Joshua Randall
Legend
I'm planning to pit my PCs against an evil wizard who wil use the spell project image against them. Specifically, the wizard will first cast greater invisibility, then project image, and will then start blasting the PCs with various offensive spells.
When the PCs retaliate, they will (presumably) do so against the image. What happens then? Does the image disappear when damaged? If not, does damaging the image count as interacting with it, thus granting a Will save? (see spell's text below)
If the image doesn't disappear when damaged and the PCs don't disbelieve it, can the evil wizard cause the image to react appropriately to keep up the illusion that it's the real thing?
[sblock=SRD - project image]Project Image
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One shadow duplicate
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)
Spell Resistance: No
You tap energy from the Plane of Shadow to create a quasi-real, illusory version of yourself. The projected image looks, sounds, and smells like you but is intangible. The projected image mimics your actions (including speech) unless you direct it to act differently (which is a move action).
You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were standing where it is, and during your turn you can switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again, as a free action. While you are using its senses, your body is considered blinded and deafened.
If you desire, any spell you cast whose range is touch or greater can originate from the projected image instead of from you. The projected image can’t cast any spells on itself except for illusion spells. The spells affect other targets normally, despite originating from the projected image.
Objects are affected by the projected image as if they had succeeded on their Will save.
You must maintain line of effect to the projected image at all times. If your line of effect is obstructed, the spell ends. If you use dimension door, teleport, plane shift, or a similar spell that breaks your line of effect, even momentarily, the spell ends.
Material Component: A small replica of you (a doll), which costs 5 gp to create.[/sblock]Here's the text about illusions in general, for reference.[sblock=SRD - Illusion spells]Illusion
Illusion spells deceive the senses or minds of others. They cause people to see things that are not there, not see things that are there, hear phantom noises, or remember things that never happened.
Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is real.
Saving Throws and Illusions (Disbelief): Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion.
A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.
A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. A character faced with proof that an illusion isn’t real needs no saving throw. If any viewer successfully disbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a +4 bonus.[/sblock]Would the phrase "A character faced with proof that an illusion isn’t real needs no saving throw" apply to damage dealt to a projected image? What about a fighter who swings a sword through the image?
When the PCs retaliate, they will (presumably) do so against the image. What happens then? Does the image disappear when damaged? If not, does damaging the image count as interacting with it, thus granting a Will save? (see spell's text below)
If the image doesn't disappear when damaged and the PCs don't disbelieve it, can the evil wizard cause the image to react appropriately to keep up the illusion that it's the real thing?
[sblock=SRD - project image]Project Image
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One shadow duplicate
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)
Spell Resistance: No
You tap energy from the Plane of Shadow to create a quasi-real, illusory version of yourself. The projected image looks, sounds, and smells like you but is intangible. The projected image mimics your actions (including speech) unless you direct it to act differently (which is a move action).
You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were standing where it is, and during your turn you can switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again, as a free action. While you are using its senses, your body is considered blinded and deafened.
If you desire, any spell you cast whose range is touch or greater can originate from the projected image instead of from you. The projected image can’t cast any spells on itself except for illusion spells. The spells affect other targets normally, despite originating from the projected image.
Objects are affected by the projected image as if they had succeeded on their Will save.
You must maintain line of effect to the projected image at all times. If your line of effect is obstructed, the spell ends. If you use dimension door, teleport, plane shift, or a similar spell that breaks your line of effect, even momentarily, the spell ends.
Material Component: A small replica of you (a doll), which costs 5 gp to create.[/sblock]Here's the text about illusions in general, for reference.[sblock=SRD - Illusion spells]Illusion
Illusion spells deceive the senses or minds of others. They cause people to see things that are not there, not see things that are there, hear phantom noises, or remember things that never happened.
Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is real.
Saving Throws and Illusions (Disbelief): Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion.
A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.
A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. A character faced with proof that an illusion isn’t real needs no saving throw. If any viewer successfully disbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a +4 bonus.[/sblock]Would the phrase "A character faced with proof that an illusion isn’t real needs no saving throw" apply to damage dealt to a projected image? What about a fighter who swings a sword through the image?
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
