7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 1/12

All About Illusions (Part One)By Skip Williams

One can use an illusion spell to simulate just about anything a person can dream up -- though more complex examplesof phantasmagoria are beyond the limits of lower-level illusion spells . Still, the illusion school caters to playerand DM creativity to a degree no other school can match.

t!s no surprise that illusion spells cause difficulties in play, especially when players start testing the spells! limits."ortunately for beleaguered DMs and confused players, the rules offer some pretty strong guidelines for handling illusionspells. #s is often the case, it can prove tough to remember and follow those guidelines when a gaming session reallystarts to heat up. n this series, we!ll examine what the rules have to say about illusion spells and offer some practical tipsfor applying them during a game.

$his series draws heavily on an earlier Rules of the Game series%READING SPELL DESCRIPTIONS and on thediscussion of the illusion school on pages &'(-&') in the Player's Handbook.

From pages 173-174 of the Player's Handbook :

Illusion

llusion spells deceive the senses or minds of others. $hey cause people to see things that are not there, not seethings that are there, hear phantom noises, or remember things that never happened. *epresentative illusionsinclude silent image, invisibility, and veil . llusions come in five types% figments, glamers, patterns, phantasms, andshadows.

Figment: # figment spell creates a false sensation. $hose who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, nottheir own slightly different versions of the f igment. + t is not a personali ed mental impression. "igments cannotma e something seem to be something else. # figment that includes audible effects cannot duplicate intelligiblespeech unless the spell description specifically says it can. f intelligible speech is possible, it must be in alanguage you can spea . f you try to duplicate a language you cannot spea , the image produces gibberish./i ewise, you cannot ma e a visual copy of something unless you now what it loo s li e.

0ecause figments and glamers +see below are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other typesof illusions can. $hey cannot cause damage to objects or creatures, support weight, provide nutrition, or provideprotection from the elements. 1onse2uently, these spells are useful for confounding or delaying foes, but uselessfor attac ing them directly. "or example, it is possible to use a silent image spell to create an illusory cottage, butthe cottage offers no protection from rain.

# figment!s #1 is e2ual to &3 4 its si e modifier.

Glamer: # glamer spell changes a subject!s sensory 2ualities, ma ing it loo , feel, taste, smell, or sound li e

something else, or even seem to disappear.

Pattern: /i e a figment, a pattern spell creates an image that others can see, but a pattern also affects the mindsof those who see it or are caught in it. #ll patterns are mind-affecting spells.

Phantasm: # phantasm spell creates a mental image that usually only the caster and the subject +or subjects ofthe spell can perceive. $his impression is totally in the minds of the subjects. t is a personali ed mentalimpression. + t!s all in their heads and not a fa e picture or something that they actually see. $hird parties viewingor studying the scene don!t notice the phantasm. #ll phantasms are mind-affecting spells.

ha!o": # shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions canhave real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is real.

a#ing $hro"s an! Illusions (%isbelief ): 1reatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive savingthrows to recogni e it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion. "or example, if aparty encounters a section of illusory floor, the character in the lead would receive a saving throw if she stopped

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 2/12

and studied the floor or if she probed the floor.

# successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as atranslucent outline. "or example, a character ma ing a successful saving throw against a figment of an illusorysection of floor nows the 5floor5 isn!t safe to wal on and can see what lies below +light permitting , but he or she

can still note where the figment lies.

# failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. # character faced with proof thatan illusion isn!t real needs no saving throw. # character who falls through a section of illusory floor into a pit nowssomething is amiss, as does one who spends a few rounds po ing at the same illusion. f any viewer successfullydisbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a 4)bonus.

Illusion &asi's

#s with any spell in the % % game, a loo at the spell!s header +the tabulated information that precedes the textdescription for the spell can settle many 2uestions about how the spell wor s. "or a 2uic tour of the spell header, see

*ules of the 6ame% *eading Spell Descriptions, 7arts $wo through Six.

Most difficulties that arise from an illusion spell vanish when you consider a few ey elements in the header. $heseinclude the following%

• $he spell!s subschool.

$he illusion school has five subschools% figment , glamer , pattern , phantasm , and shadow . 8ach school has distinctproperties that define how the spell wor s. 9hen determining exactly what the caster can accomplish with an illusionspell, first consider the subschool.

• $he spell!s area, target, or effect entry.

