Firstly, a little old 1st level spell foils Detect Magic. If you have any permanent Illusions that don't have Magic Aura on them, you deserve what you get. So this only really effects tactical Illusions. If you're using an Illusion to set up an ambush, 3 rounds is plenty of time to spring it. Furthermore, a Wizard who is using Detect Magic in combat is not using any of his other, much better, spells.
Also, It a lot harder than you think for Wizards to Detect Magic all day. Concentrating on a spell is a Standard Action. If you take a Standard and Move Action in the same round, that's a hustle. If you hustle for more than 1 hour per day, then you're Fatigued.
Misdirection spell, page 314 core rule book, or non detection, page 317. A second and third level spell that both last one hour per level and both have a good chance of negating detect magic, or most other divination spells, allowing for invisibility to work. I don't think these spells would work with illusion (figment) spells, such as major image, because these spells target objects or creatures.
Misdirection spell, page 314 core rule book, or non detection, page 317. A second and third level spell that both last one hour per level and both have a good chance of negating detect magic, or most other divination spells, allowing for invisibility to work. I don't think these spells would work with illusion (figment) spells, such as major image, because these spells target objects or creatures.See the trouble? It takes a second or third level spell to only have a CHANCE of defeating a 0-level cast-at-will spell. I think Pathfinder has basically made casting these spells a requirement now for casting any illusions if you plan on using them against any spell casters. Why isn't the effect just built in and require slightly more investment in the detecting wizard to defeat the illusion.
Personally, I am a big fan of arcane sight for this very reason: that image there is radiating an illusion aura. Hmm...I wonder if it could be an illusion?
Spellcraft also helps if the illusions are being cast in combat.
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I think the rules are a bit vague and there's room for DM adjudication.
Many Illusions fools either the senses or the minds of other criatures.
Those that create an image and affect the minds of other creatures (Patterns) would change the way how these creatures see the illusion, no matter what kind of vision they use (unless that kind of vision especifically beats illusions). A mental illusion of a normal wall is a wall the looks like a normal wall, that has the odor of normal wall, and seems to have the magic aura of a normal wall, but it is up to the DM.
You can also argue that using Detect Magic over an illusion counts as "interacting" with the illusion, granting the saving throw.
I would not apply that advantage to Glamers (i.e. Invisibility) because those spells only modify a very specific sensory quality of the user.
A phantasm doesn't even create an effect with an aura in some place, it affects the mind of the targets, so Detect Magic is useless in that case.
Pag. 210 of the Core rulebook has got more details about illusions.
This would be a really good question to flag for the FAQ file.
I think the rules are a bit vague and there's room for DM adjudication.
Many Illusions fools either the senses or the minds of other criatures.
Those that create an image and affect the minds of other creatures (Patterns) would change the way how these creatures see the illusion, no matter what kind of vision they use (unless that kind of vision especifically beats illusions). A mental illusion of a normal wall is a wall the looks like a normal wall, that has the odor of normal wall, and seems to have the magic aura of a normal wall, but it is up to the DM.
You can also argue that using Detect Magic over an illusion counts as "interacting" with the illusion, granting the saving throw.
I would not apply that advantage to Glamers (i.e. Invisibility) because those spells only modify a very specific sensory quality of the user.
A phantasm doesn't even create an effect with an aura in some place, it affects the mind of the targets, so Detect Magic is useless in that case.Pag. 210 of the Core rulebook has got more details about illusions.
This is more or less how I run it, though I feel that glamers should also be included.
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Detecting magic on an illusion tells you about as much information as looking at a wizard who has blur cast on him. Both look identical to detect magic, however one is real and one isn't. Detect magic does not tell you specifically what spell is being cast nor does it automatically give you the school of magic (a knowledge (arcana) check is required).
Other spells that are real things but would look identical to detect magic:
Disguise Self (borderline, but the person is real)
Blur
Mirror Image
Displacement
Seeming
Shadow Evocation/Shadow Conjuration
Person affected by Shadow Walk
Screen
Shades
I understand that it does give the wizard a lot of information that he wouldn't otherwise have... but he is a wizard. You can't walk around all day with it up and it takes 4 standard actions to use in combat, so both it's in combat and out of combat effectiveness are mitigated.
It's more fun that way.
I like the prank where I cast an illusory wall right in front of a real one. Some smart-ass spellflinger in jammies detects the illusion, jumps to the (quite correct, and quite fatal) conclusion that the wall is just an illusion, and lets some mouth breather with a big hunk of metal in his hands charge through the illusion - and headfirst into the real thing!
