Silent Image says that it can take up four 10 foot cubes, plus one 10 foot cube per level. As I imagine that on a grid map it is four 5 foot squares connected, 2x2, to each other, in width, height, and depth. At first level a caster can connect five of those same sized cubes to each other. That's a pretty darn big area. Am I correct in my understanding of the geometry there?
Yes, a 10-foot-cube is four 5-foot-squares, and ten-feet of height.
So at level one, your silent image is 20 5-foot-squares (albeit in 10-foot-chunks, unless your GM allows flexibility on that), and ten feet of height.
That should be enough to show, for scale, show an image of one gargantuan creature, five large creatures or twenty medium creatures (assuming each medium takes up a five-foot square; crammed together you could do far more medium creatures)
Alternatively (and stealing shamelessly from Order of the Stick) You could easily create the image of a wall 20ft wide and 20ft high to hide your party behind with a little bit left over.
From RAW I'd say that you sort of need to use the cubes described, rather than being able to stretch out the total volume. So at level 1 you'd have 5 cubes of 10ft a side, so you could create a 50ft long, 10ft high, 10ft deep illusion, a vaguely pyramid-shaped illusion 20ft long along the bases and 20ft high (by having 4 cubes as the base and one on top in the middle) or similiar.
I don't think you could create a 500ft long, 10ft high, 1ft deep illusion despite the total volume being equal to the 50x10x10 illusion mentioned earlier.
Yes, a 10-foot-cube is four 5-foot-squares, and ten-feet of height.
So at level one, your silent image is 20 5-foot-squares (albeit in 10-foot-chunks, unless your GM allows flexibility on that), and ten feet of height.
That should be enough to show, for scale, show an image of one gargantuan creature, five large creatures or twenty medium creatures (assuming each medium takes up a five-foot square; crammed together you could do far more medium creatures)
He's right on the scale, but note that you cannot create an illusion of more than one creature with a silent image.
Also, the image you create cannot leave the spell's area of effect. Place those cubes carefully!
So, say a level one caster wanted to make an illusion of a rock slide, between two cliff walls that were no more than 40 ft apart, that would be perfectly feasible?
So, say a level one caster wanted to make an illusion of a rock slide, between two cliff walls that were no more than 40 ft apart, that would be perfectly feasible?
I don't see why not. Sounds like a perfectly reasonable use of the spell.
Okay, thanks all for your insightful answers. :)