Spheres of Power
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Trick [Core]
As a standard action, you may create small, simple illusions called tricks, which persist for 1 minute per level or until dismissed.
Effects [Core]
You may create unconvincing illusions. This is the same as creating an illusion (see below) and
The Trickster's Handbook
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Alter [Core]
You may make minor changes to objects or creatures up to your Illusion maximum size, such as changing their color, making them appear clean or dirty, making writing appear, or other minor alterations. This counts as having a disguise kit when making Disguise checks (which take the usual time instead of a standard action), but such a disguise still counts as being magical for the purposes of detecting magic or for spells and effects that allow a target to see through magical effects and illusions.
Illusion (sensory: sight) [Core]
As a standard action, you may spend a spell point to create a silent visual illusion within range for as long as you concentrate, to a maximum of 1 minute per caster level. You cannot move further away from the illusion than your illusion range while maintaining it through concentration, and the illusion is limited in size according to Table: Illusion Maximum Size. The image may be anything you may clearly imagine, and behaves according to your desires.
Table: Illusion Maximum Size| Caster Level | Illusion Maximum Size | Maximum Size in cubes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Medium | 5 ft cube |
| 3rd | Large | 10 ft cube |
| 5th | Huge | 15 ft cube |
| 8th | Gargantuan | 20 ft cube |
| 11th | Colossal | 30 ft cube |
| 15th | Colossal+ | 40 ft cube |
| 20th | Colossal++ | 50 ft cube |
| 25th | Colossal+++ | 60 ft cube |
Simply perceiving an illusion isn’t enough to detect it as fake, but any target who interacts with the illusion or carefully studies the area is allowed a Will save to disbelieve the image, recognizing it for what it is. Anyone who finds obvious evidence of trickery (ex: throws a rock through an illusionary wall) automatically disbelieves the illusion.
You may only create visual illusions although certain talents may be taken to add more senses. The more complex an illusion is, the more talents it requires to be convincing, with the chart below serving as a guideline and the GM serving as the final arbiter for what talents are required to create a specific illusion.
Table: Example Illusions
| Example of Illusion | Required Talents |
|---|---|
| An illusionary wall | Base sphere only |
| A glen full of trees | Complex Illusion |
| A warrior blocking the target's way | Illusionary Sound, Illusionary Touch (to engage in combat w/ target) |
| A table laden with food | Illusionary Odor, Illusionary Touch (to be consumed by target) |
| A room filled with fire | Illusionary Sound, Illusionary Touch |
| An army of orcs chasing the target | Illusionary Sound, Complex Illusion, Illusionary Touch (to engage in combat w/ target) |
If creating an illusionary creature, your illusion has an attack bonus equal to your caster level + your casting ability modifier, and a touch armor class equal to 10 + its size modifier + 1/2 your caster level + your casting ability modifier. An illusionary creature may provide a flanking bonus against targets who fail to disbelieve it. Any creature who strikes an illusion in combat automatically disbelieves it.
Illusion Talent Types
(Figment)
Illusions or tricks cast on an area are called figments and are transparent when disbelieved. You may choose to believe or disbelieve your own figments at-will, but not both at once. You must choose to believe or disbelieve your own illusions once per round as a non-action that may be taken any time during your turn.
Allies do not automatically disbelieve your figments, but situations may occur that help them identify them. If you possess Selective Illusions, you may allow anyone to be treated as if they automatically saved. Even without Selective Illusions, you may grant your allies +5 to their Will saves to disbelieve your illusions by giving them information about your style or artistry present in your illusions or including a subtle tell. Alerting them to a specific casting improves this bonus to a +10. You may, however, always make alterations as you see fit and revoke this bonus from allies should the need arise to fool even them.
A figment may be created anywhere within your maximum illusion range without need of line of sight nor line of effect and may be moved, directed or have its appearance altered after creation as a standard action or as part of the action to maintain via concentration. Figments can be moved at a speed of 20 ft. + 5 ft. per 5 caster levels per round and must remain within maximum illusion range. You still need to be able to see the figment to issue new orders, direct movement, or alter how it appears.
The following original talents published in Spheres of Power have the (figment) descriptor: Complex Illusion, Enlarged Illusion, and Silence.
(Glamer)
Illusions or tricks cast on an object or creature are called glamers and are usually but not always considered harmless. The caster of the glamer and the recipient can see through the glamer and ignore its effects. Targets of the Hostile Glamers talent may make a Will save to negate the effect as normal. You must have line of sight, but are not required to have line of effect to place a glamer on a target.
Glamers remain on the creature or object they are placed upon regardless of how quickly the target moves or distance between them and the caster.
The following original talents published in Spheres of Power have the (glamer) descriptor: Illusionary Disguise, Invisibility, and Silence.
(Sensory)
Sensory talents are talents that modify all illusions by expanding what senses are able to be modified, created or subverted. The sense added is also noted in the tag. The following original talents published in Spheres of Power have the (sensory) descriptor: Illusion sphere (Sight), Illusionary Odor (Taste & Smell), Illusionary Sound (Sound), Illusionary Touch (Touch), and Manipulate Aura (Magic).
(Shadow)
Shadow magic, despite its description relying on shadowstuff (which in most settings originates from the Shadow Plane), is not planar in nature. Shadowstuff does not require access, temporary or otherwise, to the Shadow Plane. In settings where shadow magic originates from an extraplanar source, shadow magic manipulates this other plane remotely and has an effect on the Material Plane without using or requiring any additional planar connection beyond the already relative closeness of the two planes.
Any damage done by a shadow effect is untyped and may either be lethal or nonlethal.
Shadow illusions, if disbelieved or otherwise would be negated or ignored by effects that only apply to illusions, has its effectiveness reduced by half (rounded down), including damage, miss chance, or granted circumstance bonuses or penalties. For Will saves, this changes the save to a Will partial save instead of Will negates. For effects such as the true seeing spell (or True Seeing advanced talent) and the fey adept’s truesight class feature interacting with shadow glamers, see the rules for fooling complex senses.
(Suppression)
Suppression talents are talents that destroy a sense or prevent it from functioning. The following original talent published in Spheres of Power has the (suppression) descriptor: Silence.
Illusion Talents
Committed Deception
You may increase the casting time of an illusion by one step to reduce its total spell point cost by one (minimum 0).
Daylight [Core]
Your illusions may give off bright light, in a radius of up to 60 ft. The next 60 ft beyond that is raised one light level to a maximum of normal light. Creatures with Light Blindness or Light Sensitivity take penalties while in this bright light, but creatures damaged by daylight are unaffected.
Focused Imagination
When you create an illusion, you may maintain it through concentration for 10 minutes per caster level. If you also possess the Lingering Illusion talent, when you spend an additional spell point to allow your illusions to remain for 1 minute per caster level without concentration, it instead remains for 10 minutes per caster level.
Lingering Illusion [Core]
When you create an illusion, the illusion remains for 2 rounds after you stop concentrating. You may also spend a spell point to allow the illusion to remain for 1 minute per caster level without the need for concentration. When an illusion isn’t maintained through concentration, it performs whatever set of actions it was last commanded to do, and cannot move beyond Medium range of where it was placed. Giving an illusion a new series of programmed activities is a move action.
Mage Feint
As a trick you may aid another on any target within your illusion range with attack or defense.
As a trick you may force a target to make a Will save or lose their Dexterity bonus to armor class until their turn. This trick is treated as a feint for feats, talents, and effects that trigger off of a feint.
As a trick you may create a harmless sensory disruption around a target. The target must make a Will save or this triggers any readied actions the target may have regardless of their actual trigger.
You may spend a spell point to use any of these tricks as a swift action.
