Illusion Ideas?

[Cornelius Grim]

I've always wanted to play a sorcerer based around illusions and I can think of a lot of situations where they'd be useful. But, in combat, can anyone give me some ideas for where they'd be useful. I need a few ideas to help me get started with my ideas. If anyone could help me out, I'd be very grateful. Thanks. :smallwink:

[bloodtide]

Battlefeild Control--You can make an illusion of a pit, fire, tress, rocks or any other physical object to block and or change someones movement. To make a simple hole in front of you would cause foes to walk around the hole, for example. You can force foes to move around where you want them too.

You can also use real features, such as real holes and cover them with an illusion of normal ground. Or you can create such features and then cover them.

Greedy Tricks--You can make the image of anything that your foes might want: gold, gems, even an specific item. This can provide quite a distraction as the foe attempts to go grab the loot or item.

Awe--You can make an illusion of 'magic power'. Make a tree glow with bright light and shoot off random lightning bolts, for example. Again it's a great distraction. You can cover yourself with magical light and such to look impressive.

[HalfDragonCube]

With major image and unseen servant you can make a person-like thing that can interact (to an extent) with its environment.

[myancey]

Or play a blaster. Start as an illusionist, go shadowcraft mage, shadow adept, and one other. It'll let you use your silent image as a shadow evocation, eventually doing full damage.

(I put a cap on 100% of damage--some builds in this category let you go to 140% damage of original spell.)

I don't have my books or I'd be more specific.

The benefit of this route is it lets you blast bad guys or screw with them if you're in a more playful mood. Very diverse build.

Also, check out:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#chainsofDisbelief

Chains of disbelief is one of the best starting variants ever..in my opinion. Easy to persuade the DM too. He won't have to recalculate will saves of everyone if one of his NPCs makes a save.

[Toliudar]

Illusions are a fantastic way of dealing with mindless opponents - golems, zombies, etc. By creating the illusion of sprites floating above and behind each other's heads, I once got two flesh golems to punch each other out. I've also used silent image to create a moving stone wall between the PC's and the skeleton guards - sure, they might know that there's a wall where there wasn't one before, but there's nothing triggering their programming to attack anyone.

The power of illusion magic is directly proportionate to your DM's sense of fun. The more restrictive they're going to be about the effectiveness of an illusion, the more you'll have options beyond "rargh, I've summoned a demon to attack you."

[navar100]

I'm playing a Sorcerer now with Silent Image. I make walls a lot. The walls have slowed down enemies or otherwise force them to move. Archers stop firing because they can't see past them. I mostly mimic Wall of Stone, but I have mimicked a Prismatic Wall. The enemy didn't know I was only 2nd level at the time. Heck, it was just a flat vertical plane of colors as opposed to what a Prismatic Wall might look like. The enemy didn't have the power to deal with a real Prismatic Wall anyway. It was just a means to distract block the archers.

Another type of "wall" I made was a Wall of Scenery. There were undead guards around a fort. We needed to get closer for a better look. I created a "wall" to match the scenery of the empty path so that the party could walk up behind it without being noticed. With Ghost Sound to enhance the normal night sounds, that helped to cloak our moving past them behind another Wall of Scenery I needed to cast.

Good ideas that didn't work only because enemy made saving throw to disbelieve: Mirror Image-like effect for party members engaged in battle, fake combatant hoping to trick enemy into thinking he was flanked to give the fighter a needed +2 to hit because enemy's AC was high.

[myancey]

The power of illusion magic is directly proportionate to your DM's sense of fun. The more restrictive they're going to be about the effectiveness of an illusion, the more you'll have options beyond "rargh, I've summoned a demon to attack you."

Truth. Just remember to get really familiar with these:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#illusion

And the WotC expanded thoughts:
Pt. 1 http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060207a

Pt.2 http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060214a

Pt.3 http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060221a

Pt.4 http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060228a

If you keep the rules on your side, your DM should hopefully concede. Illusion can be quite the undertaking for understanding rules, which is why DMs are usually skeptical.

[Thefurmonger]

Just to toss out my .02$

If your looking at a Illusion speced Sorc, you may want to look at the Beguiller (PHBII).

Its like a Sorc, but (IMHO) MUCH better at going illusion. and your casting stat is actually good for something.

[Cornelius Grim]

That's a lot of great ideas. I think I'm gonna go and be a beguiler. I never noticed the Glibness spell. +30 bluff... Good opportunity there. Thanks for the ideas, guys! :smallbiggrin:

[HalfDragonCube]

That's a lot of great ideas. I think I'm gonna go and be a beguiler. I never noticed the Glibness spell. +30 bluff... Good opportunity there. Thanks for the ideas, guys! :smallbiggrin:

Glibness is great fun to mess around with, since even for the strangest lies there is a +20 to sense motive, and you can cut down a bluff check to a full-round action for a -10 penalty.

:haley: 'You're actually a yellow-footed rock wallaby.'

[Cornelius Grim]

:haley: 'You're actually a yellow-footed rock wallaby.'

That's one of my favorite Haley quotes ever, lol. :haley: