>>5484640

Oh so stealable...

Kill the mage.

Convince the mage that what he is doing is wrong, and that he has better things he could be doing with his considerable power.

>>5484640
How does news of this town spread if everyone dies in a week?

>>5484681

The don't DIE in a week, they just get infected in a week.

>>5484681
Doesn't kill them that fast, just thats how long the effects take to appear

I kill everyone and build a new town out of them.

Then I tear the mage's brain out and eat it, gaining his knowledge.

Raise the corpses, make the mage a lich, let them live in an eternal paradise until some Pelor fags come along. Then drive the clerics/paladins made with guilt. Good times, good times...

Send out a call for additional illusion mages to come in and compete to see who can make the illusion of prosperity in this town the most realistic.

With that much illusion magic in play, just find some way to kick it up a little more and now you've tricked reality into thinking that the prosperity is real. And as soon as you do that, it is. Then just tell the townsfolk something that gets them to hire the original illusion mage on to help with any minor maintenance that might be necessary.

>>5484745
Pretty much this.

>>5484745
This.

But, I leave the mage some means to contact me if paladinfags and the like come along. If such people arrive and try to mess shit up, I teleport there and kill them.

destroy the world. you win in your own eyes, and no one can tell you that you were wrong.

So the strange plague is that because they are in an illusion they will not feed themselves? Can you get them a ready food supply, and then convince the mage to just tweak the illusion to NOT make up food that isn't there and just make it taste good?

>>5484659
>>5484675
The town returns to dust and mud huts. The people watch in horror as their lives fall apart around them, but they eventually return to the endless struggling in the fields, pulling in just enough food to survive.

>>5484703
Your new town built of bodies quickly begins to rot, but you enjoy the fleshy buildings as long as you can. Eating the brain of the mage doesn't seem to have any immediate effect, but you do feel a twinge of something you can't identify.

>>5484745
What you expect happens. The Pelor-worshipers are duty-bound to destroy you and your people, but it does not leave them with any rest, and they all take their own lives in despair.

>>5484748
Despite the efforts you put into your scheme, you cannot convince enough mages to make perception become reality. In truth, most mages you talked to said that was simply impossible. The townsfolk continue to live their lives in bliss until the plague takes them all.

>>5484819
Okay, so the point is that paradise to these people is one where they do not work?

Now the paradise is identified as evil, rather than just blind. It wastes the lives of an entire people who do not have any idea that there is anything else. The only way they can be prosperous is through work, and no one deserves prosperity without it.

So a good party would stop the mage but, seeing his intent, convince him to put his powers to other use to help the village and bring it to prosperity. Surely someone of his power could help a mud hut village like this survive.

>>5484784
Accepting total responsibility for the safety of this one town, your grand adventures slowly come to a halt as the constant attacks monopolize your time. You are lauded as a savior by the townsfolk, but everyone else thinks you are a monster.

>>5484790
Despite your self-assuredness in the power your possess, you are not nearly strong enough to live up to your goals, and you are killed in your mad bid to destroy all.

>>5484808
After some edgy deals and calling in a few favors, you arrange for caravans of food to arrive at the town, and for the mage to make this food especially delicious and the choice of the townsfolk. You have struck a happy medium for the town and the wizard, and continue on with your adventures.

>>5484849
The people still do work, but not the mind-numbing, back breaking work of tilling rocky fields. They were artisans, philosophers, teachers and the like. Their baser needs were being met (or so they thought) so they moved up on the ladder of professions.

>>5484857
Damn. I'm happy medium-guy, and now I feel bad about saying this whole thing should be stopped because it's wrong (I couldn't imagine a way to get food to the town without them working for it).

Okay, the people are not just dying from starvation-it's malnutrition, which leads to organ failure, lagues (for real) and other such things. That's the reason visitors die, shaking hands with people covered in bloody vomit (who look like gentlemen) and then washing their hands in an illusionary fountain (latrine most likely).

