Using the Image Spells

[The Spectrum Rider]

What interesting, clever, and/or effective use have people made of the "image" spells? I'm referring to silent, minor, major, persistant, permanent, and programmed image. I expect to have a character (with a thiefly bent) who has access to these spells, and I'd like to have some fun with them.

Also:

(1) only major image says "the image disappears when struck by an opponent unless you cause the illusion to react appropriately." Does this apply to any of the others? (Interestingly, the other spells are described as silent-image-with-modifications, instead of referring to major image.) I imagine people could figure out that a non-reactive image was an illusion, but that's different from the image disappearing. It seems strange that only major image has this property.

(2) Permanent image says "by concentrating, you can move the image within the range, but it is static while you are not concentrating." Can you cast the spell, leave for a week, then come back and still move the image by concentrating on it, only can you only move it by continuous concentration when you cast the spell? (I would say the former.)

(3) More generally, what do people think about effects whose areas are described by something like "20-ft. cube + one 10-ft. cube/level"? That's an awfully strangely-shaped space to fit something into. Would people like it better if it was something like "a cube each side of which is 20 ft. + 5 ft./level"? I realize this is not mathematically equivalent, but it still seems more natural to me.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

The Spectrum Rider

 

[The Spectrum Rider]

*bump*

Or should this go in another forum?

The Spectrum Rider

 

[Cheiromancer]

This is not original to me, but try an illusion of a wizard casting invisibility. Opponents with spellcraft will go nuts. Alternatively, the "wizard" can cast spells without obvious effects (stoneskin, resist fire) or ones duplicable by an illusion (fly, blink, mirror image). Intelligent opponents will concentrate on attacking the wizard.

Spirits rising from dead bodies (shadows, wraiths, spectres- whatever is appropriate) is also a good distraction.

 

[LazarusLong42]

So, the party was being chased by goblins. Who were faster than us. And they were gaining... though thankfully we'd gotten a head start.

At a bend in the road, the illusionist says, "I'm going to make a hill... and we're all going to hide in it." He casts minor image (or perhaps major image), creating the illusion of a hill around the party. After a few Will saves--and being told over and over--all of us can see through the illusion, but the goblins giving chase, well...

Can you say "surprise round?" I think we killed all but one before the surprise round ended.