(A) In magic Illusion is actually Enchantment
Recently I was listening to RPGBot Podcast https://rpgbot.net/ about illusions and it reminded me of some issues in regards to them.
It was always weird to me that DnD, including pre-3.X versions, likely distinguished Illusionist or School of Illusion outside of other mind-altering effects. I remember reading Birthright book and getting off vibes that Magician class is restricted only to Divination and Illusion. Because my first thought of âa low magic wizardâ is an Enchanter, conman, charlatan, the one messing with your perception. The Illusions, though a part of it, seem to me less direct, especially the notion of DnD illusions.
DnD and family of games around it treat illusion as something independent. Like ingrained in reality hologram, you cast a spell and it appears and it just is a part of the world â the sight, the sound â until itâs time passed. Thatâs where there is the issue. Illusions can be very potent or very weak depending on GM ruling. I am on the side they should always be very potent â but the type of illusions cast should be different.
Instead of making every illusion this independent hologram â which led to 3.X differentiation of shadow, glamour, figment and the other one. And Iâd say glamour is something which should be more common. So casting a spell of illusion should make your copper coins APPEAR golden for the few people you try to bribe but shouldnât just out of thin air show everyone vision of golden coins. It should be an effect directed towards someone and not holographic effect visible by anyone. You enchant someoneâs mind to believe in the illusion instead just pulling it out of the void.
I mean, holographic illusion is problematic in a sense itâs questionable what can it do. If you can just cast on anyone the feeling of being suffocated can you suffocate them? Can you make fake sight/touch fireball and kill those who fail saving throw against illusions? Should you use shadow sword and make enemy mind believe they died? This is a no issue with illusions as enchantments.
Illusions as enchantments do not create independent hologram in the world. These are mind altering spells causing specific targets to believe fake sensations. You donât make your coins to appear golden â you make others believe they are golden. You donât create semi-physical blade made of shadow â you convince an enemy that this prop you wield is the blade. There is no illusory cage they can feel â they believe there is a cage.
Such illusions are of course more dynamic and situational, you cannot just cast âFake Gold Coinsâ on a brick and walk around with it for eternity. But this also makes it more actionable. You donât cast âImitation of Scary Monsterâ, you point towards weirdly grown twig and yell âoh no, Scary Monsterâ. And you can enhance effect when using some materials prepared before. Huge mask with scary paintings? Carefully placed twine and hooks making it seem as if something really tried to catch you. Fake monster drawn on a sheet of paper and placed in badly lit corner.
As for the hologram illusions Iâd reserve them for high level spells. But then theyâre still only figments. Illusory wall, no matter how much looks and feels like a wall once you trip over and fall on it you will land behind it. Regular wall will make you realise something is wrong, powerful one will convince you that youâre still on the other side of it.
Illusions should just be brain tricks.