Phantasmal Force: Just to Be a Dick

Usable By: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard

Spell Level: 2

School: Illusion

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: S, M (a bit of fleece)

You craft an illusion that takes root in the mind of a creature that you can see within range. The target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, you create a phantasmal object, creature, or other visible phenomenon of your choice that is no larger than a 10-foot cube and that is perceivable only to the target for the duration. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

The phantasm includes sound, temperature, and other stimuli, also evident only to the creature.

The target can use its action to examine the phantasm with an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If the check succeeds, the target realizes that the phantasm is an illusion, and the spell ends.

While a target is affected by the spell, the target treats the phantasm as if it were real. The target rationalizes any illogical outcomes from interacting with the phantasm. For example, a target attempting to walk across a phantasmal bridge that spans a chasm falls once it steps onto the bridge. If the target survives the fall, it still believes that the bridge exists and comes up with some other explanation for its fall; it was pushed, it slipped, or a strong wind might have knocked it off.

An affected target is so convinced of the phantasm’s reality that it can even take damage from the illusion. A phantasm created to appear as a creature can attack the target. Similarly, a phantasm created to appear as fire, a pool of acid, or lava can burn the target. Each round on your turn, the phantasm can deal 1d6 psychic damage to the target if it is in the phantasm’s area or within 5 feet of the phantasm, provided that the illusion is of a creature or hazard that could logically deal damage, such as by attacking. The target perceives the damage as a type appropriate to the illusion.

Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

Have you ever wanted to really get in the heads of your opponents? Sure, we’ve all lived in somebody's head rent free over some sick burn, but what if you could do more? What if you could literally put an image of yourself in their brain that could continue to taunt them as you’d like? They can even punch them, if you desire! If that kind of nonsense appeals to you, meet Phantasmal Force.

Illusion magic, more than any other, has its power tied to its caster. Illusion offers up the opportunity to create false realities within the false reality you’re already playing in: false-reality-ception, if you will. It can be the cheat codes to D&D; you can summon beholders, reverse time, and perform miracles… or at least convincingly feign all of those things, all for something as simple as a Silent Image.

Phantasmal Force takes the lies and mixes in the tiniest bit of reality for a single person. Got a guard on your case? Summon their mother to wack them over the head and convince them to release you! Need the bartender to look away for a minute so you can snag their gold? Put a patron in their brain that yells obscenities at them for a quick distraction, and pair it with some classic fisticuffs if you need to! Use some less than legitimate intimidation tactics, such as dangling the person you’re intimidating over a cauldron of bubbling acid, and dip their toes in just to really solidify the danger is real!

The hardest part about this kind of magic is largely on the DM side of things, and comes down to finding a comfortable balance of NPC belief. If every character affected immediately starts inspecting the phantasm, players can quickly get frustrated and stop attempting the wacky plans involving them. If nobody makes any saves, some players might take over the game and concoct increasingly outrageous ploys that can push their character to be the center of attention constantly and run the game on their own. This balance varies from DM to DM and player to player; some players don’t mind having their illusions last only a round or two, while others can quickly find constant inspections frustrating. Some DMs and parties embrace the highly chaotic environment of constant illusions and bullshit attempting to warp the world around a single caster. What will work for you and your table will vary, and that will fundamentally determine just how good most illusion spells are.

Characters that are looking for a tool dedicated to manipulation will love this spell, but most any character can pick it up and find uses for it. Illusion magic has near endless utility gated only by your creativity and your DMs willingness to put up with it. Go forth with this glorious bullshit, and try to get away with progressively dumber plans with Phantasmal Force!

5e Spells

Phantasmal Force: Just to Be a Dick