$his entry determines how you can aim the spell and where whatever you create with it can go after the spell ta eseffect. Many illusion spells produce images that can!t move +or move very far , which limits the sorts of things the castercan do with the spell.

• $he spell!s saving throw entry.

Some illusion spells have a ind of saving throw that poses some difficulties of its own.

Illusion ubs'hools

f you remember what illusion spells of each subschool can do, you!ll avoid a lot of hassles +and dashed expectations inplay. :ere!s an overview%

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 3/12

Figment: $hese spells create false sensations of creatures, objects, or forces. #figment always must create the impression of something new. t cannot ma esomething seem to be something else. "or example, you can use a figment tocreate an illusory cover for an open pit +more about this in 7art "our . ;ou cannot,however, use it to conceal a trap door since that would be ma ing something seemli e something else.

f a figment spell can produce sound, it cannot duplicate intelligible speech unlessthe spell description specifically says so.

# figment is unreal and cannot produce real effects< it can!t deal damage, supportweight, provide nutrition, or act as a barrier +except that a visible figment can blocline of sight . ;ou can use a figment to fool opponents, but you can!t harm them or affect them directly. "or example, a wall of figment flames might cause foes to haltor ma e a detour, but it won!t burn anything.

f you create the image of a creature with a figment spell, you usually can ma e itmove around, but only within the spell!s area, which usually isn!t mobile. #n illusorycreature created with a figment spell cannot deal any damage. ;ou can send it intocombat, however. $he figment has an #rmor 1lass of &3 4 its si e modifier +see

page &'( in the Player's Handbook . $he rules don!t say what a figment!sattac bonus is. ;our attac bonus is a good default< remember that a f igmentcannot deal damage or have any other real effect, however.

Glamer: # glamer spell ma es the recipient loo , feel, taste, smell, or sound li e something else, or even seem todisappear.

0eware of attempts to use figments as glamers. "or example, you can use a figment to create an apple tree, but youcan!t use a figment to ma e your buddy loo li e an apple tree. ;ou!d need a glamer spell to perform the latter tric .

/i e a figment, a glamer can!t have any real effects. f you use a glamer to ma e your human buddy loo li e an appletree, you can!t pic edible apples from the character.

Pattern: # pattern spell creates a visible magical image. $he spellcaster usually doesn!t have control over the image!sappearance< instead, the spell usually specifies how the pattern loo s. # pattern!s image has some affect on viewers!minds. #ll patterns have the mind-affecting descriptor. 7atterns have no effects on creatures that cannot see. =nli e afigment or glamer, a pattern can have real effects< however, those effects are limited to those set out in the spelldescription.

Phantasm: $hese spells create mental images. =sually, only the caster and the spell!s recipient +or recipients canperceive the image a phantasm spell creates. #ll phantasms have the mind-affecting descriptor. /i e a pattern, aphantasm can have real effects, as set out in the spell description. #lso li e a pattern, a phantasm!s exact details usuallyaren!t under the caster!s control.

0ecause a phantasm exists in the recipient!s mind, the recipient can perceive it no matter what its sensory capabilitiesare.

ha!o": # shadow spell creates something that is partially real, but made mostly from extradimensional energies thecaster brings together with the spell. # shadow is similar to a f igment, but it can have real effects because it!s partiallyreal itself. =nli e a figment, a shadow spell usually limits what the caster can duplicate or depict with the spell.

# shadow!s physical characteristics +such as ability scores , #rmor 1lass, attac bonus, hit points , and the li e aredefined in the spell description, and they might vary depending on what the shadow depicts or duplicates. 7art "our hasmore to say about shadows.

hat*s +e,t

$hat!s all we have time for this wee >ext wee , we!ll complete our loo at illusion basics.

All About Illusions (Part $"o)By Skip Williams

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 4/12

/ast wee , we examined illusion subschools and considered what an illusion spell!s subschool says about what the spellcan do. $his wee , we!ll continue our loo at illusion basics by considering two other ey elements in an illusion spell.

Aiming Illusion pells

#s noted in 7art One, a spell!s area, target, or effect entry determines how and where the caster can aim the spell.

Area: #ny spell that has an area entry fills some volume of space when it ta es effect. Most spell areas are immobileafter they!re cast, but be on the loo out for area spells that are portable. $he silen e spell, for example, is an illusion spellwith an area +an emanation that can be centered on a mobile object or on a creature so that the spell!s effects movealong with it.

llusion spells that have area entries often affect subjects that are in the area at the time the spell is cast or that enter thearea while the spell lasts. $his is particularly true of illusion spells from the pattern subschool , such as rainbo!

pattern. Subjects that merely see the pattern from outside the area it fills aren!t affected.

Other illusion spells create a false sensation throughout the area or alter an area!s sensory properties. Spells fromthe glamer subschool often have areas that wor this way. 8xamples include hallu inatory terrain and mirage ar ana .

#nyone with line of sight to such a spell!s area can notice whatever sensation the spell produces, even from outside thespell!s area +provided that the creature has the appropriate senses . "or example, if you use a hallu inatory terrain spellto ma e an empty patch of sand loo li e an oasis, anyone who can see that patch of sand sees the illusion you havecreated. #udible illusions might remain audible even without line of sight. "or example, if you create the image of acrea y windmill, creatures nearby can hear the mill crea ing even when it!s too dar to see the mill.

.ffe't: # spell with an effect entry produces something. #n illusion spell with an effect entry produces a sound, smell,texture, taste, visual image, or some combination of the five. Spells from the figment subschool often have effect entriesthat loo a great deal li e areas. $he effect entry specifies a maximum volume for the image +or images the spellproduces.

;ou can ma e images you create move around, but only with the volumelimit set for the spell. "or example, you could use a ma"or image spell tocreate an illusory guard that paces around a room, but you can!t ma eyour illusory guard accompany you wherever you go +unless you stay

inside the spell!s volume limit .

#s with an area illusion, anyone nearby can perceive an effect illusion. "or instance, the marching guard from the previous example can be seen andheard just as a real guard could be.

$arget: 9hen a spell has a target entry, you select one or more recipientsto receive the spell +there might be limits to the targets you can select, see*ules of the 6ame% *eading Spell Descriptions, 7art "ive . n any case,all your targets must be in range and you must have line of effect to them.

f you don!t have line of sight to a recipient, you still can select it as atarget if you can touch it.

Once a target receives a spell, the spell!s effect moves along with it.

0ecause glamer spells change the recipient!s sensory properties, most glamers have target entries +often the caster orsomething the caster touches . 7hantasms , which affect the recipient!s mind, also usually have target entries.

#s with illusion spells that have area or effect entries, anyone with line of sight to the recipient of a targeted illusion spellperceives the illusion the spell creates +except for phantasms, as noted earlier . "or example, the invisibility spell ma esa subject vanish from sight. #nyone loo ing at the space containing the invisible subject sees nothing +or at least doesnot see the subject .

a#ing $hro"s an! Illusion pells

Most spells! saving throw entries are self-explanatory< however, some illusion spells have a ind of saving throw that

causes a few problems.

Most figment spells +and a few other illusions have saving throw entries that read% 5 9ill disbelief +if interacted with .5 $hiscan prove maddeningly vague, especially when someone decides to start splitting hairs. #nyone who has played the

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 5/12

game for more than a few hours nows what a 9ill save is. 0ut what is the effect of disbelief and what constitutesinteraction?

From pages 173-174 of the Player's Handbook :

a#ing $hro"s an! Illusions (%isbelief ): 1reatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive savingthrows to recogni e it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion. "or example, if aparty encounters a section of illusory floor, the character in the lead would receive a saving throw if she stoppedand studied the floor or if she probed the floor.

# successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as atranslucent outline. "or example, a character ma ing a successful saving throw against a figment of an illusorysection of floor nows the 5floor5 isn!t safe to wal on and can see what lies below +light permitting , but he or shecan still note where the figment lies.

# failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. # character faced with proof thatan illusion isn!t real needs no saving throw. # character who falls through a section of illusory floor into a pit nowssomething is amiss, as does one who spends a few rounds po ing at the same illusion. f any viewer successfully

disbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a 4)bonus.

%isbelief

7age &'( in the Player's Handbook covers disbelief in detail. $he text there can be summed up fairly easily. f you ma ea successful saving throw against an illusion effect and disbelieve it, you stop perceiving the illusion and it has no effecton you at all. llusions from the figment or glamer subschools, however, remain behind as faint, translucent outlines evenafter you successfully disbelieve them. $hese see-through remnants have no effects on you at al l, but serve to remindyou that the illusion is there. t also reminds you of those things with which other less perceptive individuals might have todeal. $he rules use an illusory section of floor +presumably a figment as an example. f you have disbelieved the illusion,you see the floor +light permitting as it is< that is, with a gaping hole in it. ;ou also see the outlines of the illusion,however, which can prove handy when an unsuspecting ally comes on the scene. n fact, you can convey your

nowledge to your ally and grant your pal a saving throw bonus +see 7ointing Out llusions in 7art $hree .

