Comprehend Languages vs Illusory Script

[Scorpiomoth]

I have a couple of NPCs with a secret objective that I intend to use in my upcoming campaign. To keep their mission safe without discarding their briefings, I thought I'd have them use the Illusory Script spell to make their writing seem unintelligible.
The party haven't made their characters yet but I've made it clear this is an investigation and research heavy campaign, so I highly expect at least one of them to grab the Comprehend Languages spell. I was just curious how these two spells would interact with each other; whether the writing would still be unreadable or if Comprehend Languages would break through the illusion?

[nickl_2000]

Illusory Script would win.

Comprehend language makes it so you can understand any written language.
Illusory script makes it appear unintelligible to those not signified.


Unintelligible is not a written language, therefore no luck. However, I would go with the second choice in Illusory Script where it appears as different words, in a different language, written in a different hand. That way the PCs actually see something and comprehend languages will tell them the alternate message. Also they won't just go "oh, it's magic, dispel it."

[Scorpiomoth]

Illusory Script would win.

Comprehend language makes it so you can understand any written language.
Illusory script makes it appear unintelligible to those not signified.


Unintelligible is not a written language, therefore no luck. However, I would go with the second choice in Illusory Script where it appears as different words, in a different language, written in a different hand. That way the PCs actually see something and comprehend languages will tell them the alternate message. Also they won't just go "oh, it's magic, dispel it."

Thank you, I felt like this was the way that made sense but wasn't entirely sure

[Segev]

I second having the illusory script be an intelligible, but innoccuous, message, preferably in a language that it makes sense the innoccuous message would be written in, considering the faux intended author and recipient. If it's fine that it's Lord Blusterbeard's message, have it in Dwarven. If Lord Blusterbeard needs to conceal that he even wrote a message, so the innocuous fake message needs to look like it came from somebody else, put it in common and have evidence point to it being written by Commoner Human #3.

[Dalebert]

Illusory Script can look like anything you want so I like the idea of making it look like something innocuous like a party invitation. Top it off with Nystal's Magic Aura so it doesn't radiate magic.

[Kurt Kurageous]

Don't forget the obfuscation possibilities of Nystuls Magic Aura to further confuse the magic altogether.

Wonder how fun it would be to place a fake explosive rune over the top of the real message?

[Segev]

Don't forget the obfuscation possibilities of Nystuls Magic Aura to further confuse the magic altogether.

Wonder how fun it would be to place a fake explosive rune over the top of the real message?

A real glyph of warding over the illusory script that contains not explosive runes but a phantasmal force that makes the reader THINK he read and experienced explosive runes.

[Man_Over_Game]

A real glyph of warding over the illusory script that contains not explosive runes but a phantasmal force that makes the reader THINK he read and experienced explosive runes.

This...hurts my head.

[No brains]

A real glyph of warding over the illusory script that contains not explosive runes but a phantasmal force that makes the reader THINK he read and experienced explosive runes.

If you cast detect magic over that it just makes a Geiger counter noise.

[Scorpiomoth]

A real glyph of warding over the illusory script that contains not explosive runes but a phantasmal force that makes the reader THINK he read and experienced explosive runes.

Now that's my sort of hidden message

[Segev]

This...hurts my head.

That's the 1d6 psychic damage. :smallcool: