Can an Illusion of Cats Damage a Rat Swarm?

[phindar]

Well, Minor Illusion is a 2nd level spell, which keeps getting skipped over.

 

[billd91]

I wouldn't have the illusion break up the swarm, but I think deflect it away in its movement sounds like a pretty reasonable thing to allow.

 

[lukelightning]

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 highly doubt they were fooled by a "mock weasel." They probably disliked the smell of the paint (rats are highly neophobic and avoid unfamiliar scents), or were frightened by the activity of the nearby humans. Rats have no fear of other white animals, such as naturally white/albino rats.

And regardless, considering the fact that in D&D a swarm of rats would happily attack a dire lion, mind flayer, or half-dragon-drow-touched-celestial-were-marmot, I doubt some scentless cats are gonna stop them.

 

[Innocent Bystander]

I highly doubt they were fooled by a "mock weasel." They probably disliked the smell of the paint (rats are highly neophobic and avoid unfamiliar scents), or were frightened by the activity of the nearby humans. Rats have no fear of other white animals, such as naturally white/albino rats.

And regardless, considering the fact that in D&D a swarm of rats would happily attack a dire lion, mind flayer, or half-dragon-drow-touched-celestial-were-marmot, I doubt some scentless cats are gonna stop them.

If I get the opportunity again, we'll paint one blue and see what happens. But, if rats avoided unfamiliar scents and were truly neophobic, they wouldn't move into new places the way they do. And when there's more than a few of them, they have absolutely no fear of people. A previous job game me plenty of up close and personal experience with them.

But anyway, you are right, this is D&D not real life. I still think the idea is cool, sound and I'd allow it to work.

 

[lukelightning]

And when there's more than a few of them, they have absolutely no fear of people.

So they'd fear scentless cats instead? I don't think so.

 

[Innocent Bystander]

So they'd fear scentless cats instead? I don't think so.

Now you're just nit picking.

As I said

But anyway, you are right, this is D&D not real life. I still think the idea is cool, sound and I'd allow it to work.

We're working off the idea/assumption that they would fear a natural predator.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Bad idea. Given this is a 1st level spell

That's silent image. See the link in my previous post for the spell in question.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

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."

Cognitive scientists need to start meeting pet owners. I know a lot of pet owners whose pets have definitively reacted to mirror reflections in a way that shows they're not just scared of "that mysterious animal." My old cat meowing at me when she met my eyes in the bathroom mirror didn't think I was some mysterious extra human, she knew it was me and wanted canned food.

 

[Nail]

And regardless, considering the fact that in D&D a swarm of rats would happily attack a dire lion, mind flayer, or half-dragon-drow-touched-celestial-were-marmot, I doubt some scentless cats are gonna stop them.

True.

 

[lukelightning]

My old cat meowing at me when she met my eyes in the bathroom mirror didn't think I was some mysterious extra human, she knew it was me and wanted canned food.

Yeah, she recognized you. She sees you all the time; so she sees an image of you in the mirror and reacts appropriately; I doubt she had the ability to know the image that she saw was a reflection. And it is much harder for a creature to have an awareness of its own image; as I mentioned before this ability is limited to a select handful of animals, and believe me when I tell you that scientists certainly would be aware of domestic animals' abilities. Heck, there is a good chance said scientists are pet owners themselves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror-recognition_test_for_self-awareness