$he rules don!t say what happens if you successfully disbelieve a figment or glamer that doesn!t have a visual element.t!s a safe bet, however, that you remain aware of the figment or glamer without being affected or hindered in any way.

hat*s +e,t

9e!re out of time for this wee . >ext wee , we!ll complete our study of saving throws against illusion spells beginningwith a discussion of what it means to 5interact5 with an illusion.

All About Illusions (Part $hree)By Skip Williams

/ast wee , we considered how casters aim illusion spells and began a discussion aboutdisbelieving illusions. $his wee we!ll consider a few more aspects of disbelief --including the crucial step of interacting with an illusion.

Intera'ting ith Illusions

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 6/12

#ccording to page &'( in the Player's Handbook, you don!t receive a savingthrow against an illusion effect with a disbelief saving throw until you study the illusioncarefully or interact with it in some way. $he text uses an illusory floor as an example.$he character in the example provided there gets a saving throw by stopping to examinethe floor +study or by probing the floor +interaction .

"or game purposes, we can define5studying5 an illusion as ta ing anaction +which DMs can choose toma e a move action since this is anextrapolation of the rules and not anactual rule to observe an illusioneffect and note its details. Some DMs

now re2uire a Spot or Search chec to disbelieve an illusion.$hat!s going too far. Merely pausingand using an action to ma e the checis enough to allow a saving throw.

#lso for game purposes, we candefine 5interacting5 with an illusion asdoing something that could affect the illusion or allowing the illusion to have an affect onyou. ;ou have a valid claim to an interaction with an illusion when you attac it, touch it,tal to it, po e it with a stic , target it with a spell, or do something else that one might dowith a real creature or object.

$he ey to disbelieving an illusion is investing some time and effort in the illusion. f youdecide to ignore the illusion, you don!t get a saving throw to disbelieve it. /et!s considerthe illusory guard from a previous example. $he guard is a figment created with a ma"orimage spell , and the caster has left the illusory guard to prowl around a chamber. #character entering or loo ing into the chamber might react to the illusory guard in severalways, some of which will allow a saving throw to disbelieve and some that will not. :ere

are just a few possibilities%

• $he character tries to snea past the guard.

#lthough both hiding and moving silently are resolved with opposed s ill chec s, thecharacter really isn!t doing anything that could affect the illusion and isn!t reallyinteracting with it. t would be best to call for the appropriate chec s from the snea ingcharacter and then pretend to ma e the opposed rolls +the illusory guard cannot see orhear the character . $he character doesn!t get a saving throw against the illusion.

• $he character attac s the guard.

#ttac ing an illusion is a definite interaction. $he character ma es the attac , using atleast a standard action to do so. :it or miss, the character ma es a 9ill save todisbelieve the illusion immediately after ma ing the attac roll .

f the attac hits, the character probably should disbelieve automatically +see #utomaticnteractions or #utomatic Disbelief, below as the character sees and feels the weapon

passing through the figment with no effect +just li e swinging the weapon through emptyair . f the illusion in 2uestion were a shadow instead of a figment, a successful attacwould not result in automatic disbelief +there!s something solid to hit there .

• $he character ta es a moment to observe the guard!s movements.

$he DM can choose to ma e this at least a move action for the character -- as notedearlier, this is an extrapolation of the rules, not an actual rule. >o chec is re2uired, and

the character ma es a saving throw to disbelieve the illusion as part of the action used toobserve the guard.

• $he character tries to identify the guard!s uniform or insignia +or simply loo s for

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 7/12

the same .

$his ind of scrutiny merits a standard action. $he character ma es a Spot or Searchchec to loo over the guard!s gear +or possibly an appropriate @nowledge chec . #successful chec reveals something about the guard!s gear. "or example, if the illusion!s

caster included insignia or if a particular uniform style is included in the figment, thechec reveals those. n any case, the character ma es a saving throw to disbelieve theillusion as part of the action used to study the guard, even if the chec fails to uncoverany details.

• $he character taunts the guard or as s the guard a 2uestion.

$his one might 2ualify as an interaction, or it might not. Spea ing usually is a free action ,but meaningful communication between two creatures ta es up some time.

