A History of Magic: Illusion Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Illusion

The Subschools of Illusion: Figment, Glamour, Phantasm, Shadow.

Figment: A figment spell creates a false object or sensation. All who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. (It is not a personalized mental impression.) Because figments are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can, and generally fail if this inability becomes obvious. Darkness, invisibility, message, sending.

Glamour: Like a figment, a glamour creates an image that others can see, but also affects the minds of those who see it or are caught in it. While glamours are no more able to deal physical damage than the figments they are based on, their mind effecting component may prevent this from being readily apparent, even allowing them to deal psychic damage.

Phantasm: A phantasm spell creates a mental image that only the caster and the subject (or subjects) of the spell can perceive. This subschool is the portion of the school closest to its parent tradition. The results of these spells are personalized mental impressions completely within the minds of the subjects. Unlike a other types of illusion, there is no fake or semi-real image or anything to actually see, so third parties viewing or studying the an area with an individual under a phantasm have no way to perceive the illusion. While phantasms can deal damage it is nearly always psychic damage.

Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is the same type as would be dealt by a real object.

Selected Spells:

Gremlins

Illusion cantrip (phantasm)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You build a mental image of the target being plagued by small creatures darting about at the corner of their vision and taunting the target of this spell. If the target attempts to look directly at these tormentors, the creatures vanish. Often it seems they have just gone around corners, behind objects, or into containers, even if these actions would not actually conceal them or allow them to fit. While startling and distracting, these creatures do not actually harm the subject, though they may become persistent and possibly menacing if ignored.

Both you and your target must make a Wisdom saving throw or become incapacitated until the end of your next turn.

Animate Shadow

1st level illusion (shadow)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: 5 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Through your illusion magic you convert your shadow into a Shadow (per the Monstrous Manual), except that its type is Construct, its alignment is neutral, and its strength drain attack does not raise additional Shadows. This creature appears in your space or an unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. The summoned creature is friendly to you and your companions and disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions. In combat, the summoned creature has its own turn.

For the duration of the spell you cast no shadow.

Spectral Arms

1st level illusion (glamour)

Casting time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 hour

You create a illusory weapon copy of a melee or ranged weapon with which you have proficiency. You wield this weapon as if it were a normal version, but use your Intelligence for attack and damage rolls and it deals psychic damage rather than the weapon's normal type. You may appear to sheath the weapon, but intentionally dropping or giving it away ends the spell immediately. If you are unwillingly disarmed the weapon immediately returns to your hand, however.

If the weapon chosen is a ranged weapon it comes with one piece of ammunition per round, while thrown weapons reappear in hand once per round after an attack.

Enemies that can see through visual illusions, such as those with truesight, are immune to this spell.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher the duration increases by 1 hour per additional slot level above 1st. 

Perfidious Enchiridion

2nd level illusion (glamour)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Permanent

You confuse the contents of a single page worth of writing you have scribed so that it appears to be some form of foreign or magical writing. When you cast this spell you can specify individuals that are unaffected by any or all of the effects that you choose. You can further refine the trigger so the spell activates only under certain circumstances or according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight), creature kind (for example, the writing could be set to be read by aberrations or undead), or alignment. You can also set conditions for creatures that may read the text, such as those who say a certain password.

At the end of each round in which an individual gives the enchanted text more than a cursory examination, attempting to translate it or reading it aloud for example, they suffer 1d4 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom save or take a level of exhaustion.