>>5484869
Oh jeez, a town full of upperclass. That's an interesting concept, actually. So here's how I would do the happy medium idea: convince them we've found evidence their plague comes from the food they are supposedly eating and that there is this awesome place just over the way with food very similar to what they eat but NOT plagued, then have them trade their skills to these caravans for REAL food that is disguised as better food.

But will the world turn on them when they start interacting with their neighbors? I wonder what would happen when thieves see prosperity and then come to the town to steal, or vikings to plunder. Would everyone actually get their illusory wish while the townsfolk also remain happy? Would some people actually die, their corpse eviscerated in broad daylight, but the townsfolk don't even notice because of the illusion?

>>5484898
The illusion mage takes care of all that. Blood and vomit appear in every way to be dirt and soot that was somehow accumulated, so the people just wash it off and go on like nothing happened. The illusion mage can fool the people into thinking their stomachs are full and their bodies strong, but he cannot stop their muscles from weakening and their organs from failing.

>>5484857

au contraire, i convince the military to help me through magic, get a B-52 stratofortress bomber jet so i can blow up the village, and the everything else i don't like, such as belgium, and the whole world, if need be. nuclear winter will occur, but i still win. using magic, radiation would have no effect. using magic and modern technology, i conquer all.

>>5484898
Then the solution is obvious:

threaten the fucking mage into figuring out a public sanitation system that isn't an illusion. With costs cut for all the other luxuries (everything can still be mud huts) and relatively cut for food (since we're trading things like skills for rice and beans) it shouldn't be THAT big of a problem for him to figure out something. If he really fucking cares he'd do it anyway, selfish bastard.

oh, and i could also just stay away from such a crappy village full of unhappiness, and smother myself in lies of well-being. (a.k.a. move/stay in the united states.)

>>5484914
Those who die from violence appear to have died peacefully in their sleep. Thieves who steal from the town quickly discover the stolen goods disappearing as they leave the town, and assume there is some kind of magic at work (but they never guess what is really going on).

As for your solution, the trade between the towns creates an incredible economic upturn that both towns profit from, and both towns agree to help eachother in any way possible. The seeds of a new nation have been planted.

>>5484921
He was saying that they probably can't find a place to wash up at and just use any water source they find, which the illusion tricks them into using. So they might be drinking piss and vomit.

Sloppy illusion magicks really. All he'd need to do is pour a small bit of his fortune (he's a mage, he can come up with it somehow) into developing a meager sanitation system and sustainable (if shitty) food supply, then illusion up everything else. He can even illusion up things like tennis courts and other things like that, get people active. Illusion everyone up an exercise buddy. Half the townsfolk could be illusion, existing only to be friends with everyone, and they'd also subtly keep them healthy by themselves appearing to lead healthy lifestyles (by exercising and washing, keeping everyone from becoming neckbeards through influence).

>>5484947
Fast forward a few hundred years and you've created a worldwide D&D illusion mage Matrix.

>>5484923
This is not modern time. Your mad ramblings get you locked in an anti-magic dungeon in a distant castle.

>>5484934
He is purely an illusion mage. He is incapable of affecting the real world without getting down on his own hands and knees and working.

>>5484939
You turn and leave the village behind you, proclaiming that it is not your problem. About a month later, you hear tale of how a strange town suddenly became prosperous, but eventually turned to dust and all the people their died of starvation.

>>5484993
Oh I'm sure he could think of something. I'd hold him at swordpoint with the whole party (except for the couple scholarly types) while he used all his lifetime of research and connections to figure something out. He got them into this mess, he still has to get them out. If he's so inept he can't get the job done himself then maybe he can put them into a deep sleep or something while we shang-hai him to come with us as DMPC on an adventure to establish a sanitation system.

>>5484962
The mage is doing everything in his power. Assume that his magicks are the last real possession he has left. No way to influence the real world beyond what he can do with his own two hands.

