Spell Question

[Stryyke]

Someone in a game I'm in did something curious, and I'm wondering what some other people's interpretations of it might be. So here's the situation:

The person in question cast Silent Image. The duration is concentration. He proceeded to do his images, then when combat seemed to die down, he said he wanted to make the image vanish, but maintain concentration so he wouldn't have to cast the spell again.

I'm not sure what to make of that. Would the spell stop whenever the image drops? Can the spell be maintained with no effect?

[Malphegor]

I prohibited illusion on the last wizard I played, so I'm not sure- can they manipulate the image whilst active? They could then make the image something insignificant for a duration whilst maintaining their concentration checks, I'd assume.

(on reading it looks like the image can 'move' so presumably it can be animated and altered within the range of the effect maybe. Confusing wording.)

So for example, a silent image of a red dragon suddenly shrinks to a manageable size for a bit? Like, a grain of sand sized? Vanishing can mean a lot of things really.

I suspect the image still has to be kept up in some manner, but it probably can be a different image enough to be practically gone.

[Zeb]

Assuming it was withing the effect of the spell: "Effect: Visual figment that cannot extend beyond four 10-ft. cubes + one 10-ft. cube/level (S)"

Then: "You can move the image within the limits of the size of the effect" I've had one of my cubes be underground so my "shadows/wraiths" can appear and disappear into the floor.

Depending on how animate your GM lets you get then you could do more. Example silent image a chalkboard, with writing on it, can you then have the image be a floating bit of chalk writing?, can you then decide what it is writing in real-time?

[Jay R]

A. "The image of a dragon changes into a snail. Or a rock. Or a spot on my jacket." He can certainly maintain an image of something nobody notices.

B. But it's not as easy as it sounds. Every time he takes part in the group's discussion, or takes any action more complicated than walking along where somebody else leads, he needs to make a Concentration check. It has a duration of "concentration", which means that's what he's concentrating on.

[Segev]

To be fair, "Concentration" just means he spends his standard action each round on it. Talking is a free action; he should be fine to do that.

[Duke of Urrel]

Unless you're the dungeon master, have a talk with your dungeon master. What an illusion can or cannot do depends a lot on interpretation.

According to the description of the Silent Image spell, it can create the visual illusion of an object, creature, or force (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/silentImage.htm). It is possible to interpret this rule strictly, so that you can create only one object, only one creature, or only one force, no matter how much you concentrate. If your dungeon master favors this strict interpretation, you're probably out of luck if you ever allow your visual illusion to disappear, even if you never stop concentrating. However, when I am the dungeon master, I don't interpret the Silent Image spell's description this strictly; I allow you to create any number of illusory objects, creatures, or forces within the spell's area of effect. I also allow you to make any illusion appear, disappear, or reappear simply by continuing to concentrate on maintaining the Silent Image spell.

The Silent Image spell's description states that you can move the visual illusion around within the limits of the size of the effect (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/silentImage.htm).* I interpret this strictly to mean that once you cast the Silent Image spell, its area of effect, which consists of four 10-foot cubes plus one 10-foot cube per caster level, is immobile. This means that you can't move the whole collection of cubes around with you wherever you go. However, I allow you freely to move any number of visual illusions around inside this space, to make them appear or disappear, to make them grow or shrink, or to make them change form, as you wish. Of course, not all changes will be realistic, and unrealistic changes, when viewed by intelligent observers, may qualify as proof that an illusion isn’t real (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#illusion), so that they disbelieve it without having to make Will saves.

It's complicated. Talk to your dungeon master!

____________
*I contrast this rule with the description of the Major Image spell, which states that while concentrating, you can move the image within the range (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/majorImage.htm).

I also contrast both spell descriptions with the general rule, applied to all Effect spells, that range determines how far away an effect can appear, but if the effect is mobile it can move regardless of the spell’s range (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#effect).

Finally, I assume that the effects of merely audible illusions, such as the Ghost Sound spell and the Ventriloquism spell, are always coterminous with their ranges, since their effects are not defined spatially in any other way; on the other hand, I also assume that whereas an illusory sound can emanate only from inside the range of the spell that created it, it can be easily heard from outside this range.

As I say, it's complicated.

[AllanniaNevini]

What did he do after the fight had completely finished after he made his silent image invisible?

[Vaern]

Your standard action may be substituted for a second move action per round and, outside of an encounter when you have no other options to take, this is generally how you're assumed to be traveling. While the rest of his party is effectively taking double move actions every round outside of combat, he will be taking a single move action and spending his standard on concentration - effectively moving at half speed and hindering the party.

Also, I'd agree with Duke's reading of the spell creating a stationary area within which the illusion is allowed to move. The spell has a range listed, an area of effect that it creates within that range, and the description says that the image can be moved within that area of effect. The caster wouldn't be able to just "pocket" the illusion and bring it with him, though he may be able to make the illusion vanish for a while and bring it back up within that same area at a later time.

[Mr Adventurer]

A. "The image of a dragon changes into a snail. Or a rock. Or a spot on my jacket." He can certainly maintain an image of something nobody notices.

B. But it's not as easy as it sounds. Every time he takes part in the group's discussion, or takes any action more complicated than walking along where somebody else leads, he needs to make a Concentration check. It has a duration of "concentration", which means that's what he's concentrating on.

Both false - once you've created your illusion, although it can move, you can't change it into something else. As well, since it's a figment and not a glamour, it can't change the appearance of another thing like a jacket.

Secondly, concentration isn't invoked "any time you take an action more complicated than walking while someone else leads". The rules simply don't support or even imply this, and I'm puzzled why you think they do.