Shadow Conjuration

[Segev]

As discussed in the thread on shadow evocation (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?646492-Shadow-Evocation), here's a draft of a shadow conjuration that uses the "summon ______" line of spells from TCE and FTD as a basis. The goal is to capture any spell that uses a "______ spirit" template for what it calls up. I hate that mechanic for an actual summoning spell, but rather like it for illusion magic. It makes sense that the illusion spell conjuring a fake thing would conjure a facsimile of the thing that has subtle to major differences under the mechanical hood, but looks like the thing. Whereas a summoning spell really should summon what it purports to summon, and not a "spirit" that's a facsimile of it.

Ranting aside, here's the fist draft attempted writeup of the spell (intended for the Wizard and Sorcerer spell lists):

Shadow Conjuration
3rd level Conjuration
Casting Time: The casting time of the mimicked spell (see text)
Range: The range of the mimicked spell (see text)
Components: V, S, M (the same material requirements as the mimicked spell)
Duration: Same as mimicked spell
You cast an illusion of a creature so convincing that it can cause psychosomatic harm. Choose a spell of 2nd level or lower that summons a spirit creature that uses a template, such as summon beast. This spell uses the same casting time, range, material components, duration, and template as the copied spell. The illusory creature inflicts psychic damage instead of any other kind of damage it might cause. It cannot interact with the environment, though it requires an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell DC to recognize that it is not doing so. A creature may spend its action making this check; if successful, the illusion goes faint for the creature and that creature no longer takes damage from nor is obstructed by the illusory creature.

If the spell mimicked has a greater effect when cast with a higher level spell slot, then the spell is considered upcast to the level of spell slot used to cast this spell.
At higher levels. When cast from a 4th level or higher spell slot, spells of higher level (such as summon fey if cast from a 4th level spell slot, or summon fiend if cast from a 7th level spell slot) that otherwise meet the requirements to be mimicked by this spell may be mimicked, so long as they are of at least one level lower than the spell slot used to cast this spell.

[sandmote]

if successful, the illusion goes faint for the creature and that creature no longer takes damage from nor is obstructed by the illusory creature. I think it would be helpful to bring this back to in-game terms like obscured and immunity. Something similar to, "the illusion goes faint for the creature, the illusion's form no longer obscures the creature's sight, and it gains immunity to the illusion's attacks."

Maybe also steal the "The target perceives the damage as a type appropriate to the illusion," text from Phantasmal Force?

The text for upcasting the spell seems off. As written, if I cast this with a 4th level slot, my illusory summoned beast is upcast to the same level as the one from the actual Summon Beast spell. I think a hard "treat all effects as from a spell slot that's one level lower" limit might be better for balance, even given the fact these can be made irrelevant with a skill check and the summon ______ spells can't.


Thematically, I really like this and generally agree with the "summons should summon the thing" reasoning.

[Segev]

I think it would be helpful to bring this back to in-game terms like obscured and immunity. Something similar to, "the illusion goes faint for the creature, the illusion's form no longer obscures the creature's sight, and it gains immunity to the illusion's attacks."

Maybe also steal the "The target perceives the damage as a type appropriate to the illusion," text from Phantasmal Force?

The text for upcasting the spell seems off. As written, if I cast this with a 4th level slot, my illusory summoned beast is upcast to the same level as the one from the actual Summon Beast spell. I think a hard "treat all effects as from a spell slot that's one level lower" limit might be better for balance, even given the fact these can be made irrelevant with a skill check and the summon ______ spells can't.


Thematically, I really like this and generally agree with the "summons should summon the thing" reasoning.
I'll work on the wording; using game terms seems like a good idea.

Unless I change this so that its hp are irrelevant because it can't be "hit" (due to being an illusion), and the only way to "beat" it is to make the Investigation check, I think this spell is strictly weaker than the others (save for the versatility) it mimicks, due to the ability to utterly negate it by seeing through it.

As well, upcasts aren't nearly as powerful as a spell of the same base level. So between these, I think letting the upcast work is fine. You can't cast shadow conjuration to bet a "summon beast" effect with a level 2 slot. You must upcast it to 3rd. Yes, it's "just as good" as upcasting actual summon beast to 3rd (other than it being negatable by seeing through it), but the option doesn't exist to cast it from a 2nd level slot. Similarly, you can't mimic summon fey with a 3rd level slot, you MUST upcast to 4th. Yes, you get the upcast benefits, but it's not just as good as having summon fey actually prepared even if the "see through it" negation clause wasn't present, because you MUST spend that 4th level slot on it.

Upcasting is often not considered "worth it" compared to spells of the actual level you're using, and instead winds up being a consolation prize for needing to use the lower-level spell from a higher level slot for whatever reason. It's not worthless, but it's generally better to cast a 4th level spell from a 4th level slot than to upcast a 3rd level spell to a 4th level slot, if both are applicable to the problem at hand.

Good call on borrowing the wording from phantasmal force.