Illusions = Mind Affecting?

[welby]

So under the description of Illusion magic in the phb it says something similar to illusions affecting the mind and senses of others. Would that mean that something immune to mind affecting things would be immune to all illusions?

Specifically, would the spell mirror image have any effect on something like a treant, but I'm really more interested in a general answer.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

So under the description of Illusion magic in the phb it says something similar to illusions affecting the mind and senses of others. Would that mean that something immune to mind affecting things would be immune to all illusions?

Specifically, would the spell mirror image have any effect on something like a treant, but I'm really more interested in a general answer.

Not all illusions are mind-affecting. Unless the spell in question has the [Mind-Affecting] descriptor, then it isn't mind affecting, and will work fine on Treants.

Mirror Image is not [Mind-Affecting] and thus will work fine on treants, or Constructs, or Undead.

The SRD description of Illusions mentions that within the Illusion school, the two sub-schools (Pattern) and (Phantasm) are always [Mind-Affecting]. A quick flip through the SRD shows that this is true. No need to remember that, though. Every (Pattern) and (Phantasm) is also listed as [Mind-Affecting] right in the spell description.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Patterns and Phantasms are generally mind-affecting; Glamers, Figments, and Shadows are not.

Phantasms deceive the mind; Figments and Glamers deceive the senses. Something immune to mind-affecting effects ignores Phantasms, but sees Figments and Glamers just like anyone else.

-Hyp.

 

[Ferox4]

So under the description of Illusion magic in the phb it says something similar to illusions affecting the mind and senses of others. Would that mean that something immune to mind affecting things would be immune to all illusions?

Specifically, would the spell mirror image have any effect on something like a treant, but I'm really more interested in a general answer.

You need to look at each particular type of illusion to find your answer(s) because some illusions are mind-affecting while others are not. In the case of the Traent and Mirror Image you have a creature immune to mind-affecting spells but an illusion that is a figment. Figments aren't mind-affecting because they create a general, unreal illusion that does not act independently in a creatures mind, it's just there, the same for anyone who sees it. On the other hand, if you cast Phantasmal Killer against a Treant and tried to make it imagine it saw a Huge Fire Elemental it wouldn't work because that spell is a phantasm and phantasm are mind-affecting spells. Hope that helps.

 

[ThirdWizard]

No discussion on the matter would be complete without a link to Sean's rant on the matter.