To save a halfling village...

[Bhaene]

We were gathered in council unto the king. Now known to us was an army marching upon the capitol city. This army numbered well over a thousand orcs, hundreds of ogres, dozens of giants, and even a few dragons were counted among their ranks. Yet this king wanted to send us, a party of four to evacuate a nearby allied halfling village. His scouts had informed him nearly fifty orcs, a dozen giants, and four wyverns had broke off from the main army, and were headed to lets say "Hobbitun". We agreed to do all we could for "Hobbitun".
Thus a fighter, ranger, cleric, and bard set off toward "Hobbitun".
Our ranger informed us after doing advanced scouting of his own, we and the detachment of Halfling slayers would arrive on the same day with only one hour to convince, pack, and get the halflings out of town. That was unacceptable. No way we could convince them, and get them packed for travel that fast. Hoping that the halflings were already aware of the situation at hand, we split into two teams. The fighter, and cleric proceeded on toward "Hobbitun". The ranger, and I (bard) headed to intercept, and delay the orc detachment. The ranger and I came upon their camp and set upon this plan: I went into a meditative trance, the ranger guarding me as I set to weave my spells. I created a major image of a gold dragon, I wove claurvoyance into the dragon's eyes. Mage hand into the dragon's mouth. Mage hand was equipped with a scroll of fireball. Now looking through the dragon's eyes, I flew up into the air, and dove upon the camp. I used clairvoyance to recite, and cast the fireball scroll originating it from the dragon's mouth, the radius able to catch two of four wyverns, and ten orcs on the ground. The hope was that the fireball being actual fire damage would help the believability of my gold dragon. I had quiet a bit of fun with this, and the results were a dozen dead orcs, two dead wyverns, other injuries did not count. The orc raid leader was equipped with a gem of seeing, and once he was aroused and out, the gig was up. The ranger and I departed quickly, and quietly. We did note the two surviving wyverns flew off toward the main massive armies direction, presumably to report.

The reason I tell this story, is to ask, to you gamemasters, would you have allowed me to combine my spells in that manner to create my gold dragon assault?

[lucky7]

Yes, and I would clap you on the back for creative spell usage, but let it be known that people will start to get wise to this tactic.

How close WERE you to the dragon? Mage Hand is close range.

[Beopere]

I would not run it as such. I don't mind bending rules, but your breaking a few too many to fly with me.

That said, sounds like you and your gm are on the same page and had a lot of fun.

[Pizza Lord]

Sounds like a very clever idea, but No, I wouldn't have allowed it in my game.

Major image typically involves concentration, which prevents other casting while doing so (though you could during the 3 rounds it remains once you stop.) Of course, your meditative trance might allow it or you might have another method of maintaining concentration, there are ways.

Mage hand can't move magical objects, while it seems nit-picky, a scroll is definitely a magical item.

Clairvoyance doesn't move, so as long as your dragon appeared in one spot and didn't move from it, then you could theoretically see 'through its eyes'.

I wouldn't allow casting a spell through the magical sensor, however. It opens the door to all kinds of abuse. Imagine if the bad guy was scrying on the PCs and a PC pulls out a scroll. The bad guy reads it out of his hands and *poof* blasts them with their fireball. Amusing at best, dreadful at worst.

Then you need to determine where line of effect comes into play and where the scroll's caster is located. Say the bad guy just has a room of laid-out scrolls and a clairvoyance sensor set up watching it. Next thing you know, he's buffing himself up with mage armor, shield, and all sorts of things without having to spend actions withdrawing scrolls and putting them back (if he didn't need all the spells on that particular scroll). Least of all, now he's got combat treasure which the PCs can't get if they beat him. Player's already have whiny senses of entitlements as it is. Like I need to hear more about how they're getting cheated.

Sounds like you had a really good time though. Really imaginative ideas.

[pennywit]

I probably would not allow it because the precedent (remote fireball) is a little too useful. But ... I MIGHT be willing to bend if you could come up with a justification, even a flimsy one, for why it could work. This tactic, IMO, is consistent with both the Rule of Cool and the Rule of Fun.

[Bhaene]

Thank you for your replies. I knew not every gamemaster would allow it. It does bend, even break rules, for the sake of fun, and story. I did this once, in one campaign as a desperate attempt to slow an overwhelming enemy. I was glad my gamemaster was open to my inventive ideas.

@Pizza Lord : The meditative trance was part of my concentration for major image. Thus why the ranger was needed, I was unaware of my immediate surroundings while maintaining the illusion, and spell weave combination.

Clairvoyance did not actually move it remain "fixed" in the dragons eyes. The dragon illusion technically moved. I know that is a stretch.

I come from the old days, been playing since 1979 in pen n paper games when you could cast spells through a sensor. Yes, Gamemasters did use this as a way for bad guys to attack you, drain, or use up your resources etc...Although I do believe the spell list that could be used in this way was limited, and up to gamemaster discretion even then.

@pennywit I like those two rules. My number one rule of gaming: A game is meant to be fun.

I knew my gamemaster was final arbiter, and he could have said no. I am glad he didn't we had a great session that night. That also inspired the ranger, and the fighter to set up traps along the field leading to "Hobbitun", traps which allowed us to kill two giants, and a dozen more orcs before having to flee as we covered the retreat of the halflings from "Hobbitun".