Spheres

[Rejakor]

The spheres in Tome of Fiends are a great idea, and work incredibly well as an alternate spellcasting mechanic.

I would have expected to find a lot of homebrew Spheres here on the Den, but there's precious little to find. I found a Sphere of Aegis somewhere, but I can't find it again - does anyone know where it is? Sinister has a bunch of good new 'fields' aimed at his good and evil alternate psion class, and maxus put up the sphere of storms with some other new homebrew [fiend] feats, but that's not much.

How about some homebrew spheres in the style presented in ToF? To kickstart the discussion, here's the Sphere of Badgers that i'm building for my Tome warlock in Vnonymous' game.

Sphere of Badgers
Meddle not in the affairs of badgers, because they’ll fvcking kill you.
Special: Up to your character level times per day, you may ignore any spell or effect that would not also affect a badger.
1: Extended Summon Monster I (Fiendish or Celestial Badger only)
3: Grouchy Toughness of the Badger (Bear’s Endurance)
5: Lesser Globe of Invulnerability
7: Polymorph (Dire Badger only)
9: Move Earth
11: Dimensional Lock
13: Banishment
15: Passwall
17: Earthquake
19: Imprisonment

I think it needs some work. The special might be too powerful, and a lot of the spell-likes given are too powerful, too boring, or too off-topic/cookie-cutter. Advice appreciated.

[Meikle641]

Badgers = awesome. They cannot voluntarily end their rage, if damaged, unless they or the enemy die.

As I've joked to my group, that means there's an infinite number of raging badgers at any given time on the Planes, assuming they get stung by like, a wasp or something or bitten by a horsefly.

All that rage makes me think it should be a planar power. Or something.


....But yeah, the Sphere mostly looks good, but the rage ability could be cool.

[Rejakor]

Yeah, I didn't consider rage or greater rage, the spells.

In fact, more I think about it, there's a whole bunch of spells centred around being really angry, and those could work. I mostly went with digging, since that's what badgers do, and also trapping people underground and killing them.

[violence in the media]

Special: Up to your character level times per day, you may ignore any spell or effect that would not also affect a badger.

What spells and effects would those be, exactly?

[angelfromanotherpin]

What spells and effects would those be, exactly?

I assume it's mostly type-based effects like Charm Person and Dominate Person which only affect humanoids. Since Badgers are also small, it might negate the effects of size-dependent stuff like Giant Slayer even if the Sphere-wielder is otherwise an appropriate target for such effects.

I can't think of anything else it might mean.

[violence in the media]

The Charm spells were the only thing I could think of, so I was looking for clarification. It honestly seems like an ability that someone would frequently forget about, just because there isn't much that immediately springs to mind.

[zeruslord]

There are some associated with the Curator, basically a healer version of the Spherelock.

[Akula]

I'll copy paste the unfinished Aegis sphere and the unfinished Trickery sphere that me and a friend have kicking around.

Trickery Sphere
Special: You can take 10 on bluff checks. You also gain a +2 bonus to diplomacy and sense motive checks.
1: Silent Image
3: Mirror Image
5: Extended Invisibility or Invisibility Sphere
7: Confusion
9: Persistent Image
11: Quickened Mislead
13: -------
15: -------
17: -------
19: Mind Rape

New Sphere: Aegis

Special: You radiate an aura of protection out to 10 feet. All allies in this aura receive a resistance bonus to saves OR a deflection bonus to AC equal to character level / 3, rounding up.
Special Bonus: If you upgrade this Sphere to Advanced access, your aura of protection grants a resistance bonus to saves AND a deflection bonus to AC.
Special Bonus: If you upgrade this Sphere to Expert access, your aura of protection goes out to Short range instead of 10 feet.

1 Mage Armor
3 Resist Energy
5 Protection From Energy
7 Stoneskin
9 Extended Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser
11 [placeholder]
13 Spell Turning
15 [placeholder]
17 [placeholder]
19 [placeholder]

[koz]

There are some spheres pegged to my Spirit Shaman here. You may also find these to be of some use.

[Rejakor]

@ MS: Those spirit shaman spheres are a good model for the Badger sphere. I was more focused on the metaphysical tags on a badger's behaviour and spells that shared those metaphysical tags when I should have been looking at spells that make you more like a badger.

Both are decent interpretations, but one is better.

