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Message: <blockquote data-quote="lkwpeter" data-source="post: 7251276" data-attributes="member: 6804713">EDIT: The following is a personal summary of this forum thread:Please note, that I don't claim this to be the only way of interpreting the rules. Phantasmal Force is very vague and this thread was a try to find an interpretation that is consistent with the wording of the RAW and that is consistent in analogy to other spells. These are just the main agreements of this discussion:Effects:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you create a person, you do not need to know the language/appearance of the it. Like I'm a Banana said, "It's not like the illusionist is making the illusion say something, it's like the illusionist is saying, "get this concept across" and the target's mind shows the target what the concept would look like from the target's perspective. So, it relies on the target's sense of what's possible, not the illusionist's. That's part of why they're just single-target.". Furthermore this is not part of the spell's description, although some other spells explicitly say so.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You can also create phenomena. And those can even cause status effects (e.g. blinded). (<a href="http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/09/14/blinding-phantasmal-force/" target="_blank">see Jeremy Crawford's Tweet here</a>)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Like Jeremy Crawford approved, created objects will move with the target and can also cause status effects (<a href="http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/09/14/phantasmal-force-on-a-bag/" target="_blank">see his Tweet here</a>).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Analogous to that, if you create a hostile creature that is attacking the target, this creature would not be bound to its position. Instead, it would also follow the target, if that is trying to escape, etc. The reason is, that the creature is within the target's mind, so it won't be stuck to a position. Consider that only the "conjured" creature must be not larger than 10 foot, but not the area that it is able to move within.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Physical interactions do NOT reveal the illusion! The reason again is that the illusion is within the target's mind. That is very different to other illusion spells.</li> </ul>Restrictions:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The object must be visible for the target (spell description). So it can't be invisible.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If the illusion is not reasonable to the target, it will probably investigate it. Consider, that illusions that look like magical spell effects are hardly "not reasonable", because the target would normally think that it's a "normal" spell effect. Contrary to this, if the target's mom that has died years ago suddenly appears in front of it, the target would probably "resist" the illusion and investigate it (as an action, after it failed the initial INT saving throw).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">After casting this spell, there is no further interaction with the illusion possible: Like Storyteller Hero said, "the phantasm can act as you "pre-program" it." The caster can neither see the illusion himself, nor can he change or interact with it after he casted the spell.</li> </ul>Controlling creatures (shackles, cages, etc.):<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The most important point is: This spell is a psychic force, no physic force! So, it is not possible to physically control a creature! If you create chains to bind it, these might even move a bit with the target. But the moment, the target moves away from the object, its arms/legs would simply go through the illusion. The creature would rationalize it in some way (as the spell description says), but it would be free though.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Instead, you could try to affect the creature's motivation to do something: E.g. you could create a cage of fire. The creature might feel the heat an decide not to touch it. Or you could create something that forces the target to go prone at its own will (e.g. a poisonous fog at a specific height, so that the could duck).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Apply the following rule of thumb to find out, whether or not a specific object would work to control a creature: 1.) "Is the object supposed to physically affect a creature?" If yes, the effect is not possible 2.) "Is the object supposed to only affect the creature's motivation to do something?" If yes, than it is absolutely viable and works as the spell is intended to work.</li> </ul>When does Phatasmal Force allow a INT (Investigation) check?This is tough question, because the spell's description says: "The target rationalizes any illogical outcomes from interacting with the phantasm." That means two things:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The target rationalizes everything from interacting with the phantasm (and only with the phantasm).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The target rationalizes inconsistencies only from interacting.</li> </ol>For this reason, external influences could be one reason that raises doubts. But keep in mind that other creatures don't see the illusion!</blockquote>

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