Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Martimus 09-13-04, 08:11 AM	I'm due to start a new adventure as a player later this week and as such need to create a character for it. I've been toying with the thought of either a wiz/Sor that focuses on Illusions and was hoping that someone may have already tried this and could possibly give me a few pointers on what to do and not to do? Cheers Martimus
okaynowa 09-13-04, 08:26 AM	I've tried it, and had a good time doing it, but it can be difficult. Here's a few suggestions (remember your experience may prove different): 1) There's more to an illusionist than casting illusion spells. Learn some non-magical forms of deception (ranks in Bluff help if you can get them), and be clever. 2) Don't rely on illusion spells alone, even if they are your specialty. Mix in some real spells to keep people off balance-- they'll never know if you're faking it or not. 3) KNOW YOUR DM! This may be the most important part. Illusion spells in particular are subject to a lot of interpretation and house rules regarding what's plausible and what's reproducible. It's not a bad idea to sit down with your DM and work out ahead of time what you'll be allowed to get away with when it comes to silent images and major images. For example, my DM and I agreed that my illusionist could convincingly recreate any monster he had seen in person, so I kept a list of creatures we encountered as a "repertoire" of sorts. 4) Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus (illusion) are good feat choices-- you'll probably be casting a lot of illusions, and you can always use the DC boost against those pesky Will saves to disbelieve. Good luck, and have fun!
Thorak 09-13-04, 09:03 AM	The greatest strength of Illusion, as okaynowa noted, is keeping people from knowing what's real. And for a good illusionist, this doesn't just extend to their spells; it extends to absolutely everything. Use simple visual illusions to conceal pits and chasms, letting the enemy walk into them unknowingly. Use the same kinds of illusions to create chasms. Then, if your enemy gets smart and dubious, use illusions to create perfectly normal ground on top of perfectly normal ground. And make sure it's slightly flawed; wind blowing the grass the wrong way or something. Illusion is a mind game. It takes a lot of thinking, planning, and innovation to be powerful. But that's where the strength lies.
Cross Hatch 09-13-04, 11:17 AM	Its the small stuff that counts. This really applies to any Wizard, but especially Illusionists. If you let the enemy know you can cast a Meteor Swarm, it causes a certain amount of apprehension that can be dealt with. If the enemy never knows what you can do, that's far more nerve wracking. Use spells, like cantrips, which suggest you are more powerful than you actually are. Be subtle, yet pervasive, about magic.
meabolex 09-13-04, 11:34 AM	Here are some general thoughts considering figments. . . (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=4375432&postcount=4)
Martimus 09-14-04, 02:59 AM	Thanks for the pointers I found them really useful :D
dirkformica 09-14-04, 04:14 AM	This thread has some rather powerful Illusionist ideas. Much of the discussion is pretty specific and may require a wide array of books at your disposal, but some of the ideas and concepts could help you out. (http://boards.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=290914)