It's more fun that way.
I like the prank where I cast an illusory wall right in front of a real one. Some smart-ass spellflinger in jammies detects the illusion, jumps to the (quite correct, and quite fatal) conclusion that the wall is just an illusion, and lets some mouth breather with a big hunk of metal in his hands charge through the illusion - and headfirst into the real thing!
I prefer an illusionary floor over a real one. That way they think there is a pit trap and spend all this effort to avoid it, when in fact there is solid ground beneath.
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It's more fun that way.
I like the prank where I cast an illusory wall right in front of a real one. Some smart-ass spellflinger in jammies detects the illusion, jumps to the (quite correct, and quite fatal) conclusion that the wall is just an illusion, and lets some mouth breather with a big hunk of metal in his hands charge through the illusion - and headfirst into the real thing!
That happened to me only the wall was prismatic...
The next time the players detect magic at court, why not have the princess radiate illusion magic? At the end of the massive struggle where the PCs accuse her of being an impostor, have the illusion dispelled revealing she's had an acne outbreak and was trying to hide it. Knowing something is an illusion doesn't tell you what it's an illusion of.
Knowing something is an illusion doesn't tell you what it's an illusion of.This. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Seconded. I find that detecting illusions via detect magic isn't a whole lot better then making a DC20 sense motive check and being told "something is amiss".
The next time the players detect magic at court, why not have the princess radiate illusion magic?
Or...
Next time the PCs begin casting a spell at court, why not have them pincushioned with a dozen crossbow bolts for threatening the princess with possibly hostile magic?
It's not like the guards can tell Detect Magic from Fireball. It's not like they are going to wait and see if you incenerate Her Highness before they take you down.
Shoot first and ask questions later. And no doubt Her Higness will gladly reward their valiant defense of her royal personage.
That happened to me only the wall was prismatic...It's more fun that way.
I like the prank where I cast an illusory wall right in front of a real one. Some smart-ass spellflinger in jammies detects the illusion, jumps to the (quite correct, and quite fatal) conclusion that the wall is just an illusion, and lets some mouth breather with a big hunk of metal in his hands charge through the illusion - and headfirst into the real thing!
Rainbow force for the win.
The next time the players detect magic at court, why not have the princess radiate illusion magic?
Cut that out, cut that out. Look, you're marryin' Princess Lucky!
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For obvious reasons, detect magic is nearly worthless against invisibility. Also, in a combat situation the entire detect magic "problem" that you pose is rendered moot by a successful Spellcraft check to identify the spell as it is cast.
It does become more powervul against the silent / minor / major image line of spells, but not in a combat situation:
Round X: I cast an image to conjure an illusionary wall or creature on my turn. My sorcerer opponent casts detect magic. His spell detects the presence of magic - great! There is magic somewhere in the 60-foot cone in front of him. Not helpful, seeing as how any number of his magic-item-wearing enemies and allies are likely occupying spaces within that cone. The sorcerer is now maintaining concentration.
Round X+1: If the sorcerer has successfully maintained concentration on his spell, he can now determine the number of auras within the cone. He might realize that my image has an aura now, if no magic-item-wearing enemies are inside the cone (assuming he knows exactly how many magic items his allies are carrying).
Round X+2: If the sorcerer is lucky enough to have maintained concentration on detect magic all the way to round three, then he has a shot at identifying my image as an illusion with a Knowledge (arcana) check. If he fails the check, he simply registers an aura where the image is. But hey - either way, he knows the effect that I created has an aura, right? You might think that would give away the illusion, but detect magic says otherwise.
Outsiders and elementals are not magical in themselves, but if they are summoned, the conjuration spell registers.
Since summoned conjurations register an aura, the sorcerer learns nothing if he doesn't pull off that Knowledge (arcana) check. Of course it has an aura - it's a summoned conjuration.
Let's recap:
If a mage can maintain concentration for three rounds, he can entitle himself to a Spellcraft check to determine that the spell that I cast three rounds ago was some kind of illusion.
In-combat, detect magic is next to worthless for this purpose.
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My personal houserule: Detect Magic has a range of Touch. All classes that have Detect Magic available as a cantrip have another spell added to their spell list, Greater Detect Magic, as a first level spell. This operates as Detect Magic in the book operates.
I like it because it cuts down a lot of the out of game issues with illusions and aura detection through walls, and still allows easy investigation of anything suspect, or rifling through loot after a fight to identify it - and yet is extremely easy to sum up and understand.