As for expanding the illusion, he is already clouding the minds of an entire town and all those who visit. It is impossible for him to make the illusion any more complex without the magicks involved interfering with eachother.

>>5485032
Hmmmmm, okay so maybe he will need to drop the illusion and work on a new one, one that includes tennis courts. People have a tendency to want to move around and stuff, so they should be getting basic exercise. Just illusion them up some recreational areas that keep them off their asses and they'll drift to them naturally. Then the sanitation system and food system have to be brute-forced in by the adventurers and their zany antics, I guess.

>>5485018
The illusion requires that the mage maintain his position. If he moves too far from the town, the magic will disperse and the illusion will fall. You cannot move the mage without consequences.

On the other hand, if your party feels like digging sewers for the town, you're more than welcome to. Of course, when the townsfolk see you building sewers in the sewers (that don't actually exist) there is a chance that the people will become angry at you for destroying their town.

>>5484745

Lemme remind people of this as an excellent solution. mage makes it look like everyone who dropped off really was just sleeping or something.

BTW, where does the mage fit into this illusion? Is he the mayor or something?

best idea yet.

the mage is obviously trying to help, but does not have the necessary skills required. so you teach him new magic or whatever, or help him help the village to prosper. even with inexperience of taking care of a village, trial and error, common sense, and skill is all you need to get the village going on its own without alerting the residents to the fact that they were helped in any way.

>>5485065
When my party runs out of ideas, we appeal to his better nature. He's a direct cause of all the suffering that remains in the town - this plague. Without him interfering, they would only have the suffering they had before, but at least they'd be alive, and at least he wouldn't be the cause of it. He's doing this out of some sense of mercy or love or something anyway.

If that doesn't work fuck him, he ded.

>>5485054
Your plan results in some success. Cooperating with the mage, the townspeople are lured away by a great sports tournament. Meanwhile, your party works feverishly at digging sewers and installing the general framework of a sanitation system. By the time the tournament is over, you are finished, the illusion restored, and the people are now truly clean. The mage's energies are freed up to power new illusions, ones that will doubtlessly improve the perceived quality of life.

The people are still starving to death, though.

>>5484947
So what happens when the illusion mage dies?

Perhaps it might be a good idea to steadily replace the illusions with real stuff.

>>5485065
Have the illusion mage illusion us from view, allowing us to do our work without hinderance.

>>5485121
Now that that's solved, happy medium idea - everyone trades their skills for food and causes the whole world to prosper and become the matrix.

>>5485121
Have them use some the money earned from their skills to purchase Rings of Sustenance, or whatever you call the ones that let you go without food and water.

>>5485067
The mage is not situated in the city. He lives in a small home away from the notice of the people. They have not idea of who he is or what he is doing. They think they pulled themselves out of the hard times into this beautiful present.

>>5485093
The mage is much too busy maintaining the illusions (people do tend to notice that food tastes the exact same way, after all, and they must be altered) to learn a new magic. This idea will not work.

>>5485109
The mage listens to your reasoning, and with a heavy heart, drops the illusion and leaves. The people are shell-shocked to see all that they knew fall apart around them, but they come to terms with reality and become a town of broken peasants once more. Travel drops off and the town itself drops off the map as an insignificant village.

>>5485175
>The mage listens to your reasoning, and with a heavy heart, drops the illusion and leaves. The people are shell-shocked to see all that they knew fall apart around them, but they come to terms with reality and become a town of broken peasants once more. Travel drops off and the town itself drops off the map as an insignificant village.

Aw. I'm sure he could still come up with a way to bring them out of the hard times. He's a powerful illusion mage, after all. Maybe he could use his illusion magicks to bring tourism to the place? The people still have their skills, afterall.

>>5484745

OP, what's wrong with this again?

>>5485205
OP answered it already actually.

