Sensory Input [Archive] - Wizards Community

Sensory Input [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Infinitum
03-24-07, 09:24 PM A quick question:

Would it be possible to use a Sensory Input spell to make it seem like a Red Dragon's breath attack is hitting a target, and having the target then take damage normally if it believes the illusion? (due to the fact that the brain and what it perceives ultimately determines what harm it actually suffers: the fact that a phantasm from a Phantasmal Killer spell can cause death from sheer fear supports this.) In real life too you have accounts of people dying from fear or someone gets stabbed and doesn't even notice, carrying on like nothing happened until he/she realizes. (An old lady had this happen on a bus a couple years ago, I forget exactly when.)
InkBlot
03-25-07, 01:43 AM False Sensory Input is not a spell, not an illusion, and cannot deal damage.
Infinitum
03-25-07, 01:53 AM Sensory Input is on the d20 website: thus a spell.

Thanks, was just curious if it could be used similar to an offensive illusion spell.
Thomar_of_Uointer
03-25-07, 02:00 AM Sensory Input is on the d20 website: thus a spell.

Wrong. False sensory input is a power from the Expanded Psionics Handbook. It is in the System Reference Document (I think that's what you mean by the "d20 website", as there is no official d20 website, though http://www.wizards.com/d20 comes close) because Wizards decided it was necessary for third-party developers. As you well know, everyone who reads the psionics boards hates Vancian casting and will stab you with sharp pointy exclamation points if you keep making mistakes like that. ;)

False Sensory Input
Telepathy [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Telepath 3
Display: Mental
Manifesting Time: 1 round
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 5

You have a limited ability to falsify one of the subject’s senses. The subject thinks she sees, hears, smells, tastes, or feels something other than what her senses actually report. You can’t create a sensation where none exists, nor make the subject completely oblivious to a sensation, but you can replace the specifics of one sensation with different specifics. For instance, you could make a human look like a dwarf (or one human look like another specific human), a closed door look like it is open, a vat of acid smell like rose water, a parrot look like a bookend, stale rations taste like fresh fruit, a light pat feel like a dagger thrust, a scream sound like the howling wind, and so on.

You can switch between senses you falsify round by round. You can’t alter the size of an object by more than 50% by using this power. Thus, you couldn’t make a castle look like a hovel, but you could make it look like a different castle, or a rough hillock of approximately the same size. If this power is used to distract an enemy manifester who is attempting to use his powers, the enemy must make a Concentration check as if grappling or pinned.

Because you override a victim’s senses, you can fool a victim who is using true seeing or some other method of gathering information, assuming you know that the victim is actively using such an effect and you can maintain concentration.

Augment
For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power can affect an additional target. Any additional target cannot be more than 15 feet from another target of the power.

This power does exactly what it says it does. Damage is not mentioned, but you could convince someone that he has been wounded (this is a specific example), and he will react accordingly if he fails his save (the reaction will vary from person to person, a coward will flee, a warrior will try to defend himself). It only falsifies one sense per round and can only modify existing perceptions, so you could not make the illusion of a red dragon breathing fire and couple it with the illusion of it burning the target. You could use it to make a red dragon look like a black dragon (which, against a knowledgeable foe, is a quite effective tactic), or use it to make a friend's silent image of a big red dragon (in conjunction with a good balmy breeze in the area) feel quite real.
Infinitum
03-25-07, 02:11 AM d20 reference website (referencing OGL fluff, nothing that hasn't been open up yet though). Considering they show "official" fluff, I thought they were the "official" website. I was probably wrong.
http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm

And sorry, forgot to put in "False" before the name.

Thanks for the input, was just curious.
Thomar_of_Uointer
03-25-07, 02:21 AM d20 reference website (referencing OGL fluff, nothing that hasn't been open up yet though). Considering they show "official" fluff, I thought they were the "official" website. I was probably wrong.
http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm

And sorry, forgot to put in "False" before the name.

Thanks for the input, was just curious.

