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This came up in a game over the weekend. I was reasonably confident in how I handled it, but the player was also adamant that it could work.
If a Wizard casts the spell Silent Image to imitate a damaging spell (in this case, Lightning Bolt, but could be anything visual) targeting a creature, and the creature fails to disbelieve, what is the effect?
Silent Image is a figment, and the description of figment spells in the Magic chapter specifically says they cannot cause damage. But can they make a creature believe it is taking damage? Could it cause a creature to fall unconscious, even though no actual damage was being dealt? Or is it just a hologram?
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There is a module called Crypt of the Everflame that uses minor image to create a group of orcs that attack the party. If you fail to disbelieve them you can be knocked unconscious by there attacks (I was). This does establish precedence that it can work. However the best answer I can give is this:
"Because figments and glamers are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can. Figments and glamers cannot cause damage to objects or creatures, support weight, provide nutrition, or provide protection from the elements. Consequently, these spells are useful for confounding foes, but useless for attacking them directly."
I believe it is clear enough. I would rule that if such an effect was created that it would deal no damage and provide proof that the illusion was false (+4 to disbelieve). If he still fails then I would rule that he thinks he got lucky and somehow was unharmed.
For players, if they are hit by an illusionary attack, they should get a saving throw to disbelieve. I, as the GM, usually make this roll for the players, otherwise they'll know something is wrong and probably guess illusion. If that save fails, I have them subtract the illusionary damage from their hit points, again otherwise they'll know it's an illusion.
If they reach 0 hit points or less because of illusionary damage... they won't go unconscious.
Player: Um, I'm at -3 hit points, why I'm I still standing?
GM: Yeah, that's weird, huh?
Haha, maybe if the player reaches negative hit points because of illusionary damage, and that player places his own minature figure on its side, he is voluntarily falling prone awaiting unconsciousness.
Player: If it was an illusion, why am I lying on the ground?
GM: Hey, you did that on your own. I guess it was that believable to you.
After they realize it's an illusion, they would gain back all illusionary damage they thought they took.
I would play it the same way with monsters. When the monster would reach 0 hit points or less because of illusionary damage, I would have them stand there looking confused, but continue the battle.
I would NOT have any player or monster go unconscious because of illusionary damage. (Unless it was a goblin, cause that's funny. He'd be lying on the ground with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. "Get up you! *kick*" "Leave me alone, I'm dead!").
By RAW a character hit by an illusionary lightning bolt would not feel anything.
In previous versions of D&D such effects had non-lethal damage potential and could knock you unconscious.
In game play you can have the illusion of damage, such as an illusion of broken armor and illusionary blood. At that point it becomes a role playing exercise for the group. What would you do if someone "shot" you, you didn't feel anything, but you saw a hole in your chest? I think most people would be concerned.
When I run illusionary encounters I have the illusions interact realistically but without causing damage. Sometimes that's all that is necessary. In a recent battle with an illusionary dire crocodile, the party took several rounds before they realized that the crocodile was missing them an awful lot, but the real normal crocodiles were hitting.
At one point they were on the verge of running away, which would have been awesome.
I like Adamantine's style, and after going over the illusion rules again, I believe that is the correct way to handle illusions in Pathfinder. I am going to switch to this way. (I was probably using some older version rules for illusions).
There is a module called Crypt of the Everflame that uses minor image to create a group of orcs that attack the party. If you fail to disbelieve them you can be knocked unconscious by there attacks (I was). This does establish precedence that it can work.
I went and reread the illusory orc attack, and the adventure says:
"These orcs are illusory. Whenever they hit or are hit by one of the player characters, they react appropiately, but give that PC a DC 16 Will save to notice that these orcs are not real. Characters who are told that the orcs are not real receive a +4 bonus on the save. If the save is failed, the character believes the wounds caused by the attacking orcs. Once all the characters have disbelieved or all the orcs are slain, both the orcs and the wounds caused by them disappear."
Nowhere does it say the characters take hit point damage or fall unconscious. Also, this is similiar and inforces Adamantine's post. I think your GM was using some older illusion rule too.
I forget which 3.5 adventure it was, but there was this awesome illusion trap with a well and spiders. The players discovered that the webs in a well were illusions, then some spiders came crawling up the well. After some attacks, the spiders would disappear when killed. The players would think the spiders were illusions too and ignore them. When the spiders made it to the top of the well, they would start biting the players for Str damage. There was a creature at the bottom of the well using Summon Monster. Real spiders that disappeared when killed, not illusory spiders!