Overwhelming Sensations
As a trick you may force a target to make a Will save or suffer extreme sensation for one round per two caster levels (minimum 1). Select one of the following effects based on what sensory talents you possess.
| Sense | Effect |
|---|---|
| Magic | Treat your caster level as 5 higher when creating, but not concealing or modifying, auras using the Manipulate Aura trick. |
| Odor | Sickened |
| Sight | Dazzled, this becomes staggered for 1 round if the target is already dazzled. |
| Sound | Shaken, this becomes frightened for 1 round if the target is already shaken. |
| Touch | Fatigued |
Programmed Illusion
Whenever you create an illusion, you may add a specific circumstance that, when met, changes the nature of the illusion immediately. You may create an additional circumstance per 5 caster levels.
For example, you could create an illusion that only activates when a humanoid comes within 10 ft. of it, at which point it becomes a high pitched siren and flashing bright lights.
Ranged Illusion [Core]
Increase the distance by which you may manifest an illusion or trick by one category (Close to Medium, Medium to Long). You may take this talent multiple times. The effects stack.
Selective Illusions
By spending an additional spell point at the time you create an illusion, you may designate any number of targets to automatically disbelieve that illusion. Once per round per illusion as a free action, you may allow any number of targets to be treated as automatically disbelieving the illusion or completely suppress the effect without ending it (but must still concentrate if the effect is being maintained via concentration).
Example 1: When under the effects of Invisibility or Illusionary Disguise, you may allow your allies to see you as if you had no concealment or disguise while still maintaining the effect against everyone else.
Example 2: For a single round, you may suppress your Silence talent on an enemy to make them vulnerable to a sound based attack, then resume the silence effect the following round.
Anyone you designate as unaffected is still aware of the effect just as if they had disbelieved it, allowing them to appropriately react in the case of a ruse or the need to make tactical decisions. Illusions that have effects regardless of belief or disbelief, such as Silence or Shadow Infusion, still have those effects unless you opt to suppress them. Suppressing and reactivating an illusion does not force those whom already successfully disbelieved the illusion to re-roll their saves.
Stable Image
Double the duration of your illusions.
Synesthesia
As a trick, you can link two senses allowing you to, for example, see sound or smell color. You become dazed until the end of your next turn and gain a complex sense you can fool with your illusions and until the end of your next turn. The range of this sense is limited to 5 ft. per 2 caster levels (minimum 5 ft.).
If you possess Amplify Senses, improve the range of the sense to 5 ft. per caster level.
If you possess Overwhelming Sensation, you may improve the range of the sense by an additional 5 ft. per caster level but become deafened and blinded instead of dazed.
Talented Trickster
You may spend a spell point to use any trick you know as a swift action. For every 5 caster levels you may use an additional (maximum 5 at 20th caster level) trick you know simultaneously when using this talent.
Windtalker
As a trick you may use your illusions to signal or communicate. This functions as the deliver secret message use of the Bluff skill but you gain a 5 + caster level circumstance bonus to the Bluff check and can do so within your maximum illusion range without penalty. The recipients must still interact with the illusion in some way to get the intended message.
This communication only works one way but is not language dependant and may rely on any sense or complex sense the intended recipients possess.
If you possess Selective Illusions, there is no chance of the message being intercepted.
Figment Talents
Artisan Figments (figment)
The Will save to disbelieve your figments improves by 1 for every 2 (sensory) talents you possess.
This bonus is tripled for creatures under the effects of the True Sight talent from the Divination sphere and similar effects that specifically grant a Will save bonus against illusions.
Blur (figment, glamer)
As a trick you may designate a single 5-ft. cube as distorting to perception. This distortion lasts for one round per caster level. Any effect originating from a source whose line of sight crosses this area incurs a 20% miss chance + 5% per caster level (maximum 50%) due to concealment. Any creature may make a Will save to ignore this miss chance for 1 round. You may only have one such disruption at a time. Using this trick a second time immediately end the duration of the previous casting of this trick.
As an illusion you may create a distorting figment. This creates a figment version of the distortion created by the trick.
As an illusion you may create a distorting glamer. This functions in all other ways as the trick except it does not allow for a Will save to ignore the miss chance and has the duration of a standard illusion.
Stacking Miss Chance: There are several sources that potentially cause an attack to automatically miss that stack. Rolling percentile three or more times for each attack against a well-prepared target can definitely slow down combat. Alternatively, when calculating multiple miss chances from separate sources, a single roll will suffice to produce the same probability of a miss.
Greatest counts for full. Second-highest counts for 1/2. Third-highest counts for 1/4. Fourth-highest counts for 1/8. And so on, rounded down to the nearest 5%.
When using this method, the miss chance may become greater than 50%, but should never be allowed to be higher than 95%. For additional effects that depend on the source (such as determining if a decoy was destroyed), roll an additional die to randomly select what effect ultimately caused the attack to miss.
Complex Illusion (figment) [Core]
When creating an illusion, you may spend an additional spell point to divide the illusion into multiple, independent components. The combined size and range of these illusions must still be within your maximum illusion size, but each component can appear differently and behave differently. While each component can be given its own set of programmed instructions, you can only actively control one component at a time. Ex: when creating an illusion of a tavern, a creature with this talent could create a bustling group of people inside the tavern as part of the same illusion. The caster could only control one such illusionary person at a time though; and the rest would only perform their last set of instructions. Giving a component a new set of instructions is a move action. If a creature makes its saving throw against a complex illusion, it sees through the entire illusion rather than only one component part.
Control Figment (figment)
As a full-round action you may make a magic skill check against the magic skill defense of the controller of an existing figment. If successful you gain control of the figment and may command it as if it was your effect. Treat the figment in all ways as if it was cast by you except this does not change any of the original variables related to caster level, Illusion sphere talents, class abilities or spell points. You however must remain within the maximum range that you may control illusions to maintain this effect as normal.
Distracting Phantoms (figment)
As a trick you may designate a 5 ft. cube within your illusion range as a flanking partner for you and your allies. This partner remains for one round per caster level. You may only have one phantasmal flanking partner at a time. Creating a new cube causes the previous one to immediately dissipate.
As a trick you may use the aid another action on attack or defense within range of your illusions. Instead of an attack roll the target is allowed a Will save to ignore this effect. Your figments count as flanking partners with reach appropriate for their size against all creatures that have failed their Will save to disbelieve.
Decoy (figment, glamer)
As a trick you may create an illusionary creature in the same square as the target. This illusionary creature follows and occupies the same square as the target. Anyone attempting to attack the target must make a Will save or suffer a 50% miss chance. On a miss caused by this effect, the attacker targets the illusionary creature instead. The illusionary creature has an AC of 5 and is unaffected by area attacks. Illusionary creatures created by this trick last 1 round per two caster levels (minimum 1) or until struck with a single target effect.
As a trick you may create a coaxing decoy in an adjacent square. The coaxing decoy may immediately move up to the speed of your figments in any direction unimpeded. The coaxing decoy is immune to damage and vanishes at the end of your turn. If the movement of the coaxing decoy would provoke an attack of opportunity from a creature, that creature must use it on the coaxing decoy. Creatures may make a Will save for each attack the decoy provokes from them to ignore this effect.
As a glamer you may surround a target with a number of illusionary creatures equal to 2 +1 per 3 caster levels. As long as one or more illusionary creatures remain, the target gains a 50% miss chance. These decoys function exactly like the illusionary copies described in the illusionary creature trick except they possess AC equal to the touch AC of the target and have the normal duration for your illusions. Multiple castings of this glamer stack but a target cannot have more illusionary creatures attached to them than half their Hit Dice if targeted multiple times.
If you possess the Complex Illusions talent one or more of the illusionary creatures granted by the glamer may act as as the coaxing decoy trick. As a free action once per round each illusionary creature may move 5 ft. per 2 caster levels independently of the original target. Illusionary creatures moving independently instantly vanish if they are beyond 15 ft. of the original target. While moving independently illusionary creatures provoke attacks of opportunity as the coaxing decoy trick. Unless adjacent to the original target illusionary creatures are treated in all ways as figments and if disbelieved do not grant their miss chance or provoke attacks of opportunity. If disbelieved as figments, copies acting independently reset the status of their disbelief by returning to the same square as the original.
