Major Image

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• Level: 3
• School: Illusion
• Class: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a bit of fleece)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You create the image of an object, a creature, or some other visible phenomenon that is no larger than a 20-foot Cube. The image appears at a spot that you can see within range and lasts for the duration. It seems real, including sounds, smells, and temperature appropriate to the thing depicted, but it can't deal damage or cause conditions.

If you are within range of the illusion, you can take a Magic action to cause the image to move to any other spot within range. As the image changes location, you can alter its appearance so that its movements appear natural for the image. For example, if you create an image of a creature and move it, you can alter the image so that it appears to be walking. Similarly, you can cause the illusion to make different sounds at different times, even making it carry on a conversation, for example.

Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, for things can pass through it. A creature that takes a Study action to examine the image can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through the image, and its other sensory qualities become faint to the creature.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The spell lasts until dispelled, without requiring Concentration, if cast with a level 4+ spell slot.

Tactical Usage

Major Image excels as a versatile battlefield control and deception tool, creating convincing illusions that can block lines of sight, conceal allies, or misdirect enemies during combat. Use it to create false terrain features like walls, pits, or obstacles that force enemies to waste movement or actions investigating the illusion. The spell provides excellent crowd control by creating frightening or impressive displays that cause enemies to hesitate or change their tactical approach. Apply it to conceal important objectives, allies, or environmental features that might otherwise draw enemy attention or reveal strategic information. The illusion's sensory completeness makes it ideal for creating convincing diversions that draw enemies away from critical areas or split their forces. Use the spell to block enemy spellcasters' line of sight, preventing targeted spells while maintaining your own tactical options. The 10-minute duration with concentration allows sustained battlefield manipulation throughout extended encounters.

Spell Combinations

Major Image synergizes exceptionally well with stealth and invisibility effects, providing visual cover that enhances hidden movement or concealment strategies. Combine it with sound-based spells like Thunderwave or Shatter to create multi-sensory experiences that are more convincing and impactful than pure illusion. The spell works excellently with fear effects, as the illusion can provide visual justification for magical terror or enhance existing frightening presences. Use it alongside charm or suggestion spells to create environments that support social manipulation or make specific suggestions seem more reasonable. The illusion can mask or enhance the effects of other area spells, hiding their magical origins or making them appear as natural phenomena. Pair it with teleportation magic to create escape scenarios where the illusion conceals the actual departure method or destination. The spell complements divination magic by providing false information or covering the traces of magical investigation.

Material Component Details

Major Image requires only a bit of fleece as its material component, making it one of the most accessible high-impact illusion spells in terms of resource requirements. The fleece can be obtained from any sheep, lamb, or similar wool-bearing animal, with no specific quality requirements beyond basic material integrity. Most spellcasters carry several pieces of fleece in their component pouches, as the component is inexpensive, lightweight, and doesn't degrade quickly under normal storage conditions. The fleece serves as a sympathetic link to the concept of softness and texture, helping the spell create tactile elements within the illusion even though physical interaction reveals its false nature. Some practitioners prefer fleece from specific sources or treated with particular processes, believing it enhances the illusion's convincing nature though this provides no mechanical benefit. The component is not consumed during casting, making the spell highly cost-effective for repeated use throughout adventuring careers.

Creator Notes

Major Image represents a powerful tool for creative problem-solving that requires careful balancing to prevent campaign disruption while encouraging player ingenuity. The spell's sensory completeness makes it significantly more convincing than simpler illusions, requiring thoughtful consideration of how NPCs and enemies respond to different types of illusory threats. When adjudicating the spell's effects, maintain consistency in how investigation checks and physical interaction reveal the illusion's nature while respecting player creativity. The spell creates excellent opportunities for dramatic moments and memorable encounters where clever illusion use can turn the tide of difficult situations. Be prepared for complex interactions between the illusion and environmental effects, other spells, or creature abilities that might detect or interact with false sensory information. The spell's utility encourages players to think creatively about problems, though some applications might require careful consideration of their impact on story pacing or challenge balance.

