Minor Image.

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Bree_Yark
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Minor Image.

Post by Bree_Yark »

Looking for some input from my fellow Illusionists for some creative uses for minor image.

Since sound is limited and thermal effects aren't included I'm inclined to keep with simple illusions.

My first thought was things like pit traps, giant swinging axes traps, rolling boulder traps, jello cubes, shadows, perhaps bugbears as they are known to be stealthy.

Anything else I'm missing right off the bat?

Treebore
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Treebore »

Since soiund is limited you may not want to try such noisy traps, such as the boulders or Giant swinging axes.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

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Relaxo
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Relaxo »

How about some sinister looking creepy eyes in the darkness?
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Go0gleplex
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Go0gleplex »

Do not limit yourself to creating stuff that is not there. You can also hide what is there. Doorways appearing as walls, windows as gargoyle filled alcoves. Pits appearing as normal floors. A narrow bridge over a rushing sewer flow. That rope they are climbing...has a bad rotten spot that is starting to shred and give way...building a little on Relaxo's eyes...sinister shadowy shapes in the darkness. False footprints leading to someplace nasty or into an ambush by other forces. The edge of a mountain ledge slightly displaced a few feet (a total let down for someone counting on that ledge).

Stuff like that?
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Ancalagon
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Ancalagon »

Minor Image. What a terrible name for a spell.

Go0gleplex and Relaxo have the right ideas. Too many people I've gamed with over the years want to use the more limited, low level illusionist spells like conventional damage dealing attacks. While its possible to use them in such a manner, finding indirect uses is infinitely more creative. 8-)
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Cenbe
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Cenbe »

Too many people I've gamed with over the years want to use the more limited, low level illusionist spells like conventional damage dealing attacks. While its possible to use them in such a manner, finding indirect uses is infinitely more creative.
To my mind, Minor Image and friends are meant to distract or misdirect opponents, and possibly cause them to waste attacks. The fact that they can cause damage is incidental, and serves only to heighten the opponent's belief in the illusion. If it's just damage you're after, you have the Dragon and Dark Chaos families of spells for that.

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Lurker
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Lurker »

I was thinking about this one .. what could you use it for ...

You are being over whelmed and chased down a dungeon corridor ... The spell lifts the stone floor and causes stalactites to crash down blocking the way of the monsters chasing the party - smell and sound - dust in the air, creaking of stone ripping up and down.

or it creates a undead hand breaking out of the ground grasping at the caster's enemies, or a demon lizard looking thing hissing and spitting at the eyes of the enemies ...

Oh thinking of lots if ideas ...
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Bree_Yark
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Bree_Yark »

Cenbe wrote:
To my mind, Minor Image and friends are meant to distract or misdirect opponents, and possibly cause them to waste attacks. The fact that they can cause damage is incidental, and serves only to heighten the opponent's belief in the illusion. If it's just damage you're after, you have the Dragon and Dark Chaos families of spells for that.
I'm looking at all options. I'm thinking things that eat up turns cause damage and act as barriers.

Giant swinging axes out of the walls, preventing anyone from moving through a corridor, or doing damage to those that do.
Falling into a pit, taking damage, perhaps getting some flaming oil poured on them as they are trying to climb out.

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Mark Hall
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Mark Hall »

One thing I have done with the Image line of spells is treat them somewhat akin to a wish... they let you do ANYTHING, but they're more fragile.... interacting with them always gives a saving throw, perhaps on top of other saving throws that the effect would allow. My basic example is a fireball.

If you try Fireball with Silent Image, the opponent's Saving Throw gets a +2 because you're missing the aural and thermal components, and a+2 because Silent Image is a 1st level spell and Fireball is a 3rd level spell, for a total of +4. If you tried Burning hands, instead, they'd only get a +2. In either case, they'd get two saves... one to realize it was an illusion, and one to avoid the "fireball".

Now, the illusion won't necessarily grant a save... a Silent Image of a wall doesn't necessitate a save unless someone tries to touch it, so clever illusionists can get around a lot of this... but I let the spell serve as an anyspell, with the caution that it is an illusion.
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Captain_K
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Re: Minor Image.

Post by Captain_K »

You are running from someone, duck into a doorway, the illusionist shows an empty doorway.. the pursuit follows the retreating ghost sounds or phantom lights down the hall you did not actually take... once they get past you, attack from behind with complete surprise thanks to the illusionist filling the hall with the illusion of darkness and mist which you come out of with demon eyes and eerie black vapors and blood dripping from oversized scary weapons. The illusions add to your chance to hit and possibly even your damage.
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