Enlarged Illusion (figment) [Core]
Increase your illusion’s maximum size by one size category.
Illusionary Labyrinth (figment)
As a trick, you may choose to perform a reposition maneuver on any target within your illusion range using your (caster level + your casting modifier -5) in place of your CMB.
When creating a figment you may spend an additional spell point to require anyone that has failed to disbelieve the effect to pass an additional Will save when attempting to move from or through the area of your figment or immediately end their movement and remain in the first space occupied by the figment that they also occupied.
Illusionary Terrain (figment)
As a trick, you may designate a single cube as difficult terrain for one round per caster level. A Will save to disbelieve is allowed by all who enter the cube. On a successful save they treat the area as normal. This difficult terrain applies to all travel through the area regardless of type of movement.
You may treat the area of your figments as difficult terrain regardless of type of movement for those who fail to disbelieve.
Insistent Illusions (figment)
As a swift action, you may spend a spell point to force all creatures that currently disbelieve any of your figments to re-roll their Will saves to disbelieve. Failure indicates that they believe the illusion is real regardless of the results of previous Will saves.
Inspire Doubt (figment)
Anyone who successfully saves against your figments takes a -1 penalty to all saving throws and MSD against your other sphere effects and abilities for the next minute or until they attempt a save against one of your sphere effects. This penalty increases by an additional one per 5 caster levels you possess.
Patterns (figment)
You may create disorienting and impossible forms and sensations with your figments. Targets who interact with your figments and fail their Will save to disbelieve suffer a penalty on Perception checks equal to your caster level for one round.
Phantasmaterial Pain (figment, glamer)
You may spend an additional spell point when creating a figment to create phantasmaterial pain. Whenever a creature inside the figment negates damage due to energy resistance or damage reduction, they suffer an equal amount of nonlethal damage, as if the damage was never negated. This damage is felt even if the figment is disbelieved.
You may place a glamer on a target that causes its energy resistance and damage reduction to convert damage to nonlethal damage rather than prevent it.
Silence (figment) (glamer) (suppression) [Core]
You may place an illusion on a creature or in an area that negates sound. The creature (or creatures standing in the area of effect) makes no noise, and cannot perform verbal components of any skill or magic. Creatures in an area of silence are immune to sonic or language-based attacks, spells, and effects, and gain a +4 bonus to Stealth checks.
Swift Figments (figment)
The speed your figments may move within a single round improves to 25 ft. + 5 ft. per 2 caster levels. This talent may be taken twice. If taken a second time, the speed your figments may move within a single round improves to 100 ft. + 10 ft. per caster level.
Glamer Talents
Artisan Glamers (glamer)
Skill bonuses granted by your glamers improve by +1 for each (sensory) talent you possess. This does not break maximums, such as stated in the Muffle talent.
Amplify Senses (glamer)
As a trick you may make a Perception check, adding your casting ability modifier as a competence bonus to the result. This bonus only applies to Perception checks based on one sense related to your (sensory) talents.
As an illusion you may create a glamer that allows targets to focus their senses beyond their normal limits, granting a circumstance bonus to Perception checks equal to half your caster level. This bonus only applies to Perception checks based on senses related to your (sensory) talents.
Bestow Focus (glamer)
When creating a glamer you may have the target use their action to maintain concentration of the glamer instead of yourself. In all other ways the glamer still behaves as if cast by you. You may only have one creature concentrating in your place at any time. The number of creatures that can simultaneously concentrate in your place improves by an additional 1 per 10 caster levels.
Blur (figment, glamer)
As a trick you may designate a single 5-ft. cube as distorting to perception. This distortion lasts for one round per caster level. Any effect originating from a source whose line of sight crosses this area incurs a 20% miss chance + 5% per caster level (maximum 50%) due to concealment. Any creature may make a Will save to ignore this miss chance for 1 round. You may only have one such disruption at a time. Using this trick a second time immediately end the duration of the previous casting of this trick.
As an illusion you may create a distorting figment. This creates a figment version of the distortion created by the trick.
As an illusion you may create a distorting glamer. This functions in all other ways as the trick except it does not allow for a Will save to ignore the miss chance and has the duration of a standard illusion.
Stacking Miss Chance: There are several sources that potentially cause an attack to automatically miss that stack. Rolling percentile three or more times for each attack against a well-prepared target can definitely slow down combat. Alternatively, when calculating multiple miss chances from separate sources, a single roll will suffice to produce the same probability of a miss.
Greatest counts for full. Second-highest counts for 1/2. Third-highest counts for 1/4. Fourth-highest counts for 1/8. And so on, rounded down to the nearest 5%.
When using this method, the miss chance may become greater than 50%, but should never be allowed to be higher than 95%. For additional effects that depend on the source (such as determining if a decoy was destroyed), roll an additional die to randomly select what effect ultimately caused the attack to miss.
Decoy (figment, glamer)
As a trick you may create an illusionary creature in the same square as the target. This illusionary creature follows and occupies the same square as the target. Anyone attempting to attack the target must make a Will save or suffer a 50% miss chance. On a miss caused by this effect, the attacker targets the illusionary creature instead. The illusionary creature has an AC of 5 and is unaffected by area attacks. Illusionary creatures created by this trick last 1 round per two caster levels (minimum 1) or until struck with a single target effect.
As a trick you may create a coaxing decoy in an adjacent square. The coaxing decoy may immediately move up to the speed of your figments in any direction unimpeded. The coaxing decoy is immune to damage and vanishes at the end of your turn. If the movement of the coaxing decoy would provoke an attack of opportunity from a creature, that creature must use it on the coaxing decoy. Creatures may make a Will save for each attack the decoy provokes from them to ignore this effect.
As a glamer you may surround a target with a number of illusionary creatures equal to 2 +1 per 3 caster levels. As long as one or more illusionary creatures remain, the target gains a 50% miss chance. These decoys function exactly like the illusionary copies described in the illusionary creature trick except they possess AC equal to the touch AC of the target and have the normal duration for your illusions. Multiple castings of this glamer stack but a target cannot have more illusionary creatures attached to them than half their Hit Dice if targeted multiple times.
If you possess the Complex Illusions talent one or more of the illusionary creatures granted by the glamer may act as as the coaxing decoy trick. As a free action once per round each illusionary creature may move 5 ft. per 2 caster levels independently of the original target. Illusionary creatures moving independently instantly vanish if they are beyond 15 ft. of the original target. While moving independently illusionary creatures provoke attacks of opportunity as the coaxing decoy trick. Unless adjacent to the original target illusionary creatures are treated in all ways as figments and if disbelieved do not grant their miss chance or provoke attacks of opportunity. If disbelieved as figments, copies acting independently reset the status of their disbelief by returning to the same square as the original.
Hostile Glamers (glamer)
Targets of your glamers do not automatically ignore their effects as normal unless you allow them to. Additionally you may roll related skill checks on behalf of any unwilling targets that failed their saving throw against your glamer. The target is treated as if they made the check regardless of their desire to for the duration of the effect. Unwilling targets affected by this talent are not automatically aware of the glamer (as normal) unless you allow them to be or if the glamer physically hampers or harms them. Affected targets interact with any glamer attached to them as if it was a figment occupying the same space.
When combined with the decoy talent, the decoys acts as flanking partners and attempts to position accordingly at the end of the original creature’s turn. Attacks against the decoy by anyone other than the original creature have a 50% chance to instead hit the original. If you also possess Distracting Phantoms, so long as at least one copy remains the original creature can be flanked without the need of a flanking partner and attack rolls against them gain a +1 circumstance bonus per copy.
