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Koretsu
2012-08-31, 10:13 PM
Greetings and salutations, all! I am Hasya Arajakata, gnomish sorcerer, bard, and adventurer! The following is a complete collection of my writings and findings on the most fascinating and creative of all schools of magic – Illusions! It is my hope that with these works, my fellow adventuring illusionists might better understand the potency of the magic at their disposal!

Part I – Is the illusion school right for me?

The first question any prospective student of magic should ask themselves is, what sort of magic fits me? This is, at some point or other, an decision that any spell caster must make. To aid new students in determining early if illusion magic is right for them, I've outlined below some of the strengths and weaknesses of the school:

Strengths:

Illusion spells are some of the most versatile in the world – Few spells can compete with a well thought-out illusion spell in terms of options available to the caster. This is, of course, because illusion spells themselves are rarely a direct effect, and instead indirectly control or influence the actions of others.

Illusion spells rarely loose effectiveness – A simple ghost sound cantrip can prove just as useful for the seasoned wizard as it can for the fresh-faced bard. Where as other practitioners routinely have to abandon favorite spells ever in search of a more powerful option, Illusionists can comfortably count on many of their spells throughout their entire adventuring career! This only strengthens the Illusionist's versatility, as his options increase more and more with experience.

Illusion provides many excellent defenses – Few mages worth their salt find themselves without an invisibility spell, but there are several other magical options available to the adventuring illusionist – disguise self is a fundamental illusion spell that can safeguard a mage wishing for anonymity, and mirror image and displacement are invaluable for when a situation ultimately comes to blows. All the abjuration magic in the world cannot protect you from a brush with a lucky swing from brute's club. Why take the chance when illusions can ensure that you're not even in the path of the attack?

Weaknesses:

Illusions require creativity – While I'm sorely tempted to actually list this as a strength, it is a simple truth that illusion magic requires a sense of theatrics and panache that not everyone finds themselves comfortable with. Those of you with an inclination more towards the same tired tactics battle after battle would do well to abandon this work now and seek out Sorrin Burnt-hair's Codex of Corrosives and Combustibles.

Illusions take time – Illusion spells, while dramatic, rarely have an immediate impact on a battle. Much like a good joke, a good illusion spell requires slow, deliberate build-up so that the spell has full effect when finally unveiled, if you'll pardon the pun.

Illusions can be countered – One of the most frequent complains one hears about illusion magic is that it can be pierced with relative ease compared to other schools. While this is technically true, and certainly warrants mentioning, it is by no means a blanket statement. I'll go into ways of bypassing particularly troublesome divination spells a bit later in this guide.

Part II – The right tool for the right job

Congratulations! If you're still reading this, then you have decided to pursue an exciting adventuring career in illusion magic. Whether a true specialist, or simply a dabbler in holomancy, you have taken your first steps into an exciting field of magic. I'll skip over the (rather boring) semantics the scholars busy themselves with by dividing illusions up into “subschools”, and dive straight into the nitty-gritty. Let's take a look at some of the most common illusion spells and examine how their inner workings can be best utilized:

Ghost Sound – The quintessential illusionist's cantrip, this is one of the best tools a budding illusionist has at his disposal. While ghost sound is incapable of replicating complex speech, the spell's versatility has proven itself invaluable time and time again. Popular applications of ghost sound include creating the sound of an approaching threat to misdirect enemies and draw them out of hiding, using it to provide a signal to fellow adventurers waiting in ambush, and providing accompaniment for an industrious bard's performance.

Color Spray – In addition to being an excellent ice-breaker at parties, color spray is the apprentice's go-to offensive spell. Providing an effective distraction, color spray has the added benefit of being a completely non-lethal way of subduing a foe! Naysayer routinely scoff at this as a long-term option, as stronger creatures tend to withstand the more potent effects of taking a fistful of rainbow to the eyes, but I've found that even the strongest giant can be laid low by forcing it to lower it's guard for a moment (the added benefit of the victim dropping their weapons certainly also helps).

Silent Image/Minor Image/Major Image - These spells become increasingly more realistic as you learn stronger and stronger variations, but by no means should you discount even the simple silent image spell. It's a wonderful tool for creating inanimate objects and other misdirections (A false wall is a regular choice). In addition, these spells make for perfect distractions while you quickly conceal yourself from your foes, ready to create even more figments from the safety of shadows.

