D&D (2024) Bonus action minor illusion (wizard illusionist 3rd level ability) creating cover and halflings

[g00se99994]

I would rule it that Blindsight would not register silent image or minor illusion at all. But would the more powerful illusions that have other senses.

True sight recognizes all of them.

oh yeah for sure. just close your eyes and allow your blindsight or whatever other sense you have take over. I think that's 100% legit. wouldn't have any penalty to hit at all in that case. Overall I'm happy with getting a single round of something when I use my illusions in game, not too greedy

 

[mellored]

I'd go obscurement (disadvantage).

The illusion won't stop a sword swing or an arrow going though it. Intentionally or otherwise.

 

[plisnithus8]

yeah i think shooting through it would make it become transparent to the shooter.

The 2014 spell says: "Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it.
If a creature uses its action to examine the sound or image, the creature can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the illusion becomes faint to the creature.”

The spell description says shooting an arrow through the illusion reveals it as an illusion, but it takes a successful investigation check as an Action by each individual creature to see through the illusion.
Why waist an Action (investigation) that could be an Attack (with an arrow) to only allow yourself to see through the illusion if the arrow Attack could do that, potential damage, and allow everyone to see through illusion?

 

[TheSword]

Any uses people can think of for a minor illusion + another illusion spell?

 

[Mistwell]

How do you think the mechanics of this should work in melee and at range? I assume if I minor illusion in melee to create a crate to hide my little guy in it, an opponent can walk into my space and the illusion is broken but at range they would need to use an action to see through it for it to not offer some degree of cover. Assuming they know I'm there and want to shoot through the illusion what would be the cover amount offered?

This is my new favorite Wizard subclass and will be playing with it in two different campaigns, one with a arcane trickster and the other straight wizard (with a level dip in Ranger for Armor probably).

All you need for a successful hide check is 3/4s cover, which offers a lot of AC boost as well. So I am thinking for illusions enabling an attack, it might be best to not have 100% cover but only 3/4s cover. That way you duck behind cover then stand up fully and attack through the gaps in the illusion. That way you never spoil the illusion.

Example: A Bush, you shoot through the gaps in the bushes branches and leaves. Or a poorly crafted crate, you shoot through the gaps in the wood planks. Or a wall with arrow slits.

However if you go for a solid object with no gaps, then I'd say once you shoot directly through it, foes will know it's an illusion. Doesn't mean they automatically can see through it (their mind still plays the trick on them until they interact), but it does mean they're likely to simply maneuver around the battlefield to get a clear shot at you.

 

[toucanbuzz]

Assuming they know I'm there and want to shoot through the illusion what would be the cover amount offered?

Cover, none. An illusion is no more cover than fog. Fog would not stop an arrow but could interfere with line of sight. See Sage Advice 2019 on this. So, we need to look at the rules on seeing our halfling, who, until the illusion is detected, is heavily obscured because (assuming your DM rules this way) he's small enough that the crate completely covers him.

Heavily Obscured. Opponents are treated as "Blinded" when trying to see the halfling. "Blinded" is a condition that makes attack rolls have disadvantage. You can also try to Hide while Heavily Obscured, though I'm guessing this may have failed or never been attempted in your example because the enemy seems to know your halfling is hiding in a crate, just not that the crate is illusory.

First Attack would have disadvantage based on the Heavily Obscured rule, at which time the illusion becomes obvious.

However, DMs may cry cheese if the illusionist, every turn, throws up an illusory crate to heavily obscure themself. In my games, I'd probably rule that the enemy isn't fooled anymore and automatically detects the illusion rather than have to waste an action or interact with it.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

illusions are tricky.

if you shoot an arrow then you interacted and only you see it.
Others just might explain to themselves that the crate had a hole between boards and the arrow passed there.
Maybe you can spend an Action to point out to others that it is an illusion.

Minir illusions don't let them explain it themselves. This is the phantasmal force spell.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

If you shoot it, anyone seeing the arrow go through gets to make an INT save. (As per the spell description). Those who make it can see through it. Those who don’t, don’t have line of sight and are attacking at disadvantage.

The crate only affects sight so True sight and blind sense see through it. The crate wouldn’t register to blind sense since the crate isn’t physically there. Only the halfling would register.

Edit, I might rule that it’s only useable one time per combat since people know the trick. It would be more reliable in a warehouse full of crates, though.

 

[Mistwell]

If you make an object which you're moving out from, attacking, and then ducking back behind, you shouldn't face the issue of the illusion being exposed from return fire. If they can't see you, they can't target you well nor see if you're hit or not. They're not going to try and shoot through a wooden crate. You'll force them to move to try and get a bead on you behind the crate, or more likely just choose another target.

Here's where the real fun comes in: Silent Image. Unlike Minor Image which can only make a sound or an object, Silent Image can also create "other visible phenomenon." Which means it can create a 15' cube of fog. Or, if you want to get clever, a 15' cube of what appears to be poisonous gas, complete with the sounds of your allies choking from a Minor Illusion cast as a bonus action (which you can do in the same round as the second spell is not a spell slot).

Now your allies, who automatically have interacted with the fog or gas from being inside it, can automatically see through it as it turns translucent for them. But foes cannot see them and are effectively blind with regard to them. So allies can shoot out at advantage, and enemies shoot in at disadvantage.

And since you expect an arrow to go through fog or gas, there hasn't been the kind of interaction which gives away that it's an illusion. The enemy would have to enter it to notice it's not feeling damp for fog or chocking them or giving off any scent for gas. And it's unlikely enemies do that if it looks like poison gas and they hear people choking from it.