Illusion your best idea

[Raspen]

Been asking this question alot and not getting much on responces

In what way would you use Major Image? i know that their is alot of difrent ways depending on campain and how things are going at the time but im just looking for storys or ideas to mesh with my own

be creative that is where the power lies

 

[Shayuri]

Hee...I once came up with an idea that went something like this...

1) Invisibility + Nondetection.
2) Boots of Levitation + Overland Flight.
3) Major Image

The idea was that the mage, a sorceror in this case, would be constantly flying (via Overland Flight...the boots let you hover) invisibly overhead, using Move actions and Concentrate actions to control a Major Illusion of...herself, walking along with the other PC's. She could make it talk, do things...etc etc. Now there's even a feat in Complete Adventurer that lets you Concentrate as a move or even a swift action which would make the concept even better.

The joy of the idea is that ideally, even the other PC's don't know that they're walking around with an illusion of you.

 

[kigmatzomat]

If you have 2 or more archers in a given combat, use the illusion to make more. You need to have them miss but it can alter the perceived threat your party offers.

I generally like using illusions to boost numbers so summon a few real critters and then cast an illusion of summoning even more, or larger versions. An illusion of a Gate spell can also be fun. The main tactical use is to get the opponent to split their forces temporarily so you don't have to face all of them at once. In some cases you may want to throw the illusion first so they don't feel your real summons are a credible threat, allowing them to get in flanking positions.

If the party has another caster, coordinate their offensive spells with your illusions. Nothing like making a fireball or lightning bolt appear much larger than it really is to intimidate the masses. Alternately, a fireball illusion is a great add-on to a flask of alchemist's fire thrown by a henchman. The appearance of a magical blast combined with the real screaming of the victim is an excellent combo.

Illusions of area-denial spells that most people won't bother trying to bash through (briarweb, wall of force, spirit wall, etc) are also good choices.

 

[Vrecknidj]

I've found that illusions of things that provide cover or concealment work well on battlefields. I mean, if someone doens't know that there's not a wall or hill or tree or whatever in the way, then they just see it there.

Just providing cover or concealment for your allies can turn the tide of an encounter.

Dave

 

[Raspen]

just whated to say that i love this message board trying to post on WOTC leads to large acts of stupied rambleing and fighting

Thank you all for aplying good imput to my question please keep the ideas coming im loving them all

**Bows low before the members of EN WORLD**

 

[Chimera]

We were trying to take down a superstitious Gnoll tribe that was plaguing the area as bandits on the road. They had previously worshipped Leopard (the ideal creature). We successfully intimidated one of their captured warriors by having our Druid change into a Leopard.

Then when we attacked the village itself, after defeating the main force, my Wizard used Major Image to create a Huge (or maybe it was Collossal, but anyway) Leopard, shadowy and ideal form, which my Wizard then "obediently" followed around the town seeking out survivors and remaining resistance.


Previously, when were were camped out on an Island and worried about being tracked to our camping spot: once we got the signal from our Scout on a ridge that the bad guys were coming, my Wizard used Minor Image to make it look like we had a group of 20 or so fighting men with us.

I believe that, on another occasion, I used one of the Image spells to create the illusion of reinforcements coming to our aid in battle.

 

[NealTS]

I've always looked at illusions as battlefield-control spells. The obvious uses are to "wall off" hallways and cover pits. "Repairing" broken bridges is also a lot of fun. Other interesting uses include simply creating a big, black ball around the party to allow them to redeploy under cover of "darkness." Huddling the party into an alcove, then illusioning up a flash of light and an empty alcove might allow the party to escape, or at least force ranged attackers to come closer and investigate. Heck, you could lie prone and create some horrid wounds on yourself to play dead, or even just replace yourself with an empty patch of floor as a poor man's Invisibility. If an interposing illusion is ruled to block light, that opens a whole range of possibilities, from a simple "box" around an enemy's torch to making a ceiling over a sunny courtyard and luring undead there for the "big reveal." Illusion up a wall over a door with an illusory door five feet farther down the hall. The bad guys will wonder why the door won't open, no matter how hard they push! *shrug* Just a few suggestions. I hope at least a couple are useful to you.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Illusions of area-denial spells that most people won't bother trying to bash through (briarweb, wall of force, spirit wall, etc) are also good choices.

The best thing about an illusion of an invisible Wall of Force? Even the barbarian can cast one!

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Heck, you could lie prone and create some horrid wounds on yourself to play dead, or even just replace yourself with an empty patch of floor as a poor man's Invisibility.

Not with Major Image, though. " Figments cannot make something seem to be something else." (A Glamer is required for these.)

Illusion up a wall over a door with an illusory door five feet farther down the hall. The bad guys will wonder why the door won't open, no matter how hard they push!

Again, not with Major Image. The illusion only provides sight, sound, smell, and thermal effects - their hand would pass straight through the illusory door when they tried to push it.

-Hyp.

 

[kigmatzomat]

The best thing about an illusion of an invisible Wall of Force? Even the barbarian can cast one!

-Hyp.

yeah, well.... no one's ever cast one IMC. Played 1st-20th level for ~3 years, never needed one. I always thought it was a transparent, but visible, effect. Don't tell my players I don't know everything.

Replace with "prismatic wall" if you want.