I'm tempted now to make a resource thread that combines all the previously made spheres into one nice and neat list for people to pick from. Also, do people think it's a good idea to have different 'special' effects for different levels of access? The specials are good enough that I think it's worthwhile, otherwise it's mechanically better to take lots of basic accesses as opposed to expert access. Although I noticed you fixed that class-side Mr S, I always try to err on the side of giving people more choice in how they mechanically build their characters.

Heh, screw it. Could people please send any new spheres they have, with board formatting, to rejakor at gmail.com? I'll set up that thread, for no reason other than my own aggrandizement.

Okay, that got slightly off topic.

@Akula: That is the sphere I was talking about and looking for! "New Sphere: Aegis" Argh! If i'd remembered that... anyway, thanks! I'll fill it out and probably use it. I'll post what i've done to fill it out in here after i'm done.

@zeruslord: I /had/ seen the Curator but had forgotten about it - thanks for refreshing my memory!

@The Sphere of Badgers: Actually, Hold Person, Charm Person, Dominate Person, all that jazz. Probably stuff defeated by Scent doesn't count, but a lot of humanoid/whateveroid targeting stuff doesn't work on Animals. Maybe I should change it to 'Up to your character level times per day you may count as an average badger for effects such as spell targeting, item activation, or anything else that has a target or a requirement.' But that's simultaneously vague and open-ended. What does 'count as' mean? Hm. That's going to need some thought.

[Murtak]

Sphere of the Ravenous Butterfly
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

Special: You gain a set of butterfly wings, granting a fly speed of 10, maneuverability poor

1 Whispering Wind (message delivered by butterflies)
3 Summon Swarm (butterflies)
5 Rage (sting like a bee!)
7 Summon Monster IV (use Giant Wasp stats)
9 Whirlwind (butterfly effect)
11 Creeping Doom (Butterflies)
13 Insanity (Target will continously mumble about evil butterflies)
15 Limited Wish (needs to include butterflies)
17 Prismatic Sphere (made of butterflies)
19 Shapechange (Swarms only)

[Akula]

"Ignore any spell or effect that would not also effect a badger," is bad. Because the way it is written, as long as a badger is not included in the effect, it can be ignored.

[Cynic]

"Ignore any spell or effect that would not also effect a badger," is bad. Because the way it is written, as long as a badger is not included in the effect, it can be ignored.

It could be interpreted in two ways and if you really want to get nitpicky and say that no it has to be done only in AKula's way. The general consensus usually is that we go for the more common sense approach rather than for the "idiotic" approach.

ALthough, at this moment, it is a very quick and easy fix as well.

-- "If it would not effect a badger, you can choose to ignore such a spell or effect up to your level times a day."

---

Really, That special seems weak.

- The suggested Rage level/day is much more versatile. As angel pointed, there aren't that many spells that are ignored by badgers.

[Akula]

It's the "also" that's problematic, and I know it is a silly way to read it, but grammar says that it is THE way to read it. I seriously thought that was what it meant the first time I looked at it.

Rage is a better ability. Hands down.

[Crissa]

How about 'could' instead of 'would', as well. 'could not target a badger'

-Crissa

[Username17]

The goal is to make yourself some type that gets boned by things - like undead or fiend. Then you get to take all the turning effects and tell them to fuck right off.

I don't know what that has to do with badgers, but it's pretty sweet.

-Username17

[Rejakor]

The problem with rage/day is that it's fairly limiting, and fairly boring. If you're a spherecaster and not a melee monkey, rage/day is going to be fairly boring for you, especially since you can't cast spells while in a rage. Although...spell-likes..hmm. My main quibble is it's pretty boring. Like +3 to a skill. Might be useful, sure, but it's still boring.

And yes.. there's less <X> Person spells than I remember, looking through the SRD. So I guess that is less useful than i'd thought. Perhaps change it to 'You may ignore the effects of a single mind-affecting spell or ability that targets you, up to your level times per day. Immediately after doing so you fly into a rage, as per the Badger's Rage(Ex) ability. This rage lasts for minutes/level or until the creature or person who used the spell or ability on you is dead.'

Clumsy wording... hmm.


Frank posted in my thread! I am overjoyed.

That's absolutely not at all what I intended and yet awesome. And not particularly game-breaking either. Joy.

[Cynic]

The goal is to make yourself some type that gets boned by things - like undead or fiend. Then you get to take all the turning effects and tell them to fuck right off.

I don't know what that has to do with badgers, but it's pretty sweet.

-Username17

sphere badger: would be type animal and shit like that. maybe get animal turning but that is worthless.

I think that's tried under the animal domain as a special or as a prc.
You can expand badger to involve other similar animals, badger, wolverine, weasel, (maybe include vermin such as rat and dire rat?)

also include the various subtypes usually associated subtypes (celestial and fiendish + dire) . this might expand the sphere too much. I haven't really given spheres that much thought. But just putting ideas out.

[koz]

@Rejakor: To be honest, I believe that spheres which are given abilities at different levels of access are a good call. Check out my psionic Fields for some ideas on how to do that, although they don't quite go as far as you want.

As for class-side fixes, I actually believe that unrestricted sphere access should be a relatively unusual thing, as is the case for the Conduit. Generally, spheres should either be hamstrung in number, or their advancement hard-coded to class levels. However, this is my fix, and yours is just as valid.

As for the freedom to create, I believe that both broad and narrow classes have their relative merits, and thus, which you use is a matter of taste.

[Kaelik]

I remember for a Conduit character that was from Pandemonium had a Wind sphere, you could also use a Storm Sphere since such a thing is curiously lacking from ToFs.

I believe the sphere was:

Wind:
Gust of Wind as immediate action at will.
1: Wings of Cover (flavored as wind burst)
3: Wind Wall
5: Airwalk
7: Wings of Flurry (more wind)
9: Control Winds
11: Defenestrating Sphere
13: Control Weather
15: Whirlwind
17: Summon Elemental Monolith (Air only)
19: Greater Whirlwind

Also, optionally, if you are starting at 19 (hahahaha) and therefore don't care about getting two whirlwinds in a row

17: Greater Whirlwind
19: Summon Elemental Monolith with no concentration needed.

Lots of spells at lower levels because they are so situational or not that great. And crazy overlap on immediate actions.

[Avoraciopoctules]

I might as well finish Aegis. The idea is many of the spells are less than totally awesome, but you make up for it by freeing up some of the group's item slots that would otherwise be needed to stay on the RNG.

New Sphere: Aegis

Special: You radiate an aura of protection out to 10 feet. All allies in this aura receive a resistance bonus to saves OR a deflection bonus to AC equal to character level / 3, rounding up.
Special Bonus: If you upgrade this Sphere to Advanced access, your aura of protection grants a resistance bonus to saves AND a deflection bonus to AC.
Special Bonus: If you upgrade this Sphere to Expert access, your aura of protection goes out to Short range instead of 10 feet.

1 Mage Armor
3 Resist Energy
5 Protection From Energy
7 Stoneskin
9 Extended Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser
11 Energy Immunity (As Resist Energy, but grants Immunity instead of resistance)
13 Spell Turning
15 Protection from Spells
17 Foresight
19 Double Extended (lasts for 3 times as long as normal) Mind Blank

[Avoraciopoctules]

Here's a version of Trickery with the placeholders filled in. The projections let you play the "Ha! It was only a hologram!" card twice in the same encounter. Mirage Arcana is there to provide a high-end illusion you can actually use to prepare a large area for a plan weeks ahead of time.

Trickery

Special: You can take 10 on bluff checks. You also gain a +2 bonus to diplomacy and sense motive checks.
1: Silent Image
3: Mirror Image
5: Extended Invisibility or Invisibility Sphere
7: Confusion
9: Persistent Image
11: Quickened Mislead
13: Project Image
15: Mirage Arcana (lasts for 1 day per level)
17: Astral Projection
19: Mind Rape

[Avoraciopoctules]

Eye

Special: You have all-around vision and immunity to blindness
1: Keen Sight (Give a level-appropriate bonus to Spot checks to a touched target for 1 hour per caster level)
3: Blindness (As Blindness/Deafness, but without deafness as an option)
5: Arcane Eye
7: True Seeing
9: Eyebite
11: Mass Blindness (As Blindness, but one target per caster level)
13: Greater Prying Eyes
15: Greater Arcane Sight
17: Summon Beholder (Treat like Summon Monster IX, but instead of the normal options, you get a beholder)
19: Extended Summon Beholder

[Hicks]

This really should have aready been put in the tomes. Tis is CopyPastaed from here.

---

Lies
Special: You've lied so much that you have a sixth sense for bullshit. Sense Motive is always considered a class skill for you and has a +2 bonus for no reason. Also, you are entitled to a will save to disbelieve illusions whenever one is within your line of sight.