Illusionary Disguise (glamer) [Core]
You may attach an illusion directly onto a creature or object, making it appear as something or someone else entirely. This grants a +10 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks. Targets who interact with the disguise receive a Will save to disbelieve, and some actions can simply give the disguise away. (For example, touching a target disguised as a different size category, or seeing a creature disguised as an inanimate object move.)
Invisibility (glamer) [Core]
You may make things disappear. As a trick, you may add 1/2 your caster level to Sleight of Hand checks made to palm a small object or hide a light weapon
You may also place an illusion on a creature or object that makes it harder to see. Rather than make a Will save to disbelieve, creatures must make Perception checks to detect the hidden creature or object. Objects have a flat Perception DC equal to 10 + their size bonus + your caster level, while creatures gain a bonus to their Stealth checks equal to your caster level. In addition, since they are invisible, creatures may make Stealth checks even while being observed and do not require cover to retain or initiate Stealth. Even when detected by another creature, an invisible creature gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls against sighted targets and ignores their Dexterity bonus to AC. Attacks against the invisible creature have a 50% chance they will simply miss, even if the attack has targeted the correct square. Making a creature or object invisible also hides its magical aura from such effects as detect magic or the base Divination sphere divine ability.
Masques (glamer)
Whenever you take this talent select two of the following skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Perform.
As a trick, you may aid another on any target within your illusion range with the selected skills.
As a glamer, you may grant an enhancement bonus to skill checks with the selected skills equal to half your caster level. This talent may be taken twice to allow it to work with all 4 skills.
You may use this glamer as part of the action required to cast Illusionary Disguise at no additional cost. When added to an illusionary disguise in this way, the duration ends when the illusionary disguise expires.
If you possess the Hostile Glamers talent, you may create glamers that grant a penalty instead of a bonus to the selected skills.
Mass Glamer (glamer)
When creating glamers, you may affect multiple targets with the same glamer so long as they are all within your illusion range and the combined size of affected targets does not exceed your maximum figment size.
Wiki Note: For the purposes of this talent, one large creature is equal to two medium creatures.
Muffle (glamer)
As a trick, you may grant a target a circumstance bonus to Stealth checks made when sniping equal to your caster level (maximum 20). This bonus lasts for 1 minute.
As a trick you may grant a creature a circumstance bonus to Stealth equal to your caster level. This bonus may not exceed their armor check penalty to Stealth and lasts for 1 minute.
As a glamer you may grant a circumstance bonus to Stealth checks made when sniping equal to 10 + 1 per caster level (maximum 20).
As a glamer you may grant a creature a circumstance bonus to Stealth equal to 5 + your caster level. This bonus may not exceed their armor check penalty to Stealth.
Multiple bonuses of the same type granted by this talent do not stack.
Phantasmaterial Pain (figment, glamer)
You may spend an additional spell point when creating a figment to create phantasmaterial pain. Whenever a creature inside the figment negates damage due to energy resistance or damage reduction, they suffer an equal amount of nonlethal damage, as if the damage was never negated. This damage is felt even if the figment is disbelieved.
You may place a glamer on a target that causes its energy resistance and damage reduction to convert damage to nonlethal damage rather than prevent it.
Shift Glamers (glamer)
As a standard action, you may move any number of your glamers still within your maximum illusion range to new targets also within your maximum illusion range.
Silence (figment) (glamer) (suppression) [Core]
You may place an illusion on a creature or in an area that negates sound. The creature (or creatures standing in the area of effect) makes no noise, and cannot perform verbal components of any skill or magic. Creatures in an area of silence are immune to sonic or language-based attacks, spells, and effects, and gain a +4 bonus to Stealth checks.
Sensory Talents
Illusionary Odor (sensory: taste & smell) [Core]
You may add smell and taste to your illusions. For example, you may change something’s taste or create the smell of smoke. As a trick, you may add half your caster level to the DC required to detect poison in foods or to track a target by smell.
Illusionary Sound (sensory: sound) [Core]
You may add whatever sounds you desire to an illusion. You cannot make more sound than four normal humans per caster level could make. (A horde of rats running and squeaking is equal to eight humans running and shouting. A roaring lion is equal to the noise from 16 humans, while a roaring dragon is equal to the noise from 32 humans.)
As a trick, you may create effects of non-specific noises (feet marching, laughing and muttering of a party) or throw your voice, making it appear as if it comes from somewhere else within your range. Targets are allowed a Will save as usual to disbelieve these sounds, or recognize your voice is not actually coming from where it appears to be.
Illusionary Touch (sensory: touch) [Core]
You may make an illusion that feels real to the touch, including temperature and texture. When a creature comes into physical contact with your illusions (touching them, striking them in melee, etc.), they do not automatically disbelieve the illusion. Instead, they are allowed a new saving throw each round they are in contact with the illusion. Your illusion still cannot hold weight (thus while touching the wall would only grant a new saving throw, leaning on the wall would still cause the creature to fall through and disbelieve).
You may take this talent a total of twice; when taken a second time, your illusions may also cause pain. When coming into contact with an appropriate illusion (stepping into fire, being hit by an illusionary enemy, etc.), if the subject fails their Will save to disbelieve, they take non-lethal damage equal to your caster level + your casting ability modifier. A target can only be damaged by your illusions once in a round, no matter how many times it thinks the illusion has hurt it.
Manipulate Aura (sensory: magic) [Core]
As a trick, you may change a creature or object’s magical aura to appear to be non-magical, or to appear as a magic item you specify, or as if under the effects of a spell or sphere ability you specify for up to 1 day per caster level. A target examining this aura through detection magic is allowed a Will save to see through the trick, but on a failure believes the aura and does not detect this trick. Artifacts are too powerful to have their auras hidden or altered in this manner.
Shadow Talents
Shadow Infusion (shadow)
When using an Illusion sphere effect you may spend an additional spell point to render the illusion quasi-real, granting it the shadow descriptor.
If you have a shadow pool you may use a shadow point instead of a spell point.
Suppression Talents
Silence (figment) (glamer) (suppression) [Core]
You may place an illusion on a creature or in an area that negates sound. The creature (or creatures standing in the area of effect) makes no noise, and cannot perform verbal components of any skill or magic. Creatures in an area of silence are immune to sonic or language-based attacks, spells, and effects, and gain a +4 bonus to Stealth checks.
Old Illusion Feats
Click the header above to visit the Sphere-Focused Feats page. This section includes feats that directly improve or rely upon this sphere.
Old Advanced Illusion Talents
Click the header above to visit the Advanced Talents page. This page includes talents that are more powerful than the ones presented on this page - but remember, Advanced Talents are only available with GM permission.
Old Illusion Drawbacks
Click the header above to see the Sphere-Specific Drawbacks for this sphere. If you're using the optional Casting Tradition rules, Drawbacks allow you to acquire one or more bonus talents in a sphere in exchange for a limit on using this sphere.
Archetypes
-Old Operative
Operatives are Symbiats who use their mastery of Illusion and War to manage the battlefield.
-Old Solipsist
Solipsists are Fey Adepts who use Intelligence to analyze and control the world.
Wild Magic
Wild Magic Generator
Wild Magic Table
| d100 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | A longsword appropriately sized for the caster made of shadow-stuff appears in the caster’s hand. The caster is proficient with this weapon and it deals bonus damage equal to caster level. Each time it deals damage, the target is allowed a Will save; success reduces the damage dealt by half and destroys the blade. Otherwise the blade persists for 1 hour per caster level or until it leaves the caster’s possession. |
| 2 | The spell point cost of the effect decreases by 1. If the effect did not require any spell points, the caster instead gains 1 temporary spell point that expires at the end of his next turn. |
| 3 | All creatures within close range of the caster gain the appearance and odor of being covered in excrement for 10 minutes per caster level. |
| 4 | The caster is unable to perceive the effect in any fashion, leaving him unable to control, alter, or dismiss it once cast. |
| 5 | For 1 minute per caster level, an illusory raincloud follows the caster. The caster is unable to disbelieve this raincloud. |
| 6 | An illusion depicting the caster’s greatest desire appears within long range and persists for 1 round per caster level. This figment cannot be larger than the caster’s maximum illusion size. |
| 7 | For 1 hour per caster level, an illusory duck sits on the casters head and cannot be covered by any means. |
| 8 | (Combat) All creatures within medium range gain illusory doubles. These illusory doubles impose a 50% miss chance on any attack against the creature and each duplicate disappears after one attack fails against this miss chance or after 1 minute per caster level. |
| 9 | An illusory wind surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as per the category 3 wind of the Weather sphere + 1 category per 7 caster levels. This wind blows directly toward the caster and dissipates after 1 round per caster level. Hostile creatures are unaffected. |
| 10 | For 1 round per caster level, a swarm of illusory insects covers an area out to illusion range, dealing 1 point of nonlethal damage per 2 caster levels. This effect moves with the caster. When first exposed to this effect, a creature is allowed a single Will save to negate the damage from this effect for its duration. |
| 11 | For 1 hour per caster level, dramatic effects, music, and crowd noises accompany the caster whenever he makes a Perform skill check, granting a competence bonus equal to 1/2 caster level (minimum 1) on such checks. |
| 12 | For 1 minute per caster level, all sound is amplified within close range of the caster, granting a circumstance bonus equal to 1/2 caster level on sound-based Perception checks. |
| 13 | For 10 minutes per caster level, the caster’s voice is amplified, granting a bonus on Perception checks to hear the caster speak equal to caster level. |
| 14 | Roll twice and choose the result. Ignore any results that require rerolls. If both rolls thus ignored, there is no effect. |
| 15 | For 1 minute per caster level, all sound is dampened within long range of the caster, imposing a penalty equal to 1/2 caster level on sound-based Perception checks. |
| 16 | For 1 round per caster level, all of the caster’s attended objects become invisible as the Invisibility talent. |
| 17 | The caster gains knowledge of one talent of his choice from this sphere for 1 round. |
| 18 | (Combat) Rapidly shifting illusory disguises that only the caster can perceive make it impossible for the caster to distinguish friend from foe. For 1d6 rounds, the caster may not make attacks of opportunity against any creature. |
| 19 | The caster takes a number of points of ability damage to his casting attribute equal to the effect’s caster level/4 (minimum 1) even if he would normally be immune to ability damage. |
| 20 | The caster loses knowledge of any of the talents used in the effect (but not the base sphere) for the length of the effect (minimum 1 round). |
| 21 | The spell point cost of the effect increases by 1. If the caster does not have enough spell points, he is instead staggered until the end of his next turn. |
| 22 | The next time that the caster enters a settlement with more than 100 inhabitants, his arrival is heralded by an intense display of illusory fireworks over his position, clearly visible and audible for 2d6 miles if in an open area. |
| 23 | Any creature making a Will save to disbelieve the effect may roll twice and take the best result. |
| 24 | (Combat) For 1d6 rounds, all creatures within medium range become invisible as the Invisibility talent. |
| 25 | For 10 minutes per caster level, the sound generated by the caster’s movements are amplified, imposing a penalty on Stealth checks equal to caster level. |
| 26 | For 1 minute per caster level, the caster is unable to see through his own illusions. |
| 27 | (Combat) The caster is stunned for 1 round. |
| 28 | For 1 hour per caster level, the caster’s clothes appear dramatically inappropriate to the surrounding area (winter clothes in a desert, beggar’s rags in a palace, etc.). |
| 29 | For 1 minute per caster level, any words the caster thinks are displayed by letters floating above his head. This may make Bluff checks fail automatically. |
| 30 | For 10 minutes per caster level, a subtle illusion alters an area out to long range from the caster, making the environment appear bright and cheery. Creatures within this area may roll twice and take the best result on saves against fear effects and any demoralization check within this area takes a penalty equal to 1/2 caster level (minimum 1). |
| 31 | The caster is fatigued. |
| 32 | The caster loses access to this sphere for 1d6 rounds. |
| 33 | The effect ends the first time a creature within 20 ft. of it succeeds on a Will save against an Illusion sphere or illusion school effect. |
| 34 | For 1 hour per caster level, an illusory fog surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as a fog per the category 2 precipitation of the weather sphere. This fog follows the caster. |
| 35 | Effect receives a +2 bonus to caster level. |
| 36 | The casting time decreases by 1 step. |
| 37 | All creatures within long range of the caster have their faces covered by an illusion of the caster’s face for 1 minute per caster level. This has no impact on their senses but may prove confusing. |
| 38 | For 10 minutes per caster level, the caster gains the appearance and odor of being covered in excrement. |
| 39 | The effect fails, but the action is not lost. Spell points or spell slots spent are lost. |
| 40 | For 10 minutes per caster level, an illusory minstrel follows the caster, singing loudly of the caster’s most embarrassing moments. |
| 41 | All allied creatures within illusion range must succeed on a Will save or gain an illusory disguise as the Illusionary Disguise talent, appearing as the nearest hostile creature for 1 minute per caster level. |
| 42 | All creatures and objects within medium range of the caster are permanently monochromatic. This effect can only be removed by the Break Enchantment talent of the Life sphere or similar magic. |
| 43 | The effect fails and the action is lost. Spell points or spell slots are lost. |
| 44 | For 1 hour per caster level, the caster leaves a trail of phantasmal gold coins whenever moving at least 5 ft., creating 1 coin per caster level per 5 ft. moved. These coins disappear 1 minute per caster level after appearing or immediately if spent. |
| 45 | The effect fails and the action is lost. Spell points or spell slots are not lost. |
| 46 | For 10 minutes per caster level, an illusory minstrel follows the caster, singing loudly of the caster’s greatest deeds. |
| 47 | (Combat) Rapidly shifting illusory disguises that only the caster can perceive make it impossible for the caster to distinguish friend from foe. For 1d6 rounds, the caster treats all creatures as hostile and must attempt attacks of opportunity against all creatures and attempt saves against all effects whenever possible. |
| 48 | All creatures and objects within medium range of the caster are permanently stained a bright color of the GM’s choice. This effect can only be removed by the Break Enchantment talent of the Life sphere or similar magic. |
| 49 | For 10 minutes per caster level, the caster is followed by a cartoonish figment of himself that mimics his actions in a mocking way. |
| 50 | For 1d6 rounds, attempts to disbelieve the effect automatically fail. |
| 51 | Effect receives a -4 penalty to caster level (minimum 1). |
| 52 | For 10 minutes per caster level, the caster leaves glowing illusory footprints wherever he travels (including while flying, swimming, and teleporting). These footsteps persist for 1 hour. |
| 53 | All creatures within close range of the caster when the effect is cast must succeed on a Will save or have every word they think displayed by letters floating above their head for 1 minute per caster level. This may make Bluff checks fail automatically. |
| 54 | Illusory heat surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as per the category 3 heat of the Weather sphere + 1 category per 7 caster levels. Hostile creatures are unaffected. |
| 55 | For 1 round per caster level, an illusory fog surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as a fog per the category 3 precipitation of the Weather sphere. This fog follows the caster. |
| 56 | All creatures within medium range of the caster when this result is triggered leave glowing illusory footprints wherever they travel (including while flying, swimming, and teleporting) for 10 minutes per caster level. These footsteps persist for 1 hour. |
| 57 | The effect appears subtly off, granting a +2 bonus to save DCs to disbelieve it. |
| 58 | For 1 hour per caster level, a dramatic illusory fog covers the area around the caster’s feet. This does not provide any concealment to the caster, but may obscure caltrops, tripwires, and other low-lying objects. |
| 59 | All creatures within illusion range gain an illusory disguise as the Illusionary Disguise talent, appearing as the caster for 1 minute per caster level. |
| 60 | For 1 minute per caster level, the caster becomes invisible as the Invisibility talent. |
| 61 | Illusory cold surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as per the category 3 cold of the Weather sphere + 1 category per 7 caster levels. Hostile creatures are unaffected. |
| 62 | A destructive blast with the Fire Blast and Explosive Orb talents of the Destruction sphere as mimicked by the Fey Adept’s create reality ability explodes centered on the target or middle of the target area. |
| 63 | The caster takes 1d4 points of Constitution damage even if he would normally be immune to ability damage. Creatures without a Constitution score instead take Charisma damage. |
| 64 | An illusory wind surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as per the category 3 wind of the Weather sphere + 1 category per 7 caster levels. This wind blows directly toward the caster and dissipates after 1 round per caster level. Allied creatures are unaffected. |
| 65 | The casting time increases by 2 steps. |
| 66 | Roll again on the Universal wild magic table. |
| 67 | For 10 minutes per caster level, a subtle illusion alters an area out to long range from the caster, making the environment appear twisted and sinister. Creatures within this area must roll twice and take the worst result on saves against fear effects and any demoralization check within this area gains a circumstance bonus equal to 1/2 caster level (minimum 1). |
| 68 | Roll twice and take both results. Ignore any results that require rerolls. If both rolls thus ignored, there is no effect. |
| 69 | Creatures automatically get a Will save to disbelieve the effect upon perceiving it without any further interaction. |
| 70 | The effect blocks line of effect, even once disbelieved. |
| 71 | The caster and all his attended objects are permanently monochromatic. This effect can only be removed by the Break Enchantment talent of the Life sphere or similar magic. |
| 72 | The caster takes untyped nonlethal damage equal to caster level. This damage does not force concentration checks to cast or maintain sphere effects or spells. |
| 73 | (Combat) The caster is dazed for 1 round. |
| 74 | For 1 round per caster level, a figment of a creature of the GM’s choice with a CR of at least the caster’s Hit Dice + 2 appears within medium range of the caster and menaces the caster and allies. |
| 75 | (Combat) All hostile creature’s within long range gain illusory doubles that only the caster’s allies can perceive. These illusory doubles impose a 50% miss chance on any attack against the creature and each duplicate disappears after one attack fails against this miss chance or after 1 minute per caster level. |
| 76 | The casting time increases by 1 step. |
| 77 | An illusion appears in the caster’s square depicting a flash of flame and the caster’s charred corpse falling to the ground. The caster becomes invisible as the Invisibility talent for 1d6 rounds. |
| 78 | (Combat) Rapidly shifting illusory disguises make it impossible for any creature within close range of the caster to distinguish friend from foe. For 1d6 rounds, the all creatures in the area must succeed on a Will save each round or treat all creatures within the area as hostile and must attempt attacks of opportunity against all creatures in the area and attempt saves against all effects originating from creatures within the area whenever possible. |
| 79 | (Combat) For 1d6 rounds, all hostile creatures within medium range become invisible as the Invisibility talent. |
| 80 | The caster and all his attended objects are permanently stained a bright color of the GM’s choice. This effect can only be removed by the Break Enchantment talent of the Life sphere or similar magic. |
| 81 | The caster makes a single magical skill check against all Illusion sphere effects and effects with the glamour and phantasm descriptors within medium range to dispel them as if using the Counterspell feat. This is resolved before the triggering effect. |
| 82 | The caster is exhausted. |
| 83 | The caster makes a single magical skill check against all Illusion sphere effects and effects with the glamour and phantasm descriptors within medium range to dispel them as if using the Counterspell feat. This is resolved after the triggering effect. |
| 84 | (Combat) For 1d6 rounds, all allied creatures within medium range become invisible as the Invisibility talent. |
| 85 | For 1 round per caster level, an illusion depicting the caster’s greatest fear appears within close range and menaces the caster. This figment cannot be larger than the caster’s maximum illusion size. |
| 86 | For 1 round per caster level, the caster appears to be weak and harmless. Any creature targeting the caster with an attack roll or non-harmless effect must succeed on a Will save or be forced to choose a different target or lose their action. |
| 87 | Illusory cold surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as per the category 3 cold of the Weather sphere + 1 category per 7 caster levels. |
| 88 | The effect ends the first time a hostile creature within 20 ft. of it succeeds on a Will save against an Illusion sphere or illusion school effect. |
| 89 | For 1d6 rounds, illusory duplicates of all creatures within close range of the caster at the time this result is triggered attack the original creatures. Treat these duplicates as having the benefit of the Illusionary Touch talent taken twice as well as the Illusionary Sound talent. |
| 90 | (Combat) The caster is nauseated for 1 round. |
| 91 | The casting time decreases by 2 steps. |
| 92 | The caster’s face is covered with a repulsive illusory disguise as the Illusionary Disguise talent for 1 minute per caster level, imposing a penalty equal to caster level on all Charisma-based checks. |
| 93 | All allied creatures within medium range gain illusory doubles. These illusory doubles impose a 50% miss chance on any attack against the creature and each duplicate disappears after one attack fails against this miss chance or after 1 minute per caster level. |
| 94 | The spell point cost of the effect increases by 1d4. If the caster does not have enough spell points, he is instead dazed until the end of his next turn. |
| 95 | For 1 round per caster level, a swarm of illusory insects covers an area out to illusion range, dealing 1 point of nonlethal damage per 2 caster levels. This effect remains stationary. When first exposed to this effect, a creature is allowed a single Will save to negate the damage from this effect for its duration. |
| 96 | Creatures who disbelieve the effect treat it as opaque, blocking line of sight. |
| 97 | An illusory wind surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as per the category 3 wind of the Weather sphere + 1 category per 7 caster levels. This wind blows directly toward the caster and dissipates after 1 round per caster level. |
| 98 | Any creature making a Will save to disbelieve the effect must roll twice and take the worst result. |
| 99 | Illusory heat surrounds fills the caster’s illusion range, acting as per the category 3 heat of the Weather sphere + 1 category per 7 caster levels. |
| 100 | For 1 round per caster level, all attended objects within close range of the caster become invisible as the Invisibility talent. |
Illusionist's Guide
A common misconception with illusion magic is that an illusion is not real. This is only partially correct. Illusions are real, they just are not what they appear to be. They do have an effect on reality, but rely heavily on belief to complete the effect. What is an illusion? Mostly it is whatever is convenient at the time. An illusion contains elements of many other spheres, but is its own unique effect. Illusions alter perception, but are not a mind affecting, so do not require a mind or even the physiology needed to process the sensation. Illusions alter light and sound but are not dark, light, or sonic effects.
Investigating and Interacting
In a world deeply entrenched in magic there is almost nothing that is “obviously” trickery. If part of your person was to go through a wall it is equally possible that you are incorporeal as it is that the wall is an illusion. If a fire was unable to be doused by water it is equally likely that the flames are supernaturally hot through the power of destruction magic as it is that the inferno is imaginary. Senses have a way of justifying their input no matter how alien.
In anything but the most extreme circumstances, interaction and investigation is a better model for creatures interacting with illusions. It would be impossible to categorize every potential interaction and expected result but as a general rule “interacting” occurs when a creature takes an action based on assumed qualities, such as the appearance or sensation of an illusion. If the illusion fails to possess those qualities interaction has taken place.
Upon interacting with a figment, a creature is allowed to make a Will save to disbelieve the effect. For each subsequent interaction the creature gains a cumulative +1 circumstance bonus to the Will save for that specific figment. This bonus is lost if a creature spends a round without interacting with the figment.
Upon interacting with a creature or object under the effects of a glamer, a creature acts as if any skill bonus granted by the glamer is two lower and any miss chance granted by the glamer is reduced by 10%. If the skill bonus or miss chance is reduced to zero, the creature automatically succeeds on further checks against the same glamer and may ignore all other effects of the glamer. Glamers with the shadow descriptor cannot have their granted skill bonuses or miss chance reduced to lower than half (rounded up) by creatures interacting with them.
As a move action a creature may investigate suspected figments. This becomes an interaction with any and all adjacent figments.
Example of Interaction
There is a figment of a dragon guarding a doorway.
The Mage: Uses Warp to teleport past the "dragon". The "dragon" is not assumed by the mage to have any abilities that would alert it to this action or allow it to prevent the action from occurring and the mage is successful. No abilities the mage assumed the "dragon" to have are confirmed to be lacking so no interaction has taken place.
The Rogue: Uses stealth to sneak past the "dragon". The "dragon" looks, sounds and smells real and the thief can feel the heat of dragon breath but the "dragon" does not react when the sneaking thief gets close. It is assumed that the "dragon" would attack any creature it was aware of in the room, but the thief has not confirmed that the "dragon" is actually aware of his presence so no interaction has taken place when the "dragon" remains stationary.
The Warrior: Loudly rushes into position to flank the "dragon" while screaming a battle cry. It is assumed this would alert the "dragon" but it does not move. The warrior has interacted with the figment. Upon reaching a sound position the warrior attacks the "dragon" but his blade passes through it without resistance. It is assumed the "dragon" and the weapon are both solid. The warrior has interacted with the figment a second time.
Affecting Complex or Exotic Senses
Illusion can foil all forms of perception, even unusual forms that many creatures possess. Use the following list when dealing with unusual senses.
- Detect Magic: Manipulate Aura (Sensory: Magic)
- Blindsense: Illusionary Odor (Sensory: Taste & Smell) and Illusionary Sound (Sensory: Sound)
- Blindsight: Illusionary Odor (Sensory: Taste & Smell), Illusionary Sound (Sensory: Sound), and Illusionary Touch (Sensory: Touch)
- Darkvision: Illusion sphere (Sensory: Sight) (However, keep in mind that darkvision is monochromatic. To fool darkvision at the same time as full colored vision should require Complex Illusion to maintain colored and non-colored elements separately.)
- Color Blindness: Illusion sphere (Sensory: Sight) (same caveat as darkvision)
- Echolocation: Illusionary Sound (Sensory: Sound) through air, Illusionary Touch (Sensory: Touch) through water
- Scent or Keen Scent: Illusionary Odor (Sensory: Taste & Smell)
- Lifesense: Manipulate Aura (Sensory: Magic) (unless the description of the specific sense is extraordinary or mentions/ implies heat, in that case Illusionary Touch (Sensory: Touch) is required instead)
- Low-light Vision: Illusion sphere (Sensory: Sight) “sight” that can see through objects: Illusion sphere (Sensory: Sight) (Senses such as See in Darkness, X-Ray Vision, Mistsight, Greensight that can penetrate specific sorts of occlusion only require sight to be fooled. However, creating an illusion that they would be expected to penetrate is suspicious enough to count as obvious signs of trickery.)
- Thoughtsense or Detect Thoughts: Implausable Deniability feat (Sensory: Mind), also Phantom Mind despite not being a sensory talent as a side effect may create figments that interact with these senses as a creature with an Int score up to half of the level of the caster. For glamers, Manipulate Aura can hide or modify the apparent intellect of a creature adding or subtracting up to twice their caster level. For this purpose creatures with an Intelligence 0 are treated as invisible to thoughtsense. This does not render your mind immune to being read.
- Tremorsense: Illusionary Touch (Sensory: Touch)
- Trueseeing: Effects that automatically see through illusions such as the truesight fey adept class feature or the true seeing spell (or True Seeing advanced talent) are only half as effective against (shadow) illusions. For (shadow): Illusion sphere (Sensory: Sight), Illusionary Sound (Sensory: Sound), Illusionary Touch (Sensory: Touch), Illusionary Odor (Sensory: Taste & Smell) and Manipulate Aura (Sensory: Magic). Keep in mind that the skill bonus granted by the glamer is already halved. Trueseeing has no effect on (suppression) talents.
For figments, if you do not possess all of the indicated (sensory) talent(s) associated with that form of perception, creatures with that sense are automatically treated as interacting with your figment the first time it comes within range of the sense. Interacting in this manner allows for a Will save to disbelieve the illusion with a +2 circumstance bonus for each missing talent.
For glamers, every sensory talent you lack to fool the listed sense, the creature acts as if any skill bonus granted by the glamer is two lower and any miss chance granted by the glamer is reduced by 10%. If the skill bonus or miss chance is reduced to zero, the creature may ignore all other effects of the glamer.
For suppressions, if all senses that make up the complex sense are suppressed by the effect, the complex sense fails to penetrate that area. When using Silence as a glamer, the affected creature treats all complex senses with all their base components suppressed as having range of 0.
Illusions That Create Cover Or Concealment
Figments and glamers provide concealment if they block line of sight. A figment of a wall for example would grant total concealment unless the attacker disbelieved the illusion, whereas a figment of fog would only grant partial concealment. Shadow Figments that grant a miss chance or concealment also grant soft cover.
Glamers that are used to change the size of a creature to appear larger grants a 10% miss chance for each size increase due to concealment. If a creature is glamered to appear larger it would provide a cover bonus to another target it grants the same concealment bonus to miss chance. Shadow Glamers that grant a miss chance or concealment also grant soft cover. Based on the description of their manifestation, at the GM’s discretion other glamers modified by the shadow descriptor (such as Illusionary Disguise) could instead grant up to a +2 bonus to AC of any type reflected by the description of the glamer.
Mastering Deception
Illusion is among the most versatile of magics, and as such odds are illusion can solve almost any problem. If you possess Shadow Infusion, time and spell points you definitely have all the tools you need to handle 90% of non-combat situations. Contrary to popular belief illusion magic is actually one of the better combat options despite a lack of burst damage for offense.
Weaponizing Deception
Glamers stick to the target that they are placed on, meaning they cannot be outrun. Hostile glamers used offensively will remain on their target regardless of distance. You could place a glamer of flesh melting acid on a target with Illusionary Touch (twice). This imaginary acid cannot be cleaned off or removed and lasts up to a minute per caster level until the caster gets bored of the spectacle or the victim finally makes their Will save.
Likewise, figments are not real and do not require line of sight nor line of effect to be created. The area that they occupy is not interrupted or blocked by physical barriers. Unlike more obviously combat focused magics like Death and Destruction, Illusion can set a dungeon on “fire” without even knowing it exists. Pairing Illusion with Divination, reflections or clever guesswork is one of the few and best methods of magical indirect fire.
Battlefield Manipulation
With illusions, allies may be out of sight but are rarely out of touch. So long as allies are within the range of your illusions, no party is truly split and no hero is ever alone. Illusions, even simple tricks, can be used to collaborate and communicate over long distances, through barriers, and with clever application of the right talents (such as Manipulate Aura) even across large gulfs of time.
Often, the best use of a battlefield illusion is to have enemies commit bold errors, not dissuade action. Have your illusionary allies or decoys soak up attacks of opportunity and readied actions. This a quick and easy way to allow your party to move unimpeded and engage in what would otherwise be very risky tactics, such as breaking an enemy line. Generally it is a better use of an illusion, especially a trick, to make a foe waste time, energy, and resources than it is to prevent them from acting at all.
Gently guide your enemy to give them neither the time nor reason to test for deception. It is usually best to avoid the total obstruction of fully solid wall that will come into question the moment opposition reaches it and has nothing better to do than investigate it. Instead it is better to leave overt openings or obvious detours to direct foes to a choice location rather than risk one lucky Will save that will reveal your barrier as the illusion it is. Combined with talents like Illusionary Labyrinth you can keep weak willed enemies harmlessly contained within an unending hedge maze, mud pit or fog bank.
Unseen Hazards
Many assume that illusions must explicitly be visual, but this is incorrect. If your goal is to trap or cause harm you may not want to produce a visual effect. If you wish to do harm without an expressed visual manifestation, extreme heat, cold, pressure, nerve pain or other sensations can be created without being “seen”. When getting the drop on foes, an illusionist could create an illusion without sensory manifestation or an exact copy of the area the illusion has been cast on to be changed, moved or altered later as a valid ambush tactic. Programmed illusions can function as confusing and terrifying “traps” on the battlefield, more so if you also possess Selective Illusions so only the victim and not his allies experiences the desired effect.
Target Discrimination and Maintaining Pressure
Complex Illusion allows you to break up an illusion into separate components. You can easily leave your allies out of the initial casting of an effect if you are concerned that they will not make the save or if it does not allow for a save to disbelieve such as suppression effects.
With Programmed Illusion you may automatically have your divided figments move to squares occupied by the enemies they were initially cast upon without having to spend an individual action to move each separate component. Stacking every potential debuff and hazard at your disposal on individual squares that “chase” enemies can turn the tide of a skirmish with a single casting.
Do be aware that Programmed Illusion is automated and as such may cross the path of allies while while moving to targets designated this way. Selective Illusions however can reduce the harm done by this or a second command (if granted by sufficient caster level) instructing your figments to move around allied squares.
Purpose-Driven Figments
Mechanically speaking there are no hard rules for how a fooled creature will react to figments. When creating a figment it is a good idea to state an intended purpose in creating it. In an effort to keep illusion as freeform as possible these are only suggestions for GMs and players to better communicate. A figment could be described as any one or more of the following:
Aversion
Figments that appear to be threatening or unpleasant in some way. Creatures react with caution to the illusion but are not frightened by it. Fooled creatures must make every reasonable effort to leave the area of the figment and any squares adjacent to the figment so long as doing so does not present an overt and fatal risk.
Attraction
Figments that appear to be the most tactically sound or pleasant decision. Fooled creatures must make every reasonable effort to approach and remain as close to or within the figment as possible so long as doing so does not present an overt and fatal risk. Illusions of this sort lose their attractive properties if they cause harm. At GM discretion creatures may be denied their Dexterity bonus to AC if they mistakenly believe an illusion is providing a tactical advantage such as cover or concealment.
Deadly Threat
Figments that appear to be worthy of caution and carefully avoided. Given the option, fooled creatures will move away from the figment even if doing so requires disengaging. Fooled creatures will not willingly attack the figment nor anyone adjacent to it and will make every effort to face the figment even if to do so would expose them to other “lesser” threats.
Obstruction
Figments that appear to be very solid largely immovable objects cause fooled creatures to never willingly enter their area or attempt to attack through them. Fooled creatures actively resist any attempt to move them into the area.
Priority Target
Figments that appear to be too eminently and fatally dangerous to leave alone, but easy to neutralize and/or probably delicious. If possible, fooled creatures will attempt to approach, attack, and/or destroy the figment to their fullest ability even if doing so requires breaking off a current engagement or risking injury so long as the potential injury is not obviously fatal.
Safe
Figments that conceal a hazard or threat. Fooled creatures will move through the area if doing so is efficient for their objectives. At the GM’s discretion, if the hazard is one that normally allows for a saving throw or attack roll, a -2 penalty to the saving throw or AC of fooled creatures may be appropriate.
The intended purpose of a figment need not be only one of these things, universally applicable or even uniform throughout the entire space occupied by the figment. As an example: A wall with windows and a doorway. Most of the wall could be described as an obstruction, the windows being tactically attractive for ranged combatants who wish to use them for their low cover without blocking their fire and the doorway attractive to melee combatants who see it as the path of least resistance to close distance with their foes. This entire wall could be sitting over a deadly fall making the entire area appear to be “safe”.
Thematics and Theatrics
There is not nor should there be any assumed fluff for how the sensation of an illusion manifests. Illusionists should be free to be creative when explaining how the mechanical benefit without shying away from personal flair. Some examples of the freedom that should not only be allowed but encouraged are given below.
Decoys need not follow the model of the mirror image spell and be limited to strictly being exact copies of the creature that they are attached to. There is no reason the mechanical effect cannot be expressed as a small squad of orcish bodyguards, a handful of taunting fey, frightening spirits or animated objects interposing themselves between you and attacks while looking menacing.
Blur (despite sharing a name with a spell that describes the effect as making a creature hazy with their outline shifting and wavering) can be expressed as anything that could be expected to interfere with clearly observing a target. Shattered glass, refractions, falling leaves, swarms of insects or a flock of sparrows could all create a concealment miss chance.
Disguises don’t have to be used for deception solely to hide an appearance, they could also add to the original form. Applying a disguise for other benefits such as Hostile Glamers could manifest as the original target but on fire. Perhaps you want to make a disguise with Shadow Infusion to gain the cover bonus to armor class, this could manifest as the original target but with an ominous spirit interposed upon their form.
Illusionary Labyrinth implies getting lost or being forced to turn around in confusion, but it need not be the only explanation for using an illusion to control the movement of a victim. This could instead be black tentacles extending from a non-euclidian void dragging their horrified victims to unknown destinations. A mass of webs, tar or thorns that prevents movement could equally explain a victim believing that they are unable to move.
Illusionary Terrain not only doesn’t have to be a change of the ground, but only describing it that way fails to explain how it also applies to other kinds of movement such as flight, levitation or swimming. A space filled with slime, tornados or half manifested spiritual hands clawing at all who enter the space however does.
To summarize, whatever the mechanics say an illusion does is what it does mechanically only. The explanation of how or why the illusion appears to work, however should not only be the duty but the pleasure of the illusionist that created it. The more strange, comical, horrifying and personally thematic that explanation is the better. As always, do respect the tone and themes of the game you are playing and more importantly the work your game master puts into maintaining a sense of atmosphere and the suspension of disbelief.
Immunity and Susceptibility
There is a rare creature on occasion that notes that it is completely immune to illusions. This is usually based on the presumption that an illusion is a purely visual effect. GMs should be encouraged to evaluate why a creature may be immune to illusions and see if the rules provided for complex senses are more applicable. If a creature is still deemed to still be immune to illusions use the rules for trueseeing (as described in the section entitled: Affecting Complex or Exotic Senses).
Sensation for the purposes of illusion magic is a separate thing from the mind or biology and neither a mind nor the necessary biology is required to be affected by an illusion. Constructs, plants, oozes, undead and many vermin lack eyes, ears, noses, nerves and anything that we would recognize as a mind, but have always been affected by illusion magic as easily as any other creature. Unless specifically noted, normally lacking the ability to experience a sensation created by an illusion does not render a creature automatically unaffected by it.
Clarifications
Create Reality
The class feature create reality adds a modified (shadow) descriptor to an illusion. All the individual effects except for Disguise from the create reality class feature are Illusion sphere (figment, shadow) effects. Disguise however is a (glamer, shadow) effect. Illusion talents modify these class features the same way they would modify other Illusion sphere effects. Shadowmark is also a (figment, shadow) but is obviously an illusion effect. The damage and other effects of shadowmark assume automatic disbelief and cannot be reduced further by disbelief.
Manipulate Aura
May be used on areas to conceal or create ambient evidence of magic from any school, sphere or specific spell. The trick granted by Manipulate Aura can only create or hide auras whose caster level is no greater than twice your caster level. In addition to the granted trick, Manipulate Aura is a (sensory) talent that allows you to change the auras of your illusions to appear to be from any school or sphere of magic or even radiate no aura at all. The strength of the illusionary aura can appear to be up to twice your caster level.
Unlike other illusions, Manipulate Aura is always observed by opposed magic or supernatural abilities and effects, as such an opposed magic skill check, not a Will save is required to negate the effect. True Sight and similar effects add to the magic skill check in addition to Will saves against other illusions.