How to rule Illusion (figment) spells?

[Malin Genie]

I'm not too clear on how to rule illusion (figment) spells.

Simple example: the party wizard uses silent image to create a brick wall behind the party as they attempt to flee.

The enemies see a brick wall appear. At this point, as I understand it, there is no save, as they have not 'interacted' with it.

If one of them examines it, then the examination grants them a save (they are now 'interacting' with it). If they make the save, they realise it is illusory, and can now see through it as a translucent outline [phb158]. If they don't make the save, does that mean they are 'convinced it is real' and therefore have no reason to keep examining it?

[phb158] A 'character who spends a few rounds poking' is 'faced with incontrovertible proof' (as presumably would be one who ran through it) and recognises the illusion without needing to save. But should an enemy who doesn't know the spell is an illusion (although they might suspect) be allowed to 'test' the illusion by running into it or waving an arm 'through' it (therefore not having to make a saving throw?)

Perhaps more intelligent monsters, especially those who know of illusion magic, could act in that way, but what about an animal or similar unintelligent creature?

What about an enemy wizard who makes the DC16 Spellcraft check and knows that the spell cast is silent image, not wall of stone. Does she (A) automatically recognise the illusion (B) automatically get a save but if it fails 'believe' the illusion despite 'knowing' it is an illusion (C) still have to interact with it as usual to gain the saveing throw?

 

[Nifft]

Here's what I'd do:

"A wall appears!" -- no creativity, the enemies who see it happen beleive it only on a natural 1, and ALL of them have to roll 1's.

"I touch the wall, chanting low, and it flows at my touch, forming a barrier between me and the evil things." -- 10 points for creativity! The enemies make normal Will saves. They will probably investigate the wall even if they fail, but the party has four or five rounds of a head start.

"The wall breaks open, and a slavering demon steps through. I hand it a shining gem and point towards the evil things. The beast looks at them, grins, and takes out its whip." -- This one would only work if the illusion had more than just visual elements -- a whiff of brimstone, the shaking of the tunnel walls, the demon's growling and the heat radiating off of its abyssal visage -- unless the party was very far away from the evil pursuit. It would buy the party a will save from each enemy, and the enemy's running away if it failed.

Basically, figments which work:
- emulate a known spell effect
- create a danger to the opposition, not just an obstacle
- allow for an obvious path to safety (so the opposition isn't forced to interact with the figment)
- change small things in reasonable ways -- the best example I've heard is changing a bridge to look like it curved a little more than it did, so the trolls running over it (towards the party) fell off.

-- Nifft

 

[Stalker0]

Illusion really are a dm's perogative of how effective they are, and in many cases it depends on the level of the illusion spell.


For example, with silent image, your not getting any thermal benefits, so when the guys touched the wall, they should get a preety big bonus because the wall doesn't feel like a wall. But if they are just running their hands along it, that's not incontroversiable proof in my mind. They expect the wall to be there, and so their hand feels like it is, although it would be a very smooth wall. But if they started beating on the wall or tried to go through it, they would pass right through it save or not, and that's incontroversiable proof.

Now the bonus you give them should depend on the image spell. For example, major image gives thermal effects. If you created a wall that was glowing red hot, and someone tried to touch it it would feel really hot, and they probably would definately belief it was real (normal will save, no bonus).