Cognomen's Cassowary
First Post
RE: phantasmal force
When intelligence is one of the best attributes to target in every single tier of play, the save-or-suck aspect is muted: even if you cast it without foreknowledge of individual monster attributes, it should stick more than 70% of the time. There is no save every round. The creature can use an action to do an investigation check. That's a gain in the action economy, and since there are something like two creatures in the monster manual that have proficiency in investigation, it's better than a save.
Besides that, as with all illusion spells, phantasmal force cannot be approached purely mechanistically, as it has a variety of applications to suit the player's imagination. I once had a PC use it to create a ten-foot-tall golden bear god which convinced the enemy to give up his destructive pursuits and turn to druidism. Boom, fight ended. (And inspiration awarded.)
Single target save or suck with a save every round that several creatures are immune to. I'm satisfied with its rating.
When intelligence is one of the best attributes to target in every single tier of play, the save-or-suck aspect is muted: even if you cast it without foreknowledge of individual monster attributes, it should stick more than 70% of the time. There is no save every round. The creature can use an action to do an investigation check. That's a gain in the action economy, and since there are something like two creatures in the monster manual that have proficiency in investigation, it's better than a save.
Besides that, as with all illusion spells, phantasmal force cannot be approached purely mechanistically, as it has a variety of applications to suit the player's imagination. I once had a PC use it to create a ten-foot-tall golden bear god which convinced the enemy to give up his destructive pursuits and turn to druidism. Boom, fight ended. (And inspiration awarded.)