Ah, that's d20srd.org, a good website. It's not an official site, but it's a very good resource.

Here's the official System Reference Document:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35

It's a pain to work with compared to d20srd.org, but it's very good as an offline resource.
Infinitum
03-25-07, 09:54 AM Thanks much, I appreciate the help =)
ravidubey
03-25-07, 03:38 PM It's tough to do anything complex with this power because you can't affect more than one sense simultaneously.

Sure a guy could see a blast of flame from a dragon, but he wouldn't smell brimstone, hear the dragon roar and emit a whoosh of air and flame, or feel the rush of heat on the preceding blast of wind. It would be like he was watching a strange silent image-- no more effective than the spell of that same name.

This power is all but useless as written, a third level silent image or ghost sound.

At worst, you can create a distracting pain which would force a concentration check of the spell's DC to overcome (essentally the target must fail his save vs the spell twice to be distracted).

Of course, this is meant to be. Psionicists should not gain illusion powers easily.
Celsun
03-25-07, 03:56 PM Psionicists should not gain illusion powers easily.

Why is that? I'd suggest that there are various instances of psions creating mental "illusions" in fantasy or sci-fi literature. These illusions usually run the gamut of sensory information. I think psionics should model this. There's no reason I can see to prevent psions from picking up, say, a psionic version of the image spells.
Thomar_of_Uointer
03-25-07, 05:19 PM Why is that? I'd suggest that there are various instances of psions creating mental "illusions" in fantasy or sci-fi literature. These illusions usually run the gamut of sensory information. I think psionics should model this. There's no reason I can see to prevent psions from picking up, say, a psionic version of the image spells.

