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Message: <blockquote data-quote="UniversalMonster" data-source="post: 5145840" data-attributes="member: 1034">NOTE: THis is all 3rd Edition specific. The main tactical trick with illusions, if you aren't getting too fancy or reaching for DM interpretation all the time (which is risky anyhow) is that you use them to draw off attacks or create 'no-go' areas on the battlefield. The grey area is when/if the bad guys get to disbelieve the illusion.The most important point is this: "you must take some action that could affect an illusion before you can attempt to make a saving throw to disbelieve it."So, simply having the illusion appear doesn't mean everyone gets a saving throw. There's an economy of actions (yes, even in 3rd edition). The illusion is 100% real to everyone but the caster until you do one of two things: 1) spend a round observing it carefully. Or 2) interact with it. That means hit it with something, try to talk to it, etc. EVEN if you get informed that the illusion is unreal (and claim the +4 save bonus) you still have to spend an action observing.Why this is good for your character:Even if an illusion gets disbelieved it accomplishes the mission of drawing off at least one action- likely from every single enemy on the battlefield. Skip Williams contends that the action taken to observe carefully can possibly be a move action (which is less valuable to draw off than an attack) but it's still worthwhile. And further- if you have invisibility too.. control your illusions from nearby invisibly. You  should have a fair chance of drawing off multiple attacks (as long as enemies keep failing saves). Using No-Go areas:Sometimes it's important to line the bad guys up in such a way that an area attack (burst, line, cone, spread, etc) can be used to advantage. It's helpful to think of tactical areas in terms of squares. One cool use of the simple 'minor image' spell is to create a massive area of caltrops. Intelligent enemies will rarely knowingly move at full speed through a bed of caltrops. So you pick out which squares have caltrops and leave a convenient clear area (shaped exactly like a line or a cone or whatever you need) and when the bad guys run through, that's when you get them.If you want to use a major image or have one to spare- the standard is a lava spilled area. The important thing is you need to have a realistic thermal and scent component.Using an illusion with invisibility:One of the cool things about the Major Image is it includes a scent component. This is great if you have to go up against someone with the scent ability. Just create an illusionary scent of yourself, and have it much closer to the scenter than you are. Or create an overpowering scent all around the scenter. For added fun, couple it with an illusionary opaque fog and a roaring sound. As long as the scenter fails his save, he's blinded, can't hear, and cannot scent his way out. Being in the middle of all that definitely counts as interaction, but if you can pull it off, you have a helpless victim.The most evil illusions of all:Theyre all in the Book of Vile Darkness.  If you can get that book cleared, there's om e cool stuff in there.</blockquote>

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