>>5485124
When the mage dies, the illusion falls. He does not have the capability to create real change in the town.

>>5485127
As previously stated, no more illusion magic can be perform in the town. The tournament idea was held outside, but hiding you would create problem in the illusion, and bring the whole thing crashing down.

>>5485148
Your party's selfless sacrifice of all their money to buy enough rings for the townspeople is seen as a great gesture of friendship, but most of the people simply do not wear them as they (believe they) have all they would ever need to eat. No major change occurs, except that your party is broke and now hates you.

>>5485205
Paladins don't like zombies.

>>5485205
see
>>5484819

>>5485175

fuck you. that idea would work. considering your party is strong enough to BE a party that is currently alive, i think that there should be at least one mage that can use at least some illusionary magic. having accepted that, that party member could take turns of maintaining the illusion long enough for the fuckwit to learn some common sense/new magic and figure out what he needs to do to make it better. the party could help with that.

p.s. fuck you.

p.p.s. no matter what we say, you're going to tear it down with ridiculous technicalities. with your logic, nothing is good enough, whereas helping fix the town still doesn't cut it for your bullshit scenario. this is a wanna-be kobayashi maru, mother fucker. but its not unbeatable. all you have to do is think logically, and make simple steps to help the village.

FUCK!!

>>5485261
What the fuck, we've already come up with sustainable solutions, Jesus Christ. OP has even accepted some of them.

God damn calm down.

Get some emergency provisions and stuff in there, and maybe some clerics to do Restoration to bring the townsfolk up to full health, strength, and stamina.

Then have the mage use his illusions to subtly direct all of the townsfolk to build what they need in real life, while not realizing that they're building it. Have the PCs assist as necessary.

>>5485261
Seriously, guy. Calm down.

>>5485214
Look, implied in the whole "Rings of Sustenance" thing was that the mage illusion up some bullshit excuse that would get the townsfolk to wear them 24/7.

They don't actually know that the damn things are Rings of Sustenance.

>>5485274
>>5485282
This dude calms down.

>>5485275
In cooperation with the mage, you are able to bring in your caravan of supplies and healers, and help the people build up their town. Their minds were clouded, so when the townspeople wake up, they feel that no change has occurred and continue with their lives, regarding you as another trade caravan, if with some odd wares.

You have saved the town and relieved the mage of much pressure, but you will not gain any reward or renown for your deeds. Hopefully the knowledge that you saved so many from certain death is enough.

Wait, how self-contained is this village? It has to be in some kingdom. If it's doing so well, there's gotta be tax collectors comin, and some "plague" won't stop a lord from sending in tax man. If this cash disappears so quickly...

Also, forget the lich idea. Kill the whole town in one night, adventure with the mage until he's granted land (request that area), make mage a lich, lich brings illusion back up, zombify peasants, establish a lordship of neutral good people to keep the Lawful scum away, and if they get invaded the lich takes control of them as in my image, then wipes memories afterwards-back to peace! Meanwhile, our party establishes neighboring feifs and we all live happily ever after as the king's greatest champions...

Sup guys, just giving you what you wanted.

>>5485301
The mage can make the people wear the rings, but it will require that the illusion be diminished in some other way. After some negotiation, you plan a "famine" to occur, and when the people get desperate, your party rolls in with these fantastic rings for sale. The people pay you handsomely, but as you leave the area, all the money and gems you accumulated disappear, as you expected.

You have saved the townspeople from death, at the expense of all your gold. And the town itself still consists of glorified mud huts.

>>5485350
The town was founded by people running from abusive laws, and so exists in a desolate waste that no leader wants. This explains why the people are willing to live in such a place: They value their freedom over their comfort.

The amount of time required for your plan to reach fruition would result in the bodies of the townsfolk rotting away to nothing, making your plan self-defeating. Killing the townsfolk to end their suffering is still an option.

>>5485367
Holy cunt-dicks, is this a new berserk chapter?

