Creative uses for Illusion ("Image") spells

[melkorspawn]

Wow, and there's the evil usage. Thinking about options, all I kept dreaming up was old Warner Brothers cartoons.

 

[Mistwell]

Hide a cliff by giving the illusion the safe ground reaches 30 ft further than it really does.

 

[Mistwell]

Create a replica illusion of an existing pit trap right next to that pit trap, and the a second illusion covering up the real pit trap. When your opponants chase you this way, you may be able to lure them into going around the illusionary pit and falling into the real one.

 

[Mistwell]

"Another thing I liked to do with my character was combine illusion and divination spells. People will probably react stronger when they have a personal interest in what your illusion is showing. I once got into a city with two firm guards by doing some scrying and spying to find out that the guards each had a child of about the same age, then casting a Major Image of the two kids just on the other side of the city gates, fighting brutally with each other. The guards of course rushed in to stop it... only for a second, but that was enough."

 

[Mistwell]

 

[Allegro]

When your opponents start realizing you are an illusionist. I like to use Magic Aura to tweak mundane traps. Give a moat of acid the illusion aura or add the illusion aura to wall a fire. This way a cautious enemy using Detect Magic just to be safe will learn not to trust the spell.

In the wilderness big rocks or trees can easily be created to hide soldiers in.

 

[lukelightning]

I like illusions of things like trolls or oozes...things that need fire or other special effect to harm them, to fool enemy casters into wasting their fireballs et. al.

Plus an illusion of a humungus black pudding oozing in through the door is great for messing up the enemy's battle plans..."reatreat! shoot it with arrows! Fireball it!"

One big problem with illusions is that a relatively simple spellcraft check will ruin it. "never mind...that wizard is casting major image, just ignore whatever appears...."

My gnome wizard in an Eberron campaign has been toying around with the idea of "conjuring up a magic flying carpet" to "ride on" when he's flying around with his fly spell in combat. Hover close to a ledge...let the enemy try to jump on the "carpet"... buh-bye! Plus it works on stupid PCs too if they get on his nerves.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Use illusions to portray animals and other creatures to construct a zoo. Keep signs out that tell people that all creatures are illusions so they can't be harmed.

I'm using this one in my homebrew.

 

[Mistwell]

Use illusions to portray animals and other creatures to construct a zoo. Keep signs out that tell people that all creatures are illusions so they can't be harmed.

I'm using this one in my homebrew.

I kinda like that idea as a means of gaining knowledge skill ranks actually (between adventures, to represent training for the level-up).

 

[Jack Simth]

There's a couple of other problems with some of the suggestions - the Image spells (as Figments) can't make something seem to be something else, or to not be (that's the domain of Glammers) - so you can't Image the BBEG into looking like you, make a pit that's not real, and so on with the standard image spells.

That said...

Messing with the heads of people with Spellcraft:
Quickened Image of the spell you're wanting to cast, Silent Stilled spell you want.
You can't identify a Silent, Stilled spell unless you see the results. A Quickened spell takes no real time.

For example, you put up an Illusory Wall of Stone that is easily identified by a DC 16 Spellcraft Check (silent Image) on the part of the opposing Wizard. At the same time (by way of a Quickened spell), you put up a REAL Wall of Stone (which can't be identified except through the effect). Wizard correctly identifies the illusion, and shouts to his friends... who trustingly run headlong into it.