Illusion spells deceive the senses or minds of others. They cause people to see things that are not there, not see things that are there, hear phantom noises, or remember things that never happened.
Representative illusions include silent image, invisibility, and veil.
Illusions come in five types: figments, glamers, patterns, phantasms, and shadows.
Figment: A figment spell creates a false sensation. Those who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. (It is not a personalized mental impression.) Figments cannot make something seem to be something else. A figment that includes audible effects cannot duplicate intelligible speech unless the spell description specifically says it can. If intelligible speech is possible, it must be in a language you can speak. If you try to duplicate a language you cannot speak, the image produces gibberish. Likewise, you cannot make a visual copy of something unless you know what it looks like.
Because figments and glamers (see below) are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can. They cannot cause damage to objects or creatures, support weight, provide nutrition, or provide protection from the elements. Consequently, these spells are useful for confounding or delaying foes, but useless for attacking them directly. For example, it is possible to use a silent image spell to create an illusory cottage, but the cottage offers no protection from rain.
A figment’s AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier.
Glamer: A glamer spell changes a subject’s sensory qualities, making it look, feel, taste, smell, or sound like something else, or
even seem to disappear.
Pattern: Like a figment, a pattern spell creates an image that others can see, but a pattern also affects the minds of those who see it or are caught in it. All patterns are mind-affecting spells.
Phantasm: A phantasm spell creates a mental image that usually only the caster and the subject (or subjects) of the spell can perceive. This impression is totally in the minds of the subjects. It is a personalized mental impression. (It’s all in their heads and not a fake picture or something that they actually see.) Third parties viewing or studying the scene don’t notice the phantasm. All phantasms are mind-affecting spells.
Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is real.
Saving Throws and Illusions (Disbelief): Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion. For example, if a party encounters a section of illusory floor, the character in the lead would receive a saving throw if she stopped and studied the floor or if she probed the floor.
A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline. For examples, a character making a successful saving throw against a figment of an illusory section of floor knows the “floor” isn’t safe to walk on and can see what lies below (light permitting), but he or she can still note where the figment lies.
A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. A character faced with proof that an illusion isn’t real needs no saving throw. A character who falls through a section of illusory floor into a pit knows something is amiss, as does one who spends a few rounds poking at the same illusion. If any viewer successfully disbelieves an illusion and communicates this
fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a +4 bonus.
Illusion Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
| 0 Level (Cantrips) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Description | Source |
| Ghost Sound | Figment sounds. | PHB |
| Silent Portal | Negates sound from door or window. | SC |
| 1st Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Color Spray | Knocks unconscious, blinds, and/or stuns 1d6 weak creatures. | PHB |
| Dead End | Removes spoor of one creature/level. | SC |
| Disguise Self | Changes your appearance. | PHB |
| Net of Shadows | Ordinary shadows that provide concealment to all in the area. | SC |
| Nystul’s Magic Aura | Alters object’s magic aura. | PHB |
| Serene Visage | Gain insight bonus on Bluff checks equal to half your level. | SC |
| Silent Image | Creates minor illusion of your design. | PHB |
| Ventriloquism | Throws voice for 1 min./level. | PHB |
| 2nd Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Bladeweave | Your melee attack dazes your opponent. | SC |
| Blur | Attacks miss subject 20% of the time. | PHB |
| Cloak Pool | Hide a color pool on the Astral Plane from view. | SC |
| Dark Way | Creates temporary unbreakable bridge supporting up to 200 lb./level. | SC |
| Delusions of Grandeur | Subject thinks it is better than it is. | SC |
| Discolor Pool | Change the color of a color pool on the Astral Plane. | SC |
| Disguise Undead | Change appearance of one corporeal undead. | SC |
| Hypnotic Pattern | Fascinates (2d4 + level) HD of creatures. | PHB |
| Invisibility | Subject is invisible for 1 min./level or until it attacks. | PHB |
| Leomund’s Trap M | Makes item seem trapped. | PHB |
| Magic Mouth M | Speaks once when triggered. | PHB |
