Can an Illusion of Cats Damage a Rat Swarm?

[Satori]

I'd let it work.

The sure brilliance of this idea is too good to NOT let it work.

 

[Thaniel]

I'd let it work.

The sure brilliance of this idea is too good to NOT let it work.

I agree. Stomping on such creativity saying "Nope. Rules don't allow it" only leads to people not trying anything new. Next step is "Walk down the road, kill two orcs. Walk down the road, kill two orcs."

 

[Infiniti2000]

You can reward the creativity with a delay in the attack of the rats and, more importantly, ad hoc experience points. I see no reason to make the rats act illogically by attacking the huge, armored, fire-wielding adventurers but not the non-smelling cats. I don't think you'll be rewarding creativity by letting this work. The worse option IMO, however, is to knowingly let it work once and then not again. That's a really bad precedent to set and a terrible suggestion. If the spell works one way one time, it should work that way all the time.

 

[starwed]

Hmm, rats rely on smell quite a lot, I think. The best I can see it doing is slowing their movement rate as they are momentarily confused, but they'll figure out the illusion almost instantaneously.

The worse option IMO, however, is to knowingly let it work once and then not again. That's a really bad precedent to set and a terrible suggestion. If the spell works one way one time, it should work that way all the time.

I'd agree that deciding ahead of time to let it work once isn't that good of an idea. Ruling at the time that a clever idea works, and then realizing that it shouldn't have, is something a bit different. (Just let the players know!)

 

[PallidPatience]

For how this illusion might work, put a dog in front of a mirror. Watch the confusion ensue.

 

[DarkKestral]

For how this illusion might work, put a dog in front of a mirror. Watch the confusion ensue.

For something even closer to the potential effect of the spell.. put a cat in front of the mirror and watch the cat go nuts trying to kill the intruder.

 

[starwed]

For something even closer to the potential effect of the spell.. put a cat in front of the mirror and watch the cat go nuts trying to kill the intruder.

I have to say, I've never seen cats take much interest in mirrors.

 

[DarkKestral]

I have to say, I've never seen cats take much interest in mirrors.

That's because most of them don't like seeing other cats stare at them. So they try to reduce the 'friction' by looking away. But force a cat to look into a mirror.. they start acting funky.

 

[starwed]

Force a cat to do anything, and they'll act funky.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I had a 20 year old cat that would catch my eye in a mirror's reflection and meow at my reflection. Shocked the hell out of me.

I secretly suspect cats are almost omnipotent, but just can't be bothered.