>>5485330

Oh, we gained a reward. That mage is coming with us. Sell it as a chance to repay us for saving his ass from inadvertent mass murder or something, but an illusionist with enough skill and power to do something like what he did with this town will be all kinds of useful for an adventuring party.

>>5485393

No, its a panel from a (fuckin awesome) manga called Shin Angyo Onshi.

It's relevant to the thread in that that demon guy has been putting the townspeople in a form of illusion; they're all dead from a plague, but they think they're still alive and happy. It's a great read, I recommend it if you've read Berserk.

>>5485419
Thanks. bookmarked for later reading.

>>5485412
With such a powerful illusionist in your party, you tackle greater dangers with success and become a leading force for order in a chaotic world. You also becoming filthy stinking rich from all the loot. Never forgetting the town that changed your fortunes, you discreetly fund caravans full of goods and skilled persons to help them in any way.

Good End.

I'm not giving up on this! I apply for the church of that "Eternal Beauty" chick to come in. This is right up their alley. Undead+paradise+eternal perfection.

>>5485450
Or do you? Maybe the illusionist is simply deceiving you as he once did the townfolk.
And noone looks twice at the gibbering clutch of beggars and madmen on the roadside. "Sure, your a great adventurer! Yes, i see, thats a vorpal sword, and not an old cane at all..."

>>5485483
The mage was so benevolent and good-hearted that he applied every last ounce of his energy to help this one unimportant town on the edge of the map. He would never betray the heroes that truly save them all.

>>5485458
As far as I understand your post, you're going to bring in an outside group to turn the populace into undead right?

Bringing in the group was exceptionally difficult given the remoteness of the town, but at great personal sacrifice (almost everything you owned) you were able to buy the services of the church. The people had the situation explained to them by your party and the mage, who had agreed to this, and most of them accepted your solution. Those who didn't made the sorrowful choice to return to the oppressive kingdoms further inland. The newly undead town has no need for the illusions, so the mage is free to do whatever. You have saved (sort of) the town, but you'd better hope no paladins find out about this place...

>>5485483
I'm going to assume that if the PCs were able to avoid being entrapped in the dude's illusion when they showed up in the down, then they can probably resist him pulling that.

Also, assuming the PCs aren't totally stupid, there are probably a few contingencies you can put into place if you know there's a chance that an illusionist is going to be fucking with you, and you know the illusionist personally (read: can get hair and shit for sympathy purposes).

>>5485542
Isn't there some sort of crazy good or neutral aligned version of the undead (revenants, IIRC)? If so, turn them into that instead of garden-variety ones.

>>5485542
What about casting an illusion on people so they don't realise they need to eat and drink water is "good'? Sounds like an evil curse to me.

>>5485606
The town is on a level of a poor African village. These people survive by eating the grains of wheat that get buried in the mud. The wizard gave them banquets of the finest food. He doesn't tell them they don't need to eat, he treats them like kings.

Sure, the mage is perhaps not entirely right in the head, but he believes he is doing the people a service, and some of the people would agree if they knew what was up.

How about having the mage convince them to accept having their souls placed in construct bodies (illusion makes it seem like a fashionable massage or magical plastic surgery procedure or something)? Then, using illusions allowing them to demonstrate their new found power to each other make them arrogant and lead the army of constructs to conquer the surrounding evil kingdoms in exchange for raiding loot.

HaHA! Profit...

>>5485740
You could do that, but one town's worth of war-constructs would not be able to smash an entire nation. You would lead the town to destruction, after all the work they've done to scratch out an existence.

Well, this thread seems to be dying down, so I'll bid you all Goodnight /tg/.

Some of you saved the townsfolk and created a glorious opportunity. Some of you helped the people but didn't completely solve their problems. Some others proved to be the death of the townsfolk and all they had worked for. Whatever the consequences were, Your adventures continue on.

I'm glad to have been a part of this epic thread.