| Minor Image | As silent image, plus some sound. | PHB |
| Mirror Image | Creates decoy duplicates of you (1d4 +1 per three levels, max 8). | PHB |
| Misdirection | Misleads divinations for one creature or object. | PHB |
| Phantasmal Assailants | Nightmare creatures strike subject for 8 Wis damage, 8 Dex damage. | SC |
| Phantom FoeM | Subject is always flanked by one creature. | SC |
| Reflective Disguise | Viewers see you as their own species and gender. | SC |
| Shadow Mask | Grants +4 on saves against light spells, protection from gaze attacks. | SC |
| Shadow Radiance | Area filled with intense light that grows brighter. | SC |
| Shadow Spray | Deals 4 points of Str damage and dazes. | SC |
| Wall of Gloom | Shadow barrier obscures vision. | SC |
| 3rd Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Claws of Darkness | Claws deal 1d8 cold damage and have reach. | SC |
| Cone of Dimness | Subjects believe they are engulfed in magical darkness. | SC |
| Displacement | Attacks miss subject 50%. | PHB |
| Illusory Script M | Only intended reader can decipher. | PHB |
| Invisibility Sphere | Makes everyone within 10 ft. invisible. | PHB |
| Major Image | As silent image, plus sound, smell and thermal effects. | PHB |
| Shadow Binding | Ribbonlike shadows entangle creatures in 10-ft.-radius burst. | SC |
| Shadow Cache | You open a small portal to the Plane of Shadow through which you can put an item for later retrieval. | SC |
| Spectral Weapon | Use quasi-real weapon to make touch attacks. | SC |
| Suspended SilenceM | Object becomes programmed to create an area of silence at your command. | SC |
| 4th Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Hallucinatory Terrain | Makes one type of terrain appear like another (field into forest, or the like). | PHB |
| Illusory Wall | Wall, floor, or ceiling looks real, but anything can pass through. | PHB |
| Invisibility, Greater | As invisibility, but subject can attack and stay invisible. | PHB |
| Phantasmal Killer | Fearsome illusion kills subject or deals 3d6 damage. | PHB |
| Rainbow Pattern | Lights fascinate 24 HD of creatures. | PHB |
| Sensory Deprivation | All of subject’s senses are blocked. | SC |
| Shadow Conjuration | Mimics conjuration below 4th level, but only 20% real. | PHB |
| Shadow Well | Subject enters gloomy pocket plane and emerges frightened. | SC |
| 5th Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Dream | Sends message to anyone sleeping. | PHB |
| False Vision M | Fools scrying with an illusion. | PHB |
| Illusory Feast | Subjects become dazed by illusory food. | SC |
| Mirage Arcana | As hallucinatory terrain, plus structures. | PHB |
| Nightmare | Sends vision dealing 1d10 damage, fatigue. | PHB |
| Persistent Image | As major image, but no concentration required. | PHB |
| Seeming | Changes appearance of one person per two levels. | PHB |
| Shadow Evocation | Mimics evocation below 5th level, but only 20% real. | PHB |
| Shadow Form | Gain +4 on Hide, Move Silently, and Escape Artist checks, and concealment; you can move through obstacles if you have ranks in Escape Artist. | SC |
| Shadow Hand | Medium hand blocks opponents or carries items. | SC |
| Shadowfade | Opens a portal to the Plane of Shadow. | SC |
| 6th Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Dream Casting | Alter subject’s dreams to produce desired effect. | SC |
| Illusory Pit | Creatures in area are knocked prone while believing they’re falling. | SC |
| Mislead | Turns you invisible and creates illusory double. | PHB |
| Permanent Image | Includes sight, sound, and smell. | PHB |
| Programmed Image M | As major image, plus triggered by event. | PHB |
| Reflective Disguise, Mass | Viewers see subjects as their own species and gender. | SC |
| Shadowy Grappler | Illusory force grapples subject. | SC |
| Shadow Walk | Step into shadow to travel rapidly. | PHB |
| Veil | Changes appearance of group of creatures. | PHB |
| 7th Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Invisibility, Mass | As invisibility, but affects all in range. | PHB |
| Project Image | Illusory double can talk and cast spells. | PHB |
| Shadow Conjuration, Greater | As shadow conjuration, but up to 6th level and 60% real. | PHB |
| Simulacrum M X | Creates partially real double of a creature. | PHB |
| Solipsism | Subject believes it alone exists. | SC |
| 8th Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Invisibility, Superior | Subject is invisible to sight, hearing, and scent for 1 minute/level, and can attack. | SC |
| Scintillating Pattern | Twisting colors confuse, stun, or render unconscious. | PHB |
| Screen | Illusion hides area from vision, scrying. | PHB |
| Shadow Evocation, Greater | As shadow evocation, but up to 7th level and 60% real. | PHB |
| Shifting Paths | Illusion hides path, creates false new path. | SC |
| 9th Level | ||
| Name | Description | Source |
| Shades | As shadow conjuration, but up to 8th level and 80% real. | PHB |
| Weird | As phantasmal killer, but affects all within 30 ft. | PHB |
