Pixie PC: Permanent Image

[Amphetryon]

In my current campaign, we have a Dark Pixie Factotum who is starting to discover the joys of 1/Day Permanent Image (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanentImage.htm). I don't think it's yet becoming a real issue, but I can foresee that as a possibility. What reasonably would he be able to do, and unable to do, with this ability, were it your campaign?

[JDL]

Start with the following links:

All About Illusions (Part One) (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060207a)
All About Illusions (Part Two) (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060214a)
All About Illusions (Part Three) (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060221a)
All About Illusions (Part Four) (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060228a)

These are more aimed at 3.5e, but the basic rules are the same, especially for figments. Note he can't make something seem like something else (a door look like a wall), but he can create the illusion of something to block line of sight (an illusion of a bricked up wall inside an empty archway). Illusions are a powerful ability, but generally he's not doing anything more than a wizard could do with preparing the spell once per day, so it's not gamebreaking.

[Crake]

but generally he's not doing anything more than a wizard could do with preparing the spell once per day, so it's not gamebreaking.

Except that permanent image normally has a 100gp material component, so he's getting it for free over a wizard.

[JDL]

And in exchange he's sacrificed 4 levels of character advancement (6 if he's got irresistable dance). Personally I'd rather have the extra 4 HD than a once per day freebie on my spell component cost of one spell. Besides, an 11th level Druid casting Summon Nature's Ally VI can summon a pixie and have it use the same spell at no cost either.

[Jack_Simth]

And in exchange he's sacrificed 4 levels of character advancement (6 if he's got irresistable dance). Personally I'd rather have the extra 4 HD than a once per day freebie on my spell component cost of one spell. Besides, an 11th level Druid casting Summon Nature's Ally VI can summon a pixie and have it use the same spell at no cost either.
Doesn't work. You also can't summon Lantern Archons for their at-will Continual Flame. There's an oft-overlooked rule in the Magic Overview, specifically the Summoning Subschool (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#summoning):
When the spell that summoned a creature ends and the creature disappears, all the spells it has cast expire.And, of course, as a Spell-like ability (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities) "works just like the spell of that name", those expire too.

So while yes, you could Summon a Pixie and have it make a Permanent Image... the Permanent Image expires when the Summoning spell does.

[JDL]

Debatable, since the technical definition of "expire" isn't given and subject to interpretation. Spells with Permanent duration don't expire, they are countered, dispelled or dismissed. In any case, if you absolutely must have a free Permanent Image, you can still get it at the cost of one feat using Leadership.

[Amphetryon]

And in exchange he's sacrificed 4 levels of character advancement (6 if he's got irresistable dance). Personally I'd rather have the extra 4 HD than a once per day freebie on my spell component cost of one spell. Besides, an 11th level Druid casting Summon Nature's Ally VI can summon a pixie and have it use the same spell at no cost either.

5 levels of LA or Template were required in this particular Gestalt game, which ate up those levels of one side of the Gestalt. So, he didn't give up anything, relative to the others in the party (or relative to the main adventurers in the world, for that matter).

[JDL]

Well if you're playing a LA Gestalt game I fail to see the trouble. With builds possible using that sort of system it's no wonder things haven't broken sooner. If it gets too annoying there's plenty of monsters that have True Seeing that will punch straight through the Pixie's illusions, not to mention their invisibility too. On the low end range you have the Erinyes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/devil.htm#erinyes) at just CR 8. There's the Glabrezu (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm#glabrezu) at CR 13, or for a naughty party that have angered the good aligned planes there's the Avoral (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/avoral.htm) at CR 9. Plus that's just from the SRD, and doesn't even count NPCs with class levels that can cast the spell.

[Bronk]

Usually when you hear worries about pixie PCs it's about rogues having a sneak attack advantage with their greater invisibility, and to a lesser degree invisibility plus flight for archers or spell casters. Factotums seem to get a type of sneak attack, but it's a lot more limited.

