Can an Illusion of Cats Damage a Rat Swarm?

[PallidPatience]

Our cat knows it's actually him in the mirror. He's used it to preen before. Our dog is far less knowledgeable, and thinks that the other dog is... well... another dog. She doesn't even stop to realize that there is no smell.

 

[phindar]

The only reaction my dog ever had to a mirror was to think to himself, "Man, I am almost shockingly good looking."

I'd let it work, at least a little, because its a creative idea. How well it worked would be dependent on the level of the spell. A Silent Image would probably delay the rats one round, a Minor Image would cause the swarm to disperse and take a few rounds to form back up, and a Major Image would probably cause them to split up, run and not look back.

Actually, now that I think about it, an illusion of snakes might be even more effective. Last winter I had some field mice move into my basement and get into the walls... that was a job. But one of the things the pest control guy suggested to prevent a reoccurrance was to put rubber snakes behind the walls. Maybe that guy was a lunatic, rodent pyschological warfare is not my area of expertise, but apparently even the appearance of a predator is enough to keep animals away. I mean, if you think about it, the ones that were like, "Hey, that looks like a snake. Let's see what it smells/sounds/reacts to stimuli like!" probably weren't in the gene pool long enough to have an effect on behavior.

(In the end I decided against the rubber snakes to go with a more conventional approach. It wasn't so much that I thought it wouldn't work, but I figured a few years from now I'd be doing some drywall work or something and a rubber snake would pop out and I'd either hurt or soil myself. If I was going to put something behind the walls to scare rodents, I was thinking of using some toy sharks. I mean, that's nature's most perfect killing machine, rats would have to be terrified of those.)

 

[juz4kix]

At my parent's house, on my old bedroom door, I had a full length mirror and i carpet tiled the door around the mirror. My cat used to go totally bonkers. She would climb the door and sometimes jump down 'attacking' the 'other cat.'
I am agreeing with I2K though. The rats would attack the illusion then keep on moving. remember swarm is just mob mentality for animals.

1st post!!! I guess i'm not a lurker anymore!

 

[irdeggman]

So he is "herding" cats with his illusion?

Yeah like that can happen.

I would agree with the delay but not dispersal. delay gives an award for creativity but not something that is overpowering. A dispersal would essentially be allowing him to defeat teh swarm all by himself with a non-damaging spell.

 

[Blue]

DMs support things the rules can't.

Full grown humans won't cause moral failure in a swarm of rats, niether will an illusion of houscats.

Here is where it's a pen and paper RPG with a DM instead of a computer game where the rules provide the only options.

There is no "morale failure" mechanic, so of course the rules can't cause it. That doesn't mean a DM can't use it.

How many of you have had an encounter where the opponents surrendered or attempted to flee? Going back, there is no "morale failure" mechanic, that's the DM determining what would be an appropriate reaction.

In here, an appropriate reaction might be that a swarm of rats might just stop advancing against a swarm of cats.

BTW, an earlier poster mentioned humans with torches. If the party was all to light torches and swing them low before the rats got there to ward them off, that sounds like it might have a chance too.

Creativity and imagination can come up with options that aren't codified in the rules. But the rules do give the DM the right to make any call, because those are some of the core tenants of role playing.

I'd let it work. Maybe it would only delay them a few rounds because it's missing scent, but I like to reward smart thinking.

Cheers,
=Blue

 

[lukelightning]

In here, an appropriate reaction might be that a swarm of rats might just stop advancing against a swarm of cats....I'd let it work. Maybe it would only delay them a few rounds because it's missing scent, but I like to reward smart thinking.

Without scent I'd say the rats ignore the illusion entirely.

Our cat knows it's actually him in the mirror.

Then bring him in to a cognitive scientist. So far the only animals that are proven to recognize themselves in mirrors are dolphins, chimpanzees, orangutans, elephants, and humans. The cat preening itself is no proof...it could be reacting to "the other cat."

 

[phindar]

Is this a bad time to ask about the guy in my bathroom mirror who shaves at the exact same time I do every day?

 

[hong]

If those rats were commoners, they'd be afraid. Very afraid.

 

[Innocent Bystander]

Here's something for those who believe if a rat doesn't smell it, that it will ignore it. Quite a number of years ago on a friend's farm, a bunch of rats moved into a grain storage bin. We set a live trap, caught one of them, painted it white and let it back in the bin. The rats cleared out real quick. The reason it worked, some weasels are white, and weasels are natural predators of rats. So despite the fact that it didn't smell like a weasel or really looked like one, the other rats believed it was one. I guess they failed their will save.

I'd say the illusion would invoke some response from the swarm. I'd say if they fail the will save, they scatter.

 

[Nail]

I'd say the illusion would invoke some response from the swarm. I'd say if they fail the will save, they scatter.

Bad idea. Given this is a 1st level spell, I'd be really leary of granting it a [Fear] effect in addition to its other powers. If the illusion can cause [Fear] in a rat swarm, why not in a group of 8th level Bbns? Etc...

The best option: Delays the rat swarm for a round or two.