What's your favourite way(s) of using phantasmal force?

[Corran]

I might eventually have to use phantasmal force, so I was curious to see how other people have used it or seen it being used in their games.

What I had in mind, was to use it as a single-target version of evard's black tentacles. That is to use it to restrain the target and possibly deal some (1d6 psychic, as per the spell's -ie PF- description) while at it. But I'm pretty sure there will be far more creative ways to use this spell.

So... any other ideas on how to use phantasmal force?

Thanks in advance!

[Rebonack]

My Great Old One Warlock's signature use of PF is conjuring up an illusion of a Nightseed, a horrible cloud of malevolent black mist from the Far Realm that has a pretty nasty engulf attack. The Nightseed proceeds to roll over the top of the target who failed the save, plunging them into absolute blackness that burns like acid and shrieks like the depths of Pandemonium. So you've got a misty horror that is effectively blinding and deafening the target. And given that it is a misty monster it won't seem weird when their attacks pass through it.

[dejarnjc]

My Great Old One Warlock's signature use of PF is conjuring up an illusion of a Nightseed, a horrible cloud of malevolent black mist from the Far Realm that has a pretty nasty engulf attack. The Nightseed proceeds to roll over the top of the target who failed the save, plunging them into absolute blackness that burns like acid and shrieks like the depths of Pandemonium. So you've got a misty horror that is effectively blinding and deafening the target. And given that it is a misty monster it won't seem weird when their attacks pass through it.

99% certain that phantasmal force cannot blind or deafen a target. I'm sure this has been discussed ad infinitum however so your mileage may just vary.

[Aembrosia]

Swallowed by the earth. In a 10ft cube the target sees itself fall into and become burried in a pit.

Resolved: target attempted to dig their way out rationalizing moving up the earth. Took three rounds of psychic -suffocation-. Attempted to disbelieve, thinking they had dug at least 10 feet. Investigation failed. Target was left struggling to climb out for the duration. Survival unknown.

[Rebonack]

99% certain that phantasmal force cannot blind or deafen a target. I'm sure this has been discussed ad infinitum however so your mileage may just vary.

Illusion spells can block line of sight. If they couldn't, then it would be instantly obvious that they're illusions. The consistent ruling from the Sage Advice (http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/09/14/blinding-phantasmal-force/) folks is that a phantasm of a Fog Cloud can heavily obscure an area (in one being's perception) just as well as a real Fog Cloud can.

You aren't blinding the target (technically). You're heavily obscuring their immediate area which effectively blinds them.

[Kane0]

Hmm, lets see...
Poison Gas
Drowning
Animated Chains
Hungry Darkness
Lightning Rod
Iron Maiden
Orbital Laser
Bear Trap

Not always perfectly effective, but it really depends on your characters personlity and MO. My favourite was 'Cupcake Burial'.

[dejarnjc]

Illusion spells can block line of sight. If they couldn't, then it would be instantly obvious that they're illusions. The consistent ruling from the Sage Advice (http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/09/14/blinding-phantasmal-force/) folks is that a phantasm of a Fog Cloud can heavily obscure an area (in one being's perception) just as well as a real Fog Cloud can.

You aren't blinding the target (technically). You're heavily obscuring their immediate area which effectively blinds them.

Phantasmal force is not a typical illusion, it's a hallucination ("You craft an illusion that takes root in the mind of a creature"). Anyway, your mileage may vary but the wording the spell is definitely loose enough to prevent such abuse. A second level spell that blinds, deafens, and damages a target each round is most certainly NOT the intent of the spell.

[Rebonack]

It's pretty well in line with the power level of Hold Person in terms of its ability to lock someone down. Hold Person also scales up with level while PF doesn't. Blindness, also a second level spell, blinds the target and doesn't eat your concentration slot. Getting a stronger effect (deafen in addition to blind, some minor damage, and a better save target) is a reasonable trade-off. And that's all assuming the player comes up with a phantasm that the DM would okay to inflict those effects.

If you wanted to be really boring about it, you could phantasm up five walls of red-hot iron caging the target in. If they try touching the walls they get burned to discourage them from walking out. Pretty sure that works even under the most stringent readings of PF.

[NecessaryWeevil]

Trading it in for something less subject to DM fiat.