The permanent image SLA is a lot less problematic. You'd expect it to be used for hiding, ambushes, sure, but it's only once per day after all. Otherwise, it'll be great for role playing things like snazzing up a hideout/base or making a stretch of forest look more atmospherically fey, things like that. If the player can think up more things on the fly, that'll be fun, but they'll have to use it sparingly. Sure, it's permanent, but if they use it to put up a brick wall through a city, someone's eventually going to notice and have it dispelled. On the other hand, they could plan ahead, cast the spell, have it be blank, then leave it for a later date. In that case, you as the DM get to decide if someone noticed it anyway, and how that changes the action - did they dispel it or leave their own surprise?

I also agree that giving up that many levels would more than make up for the permanent image SLA as well. Even if everyone gets 5LA for free in your game, he could have duplicated most of the other affects pretty easily by being unseelie fey halfling sorcerer or something, which would be +0LA, or he could have picked up a bunch of SLAs by taking the half fey template for -2LA. I think the PC just really wanted to be a pixie!

Also, neat that you're running that kind of game!

[Platymus Pus]

. Note he can't make something seem like something else (a door look like a wall), but he can create the illusion of something to block line of sight (an illusion of a bricked up wall inside an empty archway).
You can make the same color of grey seem like two different colors with illusion, with no save.

[Jack_Simth]

You can make the same color of grey seem like two different colors with illusion, with no save.

You can do that without magic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_shadow_illusion).

[Crake]

You can do that without magic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_shadow_illusion).

I think that was the joke haha

[Perturbulent]

Some of the weirdness has come from my pixie's odd habits. My pixie doesn't like being a pixie, and as a result, hides inside his permanent image. That permanent image moves with me most of the time, and because I attack from within it, it's reasonable for some folks to believe it's real... even when odd things happen (like maybe it's a displaced character?) For example, if the illusion appears to stab you, and you bleed, because the pixie attacked in concert with it, you'd think it was real. However, if the next I leave the space of the illusion, and the attack flies through it, you might be under the impression it's real, but displaced. Then, knowing it can hurt you, you pay attention to it, but at the same time, I'm no longer in it... This creates weird rules things where for example, should I be able to flank with the illusion? It appears to cause a threat. This also still works even if they make their will save, because despite disbelieving it, attacks connected through the external body, and since the pixie is invisible, most are none the wiser as to why.

This also causes weird interactions, say, when allies willingly fail their will save vs. the illusion...

[Bronk]

Some of the weirdness has come from my pixie's odd habits. My pixie doesn't like being a pixie, and as a result, hides inside his permanent image. That permanent image moves with me most of the time, and because I attack from within it, it's reasonable for some folks to believe it's real...

Even so, you'd only be able to do this once per day... images would only follow you to the edge of the spell's effect, which is stationary.

[Flickerdart]

The only real benefit to having free permanent image every day is if you have a base of operations, or want to troll every village you pass through.

[JDL]

Yeah, the DM should note that the Permanent Image doesn't travel with the player. The effect is cast at a specific location, then remains at that location and has its effect per the spell description for the duration of the spell.

[Platymus Pus]

The spell's location is clearly the pixies dress. :P

[Jack_Simth]

Some of the weirdness has come from my pixie's odd habits. My pixie doesn't like being a pixie, and as a result, hides inside his permanent image. That permanent image moves with me most of the time, and because I attack from within it, it's reasonable for some folks to believe it's real... even when odd things happen (like maybe it's a displaced character?) For example, if the illusion appears to stab you, and you bleed, because the pixie attacked in concert with it, you'd think it was real. However, if the next I leave the space of the illusion, and the attack flies through it, you might be under the impression it's real, but displaced. Then, knowing it can hurt you, you pay attention to it, but at the same time, I'm no longer in it... This creates weird rules things where for example, should I be able to flank with the illusion? It appears to cause a threat. This also still works even if they make their will save, because despite disbelieving it, attacks connected through the external body, and since the pixie is invisible, most are none the wiser as to why.

This also causes weird interactions, say, when allies willingly fail their will save vs. the illusion...
Per the Permanent Image (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanentImage.htm) description: "By concentrating, you can move the image within the limits of the range, but it is static while you are not concentrating."

- In relation to spells, however, concentrating (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#concentratingtoMaintainaSpell) is a defined action - Standard, specifically (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#standardActions) - so without certain types of action economy stuff, you're not going to be having it swing at the same time you do.