• 1: Disguise Self
  3: Mirror Image
  5: Major Image
  7: Greater Invisibility
  9: Mirage Arcana
  11: Permenant Image
  13: Project Image
  15: Greater Shadow Evocation
  17: Astral Projection
  19: Shades

[koz]

As per request, with idiotic errors removed.

Cheating

Special: You get cheat as an at-will SLA.

1: True Strike
3: Elush's Eye-Blasting Explosion*
5: Elush's Elusion*
7: Ashe's Thaumaturgic Boost*
9: Ashe's Transformative Counterspell*
11: Antimagic Field
13: Irresistible Dance
15: Maze
17: Phantasmagorical Image*
19: Luck's Touch*

Snake

Benefit: You are immune to the poison of snakes.

1: Spider Climb
3: Poison
5: Water Breathing
7: Freedom of Movement
9: Word of Blinding*
11: Mass Charm Monster
13: Word of Catatonia*
15: Symbol of Insanity
17: Phantasmagorical Image*
19: Demise Unseen*

Stealing

Special: Sleight of Hand is always a class skill for you, and you get a +2 bonus to it, for some reason or another...

1: Ishara's Enticing Directive*
3: Locate Object
5: Hijack Spell*
7: Modify Memory
9: Demand
11: Phase Door
13: Sequester
15: Hijacking Dispel*
17: Freedom
19: Winds of Memory*

Ashe's Thaumaturgic Boost
Abjuration
Level: 4
Class: Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Cheating
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

Speaking a few quick words, you channel the energy of the thaumaturgic boost into your next spell. The next spell you cast receives a +2 bonus on its save DC (this does not stack with the Spell Focus line of feats), and your caster level for that spell is considered to be four points higher for the purposes of bypassing SR. Multiple thaumaturgic boosts cannot affect the same spell.

Ashe's Transformative Counterspell
Abjuration
Level: 5
Class: Druid, Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Cheating
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 immediate action
Range: Close
Target: One spell (see text)
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None
SR: No

You may only use this spell against a spell cast in its area which you successfully identify using the Spellcraft skill. When you use this spell, make a caster level check against a DC of 9 + the spell's level x 2. If you succeed, the spell is countered, having no effect. However, by seizing its energies, you can restore one used prepared spell, or one used spell slot, or one use of a limited-use spell-like ability, provided that its level is not higher than that of the spell countered, or that you can use normally. If you fail, the spell works as normal.

Demise Unseen
Necromancy [Death, Image]
Level: 9
Class: Druid, Cleric
Sphere: Snake
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Long
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Fort negates
SR: Yes

The character instantly slays a single target and at the same moment animates the body, so that it appears like nothing has happened to the creature. The target's companions (if any) do not immediately realise what has happened. The target receives a Fort save to survive the attack. If the save fails, the target remains at its exact position with no apparent ill effects. In reality, it is now under the character's control and has its race changed to ghoul (as per the Tome template). The target's companions may attempt Will disbelief saves to recognise what has transpired as per the usual rules for [Image] effects. The character cannot exceed the normal limit for controlling undead through use of this spell, but other means that allow the character to exceed the normal limit for controlled undead work just as well with undead created with demise unseen.

Elush's Elusion
Transmutation
Level: 3
Class: Ranger, Paladin, Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Cheating
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round

This spell enables you to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even if under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow and web. The subject automatically succeeds on any grapple check made to resist a grapple attempt, as well as on grapple checks or Escape Artist checks to escape a grapple or pin.

The spell also allows the subject to move and attack normally while underwater, even with slashing or bludgeoning weapons, provided that the weapon is wielded in the hand rather than hurled. This spell does not allow water breathing.

Elush's Eye-Blasting Explosion
Transmutation [Acid]
Level: 2
Class: Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Cheating
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature with eyes touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Fort negates or Ref half (see text)
SR: Yes

The target's eyes burst, spraying acid on everyone within their reach except the caster. The target is blinded and dealt 1d8 acid damage per two caster levels (Fort negates). Anything within the target's reach (except the caster) is dealt 1d6 acid damage per two caster levels (Ref half).

A creature that does not possess eyes cannot be affected by this spell.

Hijacking Dispel
Abjuration
Level: 8
Class: Cleric, Druid
Sphere: Stealing
Save: Will negates (see text)

This functions identically to a greater dispel magic spell, except that any non-instantaneous, non-permanent spell that you successfully dispel can instead be hijacked by you, identically to the the spell hijack spell. The spell lasts until you dismiss it, or until its duration expires, and you maintain control of it as specified in the hijack spell description.

