Best use for figment spells?

[ScionJustice]

So what are the best uses for the figment spells?

Silent Image
Minor Image
Major Image

I don't need any suggestions on other figments.

 

[insanogeddon]

Walls

Walls that allow options so people don't walk through them or attack them

Fire
Iron
Ice

channel people in a direction
delay them 2 rounds as they come round the wall

etc

 

[Gantros]

Here's a selection:

• Creating temporary one-way cover for archers to hide behind
• Baiting an ambush or trap
• Creating an illusion of a wall, bush, etc. slightly displaced from its true position, so allies can hide or move stealthily behind it
• Creating a diversion to distract guards or other opponents (e.g. a pile of treasure to distract greedy opponents, or a helpless child in danger to distract good-aligned opponents
• Controlling the battlefield by creating false barriers and covering up doors, passageways, or pits
• Duplicating the effect of an Obscuring Mist (only better because it can be moved, allies can be allowed to ignore it if the caster informs them that it is an illusion, and because it’s mist, most interactions with it would not trigger a check to disbelieve unless an opponent physically entered the area)
• Creating a mobile light source
• Creating one or more ghostly copies of the caster or an ally (would not necessarily trigger a Save if hit because it appears incorporeal)
• Creating an illusion of a large rock or similar object to hide inside of
• Creating a false bridge, or extending a ledge over a chasm, then luring opponents on to it
• Creating a 3D map of a building or area to pre-plan a raid

 

[Herzog]

Duplicating the effect of an Obscuring Mist (only better because it can be moved, allies can be allowed to ignore it if the caster informs them that it is an illusion, and because it’s mist, most interactions with it would not trigger a check to disbelieve unless an opponent physically entered the area)

This is incorrect. The save/intel allows the allies to realise it is an illusion, but will still block line of sight.

Creating a mobile light source

Are you sure you can do this?

All other sound like good advice!

 

[akbearfoot]

Walls are a very good option...

Or making illusions of people/monsters in order to lure out other monsters.


Readying an action to cast put up a Wall of stone in between you and a bad guy that tries to attack you is a VERY good use of the 1st level illusion spell. He wastes his action on you attacking the wall then making a save against the illusion. Just keep in mind that your allies may be boxed in by such illusions as well until they can save as well.

 

[Gantros]

This is incorrect. The save/intel allows the allies to realise it is an illusion, but will still block line of sight.

From the SRD: "A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline." A translucent outline won't block line of sight.

As for the mobile light source, it is somewhat debatable if you could create a figment of something that emits light as opposed to just reflecting it (like a fire for example). The rules don't really specify one way or the other.

 

[Herzog]

You are, of course, right.
My mind seems to have skipped over the 'translucent' part of that sentence for quite some time. Thank you for correcting me

 

[Particle_Man]

They work better the more prep time you have.

One evil DM trick I did was have a miniature castle (like, only about 10 feet high but looked like a full albeit tiny castle, with tiny windows, etc.). The party came close to investigate it, and by coincidence happened to be in the perfect position for . . .

. . . all being caught in the breath weapon of the Dragon that had cast silent image to create the miniature castle (I probably cheated a bit by creating it "around" the dragon, but maybe not. It was funny, anyhow).

 

[zendruid]

They work best as the big guns of a Shadowcraft Mage. Add heighten spell, earth sense and earth spell for exceptional versatility. Any evocation and most conjuration spells are now available to you at whatever level you can cast. See the killer gnome builds posted on other sites.

 

[MichaelK]

As for the mobile light source, it is somewhat debatable if you could create a figment of something that emits light as opposed to just reflecting it (like a fire for example). The rules don't really specify one way or the other.

Actually they do. Page PHB 173 says "A figment spell creates a false sensation", "Likewise you cannot make a visual copy of something unless you know what it looks like" and "Because Figments and glamers (see below) are unreal, they can not produce real effects the way other types of illusions can"

You know what a light looks like, thus you could create the false sensation of a floating ball of light.

However that ball of light would not produce real effects, such as illumination.

And if you've never been in that room before and don't know what it looks like illuminated you can't create a visual copy of the illuminated room to project it as a figment. (Though if you knew the room you could create a figment of the illuminated room as you remembered it. It wouldn't illuminate anything though that you didn't know was there).

Pretty explicit to me. YMMV.