Question on Illusion Spells

[Brian Turner 355]

I am making a Wizard that is an Illusionist. And I want to cast both Ghost sound and Silent Image at the same time since the spell of ghost sound says that it can enhance the Silent Image spell. But can you cast two spells that take a standard action on the same round if you don't move.

My other thought is that since you get the ability "Extended Illusion" when you specialize in Illusions I could cast silent image then concentrate until the beginning of my next turn stop concentrating and then cast Ghost sound to enhance Silent Image.

Thanks for the help.

[DM_Blake]

No, you cannot take two standard actions in the same round. You could quicken one of the spells by using the Quicken Spell feat but that makes it a 5th level spell. Or you could use a Metamagic Rod to do it for you, but that is very expensive.

You could create the sound in round 1 and then make it visible in round 2. For some images, this won't make sense, for other images it it would, so just be careful how you do it. For example, in round 1 make the sound of an ogre just around the corner of a building, then in round 2 make the image of that ogre coming around that corner.

Your second idea will work just fine.

[Emmit Svenson]

No, you can’t normally take two standard actions in one round for any purpose, so in order to have both Ghost Touch and Silent Image up you need to do some planning.

You could cast Ghost Sound first; it has a duration of rounds per level, which can be helpful. For example, you could create the Ghost Sound of a wolf rising in volume, and have the first round be the sound of it approaching from around a corner. Then in the second round you follow up with a Silent Image of the wolf emerging from around the corner, and the Ghost Sound will grow louder, matching the wolf’s approach.

Or, as you say, an Illusion specialist could cast Silent Image first and due to her Exended Illusion school power, the figment will persist after she stops concentrating on the spell in order to cast Ghost Sound--but not for long at low levels. I would think this works the Major Image works: the Illusion specialist can move the Silent Image around only so long as she is concentrating on it.

Later on, you could use metamagic like Quicken Spell to cast both spells in the same round, but it’s hard to see any advantage to doing that instead of casting Major Image, which provides not only visual and auditory but olfactory and thermal sensations.

[ElMustacho]

Be a gnome and use the Effortless Trickery feat. It allows you to concentrate on a spell (only illusions) as a move action. So you can keep on silent image and ghost sound. Or any combination of two spells until at least 1 is from the illusion school.

[Adahn_Cielo]

Would the Illusion School Familiar be okay? As a move action, you can make it so the familiar has to keep the concentration for the Illusion spell (and the DC gets buffed, too!).
The familiar even gets one cantrip of the Illusion school to cast at will, so you can set up the Silent Image/Ghost Sound combo in one round!

[Dafydd]

School familiar seems the best option.

Familiar casts Ghost Sound
You cast Silent Image (remember to transfer the illusion to the familiar for the +1 DC and not having to concentrate)

[Emmit Svenson]

ElMustacho wrote:

Be a gnome and use the Effortless Trickery feat. It allows you to concentrate on a spell (only illusions) as a move action. So you can keep on silent image and ghost sound. Or any combination of two spells until at least 1 is from the illusion school.

Effortless Trickery allows a caster to maintain concentration on an illusion as a swift action. However, casting a spell breaks concentration; Effortless Trickery does not change that.

[Zwordsman]

out of curiousity where does spells say they break concentration? I can't remember that.. and i've seen that trick used A LOT and not only by players..

it'd be interesting if it was such a forgotten rule.

Spells doe requrie concetnration, but plenty of things so far can be done while concentrating. I don't remember seeing anything about multiple concentrations

[Snowblind]

CRB p216 wrote:

Concentration: The spell lasts as long as you concentrate on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can also break your concentration while you’re maintaining one, causing the spell to end. See concentration on page 206. You can’t cast a spell while concentrating on another one. Some spells last for a short time after you cease concentrating.

The more you know...

[Zwordsman]

reading rainbow or GIJOE?

..or i guess that afterschool "adult situation" infomercial for kids things.. but that's just more depresssing than the first two..

Also good to know and a rule most folks also don't seem torealize. INmy experience anyway