From page 144 of the Player's Handbook :

pea/

n general, spea ing is a free action that you can perform even when it isn!t yourturn. Some DMs may rule that a character can only spea on his turn, or that acharacter can!t spea while flatfooted +and thus can!t warn allies of a surprise threatuntil he has a chance to act . Spea ing more than few sentences is generallybeyond the limit of a free action< to communicate more information than that, yourDM may re2uire that you ta e a move action or even a full-round action.

f the character and the guard are alone and there hasn!t been an initiative roll, thecharacter needs to stic around to note the guard!s reaction to the taunt or wait for theguard!s reply to truly interact with the illusion. +$hat!s the e2uivalent of a move orstandard action. $he character ma es a saving throw to disbelieve the illusion as part of the action used to communicate with the guard.

f this interaction occurs during an encounter, the character could spea as a free action,but she probably would have to wait until the following round to attempt a saving throw todisbelieve. +# real creature would need the same interval to respond, probably using afree action itself.

Automati' %isbelief

#ccording to the Player's Handbook, if you!re faced with proof that an illusion isn!t real,you disbelieve the illusion without ma ing a saving throw. $he rules give a few examplesof 5proof5 that an illusion isn!t real. f you step on an illusory floor and fall through, you

now that floor isn!t real. /i ewise, if you po e around an illusory floor and your hand +orthe implement you!re using as a probe goes through the floor, you now the floor isn!treal.

t!s worth noting that in both examples the illusion fails to function as a real object would. # real floor is solid. t supports your weight +unless it brea s under you , and you can!tpush objects or parts of your body through it. # character could create an illusion thatreacts appropriately when disturbed +with a programmed image spell, for example . nsuch cases, a character interacting with the illusion still must ma e a saving throw todisbelieve the illusion. "or example, if you use a programmed image spell to create anillusory floor that collapses when someone touches it or wal s in it, that!s consistent withthe way at least some real floors wor and a saving throw is re2uired to disbelieve evenwhen someone falls through it.

$he rules don!t say so, but if you create an illusion that allows a saving throw fordisbelief, you automatically disbelieve it +you now it isn!t real because you created it .

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 8/12

Automati' Intera'tions

#s noted in 7art $wo, you must ta e some action that could affect an illusion before youcan attempt to ma e a saving throw to disbelieve it. Some illusion spells, however, allowsaves to disbelieve even when you don!t use an action to interact with them.

$he ventrilo#uism spell, for example, allows a saving throw to disbelieve whenever youhear the figment sound the spell produces. t always pays to read an illusion spell!sdescription for such exceptions to the general rule.

%ealing "ith the 0nbelie#able: $he rules governing illusions assume that thespellcaster is at least trying to create something believable. 9hen an illusion spell allowsa saving throw for disbelief and the caster creates something unbelievably weird, it!sbest to allow an immediate saving throw. ;ou!re the best judge of what!s unbelievable inyour campaign. n a world where dogs breathe fire +hell hounds , immense dragons flythrough the air, and wi ards can shoot bolts of lightning from their fingertips, what!sunbelievable covers a tiny slice indeed. Still, if the illusion caster is just being silly+singing carnivorous vegetables, bloodsuc ing bunnies, dancing hippos , it!s best to justroll a saving throw.

Pointing Out Illusions

#ccording to page &') in the Player's Handbook, a character who successfullydisbelieves an illusion and communicates that information to others grants those othercharacters a 4) bonus on saving throws to disbelieve the illusion. $he rules don!tspecifically say so, but a character claiming the bonus still must use an action to study or interact with the illusion before attempting a saving throw.

hat*s +e,t

9e!re out of time once again. >ext wee , we!ll consider a few miscellaneous topicsrelated to illusion spells.

All About Illusions (Part Four)By Skip Williams

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 9/12

/ast wee , we explored what it means to interact with an illusion and we also considereda few instances where interacting with an illusion isn!t strictly necessary to disbelieve theillusion. $his wee , we!ll wrap up our study of illusions with a few odds and ends relatedto the topic.

0sing Figments ell

#s noted in 7art One, spellcasters often ma e the mista e of trying to use figment spells+such as silent image, minor image, and ma"or image to ma e something loo li esomething else. "igment spells don!t do that -- you need a glamer spell for the tas . ;oucan craft a figment to f it in with its surroundings or to conceal something. 1onsider thesesituations%

• # party wishes to hide in a dungeon room just beyond an archway.

