With the removal of the Malleable Illusion feature from the 2014 Illusion Wizard, I was wondering if the nature of illusions in 2024 can ever be changed without expending another spell slot? Say you have cast Major Image with a level 4 spell slot so that it lasts until dispelled without concentration, can you change what the illusion is sometime after casting?
For example, Major Image says:
If you are within range of the illusion, you can take a Magic action to cause the image to move to any other spot within range. As the image changes location, you can alter its appearance so that its movements appear natural for the image. For example, if you create an image of a creature and move it, you can alter the image so that it appears to be walking. Similarly, you can cause the illusion to make different sounds at different times, even making it carry on a conversation, for example.
Emphasis mine. Now the intent is that you can alter the appearance to make movement seem natural, sounds to seem natural etc. However, what if I create an illusion of a mimic creature, could this illusion of a mimic change form? Could an illusion of a changling or any other shapeshifter like a druid change form? More generally, can illusions like Major Image imitate a scene with multiple subjects, objects that interact with each other, like an illusory person picking up an illusory apple.
The rules glossary:
If an illusion manifests in space, the illusion is insubstantial and weightless, yet it seems to be affected by the environment as if the illusion were real unless the effect that created it specifies otherwise. For example, a visual illusion of a creature casts shadows and reflections, and wind appears to affect the illusory creature. Similarly, an audible illusion echoes in an echoey space.
So illusions can be very intricate and realistic, even casting shadows and reflections, or interacting with wind. So some parameters of the illusion can “change” as part of the illusion after casting, which also can seemingly respond to the environment. How far does this go?
With the removal of the Malleable Illusion feature from the 2014 Illusion Wizard, I was wondering if the nature of illusions in 2024 can ever be changed without expending another spell slot? Say you have cast Major Image with a level 4 spell slot so that it lasts until dispelled without concentration, can you change what the illusion is sometime after casting?
For example, Major Image says:
Emphasis mine. Now the intent is that you can alter the appearance to make movement seem natural, sounds to seem natural etc. However, what if I create an illusion of a mimic creature, could this illusion of a mimic change form? Could an illusion of a changling or any other shapeshifter like a druid change form? More generally, can illusions like Major Image imitate a scene with multiple subjects, objects that interact with each other, like an illusory person picking up an illusory apple.
The rules glossary:
So illusions can be very intricate and realistic, even casting shadows and reflections, or interacting with wind. So some parameters of the illusion can “change” as part of the illusion after casting, which also can seemingly respond to the environment. How far does this go?