I’m playing a rogue/wizard, and I recently had the idea of using minor illusion to summon illusory cover on the battlefield. Would this work? Would enemies be unable to target me under the total cover rules? Is this utterly and completely broken? On a similar note, can I use minor illusion to make an illusion of nothing, essentially making everything within the area invisible?
I’m playing a rogue/wizard, and I recently had the idea of using minor illusion to summon illusory cover on the battlefield. Would this work? Would enemies be unable to target me under the total cover rules? Is this utterly and completely broken? On a similar note, can I use minor illusion to make an illusion of nothing, essentially making everything within the area invisible?
Okay, so the cover idea--it could work. It's actually a classic, but keep in mind that if you create a barrel around yourself the barrel won't move with you--any object you create will have to stay in place. Additionally, if an enemy figured out that you created nothing but an illusion, the illusion would become transparent to them and they'd be able to see through. As for the nothing illusion, no, because the Minor Illusion spell specifically states that it must create an image.
What they said. It isn't exactly cover, but could work to obscure you (which is what you actually need to hide). You can't create an illusion of empty space, but you could create an image of the space behind it like an optical illusion, but it would be easy to tell it is just an image as soon as the viewer moves to a different angle (like IRL optical illusions, they only work at specific angles).
Also, if the enemies SEE you cast the spell to create the illusion, they are going to be suspicious of it, and it only takes 1 creature figuring it out and telling the others to render it useless. Depends on the kindness of your DM.
What they said. It isn't exactly cover, but could work to obscure you (which is what you actually need to hide). You can't create an illusion of empty space, but you could create an image of the space behind it like an optical illusion, but it would be easy to tell it is just an image as soon as the viewer moves to a different angle (like IRL optical illusions, they only work at specific angles).
Also, if the enemies SEE you cast the spell to create the illusion, they are going to be suspicious of it, and it only takes 1 creature figuring it out and telling the others to render it useless. Depends on the kindness of your DM.
I think this depends on what the illusion is. This is a magic world with spellcasters in it and if you created an illusion that fit the environment it might not rouse suspicion. If you made the ground rise up to make a mini wall of dirt is it any different than using mold earth to do the same? Other than it being an illusion of a dirt wall or mound. Sure, if they attack you and something passes through it, then it loses all effectiveness
No, it is possible to see a caster casting a spell via watching for verbal/somatic/material components.
Not sure what your point is. Seeing a caster make the ground in front of them rise up to form a small wall of dirt doesn’t tell you if it was an illusion of a dirt wall or an actual dirt wall from mold earth cantrip.
Edit: you can conjure a tidal wave in the middle of a desert with Tidal Wave. Would that be “suspicious” causing you to doubt it’s real until it crashed into you? Or would you just accept it, in a world where these things are possible, in the moment, unless something else (like interacting with it) caused you to doubt?
Just seeing a spell cast shouldn’t automatically cause suspicion
true, but what minor illusion does doesn't make the ground in front of them rise up. Instead, it makes a wall appear out of thin air, with no noise to go with it. Either that, or a barrel. Or a... something else.
true, but what minor illusion does doesn't make the ground in front of them rise up. Instead, it makes a wall appear out of thin air, with no noise to go with it. Either that, or a barrel. Or a... something else.
That is a fair point. I would just say that's what the investigation check is for.
if one of a handful of enemies summoned a glowing golden shield and swung it (seemingly) heavily around to guard their front... i think i'd aim my bow at somebody else. let the melee guys test that shield. i'm not potentially wasting my action economy when there are equally valuable targets running around.
the key to the bluff, in my mind, is the glow. oh, yeah, that's magic and magic can do all kinds of things. seems plausible. save that guy for last (and take their cool shield!).
Think of it like casting the darkness spell. you have created a barrier for sight, but not line of effect. So you would gain no benefit from cover (no +2/+5 to AC), and would been an unseen target and subject to those rules for anything related (your attacks would have advantage against creatures who couldn't see you, they would have disadvantage on attacks against you, though they might not think they can attack you at all). You also couldn't be targeted by spells or effects that require the creature to see you as a target. But spells/effects that don't have that requirement, and AoE effects, would pass right through and potentially affect/harm you.
If you were in an open room with nothing in it making a box to hide in would be obvious if the enemy already knew the layout of the room.
But if there was a bunch of stuff already in the room then one more thing might very well be overlooked. But if there is a bunch of stuff to hide behind in the room why not just hide behind one of those and save the spell? The same with outdoors. One bush in a field of bushes pretty obvious, one more bush in a field of bushes not so much. But why not hide........