;ou cannot use a figment to ma e the archway loo li e an unbro en wall. ;ou can,however, use a figment to ma e the archway loo li e it has been bric ed up< the edgesof the bric ed area will conform to the archway. ;ou also could use a figment to create

an illusory door that f ills the doorway. ;ou could even include hinges for the door +setatop the frame of the arch and a big loc .

• ;ou wish to draw some bad guys into an ambush by creating a false oasis inthe desert.

;ou cannot use a figment to ma e empty sand loo li e an oasis. ;ou still can create anillusory oasis with one or more figment effects. ;ou can create an illusory pool of waterto fill a depression in the sand, and you can sprin le the area with illusory palm trees andundergrowth.

f the area is very flat, you won!t be able to create a believable figment pool of water, butyou might get away with a spring where water bubbles to the surface and soa s bacinto the sand.

• # party caught in the open wants to hide from an airborne foe.

# figment can!t ma e the party loo li e they aren!t there. t can, however, ma e them aplace to hide. ;ou could use a figment spell to ma e an illusory house, a grove of trees+with leafy branches for concealment , or even a hill or big roc . $he party will beconcealed so long as the characters stay underneath the illusion.

A Fe" A!!itional +otes on Figments

$he foregoing examples also serve to illustrate concepts from 7arts $wo and $hree%

1haracters hiding behind or under the illusions here need to ma e saving throws tosuccessfully disbelieve them +assuming they want to do so . $he caster, however, nowsthe illusions aren!t real. f the caster points out the illusions, the characters get a4) bonus on their saves< in this case, the DM might want to waive the saving throws andassume disbelief to save time.

n any case, a successful saving throw against a figment spell reveals the figment to beunreal, but still visible +if it!s a visible figment as a see-through outline. $his is helpful tocharacters using a figment for concealment because they can see right through thefigment and also now exactly where the figment is so that they can remain concealed.

n many cases, creatures who are unaware that illusion magic is at wor probably willnot gain saving throws to disbelieve the figments in these examples. # creature in thevicinity of one of these figments probably would pass right by without ta ing any action tostudy or interact with the figment and gain a saving throw. $his, however, applies only tocreatures passing casually though the area. # creature that is deliberately searching forthe party that the figments in these examples conceal probably will po e around longenough to gain a saving throw through study or interaction +or might simply stumble

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 10/12

through the figment . /i ewise, a creature that is very familiar with the locale where thefigments have been placed probably will note the sudden appearance of a new featureand gain an immediate saving throw +because doors, oases, and hills don!t just spring upin a matter of minutes or hours usually .

Illusions an! in!less 2reatures

=nraveling an illusion is partly a matter of intellect, but mostly a matter of analysis andperception. #ny creature can attempt to disbelieve an illusion because every creaturehas a 9isdom score. # mindless creature, however, is much less li ely to find something

just plainly unbelievable +and thus gain a saving throw to disbelieve with no study orinteraction than a creature with an ntelligence score would be. # mindless creaturelac s an internal catalog of memories and expectations that can generate the level ofincredulity re2uired to evo e instant disbelief.

Illusions an! Ob e'ts

Objects have no senses and no 9isdom scores. $hey cannot disbelieve an illusion, butthey can!t perceive it either.

Shadows are a special case. # shadow is partly real and can affect an object just asanything real can. Shadow spells that have a reduced effect when disbelieved generallyhave reduced effects against objects because objects can!t believe them. 1hec thedescription of the shadow spell in 2uestion to be sure. "or example, objectsautomatically are assumed to ma e their saving throws against the various shadowconjuration and shadow evocation spells presented in the Player's Handbook. n othercases, follow the rules for object saving throws against spells +in most cases anunattended, nonmagical object doesn!t get a saving throw against a spell .

ore Fun ith ha!o"s

n most cases, what applies to a figment spell also applies to a shadow spell, with oneimportant exception% # shadow is partially real. # shadow can have real effects, evenwhen a subject disbelieves theshadow.

# shadow!s 2uasi-real nature canpose some problems in play. :ereare a few tips and reminders for handling shadows%

• # shadow is only partiallyreal whether a subjectbelieves it is real or not. #shadow!s degree of reality is

expressed as a percentagegiven in the spell description. "or example, a creature conjured with a shado!on"uration spell is only A3B real.

1ertain aspects of a shadow always depend on its degree of reality. $hese aspectsinclude hit points .

