Willy Days here with the latest and greatest magic spell... Ever wish you could speed up time to make that tedious task go by faster? Well you can't! But now with the new montage spell it will seem like you are! Cast montage on any voluntary group of workers and reduce their perception of any extended task by a number of intervals equal to the number of successes. Though the spell will only be in effect while working, everyone targeted by the spell will experience the task as a pleasant montage of images with their choice of background music. You could use drugs like cocaine to numb the monotony but these can lead to poor health and heart disease which could result in death by 50! Now with montage there's no need for dangerous drugs just cast and watch the time fly! .....And remember: You'll always fade out in a montage, it makes it seem like more time has passed.......

Montage: (obvious, multi-sense)
Type: M Range: T (A) Duration: I DV: (f/2)-2

Hehehe... good idea. But it wouldn't be an illusion, it should be a mental manipulation. (You are tweaking the memories over time (and in realtime). An illusion couldn't compress time for them.

But... i like the idea.

no it's altering their perception of time....illusion

(it alters an event about to occur not one that has occured)

Does it reduce the karma cost to improve skills or stats?

I would say: It's a Lifestyle spell. No real game effect other than people enjoy the things they do more, if they are tedious. As such they have it easier to overcome their "inner sloth". And can train maybe more (but not cheaper).

Also i still stand on my point that it is a manipulation. You can not alter their sense of time through an illusion, since that "feeling" is an inner working and not a sense per se. You need to alter their minds like with a alter memory spell, or a control thought. But hey.. thats just like a +1 or +2 more on Drain... still very managable.

P.S.: Let's see: Type: Mana, Mental Manipulation Minor Change +0, Sustained +0, Restricted (Voluntary Targets only) -1, Area Effect +2. Drain: F/2+1

How would the task be performed if the performer is 'out' for stretches of time?

The person would know everything that has happened up to each moment, but remembers it's like someone else was doing it, so they're not as emotionally exhausted by it as they've got a fresh store of will. It just removes the tedium and keeps the person mentally fresh.

I could totally see such a good frame of mind allowing someone to work harder and longer, only experiencing the true ache of their bodies afterwards.
Lower karma costs to reflect the minimized effort required to train.