The illusion spell could better be used as a distraction. Just create the box in an empty room and see if it distracts at least one attack or attacker. Or just make a loud noise behind the enemy.
I’m playing a rogue/wizard, and I recently had the idea of using minor illusion to summon illusory cover on the battlefield. Would this work? Would enemies be unable to target me under the total cover rules? Is this utterly and completely broken? On a similar note, can I use minor illusion to make an illusion of nothing, essentially making everything within the area invisible?
You can’t create cover, no. Objects pass through the illusion as normal. You can only create an image of an object, so no you cannot create “nothing.”
[EDIT] If you hid behind the object you’d be obscured, which could let you take the Hide action.
Okay, so the cover idea--it could work. It's actually a classic, but keep in mind that if you create a barrel around yourself the barrel won't move with you--any object you create will have to stay in place. Additionally, if an enemy figured out that you created nothing but an illusion, the illusion would become transparent to them and they'd be able to see through. As for the nothing illusion, no, because the Minor Illusion spell specifically states that it must create an image.
DMing:
The Cataclysm Stadium
Rise of the White Mask
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian.
What they said. It isn't exactly cover, but could work to obscure you (which is what you actually need to hide). You can't create an illusion of empty space, but you could create an image of the space behind it like an optical illusion, but it would be easy to tell it is just an image as soon as the viewer moves to a different angle (like IRL optical illusions, they only work at specific angles).
Also, if the enemies SEE you cast the spell to create the illusion, they are going to be suspicious of it, and it only takes 1 creature figuring it out and telling the others to render it useless. Depends on the kindness of your DM.
I think this depends on what the illusion is. This is a magic world with spellcasters in it and if you created an illusion that fit the environment it might not rouse suspicion. If you made the ground rise up to make a mini wall of dirt is it any different than using mold earth to do the same? Other than it being an illusion of a dirt wall or mound. Sure, if they attack you and something passes through it, then it loses all effectiveness
No, it is possible to see a caster casting a spell via watching for verbal/somatic/material components.
DMing:
The Cataclysm Stadium
Rise of the White Mask
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian.
Not sure what your point is. Seeing a caster make the ground in front of them rise up to form a small wall of dirt doesn’t tell you if it was an illusion of a dirt wall or an actual dirt wall from mold earth cantrip.
Edit: you can conjure a tidal wave in the middle of a desert with Tidal Wave. Would that be “suspicious” causing you to doubt it’s real until it crashed into you? Or would you just accept it, in a world where these things are possible, in the moment, unless something else (like interacting with it) caused you to doubt?
Just seeing a spell cast shouldn’t automatically cause suspicion
true, but what minor illusion does doesn't make the ground in front of them rise up. Instead, it makes a wall appear out of thin air, with no noise to go with it. Either that, or a barrel. Or a... something else.
DMing:
The Cataclysm Stadium
Rise of the White Mask
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian.
That is a fair point. I would just say that's what the investigation check is for.
if one of a handful of enemies summoned a glowing golden shield and swung it (seemingly) heavily around to guard their front... i think i'd aim my bow at somebody else. let the melee guys test that shield. i'm not potentially wasting my action economy when there are equally valuable targets running around.
the key to the bluff, in my mind, is the glow. oh, yeah, that's magic and magic can do all kinds of things. seems plausible. save that guy for last (and take their cool shield!).
Think of it like casting the darkness spell. you have created a barrier for sight, but not line of effect. So you would gain no benefit from cover (no +2/+5 to AC), and would been an unseen target and subject to those rules for anything related (your attacks would have advantage against creatures who couldn't see you, they would have disadvantage on attacks against you, though they might not think they can attack you at all). You also couldn't be targeted by spells or effects that require the creature to see you as a target. But spells/effects that don't have that requirement, and AoE effects, would pass right through and potentially affect/harm you.
Illusory Cover works fine. Situationally.
If you were in an open room with nothing in it making a box to hide in would be obvious if the enemy already knew the layout of the room.
But if there was a bunch of stuff already in the room then one more thing might very well be overlooked. But if there is a bunch of stuff to hide behind in the room why not just hide behind one of those and save the spell? The same with outdoors. One bush in a field of bushes pretty obvious, one more bush in a field of bushes not so much. But why not hide........
The illusion spell could better be used as a distraction. Just create the box in an empty room and see if it distracts at least one attack or attacker. Or just make a loud noise behind the enemy.
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One bush in a field is pretty obvious, one more bush in a field of bushes not so much.
Sorry.