon as one programmed illusion wears off another one will start (Spell A goes for 5 minutes, then Spell B for 5 minutes, then Spell C for 5 minutes, then Spell A activates again), all creating the exact same image, causing a permanent illusion over the cabin.
Based on the description, do you think "the effect of a programmed illusion spell wears off" would work as a triggering condition? Alternative, the triggering condition of "a cabin still exists in this space"? (note: I know I could use NPC magic or my own ruling as DM but I want it to feel like something a fairly ordinary person could do with money and planning time)
Alternatively, are there any similar makeshift illusions that my NPC might use?
Seems like it could work. And if you’re the DM, you can easily rule that it does work.
About the only thing to keep in mind is if you do make that ruling, it should be fair game for the PCs to do the same thing. And there may be other spells with triggers that should probably work the same way.
Really, the easiest way is to do what you touched on. There’s a magic item that does it. Seems reasonable that if a person can get their hands on 3 6th-level spell scrolls, they could commission an item to do the job. (A level 6 scroll costs 15,000 gp and 8 weeks to scribe. And that’s just cost to the scriber. Then they’ll want to make a profit. This is not a cheap endeavor.) And then you don’t have to worry about any other unintended precedents you may be setting.