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[SPELLS] Illusion ideas

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:54 am
by Laitaine
Seeing as I'm currently in love with illusion and the spell list is a little thin on the ground for that particular specialisation, I thought I'd throw out a few ideas to boost it. I'm quite foxed as to how a lot of illusion spells would really translate to a game environment like FK (stuff like creating illusory walls and false terrain), but these are the ones I thought might be possible.

I appreciate a squillion new spells were recently added and that as a non-coder I have no idea how plausible these would even be, but I thought I'd put them out there anyway. Just in case. ;)

It's also a bit long. Sorry about that...
Disguise Self
Illusion (Glamer)

Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1, Trickery 1

Components: None
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You

Duration: 10 min./level (D)
You make yourself - including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment - look different. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your body type. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person.

The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment.

If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check.

A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.
I was thinking this could act like the 'disguise' skill for casters, either mimicing it or temporarily adding the skill to their skill list in much the same way 'find the path' does for 'track'
Blur
Illusion (Glamer)

Level: Brd 2,Sor/Wiz 2

Components: None

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: Touch

Target: Creature touched

Duration: 1 min./level (D)

Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject's outline appears blurred, shifting and wavering. This distortion grants the subject concealment (20% miss chance).

A see invisibility spell does not counteract the blur effect, but a true seeing spell does.

Opponents that cannot see the subject ignore the spell's effect (though fighting an unseen opponent carries penalties of its own).
I'm given to understand the per cent to miss chance isn't working in FK as it does in tabletop - so perhaps instead it could temporarily grant 'dodge' (at a low enough skill rate to represent the 20 per cent chance)? A higher level version of this is 'displacement' (level 3) - which has a 50 per cent modifier.

The problem here would be the chance that while you temporarily had the skill you might level it up - leading to you having a skill you really shouldn't...
Mislead
Illusion (Figment, Glamer)

Level: Brd 5, Luck 6, Sor/Wiz 6, Trickery 6

Components: None

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target/Effect: You/one illusory double
Duration: 1 round/level (D) and concentration + 3 rounds; see text
Saving Throw: None or Will disbelief (if interacted with); see text
Spell Resistance: No
You become invisible (as improved invisibility, a glamer), and at the same time, an illusory double of you (as major image, a figment) appears. You are then free to go elsewhere while your double moves away. The double appears within range but thereafter moves as you direct it (which requires concentration beginning on the first round after the casting). You can make the figment appear superimposed perfectly over your own body so that observers don't notice an image appearing and you turning invisible. You and the figment can then move in different directions. The double moves at your speed and can talk and gesture as if it were real, but it cannot attack or cast spells, though it can pretend to do so.

The illusory double lasts as long as you concentrate upon it, plus 3 additional rounds. After you cease concentration, the illusory double continues to carry out the same activity until the duration expires. The improved invisibility lasts for 1 round per level, regardless of concentration.
This really relies on improved invisibility - which at present is too unbalancing in my opinion. However, could it be possible to have the improved invisibility spell exist only in this form - especially if it has a reasonably short duration? Ie, for the duration of 'mislead' you have improved invisibility, but you can't cast it as a standalone spell.
Veil
Illusion (Glamer)

Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 6

Components: None

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)

Targets: One or more creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart

Duration: Concentration + 1 hour/level (D)

Saving Throw: Will negates; see text

Spell Resistance: Yes; see text
You instantly change the appearance of the subjects and then maintain that appearance for the spell's duration. You can make the subjects appear to be anything you wish. The subjects look, feel, and smell just like the creatures the spell makes them resemble. Affected creatures resume their normal appearances if slain. You must succeed on a Disguise check to duplicate the appearance of a specific individual. This spell gives you a +10 bonus on the check.

Unwilling targets can negate the spell's effect on them by making Will saves or with spell resistance. Those who interact with the subjects can attempt Will disbelief saves to see through the glamer, but spell resistance doesn't help.
This spell gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Could work a bit like polymorph (with forms limited by level) but can be cast on other people and doesn't actually have any impact on the target's stats/abilities. That way you can't turn the dragon into a fluffy bunny and walk past it - because it's still a fire breathing and incredibly nasty fluffy bunny (think Quest for the Holy Grail ;) )

Would be fab for roleplay opportunities.

Alternatively there's 'Seeming' (level 5) - which works like 'disguise self' but can be cast on others, for a less powerful version.
Simulacrum
Illusion (Shadow)

Level: Sor/Wiz 7

Components: Powdered Ruby, Flask of Water (my suggestion - to er... chill to make ice?) XP

Casting Time: 12 hours

Range: 0 ft.

Effect: One duplicate creature

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No
Simulacrum creates an illusory duplicate of any creature. The duplicate creature is partially real and formed from ice or snow. It appears to be the same as the original, but it has only one-half of the real creature's levels or Hit Dice (and the appropriate hit points, feats, skill ranks, and special abilities for a creature of that level or HD). You can't create a simulacrum of a creature whose Hit Dice or levels exceed twice your caster level. You must make a Disguise check when you cast the spell to determine how good the likeness is. A creature familiar with the original might detect the ruse with a successful Spot check (opposed by the caster's Disguise check) or a DC 20 Sense Motive check.

At all times the simulacrum remains under your absolute command. No special telepathic link exists, so command must be exercised in some other manner. A simulacrum has no ability to become more powerful. It cannot increase its level or abilities. If reduced to 0 hit points or otherwise destroyed, it reverts to snow and melts instantly into nothingness. A complex process requiring at least 24 hours, 100 gp per hit point, and a fully equipped magical laboratory can repair damage to a simulacrum.

Material Component: The spell is cast over the rough snow or ice form, and some piece of the creature to be duplicated (hair, nail, or the like) must be placed inside the snow or ice. Additionally, the spell requires powdered ruby worth 100 gp per HD of the simulacrum to be created.

XP Cost: 100 XP per HD of the simulacrum to be created (minimum 1,000 XP).
Might be a bit complicated to order a minion to cast in the heat of battle, so alternatively it could create a minion that would auto cast at a set level, lower than the required level to cast it? Not sure if the XP cost would work - but it could be temporary rather than repairable and constant?
Shades
Illusion (Shadow)

Level: Sor/Wiz 9
This spell functions like shadow conjuration, except that it mimics sorcerer and wizard conjuration spells of 8th level or lower. The illusory conjurations created deal four-fifths (80%) damage to nonbelievers, and nondamaging effects are 80% likely to work against nonbelievers.
Like 'shadow evocation' but with conjured beasties ;)

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:57 am
by Vindur
I'm also in love with the school of illusion and I also think that it could use some more spells.

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:03 am
by Ceara
I think they are all great ideas/spells
Though the first 3 basically makes them a rogue, mimicing disguise, hide and dodge, I feel they would take from the rogue class.
However, it does make sense and this makes me think perhaps the rogue class needs to have a few other things that set them apart rather than keeping things from illusion. Like chink in the armour, uncanny dodge, and sneak attack. I have suggested these in the past but haven't really hard anything back. Perhaps I'll start a new thread.