Hijack Spell
Abjuration [Mind-Affecting]
Level: 3
Class: Bard, Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: [none yet]
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Save: Will negates
SR: Yes

You take control of a single spell that affects the target which has a duration (i.e. is not instantaneous or permanent). You must know the spell (by identifying it with Spellcraft) in order to take control of it. That spell now affects you instead of the target for the duration of hijack spell, and any ongoing decisions that the spell requires (including dismissing it, if possible) are made by you instead. All costs are considered paid by the original caster, and thus do not have to be paid again by you. At the end of the duration, the spell returns to its original target, assuming it has any duration remaining.

Ishara's Enticing Directive
Enchantment [Compulsion, Mind-Affecting]
Level: 1
Class: Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Seduction, Stealing
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Save: Will negates
SR: Yes

With a few carefully-chosen words and a seductive gesture, the caster compels the target to give them an object they are holding. Unless the target can succeed on a Will save, on his next action, he must approach as quickly as possible (using any means available to him) and give the object to the caster, who may take it if he has a free hand or similar appendage with which to hold it. If something physically prevents the target from moving or handing over the object, the spell simply fails. The subject otherwise defends himself and acts normally during the spell's duration, and may act as normal on subsequent rounds (including attempting to get the object back). If the subject cannot reach the caster in one round, he simply moves as close as possible and drops the object.

Luck's Touch
Divination
Level: 9
Class: Cleric, Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Cheating, Divination
Components: V
Casting time: 1 swift action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level
Save: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes (harmless)

For the duration of the spell, any time the target makes an attack roll, skill check, ability check, or saving throw, they may roll twice and select which die roll to use.

Phantasmagorical Image
Illusion [Image, Mind-Affecting]
Level: 9
Class: Bard, Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Illusion, Snake
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Long
Area: 100ft radius cylinder
Duration: 1 hour/level (D) and 1 round/level (see text)
Save: Will disbelief and None (see text)

This spell functions like persistent image, except as described above. Additionally, the spell is extremely hostile to those who would disbelieve it. Anyone who successfully disbelieves an illusion created by this spell becomes insane, as per the insanity spell, for 1 round per caster level.

Winds of Memory
Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Level: 9
Class: Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Seduction
Components: V, S, E
Casting time: 1 full-round action
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent
Save: Will negates
SR: Yes

You can selectively destroy, alter, or implant memories in the target creature as you see &#64257;t. Casting the spell gives you access to all of the subject’s thoughts and memories, allowing you to implement as many of the following speci&#64257;c effects as you like.

Memory Erasure: Any or all memories possessed by the subject can be erased, including knowledge of speci&#64257;c events, people, or places.

Memory Implant: You can create false memories in the subject’s mind as you see &#64257;t. Memories of being friends with a hated enemy, events that didn’t really take place, or betrayals by people the subject regards as friends could all be implanted.

Persona Rebuilding: By erasing the subject’s previous personality and implanting a false set of memories, you can build a new persona for the creature, altering its allegiances, beliefs, values, and personality traits. Some abilities are affected by allegiance changes.

Programmed Trigger: You can program the subject to delay the onset of any of the above effects until a speci&#64257;c event takes place, such as the receipt of a coded message, capture by enemies, or arrival at some destination. Similarly, you could specify some or all of the alterations you create in a subject to be removed by a speci&#64257;c event.

The nature of this spell is such that a subject given new memories (whether willing or not) might be given cause to suspect that those memories are false, based on how complete your programming is. For example, a paladin subject to a persona rebuilding that changes her allegiances loses her paladin abilities. Unless you impart a speci&#64257;c believable memory of why he changed alignment, the character will perceive this unexplained gap in her memory and might take steps (such as seeking a magical cure for her “amnesia”) that could negate the spell’s effect (see below).Generally, your subject must be either willing to undergo the spell or restrained in some way so that it cannot leave or interfere with the casting.

This spell is normally permanent unless you care to specify events that will end the effect. Its effect can also be removed by a greater restoration, miracle or wish spell.

Essence: 5 hit points

Word of Blinding
Illusion [Mind-Affecting]
Level: 5
Class: Sor/Wiz
Sphere: Snake
Components: V
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: See text
Save: None
SR: Yes

You cause a single creature become blind, whether it can hear the Word or not. If the creature's CR is 2 points or more below your caster level, the duration is permanent; if its CR is equal to your caster level or 1 point lower, 1d4+1 minutes; if its CR is 1 or 2 points higher than your caster level, 1d4+1 rounds. Creatures whose CR is more than 2 points above your caster level are not affected.