The problem with most illusions is that you have to severely limit them to keep them from being too powerful. Sensory input is a good example of a general-purpose illusion that works very well within its scope, and its limit is more an aspect of its use than a simple "you can't do that" limit. I can imagine that a level 5 advanced sensory input power (on par with a save-or-die effect) could allow you to hit all five senses at once on a single target, a very effective illusion and capable of duplicating whatever effects you want.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Infinitum 03-24-07, 09:24 PM	A quick question: Would it be possible to use a Sensory Input spell to make it seem like a Red Dragon's breath attack is hitting a target, and having the target then take damage normally if it believes the illusion? (due to the fact that the brain and what it perceives ultimately determines what harm it actually suffers: the fact that a phantasm from a Phantasmal Killer spell can cause death from sheer fear supports this.) In real life too you have accounts of people dying from fear or someone gets stabbed and doesn't even notice, carrying on like nothing happened until he/she realizes. (An old lady had this happen on a bus a couple years ago, I forget exactly when.)
InkBlot 03-25-07, 01:43 AM	False Sensory Input is not a spell, not an illusion, and cannot deal damage.
Infinitum 03-25-07, 01:53 AM	Sensory Input is on the d20 website: thus a spell. Thanks, was just curious if it could be used similar to an offensive illusion spell.
Thomar_of_Uointer 03-25-07, 02:00 AM	Sensory Input is on the d20 website: thus a spell. Wrong. False sensory input is a power from the Expanded Psionics Handbook. It is in the System Reference Document (I think that's what you mean by the "d20 website", as there is no official d20 website, though http://www.wizards.com/d20 comes close) because Wizards decided it was necessary for third-party developers. As you well know, everyone who reads the psionics boards hates Vancian casting and will stab you with sharp pointy exclamation points if you keep making mistakes like that. ;) False Sensory Input Telepathy [Mind-Affecting] Level: Telepath 3 Display: Mental Manifesting Time: 1 round Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) Target: One creature Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./level (D) Saving Throw: Will negates Power Resistance: Yes Power Points: 5 You have a limited ability to falsify one of the subject’s senses. The subject thinks she sees, hears, smells, tastes, or feels something other than what her senses actually report. You can’t create a sensation where none exists, nor make the subject completely oblivious to a sensation, but you can replace the specifics of one sensation with different specifics. For instance, you could make a human look like a dwarf (or one human look like another specific human), a closed door look like it is open, a vat of acid smell like rose water, a parrot look like a bookend, stale rations taste like fresh fruit, a light pat feel like a dagger thrust, a scream sound like the howling wind, and so on. You can switch between senses you falsify round by round. You can’t alter the size of an object by more than 50% by using this power. Thus, you couldn’t make a castle look like a hovel, but you could make it look like a different castle, or a rough hillock of approximately the same size. If this power is used to distract an enemy manifester who is attempting to use his powers, the enemy must make a Concentration check as if grappling or pinned. Because you override a victim’s senses, you can fool a victim who is using true seeing or some other method of gathering information, assuming you know that the victim is actively using such an effect and you can maintain concentration. Augment For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power can affect an additional target. Any additional target cannot be more than 15 feet from another target of the power. This power does exactly what it says it does. Damage is not mentioned, but you could convince someone that he has been wounded (this is a specific example), and he will react accordingly if he fails his save (the reaction will vary from person to person, a coward will flee, a warrior will try to defend himself). It only falsifies one sense per round and can only modify existing perceptions, so you could not make the illusion of a red dragon breathing fire and couple it with the illusion of it burning the target. You could use it to make a red dragon look like a black dragon (which, against a knowledgeable foe, is a quite effective tactic), or use it to make a friend's silent image of a big red dragon (in conjunction with a good balmy breeze in the area) feel quite real.
Infinitum 03-25-07, 02:11 AM	d20 reference website (referencing OGL fluff, nothing that hasn't been open up yet though). Considering they show "official" fluff, I thought they were the "official" website. I was probably wrong. http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm And sorry, forgot to put in "False" before the name. Thanks for the input, was just curious.
Thomar_of_Uointer 03-25-07, 02:21 AM	d20 reference website (referencing OGL fluff, nothing that hasn't been open up yet though). Considering they show "official" fluff, I thought they were the "official" website. I was probably wrong. http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm And sorry, forgot to put in "False" before the name. Thanks for the input, was just curious. Ah, that's d20srd.org, a good website. It's not an official site, but it's a very good resource. Here's the official System Reference Document: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35 It's a pain to work with compared to d20srd.org, but it's very good as an offline resource.
Infinitum 03-25-07, 09:54 AM	Thanks much, I appreciate the help =)
ravidubey 03-25-07, 03:38 PM	It's tough to do anything complex with this power because you can't affect more than one sense simultaneously. Sure a guy could see a blast of flame from a dragon, but he wouldn't smell brimstone, hear the dragon roar and emit a whoosh of air and flame, or feel the rush of heat on the preceding blast of wind. It would be like he was watching a strange silent image-- no more effective than the spell of that same name. This power is all but useless as written, a third level silent image or ghost sound. At worst, you can create a distracting pain which would force a concentration check of the spell's DC to overcome (essentally the target must fail his save vs the spell twice to be distracted). Of course, this is meant to be. Psionicists should not gain illusion powers easily.
Celsun 03-25-07, 03:56 PM	Psionicists should not gain illusion powers easily. Why is that? I'd suggest that there are various instances of psions creating mental "illusions" in fantasy or sci-fi literature. These illusions usually run the gamut of sensory information. I think psionics should model this. There's no reason I can see to prevent psions from picking up, say, a psionic version of the image spells.
Thomar_of_Uointer 03-25-07, 05:19 PM	Why is that? I'd suggest that there are various instances of psions creating mental "illusions" in fantasy or sci-fi literature. These illusions usually run the gamut of sensory information. I think psionics should model this. There's no reason I can see to prevent psions from picking up, say, a psionic version of the image spells. The problem with most illusions is that you have to severely limit them to keep them from being too powerful. Sensory input is a good example of a general-purpose illusion that works very well within its scope, and its limit is more an aspect of its use than a simple "you can't do that" limit. I can imagine that a level 5 advanced sensory input power (on par with a save-or-die effect) could allow you to hit all five senses at once on a single target, a very effective illusion and capable of duplicating whatever effects you want.