Hello everyone!

I am designing a higher level encounter for a party of 3 players +1NPC combatant with a party average of 400xp. They have performed well throughout the campaign because I've been taking encounter easy on them. This is their first time playing F&D so I wanted them to get used to the finer points of combat and maneuvers before I started throwing them curve balls. Now that they have a solid grasp of the fundamentals I plan on placing them against a force user that specializes in misdirect to force them to start thinking outside of the box.

However, Misdirect works only lasts until the end of the user's next turn. I want the specialist user to be able to toy with the players for longer than a single round ( both to keep up the illusion for players and to prevent one player who has a tendency to meta-game to not have the opportunity to meta ). But I'm hesitant to pick up the Duration upgrade as the book states "This power remains in effect on each affected target as long as the target stays within range of the power. If a target moves beyond the range of the power, the effects end for him but not for any other targets of the power." I don't necessarily want to have opposed checks every round to see through the illusion, but I'm not sure what a good guideline would be to call for the checks. Are there any suggestions on what would be a good turn ratio or criteria for the players to have another check/save against misdirect while duration is in effect?

Also, I've gotten into the habit of making the players each give me 3 rolls of a skill check I know I'll be needing before the session starts. Sometimes it'll be perception when I have an ambush planned or, in this case, it'll be vigilance to counter misdirect. This way I am giving the players their rolls without tipping my hand that something is amiss.

Thank you in advance!

Does the power specify that if you sustain the power, you have to perform an opposed check every round it's sustained? Because if it doesn't, I wouldn't even worry about it. The initial check, if failed, means they believe the illusion/misdirection, I see no reason, barring outside influences that might make them reconsider the illusion, for the target to question the validity once they've been fooled.

This is my take anyway, and an example:

PC used Misdirect to create an illusion of a person talking on a comm system to a border guard. The guard turns and focuses on the comm system, instead of looking around the perimeter, allowing the PC's to start sneaking past more easily. It will take several turns however for everyone to get across (because reasons), so the PC sustains the power. Since the guard failed the check to notice anything weird , as far as I am concerned, he wouldn't think anything was amiss at all, and no further checks would be needed. Now, if something else happens to change that situation, that's another matter.

For example, one of the PC's rolls high threat, or a Despair on their sneak check, you could translate that as another trooper walking into the outpost to relieve his shift, and going "Um, who are you talking to? The comm system is clearly offline right now." This would, in my mind, allow for another check to see through, with some boosts. Or perhaps the threat translates to an actual comm message coming through, overlapping the illusion, and making the trooper go "..um, wtf? The comms can't send 2 signals out at same time" And again, a new roll to spot the illusion.

Stuff like that I would say warrants a followup roll, otherwise I wouldn't bother. Now, if the power specifies that you have to keep doing the check every turn, that's another matter. But hey, you're the GM, if you don't like that rule (assuming it's even in the power description), don't use it

47 minutes ago, KungFuFerret said:

Does the power specify that if you sustain the power, you have to perform an opposed check every round it's sustained? Because if it doesn't, I wouldn't even worry about it. The initial check, if failed, means they believe the illusion/misdirection, I see no reason, barring outside influences that might make them reconsider the illusion, for the target to question the validity once they've been fooled.

This is my take anyway, and an example:

PC used Misdirect to create an illusion of a person talking on a comm system to a border guard. The guard turns and focuses on the comm system, instead of looking around the perimeter, allowing the PC's to start sneaking past more easily. It will take several turns however for everyone to get across (because reasons), so the PC sustains the power. Since the guard failed the check to notice anything weird , as far as I am concerned, he wouldn't think anything was amiss at all, and no further checks would be needed. Now, if something else happens to change that situation, that's another matter. 

For example, one of the PC's rolls high threat, or a Despair on their sneak check, you could translate that as another trooper walking into the outpost to relieve his shift, and going "Um, who are you tal  king to? The comm system is clearly offline right now." This would, in my mind, allow for another check to see through, with some boosts. Or perhaps the threat translates to an actual comm message coming through, overlapping the illusion, and making the trooper go "..um, wtf? The comms can't send 2 signals out at same time" And again, a new roll to spot the illusion.

Stuff like that I would say warrants a followup roll, otherwise I wouldn't bother. Now, if the power specifie  s that you have to keep doing the check every turn, that's another matter. But hey, you're the GM, if you don't like that rule (assumin  g it's even in the power description), don't use it

Thanks for the response KFF!

Normally I'd agree whole heartedly as it would be my PCs being the ones using the power. My quandary is that I am planning on having a major NPC villain use Misdirect against the party. Specifically to alter the appearance of one of the party members with the control upgrade to resemble a bad guy and let the party fight it out. I'd like the deception to last more than one round but the duration upgrade gives me no reason not to let the party just kill themselves if they fail their initial checks. That is why I was looking for something of a balance.

Having said that, I am the GM like you said. I can always have it cut out for 'reasons' before the party straight up murders each other.

Well remember, death isn't all that easy in this system. Maxing out your Wound Threshold does NOT equal dead. Heck it doesn't even automatically mean you have any severe injuries. Technically, someone only dies if/when they roll the DEATH result on the Critical Injury table. So it's pretty easy for a group of people, even if beating up an ally, to drop them with wound damage, and not kill them. They might lose a limb, or get some other serious injury in the process, but death, while possible, is a small likelihood.

14 minutes ago, DeviousGM said:

Thanks for the response KFF!

Normally I'd agree whole heartedly as it would be my PCs being the ones using the power. My quandary is that I am planning on having a major NPC villain use Misdirect against the party. Specifically to alter the appearance of one of the party members with the control upgrade to resemble a bad guy and let the party fight it out. I'd like the deception to last more than one round but the duration upgrade gives me no reason not to let the party just kill themselves if they fail their initial checks. That is why I was looking for something of a balance.

Having said that, I am the GM like you said. I can always have it cut out for 'reasons' before the party straight up murders each other.