Advise on best uses for illusions

[AXP_Dave]

I'll be playing my first illusionist that the party has ever had had soon. I know this is pretty situational, but you please give some of the best uses for illusions? My goal is to use illusions to take enemy combatants out of the battle (walls or domes of illusion).

Any ideas along with what spell it would go with would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

[Kieviel]

I'm running a gnome/ sorc illisionist right now and have been having blast "trapping" enemies in walls that look like they are melting up oout of the floor. I've also been creating pit illusions to control the battlefield. Eventually I'll be supplementing them with real pits.

A small word of advice, make sure you can do something else besidezs just make illusions. They don't always work.

[Fenrisnorth]

I like to use Illusions to create hiding spots for people. Hide in a nook and create an illusion of an empty nook.

Ghost sound to lure enemies into an ambush. (make it sound like the party is infighting.)

The limit is your imagination, but your DM can screw you if he overpowers "interacting" with the illusion as, say, just looking in its general direction. It really should be having to closely scrutinize it, touch/taste it, etc.

[Kieviel]

Fenrisnorth wrote:

I like to use Illusions to create hiding spots for people. Hide in a nook and create an illusion of an empty nook.

Ghost sound to lure enemies into an ambush. (make it sound like the party is infighting.)

The limit is your imagination, but your DM can screw you if he overpowers "interacting" with the illusion as, say, just looking in its general direction. It really should be having to closely scrutinize it, touch/taste it, etc.

That's a good point Fenris, talk to your DM ahead of time to see how he plans to deal with the illusions. My DM is pretty fantastic, he treats "interaction" as actually, ohysically interacting with the illusion. So, touching the illusionary wall. Not just looking at it.

I also like to keep my bluff skill high with an illusionist but that's just me.

[Fenrisnorth]

Yeah, I once tried to play a bard who used illusion magic to make the stage, costume and SFX, and the DM said that everyone was pissed because they saw through the illusions too easily. I was like, what the deuce, who's fondling the props?

A better GM let me get out of a major combat by running down the hall towards the enemy screaming my head off while an illusory dragon breathed fire down the hall after me. One "glibnessed" bluff later, and we are both booking it, and I gave them the slip as soon as we were outside.

[Malignor]

I'm playing a Rogue, but I've use a Wand of Silent Image for a couple good things.

1: I made an illusionary barricade in the street to divert my victims into an alley where my group jumped them.

2: When infiltrating a Drow temple, I made a huge sized giant spider (common in here) on the wall, just chilling, and my group all hid inside the illusion while the high priestess walked by, paying no heed to what is already common there.

Illusions are also great to mimic other spells, create copies of your allies, fake terrain, obstacles to hide behind, fake caltrops or other hazards to control where enemies go, and so on. You can make an illusionary object of great power or value and pretend to drop it, causing enemies to go out of their way to take it themselves (using up their actions and messing up their organization). You can offer up illusionary gems as on-the spot bribes. Summon an illusionary horse to block a line of charge and holler "come and get me". Create an illusionary portal and jump through it, then if they follow they eat an AoO from a hidden ally.

The big thing is, don't expect it to work if you're casting the spell around an enemy who has Spellcraft. They'll recognize the spell you're casting and get +4 to save right away. Illusions require some forward thinking.

[Cheapy]

Read this. Then read it again. Then read it until you understand it.

Silent Image, your main stay, is a Figment.

There's a debate over whether it can change light levels, look around for previous threads on illusions.

[Darkwing Duck]

An oldie, but goodie, is an illusion of darkness.

Your party disbelieves it, but your enemy doesn't and is blind.

Remember, also, various other spell effects, like grease.

Hopefully, you're playing a Sorcerer as the high charisma (and bluff) lend good support.

Unfortunately, illusions are handicapped in Pathfinder very badly because anyone with the appropriate skill can tell that you are casting an illusion spell when you cast even if your spell is still and silent.

[pipedreamsam]

A wall. Just a wall, people will go around it (or touch it and waste actions), it will shut down ranged attacks and all vision while you can see through it.