Other aspects of a shadow remain fixed, no matter what its degree of reality. $heseinclude gross dimensions +height, width, thic ness , superficial details +color, shape,anatomical features , attac bonus +but see below , saving throw bonuses, s ill scores,and ability scores . "or example, a shadow ogre mage +page A33 in the $onster $anual that is A3B real has C :it Dice , but only ' hit points +A3B of (', rounded down to thenearest whole number . ts initiative and speed ratings are unchanged. ts #rmor1lass depends on whether its attac er believes it is real. $he rest of the monster!s

statistics are unchanged, though some of its combat results will be reduced against foeswho have successfully disbelieved it.

• 9hen a creature believes a shadow is real, the shadow interacts with that

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 11/12

creature exactly li e the real creature or object it depicts, except as notedpreviously.

# shadow creature stri es in combat for full damage if the other creature believes it isreal. t li ewise has its full #rmor 1lass bonus if the creature attac ing it believes it is

real. >evertheless, the shadow has only part of its real counterpart!s hit points.

9hen a creature successfully disbelieves a shadow, the shadow has a partially realeffect when interacting with that creature.

9hen dealing with a partially real effect from a shadow, first attempt to reduce the effectaccording to the shadow!s degree of reality. f the aspect can be expressed as a number,you simply reduce it accordingly. 0e sure, however, that you apply the reduction onlyonce to any particular number. "or instance the shadow ogre mage from the previousexample normally stri es with its greatsword for (d 4' points of damage . #gainst a foewho has successfully disbelieved it, the shadow ogre mage uses its normal attac bonusof 4', but deals only A3B of its usual damage with a successful hit. *oll damagenormally, but apply only A3B of the resulting damage. "or example, the shadow ogremage hits and rolls (d 4' points of damage for a total of &E points. t deals only ( points+A3B of &E, rounded down to the nearest whole number . 9hen the disbelieving foeattac s the shadow ogre mage, its #rmor 1lass is calculated as follows% base &3+unchanged , -& si e +unchanged , 4& additional bonus +4C natural , 4) chain shirt< that isan unadjusted total 4E< A3B of that is &.F, rounded down to the nearest whole number .$he disbelieving foe has to contend with #1 &&, touch E, flat-footed &&. f the shadowogre mage had a Dexterity bonus, that, too, would be added into the pool of #1 bonusesthat would be reduced.

$he shadow ogre mage still occupies &3 feet of space on the battlefield, and it has areach of &3 feet. t conducts combat as a /arge creature.

;ou might wonder why the si e modifier wasn!t altered for the shadow ogre mage!s #rmor 1lass. $he shadow ogre mage is still tall and broad enough to present a bigtarget, so si e still has its full effect +as it would if the shadow combatant were smallenough to gain an #rmor 1lass bonus .

0eing only part real cannot ma e a creature a more capable foe. Do not reduceDexterity penalties when calculating a shadow!s #rmor 1lass.

$he shadow ogre mage has its full suite of spell-li e abilities . ts damage-dealingability, one of old, wor s normally against a disbeliever, except that the damage dealtis only A3B of normal. ts other abilities + darkness, invisibility, harm person, flight, andregeneration aren!t so easy to handle. recommend that any ability that affects only theshadow creature wor normally +in this case, invisibility , flight, and regeneration .7owers that can affect others or the creature!s surroundings + darkness and harm

person have only a A3B chance to wor when theshadow ogre mage uses them. *ollpercentile dice, and on a roll of F& or higher, the power in 2uestion has its full effect.

Otherwise, it has no effects at all.

;ou can use this method to deal with any ability a shadow creature has. "irst loo to anumerical damage value or #1 bonus you can reduce. f there is none, roll to determineif the ability ta es effect.

In 2on'lusion

$hat wraps up our discussion of illusions. *emember that seeing isn!t always believing inthe % % game.

About the Author

7/23/2019 Skip Williams' All About Illusions

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/skip-williams-all-about-illusions 12/12

/ip illiams eeps busy with freelance projects for several different game companiesand was the Sage of Dragon $aga%ine for many years. S ip is a co-designer ofthe % % (rd 8dition game and the chief architect of the $onster $anual . 9hen notdevising swift and cruel deaths for player characters, S ip putters in his itchen orgarden +rabbits and deer are not S ip!s friends or wor s on repairing and improving thecentury-old farmhouse that he shares with his wife, 7enny, and a growing menagerie ofpets.