Word of Catatonia
Illusion [Mind-Affecting, Phantasm]
Level: 7
Class: Bard, Sorcerer/Wizard
Sphere: Snake
Components: V
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Close
Target: One creature or one or more creatures within a 15ft radius sphere
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None
SR: Yes

You can use this spell in one of two ways; either focusing the effects of the Word on one target, or distributing it over several. Regardless of which option is chosen, the effects take place whether the target or targets can hear the Word or not.

Single-Target

You cause a single creature to lose sensory contact with the outside world. The subject’s senses are all completely fabricated from within its own mind, though it may not realize this. In reality, the subject sprawls limply, drooling and mewling, and eventually dies of thirst and starvation without care. The subject lives within its own made-up world until the time of its actual death. If the creature's CR is greater than your caster level, this spell has no effect.

Multiple-Target

If the Word is used to affect an area, it sends all affected creatures into a shared catatonia (the world is a construct, but within the world, the victims can interact with each other), as per the single-target option above. Any creature with a CR greater than your caster level-3 is not affected.

Removing creatures from the state induced by this Word requires a greater restoration, limited wish, wish or miracle spell.

And, because I reference them a lot...

Essence (E)

Some particularly powerful spells require the caster to sacrifice part of his personal energy to power them, which is represented by the essence component. These spells require the permanent sacrifice of a number of hit points from the caster, which cannot be restored or recovered by any means. Even if a caster who has taken essence damage changes bodies or forms, the damage applies to the new body.

Essence components cannot be paid from temporary hit points, and apply to SLAs, even if they otherwise wouldn't. If a spell with an essence component is used by someone who currently has temporary hit points, the cost is instead paid from their permanent hit point total.

[Image] and [Phantasm]

Spells with these components alter the senses of those who are subject to them by making them perceive something which is not the case. Whether this is a totally new object or a change, spells with these descriptions carry one of these descriptors.

An [Image] effect creates something which is perceptible by anyone who views (or hears, or smells, etc) the effect and is capable of processing this perception. [Image] effects cannot generate intelligible speech unless the spell description says it can, and any speech they generate must be in a language that the caster speaks, or the result is simply gibberish. Additionally, any effect that you generate must be one that is familiar to you, and will be dependent on your subjective perceptions of it, which may cause it to possess additional mentally-imposed traits or highlighting of traits that a 'natural' object of this type may not (it is in fact this phenomenon that allows others to detect these effects as not genuine upon close scrutiny).

A [Phantasm] effect creates something which is only perceivable to the caster and the intended target or targets. It is a purely sensory effect between the target and the caster, and third parties do not perceive anything where this effect should be. Almost all [Phantasm] effects are also [Mind-Affecting].

Creatures that encounter either of these effects do not usually receive a save to recognise it as illusory (usually a Will disbelief save, which represents the target's senses attempting to make sense of something which makes none) unless they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion that would yield results that are not typical to the object in question. 'Studying carefully' requires thorough scrutiny, and thus a casual glance, a few seconds of listening or something similar are not sufficient, whereas a thorough search and probing, or detailed listening for at least ten seconds or something similar would allow a save if the target had reason to suspect something. At the same time, most individuals do not expect their senses to lead them wrong, and quite frequently, a wall comprised of fire may actually be a wall of fire, and very few individuals would risk actually checking such a fact. Only highly paranoid, aware or intelligent individuals, or those who understand that they may face illusions should even be allowed to examine such effects to determine their veracity.

A successful save shows that the effect is false, but an outline of the effect remains. A failed save indicates that the individual has completely succumbed to the illusion, and will continue to insist that it is real. Future saves are not allowed. A creature who has disbelieved an [Image] effect can communicate this disbelief to others, granting them a +4 bonus on their saves (assuming they receive them). If other creatures understand that a creature is the subject of a [Phantasm] spell, they can communicate that this is not real to them, allowing them a +4 bonus on their saves. A creature that receives personal, incontrovertible proof that such an effect is not what it seems to be, after the normal save for disbelief (and the circumstances surrounding it), is allowed an additional save. If this is also failed, the individual in question has rationalized it so thoroughly that they insist the effect is real no matter what.