Stupid question about illusory reality

[Segev]

It says you can choose one inanimate, no magical object that is part of an illusion that you create by casting an illusion spell of 1st level or higher, and make that object real. This is done as part of the casting or as a bonus action on your turn later in the spell’s duration.

It doesn’t actually say you can do this only once.

I had always assumed it was limited to once per first level or higher illusion you cast, but now I’m not so sure. You still can’t choose more than one object, but could you spend a bonus action to make the same object real for another minute, if the spell were still ongoing?

Note that this doesn’t actually make the minute duration meaningless. Multiple illusion spells can be going at once, and you couldn’t leave it unattended for long at all and have it remain real. But it would still be awfully useful with, say, permanent-duration major images or the like. That illusory wall is real whenever you’re around and want it to be.

I am sure I’m missing something, though. So if this doesn’t work - if the ability is one minute of one object per illusion - please do correct me with the evidence I’m missing.

[Chronos]

I was about to point out that you choose the part "When you cast an illusion spell".

But reading further, it then says that you can do it while the spell is ongoing.

I've a hunch that the writer couldn't make up their mind, either.

[Segev]

Yeah, it is weird that I got the impression, on my own, reading it - and I think everyone I’ve spoken to got the same one - that it’s once per illusion spell, but I can’t actually see that limit in there.

What got me thinking about it and parsing it out was someone else’s idea of using disguise self to make armor and then Tenser’s transformation followed by illusory reality so the wizard actually can benefit from the armor proficiency. But illusory reality lasts only one minute of the ten for Tenser’s transformation. And you can’t cast spells (even from items like hats of disguise) while transformed by sale spell. So no refreshing a new disguise self.

But again, while it does say “choose one...object,” it does not say you can’t re-up its reality. And most abilities in 5e with limited uses are very specific about “you can use this once” (or however many times), then specifying how many uses you recover after a short or long rest.

This ability doesn’t give a use limit.

But with how sure I was, and how nobody else has brought up the possibility of doing it more than once, I can’t help but wonder if I’m missing something that is obvious that would put the limit I have perceived everyone to assume is there on it.

[TheUser]

10 objects can be made real at once (because you are limited to 1 bonus action per round and the reality lasts 1 minute).
The only limitation is that the object must be present and visible when the spell is cast for you to choose it and the illusion spell must still be in effect when you choose to make it real.
You can make the object real over and over as long as the spell's duration is continuing.

Moreover, you can use illusory reality to make spell components as it lacks the limiter that the creation spell carries:
"Using any material created by this spell as another spell’s material component causes that spell to fail."

Illusory Reality is top tier.

You can even recall your entire spell book from memory using Keen Mind. Make an Illusion of that, and make it real to study from *snort*

Malleable Illusions to alter the book to contain new spells you find and want transcribed. If you assume you can run your "experiments" for free using permanent major illusions (level 6 slots) made real by Illusory Reality then transcribing spells stops carrying a cost for Illusionists who hit level 14 (if they have the Keen Mind feat).

[Segev]

The material component exploit is pretty darned amazing and definitely doable even if I was wrong about the rest (which I am not seeing evidence of). I could see a DM nixing it on principle, but it does look legal by the RAW.

The spellbook... I could see arguing for it for your extant spellbook. Even for recreating a destroyed one from memory. But not for getting new spells. It's not divination; it can't create information you don't have. Scribing costs would still be scribing costs. It is obviously not "just ink and paper," or it wouldn't be so expensive.


It does say "you choose one object," which makes the "up to 10 objects" thing questionable, though I do see where you're coming from. If you can do it to one object per round, the 10th object is made real at the last round the first object was made real, so you have to start over the cycle if you're maintaining all of them.

[Chronos]

While you could create an accurate copy of your spellbook, that would be of limited value, since it wouldn't stay long enough to use it to prepare spells or cast rituals, unless you used a higher-level spell than Silent Image. On the other hand, you could do that using the Conjurer's minor creation, since that lasts up to an hour. And which, incidentally, also doesn't rule out spell components.

[Segev]

While you could create an accurate copy of your spellbook, that would be of limited value, since it wouldn't stay long enough to use it to prepare spells or cast rituals, unless you used a higher-level spell than Silent Image. On the other hand, you could do that using the Conjurer's minor creation, since that lasts up to an hour. And which, incidentally, also doesn't rule out spell components.

With the reading of Illusory Reality in this thread so far, you could just keep making the object real again and again. You might need a permanent Major Image, as you indicate, though.

But arguably, you could do that with a Major Image anyway. No need for Illusory Reality.

Conjurors getting to ignore material component costs is interesting, too!

I suspect that DMs will nix expensive material component creation with either Minor Conjuration or Illusory Reality, but the Raw do seem to work out.

Pity Minir Conjuration specifies that the item appears in your hand or on the floor. It can’t be used to create armor in your person after casting Tenser’s transformation. So only 14th-level illusionists can benefit from the armor proficiency that spell grants.

[TheUser]

While you could create an accurate copy of your spellbook, that would be of limited value, since it wouldn't stay long enough to use it to prepare spells or cast rituals, unless you used a higher-level spell than Silent Image. On the other hand, you could do that using the Conjurer's minor creation, since that lasts up to an hour. And which, incidentally, also doesn't rule out spell components.

I think it's pretty clear that if you are using Illusory Reality to create a spellbook you've got the 6th level slot to create a permanent major image...and as stated several times over, it is possible to continually use your bonus action to make the spellbook real over and over.

I am uncertain if a Conjurer's Minor Creation would work to create spell components because it fundamentally changes the object it is recreating:



...and its form must be that of a nonmagical object that you have seen. The object is visibly magical, radiating dim light out to 5 feet.

Do spell components stop being spell components if they suddenly become "visibly magical"? I'm inclined to throw the conjurer a bone; the subclass is so ungodly lack luster by comparison to all the top tier wizard subclasses. I'd probably still choose another wizard subclass except for Adventurer's League where gold has become extremely rare (I am unsure if this is still the contemporary case as I have not played AL in years now because of recent changes). It also requires an action and is limited to one object at a time so even by comparison to Illusory Reality it's not quite as good.

The real question for me is if the conjured/illusion made manifest component would expire during the spell's duration what happens?

[Segev]

In no way is the item made by Minor Conjuration said to fail to be the item in question. Being visibly magical doesn’t make it not the item. It just ceases to exist if it deals or takes damage. It can take any amount of beating as long as it is not damaged.

There might be some argument that any spell that consumes its component makes the conjured item vanish (due to damage) before it does its job, but that would not prevent use on spells that don’t consume their expensive components. Even so, it never says it deals damage to the component even when it consumes it. So there is argument to be had either way.

[Chronos]

Of course using it as a consumed component would make it vanish, but that's true of real gemstones or whatever too, so it vanishing shouldn't cause any problems with the spell.

[Segev]

Of course using it as a consumed component would make it vanish, but that's true of real gemstones or whatever too, so it vanishing shouldn't cause any problems with the spell.

Like I said, an argument could be made. I can see the position you're taking; the counter-argument (which I am not holding up as better than yours, just including for completeness and clarity) would be that the consumed component vanishes due to the "damage" taken by it being consumed before whatever it's job in being consumed is done, so you lose the component 'part-way through' the spell, rather than at the appropriate time, and thus don't have it when you need it.