Disguise Self – A perfect tool for the mage up to no good, this spell can make getting in and out of places a walk in the park. A clever illusionist will remember to take on a disguise with a particularly prominent feature – If your disguise includes an almost absurdly-large nose, for example, it's less likely that any witnesses will remember other aspects of your appearance. Avoid the trap of disguising yourself as having a near-perfect appearance! Such spells, while pretty, serve only to draw attention to yourself.

Invisibility – Learn this spell. If you're a wizard, commit this spell to memory. Tattoo the formula on your arm. Do something. This spell will save your life, as well as give you an excellent tool for scouting out your enemies and planning your next move.

Mirror Image – A classic choice for a mage looking to protect themselves in melee, this spell confounds and frustrates anyone looking to bash in your skull. While a single casting won't stand up to repeated attacks, it is often enough to buy time for you to regain your wits and respond. Be advised, however, that while this spell can offer even more protection than displacement (see below), a clever combatant can counter much of this spell's effectiveness by simply choosing to close their eyes and swinging blindly.

Blur/Displacement – These spells are similar to mirror image, but are much more reliable. Even better, using both in conjunction will make even the most stalwart of warriors throw their sword down in frustration!

Shadow Conjuration/Evocation – These are often overlooked, but should be strongly considered by any illusionist for their versatility as well as their potency. Remember that while a target may resist these spells if used to cause direct damage, illusions are about creativity! Effects and spells created by these illusory constructs can still affect a target with their full potency!

There are, of course, a multitude of other illusion spells waiting to be discovered. I encourage you to experiment and test ideas and theories for yourself to find the best ones for you!

Part III – The true seeing connundrum

Many prospective illusionists balk at the school of illusion due to this singular spell. Indeed, this troublesome piece of divination has been the downfall of many mages. There's a number of ways with dealing with this spell, which I shall do into detail below:

Dispel! Dispel! Dispel! - This option, while viable when encountering your fellow mages, is unfortunately, not a sure-fire way of disrupting their magic. Worse yet, unless you are one of the lucky few who was mastered the art of casting two spells in rapid succession, you will be unable to do much more than devote yourself to canceling your foe's magic. Despite these shortcomings, this is still perhaps one of the most straight-forward (read: boring) ways of dealing with this common problem.

It's called true seeing, not true sensing – An illusionist is largely a mage who takes advantage of the layman's dependency on sight. True seeing is the proverbial blunt instrument in dealing with illusion magic – It's brutally effective, but like most simple things, it can be exploited. If your illusions stop having an effectiveness against their sight, target their other senses! The sound of a foe prowling behind them. The rasp and heat of their breath on the back of their neck as they creep up for the kill. These sensations are enough to unnerve nearly any creature. A few creative boasts on your part, and you can completely fool the now paranoid creature into believing that you have somehow foiled their safeguard against illusions.

Sometimes it doesn't matter that it's an illusion – A well-chosen image can disturb or distract a target, regardless of if they know it's an illusion or not. This is simply a matter of knowing your audience and playing to them. Use the illusions to enrage, shock or disgust them, making them easier for your allies to dispatch. Mind-affecting spells like rainbow pattern and shadow conjuration can disable even a foe with true seeing. Above all, remember, creativity will win the day against this spell!

You can't see if your eyes don't work right – While not truly illusion magic, don't discount the value of a couple spells to completely bypass the true seeing problem. Blindness can make the problem stop entirely, as can other mundane methods of obstructing vision. Obscuring Mist is a simple spell that can block all vision. Higher versions of the spell can even debilitate them while you're at it. Another creative method is to use enchantment magic to bypass the eyes entirely. True Seeing is irrelevant to a mage if they're under the suggestion that everything they see is an illusion.

Mind Blank – Debate has raged among mages for years as to whether this supremely powerful abjuration spell will protect you from True Seeing. Literally raged. Entire academies have been consumed in flames as a result of mention of this spell as a means to bypass true seeing. Seeking to settle this debate once and for all, I decided to test this theory for myself. With the aid of a trusted colleague, I discovered that while these spells in tandem actu


<the rest of this tome is a smoking mess of charred paper and burnt leather>

Urpriest
2012-09-03, 10:41 AM
...should this be in the 3.5 forum?

Kelb_Panthera
2012-09-07, 06:35 AM
...should this be in the 3.5 forum?

Almost definitely. I don't think the shadow conjuration and shadow evocation spells made it to 4E and this is definitely D&D.

Doorhandle
2012-09-08, 04:02 AM
Aside from that minor quibble, it's awesome though.

Do you have any more ideas?