Taking a Closer Look at Illusion Spells (in Pathfinder)

A while back I wrote a post titled Illusion Spells Are Far More Tactical Than We Give Them Credit For. While a lot of folks came away from that article with a new-found interest in this school of magic, a lot of people insisted that I was wrong on a fundamental level about just how useless this school of magic is in Pathfinder. As such, I wanted to take this week's update to talk about some of the incorrect assumptions a lot of us go into the game with when it comes to these spells.

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Understanding Illusion

Illusion is one of the more complicated schools of magic, because it isn't just one thing. Illusion spells are broken down into the following categories:

- Figment: Figments create illusory sensations. Everyone who sees a figment, hears a figment, etc., experiences the same thing. Figment food all seems to be the same food to observers, figment fire feels the same to those around it, and so on.

- Glamer: Glamers change and alter something's sensory quality. It makes something look, feel, smell, etc., different. This includes making things disappear.

- Pattern: Patterns create things people can see, but patterns affect the mind directly so that the image doesn't appear in reality.

- Phantasm: Phantasms create images that, typically, only the caster and the subject can see. This also reaches directly into the subject's mind.

- Shadow: Shadow illusions are quasi-real. So even if someone makes the save against a shadow illusion, a shadow creature can still hurt them, a shadow fire still burn them, etc., just not as badly.

Your world is what I want it to be.

As you can see, only two types of illusions (phantasms and patterns) directly affect the minds of enemies. So the most common complaint against illusions, them being they're useless against foes like constructs and mindless undead who are immune to mind effects, applies to only two of the five types of illusion spells. So you could still use shadow, glamer, and figment effects against those enemies.

The other thing to keep in mind is that saving against an illusion isn't done by just causally glancing at it, or hearing an illusory noise. An observer has to study the effect with some kind of focus, or otherwise interact with it in some way. That might mean running their hands over an illusory wall, standing and listening to the approaching snarls of a hellhound to realize it's on a loop, or putting their foot into an illusory fire. And even if a creature does interact with an illusion, that doesn't mean it immediately breaks... an illusionist with a good casting stat, feats to boost the DC of their spells, etc., can create illusions that fool all but the strongest of minds.

While there are lots of things that can give away an illusion, such as it not having a smell if a target has scent, or it not making any impact on the floor if a target has tremorsense, those tend to be specific scenarios that can be dealt with on an individual basis. And while true seeing allows one to see through illusions, that's either a 6th or 7th level spell, or a very rare creature ability. It's entirely possible to go a full campaign, and never once deal with a foe who has that ability... and when it does happen, that's when the illusionist reaches deeper into their bag of tricks for some non-illusory spells, or counts on the rest of the party to pick up the slack.

It's All About Creativity

Of all the spells in Pathfinder, illusions are the ones that are most left up to the spellcaster's creativity in terms of what they look like, smell like, etc. And a large part of their success is going to be based on how well your imagination can fit the scene, and what sorts of things you can spin out of thin air.

Illusions can create amazing disguises for the party, allowing them to look like a squad of prison guards while they're in the middle of an escape. It can create billowing clouds of smoke to hide the party from archers trying to draw a bead on them. It can create false darkness, blocking enemies' ability to see. Illusionists can even make things like ropes, bridges, bars, and more that are woven through with shadow, allowing them to support the party's weight long enough to get them to the other side of a chasm, or to help them get down from a high wall.

The question you face, as an illusionist, is how creative you can be. Because if you've got that, then the rest is just figuring out the best way to match the image in your mind to the spells you can drop on the board.

Before You Go, I Have a New Release!

There's not really a good segue for this, but I wanted to let my readers know that a supplement I've been waiting on has finally dropped! The third installment in what I've been calling my meta series, it began with 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better Game Master, and then followed up with 100 Character Goals and Motivations. But now I've got the third part of it out... 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better RPG Player!

I wouldn't have written it if I didn't think there were folks who needed it.

Much like the supplement that started this side series off, this player's guide is full of some of the best tips and tricks I've come across over the past decade of writing this blog, along with all my own experiences as a player. So whether you've found these supplements useful and want to check out the new installment, or this is your first time hearing about them, consider giving these books a look!

And if you've already got your copies, don't forget to rate, review, and share it around to spread the word! I've only managed to get two of them to Silver so far, and I'd like to push past Electrum and up into Gold if possible.

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