Environmental Interactions

The illusion adapts to its environment while maintaining its essential characteristics, appearing solid and real within the context of the surrounding area's lighting, acoustics, and atmospheric conditions. Strong winds, rain, or other weather effects don't typically affect the illusion unless they would logically impact the depicted phenomenon, maintaining the spell's convincing nature. The spell creates appropriate environmental effects like shadows, reflections, or acoustic properties that match what the real version would produce in the same location. Areas with strong magical fields might cause the illusion to flicker or display unusual properties, potentially revealing its magical nature to observant creatures. The illusion can interact with lighting sources, casting shadows or being illuminated in ways that enhance its believability, though careful observation might reveal inconsistencies. Environmental hazards that would affect the real version of the illusion don't actually impact the magical effect, though the illusion might appear to be affected for verisimilitude. Anti-magic fields completely suppress the illusion while areas of magical detection reveal its true nature to appropriate magical senses.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

The illusion cannot deal damage or cause conditions directly, but it can create situations where creatures take damage from their own actions in response to the false threat. Physical interaction immediately reveals the illusion, as objects and creatures pass through it without resistance or impact. The 20-foot cube size limit applies to the illusion's maximum dimensions, though it can take any shape or form within that space constraint. Moving the illusion requires a Magic action and can be done only while the caster maintains concentration and remains within range. The illusion includes appropriate sounds, smells, and temperature effects that correspond to what it depicts, making it convincing to multiple senses. Investigation checks against the spell save DC can reveal the illusion's nature even without physical interaction, representing careful analysis and reasoning. The illusion remains stationary relative to its initial position unless actively moved by the caster, and complex movements require ongoing attention and actions.

Alternative Applications

Beyond combat applications, Major Image serves numerous creative and utility purposes throughout various scenarios and campaign elements. Use it to create impressive displays for social encounters, performances, or ceremonies that require visual spectacle and dramatic impact. The spell excels at historical recreation, allowing visualization of past events, locations, or people for educational, investigative, or storytelling purposes. Apply it to create safe training environments where characters can practice against illusory threats without actual danger or resource expenditure. The illusion provides excellent cover for illegal or sensitive activities, creating false scenes that mask actual operations from casual observation. Use it to enhance architectural planning by creating scale models of buildings, fortifications, or other structures that can be examined from all angles. The spell can serve as a communication tool, creating visual representations of complex concepts, maps, or instructions that transcend language barriers. Apply it to create therapeutic or rehabilitative environments for characters dealing with trauma, phobias, or other psychological challenges.

Related Spells

Major Image belongs to the illusion school's progression of image-creating spells, building from Minor Illusion and Silent Image to create more complex and convincing false realities. Compare it to Hallucinatory Terrain, which affects larger areas but with less detailed control and different interaction mechanics. The spell relates to other sensory illusion magic like Phantasmal Force or Mental Prison, though focusing on external rather than mind-affecting deceptions. Consider it alongside disguise and concealment magic for comprehensive deception strategies that combine false identities with false environments. The spell shares utility aspects with Creation and similar effects that produce temporary objects or environments, though through different mechanisms and with different limitations. Programmed Illusion provides similar effects with different trigger mechanics, allowing for more complex automated deception scenarios. The spell connects to other area-effect magic that controls battlefield conditions through environmental manipulation rather than direct damage or control effects.

Scaling Analysis

Major Image gains significant utility when cast with 4th-level or higher spell slots, removing the concentration requirement and extending duration until dispelled, dramatically increasing its strategic value. This scaling transforms the spell from a tactical tool requiring ongoing attention to a persistent environmental effect that can reshape entire areas for extended periods. At higher levels, the non-concentration version allows for multiple simultaneous illusions or combination with other concentration spells for comprehensive battlefield control. The spell's effectiveness scales with player creativity and campaign complexity rather than raw magical power, maintaining relevance throughout character progression. Consider the resource efficiency of permanent illusions for establishing long-term deceptions, security measures, or environmental modifications that support ongoing operations. The spell's utility increases when combined with higher-level divination or enchantment magic that can leverage the illusion's convincing nature for more sophisticated deception strategies. At high levels, the spell becomes valuable for creating permanent installations that support stronghold operations, organization activities, or territorial control efforts.

Narrative Flavor

When cast, Major Image begins with the caster weaving the bit of fleece through complex gestures while speaking incantations that seem to pull substance from the air itself. The illusion manifests gradually, starting as a faint shimmer or distortion that quickly gains definition, color, and apparent solidity as the magical energy coalesces into the desired form. The completed illusion appears completely real to all senses, with appropriate visual details, convincing sounds, authentic smells, and even temperature variations that match what the genuine article would produce. As the caster manipulates the illusion, it responds with fluid grace and realistic movement, maintaining perfect verisimilitude in its behavior and environmental interactions. The magic sustains complex details like facial expressions, clothing movement, or structural damage that enhance the deception's credibility and emotional impact. Different aspects of the illusion might draw attention at different times: a flickering flame might cast dancing shadows, a false creature might breathe visibly in cold air, or an illusory wall might echo appropriately when struck. Throughout its duration, the illusion maintains its convincing appearance until the moment of physical contact or successful investigation, when it suddenly becomes obviously false, dissolving into wisps of magical energy that fade quickly back into nothingness.