Mislead

← Back to Spell List

• Level: 5
• School: Illusion
• Class: Bard, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: Self
• Components: S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You gain the Invisible condition at the same time that an illusory double of you appears where you are standing. The double lasts for the duration, but the invisibility ends immediately after you make an attack roll, deal damage, or cast a spell.

As a Magic action, you can move the illusory double up to twice your Speed and make it gesture, speak, and behave in whatever way you choose. It is intangible and invulnerable.

You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were located where it is.

Tactical Usage

Mislead combines invisibility and misdirection into a powerful spell that excels at tactical deception and intelligence gathering. The simultaneous dual effect of becoming invisible while creating a controllable duplicate provides unparalleled opportunities for reconnaissance, escape, and battlefield manipulation.

Intelligence operations benefit enormously from the spell's remote observation capabilities. Send the duplicate into dangerous areas while remaining safely concealed, using its eyes and ears to gather information without personal risk. The 1-hour concentration duration covers extended surveillance missions and complex infiltration operations.

Combat applications focus on misdirection and positioning rather than direct damage dealing. Use the duplicate to draw enemy attention and attacks while the invisible caster repositions for optimal spellcasting angles or retreat opportunities. The magic action control means duplicate manipulation doesn't interfere with other tactical actions.

Spell Combinations

Mislead synergizes excellently with non-attacking spells that maintain invisibility while providing battlefield control or support. Counterspell, Dispel Magic, and utility magic can be cast while the duplicate maintains enemy attention and provides tactical misdirection.

Information gathering improves through combining with divination magic like Detect Magic or Detect Thoughts. The duplicate can approach targets for close-range detection while the invisible caster remains safely distant and undetected by both magical and mundane observation methods.

Escape strategies benefit from layering with teleportation magic like Dimension Door or Misty Step. Create complex escape routes where the duplicate leads pursuers in one direction while the invisible caster teleports to safety in completely different directions.

Material Component Details

Mislead requires only somatic components, making it extremely accessible without material cost restrictions. The single component requirement allows casting even when verbal communication might compromise stealth operations or when silence is tactically necessary.

Discrete casting becomes possible in social situations where obvious spellcasting might create suspicion or alert enemies to magical deception attempts. The somatic-only nature means the spell can be activated quickly and quietly during negotiations or infiltration operations.

Component reliability ensures availability even when equipment has been compromised or when operating in hostile environments where complex spellcasting might be dangerous or impractical for maintaining operational security and tactical advantage.

Creator Notes

Mislead provides exceptional player agency and creative problem-solving opportunities while requiring careful balance consideration around extended invisibility and remote observation capabilities. The spell can significantly impact encounter design and narrative pacing through enhanced reconnaissance options.

Duplicate interaction rules need clear establishment regarding what actions the illusion can perform convincingly and how enemies might detect deception through close examination or intelligence analysis. Social encounters become more complex when duplicates participate in conversations.

Investigation challenges emerge when NPCs attempt to determine whether they're interacting with real characters or magical duplicates. Insight checks, magical detection, and behavioral analysis provide counterplay options against illusion-based deception strategies.

Environmental Interactions

Mislead creates both invisible and visible effects that interact differently with environmental conditions. The duplicate is affected by lighting, weather, and atmospheric conditions normally, while the invisible caster remains concealed regardless of environmental visibility factors.

Physical barriers affect the duplicate and invisible caster differently - the intangible duplicate can pass through obstacles that block the real character, providing unique reconnaissance opportunities in structurally complex environments like dungeons or urban architecture.

Magical environments might interact unpredictably with the spell's dual nature. Dispel attempts could target either the invisibility or the duplicate separately, while detect magic might reveal magical emanations that compromise stealth despite visual concealment.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Invisibility limitations end immediately upon making attack rolls, dealing damage, or casting spells, though the duplicate continues functioning normally throughout the remaining concentration duration. Non-damaging spells and utility magic break invisibility identically to offensive magic.

Duplicate capabilities include movement, gestures, speech, and behavioral mimicry controlled through magic actions. The illusion appears completely convincing but cannot physically interact with objects or creatures, revealing its nature through attempted contact.

Sensory connection allows the caster to see and hear through the duplicate's position, providing remote observation capabilities that function regardless of distance within the spell's range limitations and environmental barrier considerations.

Concentration requirements mean the spell ends if focus is broken through damage, incapacitation, or choosing different concentration effects. Both invisibility and duplicate disappear simultaneously when concentration fails for any reason.

Alternative Applications

Diplomatic scenarios benefit from duplicate participation in negotiations while the invisible caster observes from concealment, gathering intelligence about participant reactions, private conversations, and hidden agendas that might influence negotiation outcomes.

Performance applications provide entertainment value through magical shows that feature apparent teleportation, multiplication, or mysterious appearances that demonstrate magical capabilities while maintaining audience engagement and wonder.

Investigation work gains powerful tools through duplicate witness intimidation or information gathering while the invisible investigator observes target reactions and gathers evidence without revealing their identity or presence to suspicious subjects.

Related Spells

Invisibility magic like Greater Invisibility and Invisibility provide alternative concealment options with different duration and limitation structures. Mirror Image creates multiple duplicates without invisibility, while Mislead provides single duplicate with concealment benefits.

Duplicate creation connects to Project Image for different types of remote presence and Simulacrum for permanent duplicate creation. Major Image can create illusions with similar complexity but lacks the personal connection and control mechanisms.

Deception magic includes Disguise Self, Alter Self, and Seeming for appearance modification rather than duplicate creation. Charm effects provide different approaches to social manipulation and influence that complement illusion-based strategies.

Scaling Analysis

Mislead maintains consistent utility throughout character progression due to its unique combination of invisibility and remote observation capabilities. Early-level characters gain access to sophisticated reconnaissance tools, while high-level characters appreciate reliable stealth and intelligence options.

Duration effectiveness scales with encounter complexity and adventure pacing. Short encounters might not utilize the full hour duration, while extended operations and complex infiltrations benefit from sustained invisibility and duplicate control throughout multiple phases.

Tactical value increases with party coordination and strategic planning capabilities. Experienced players develop sophisticated applications that maximize both the stealth and misdirection components through careful timing and positioning strategies.

Narrative Flavor

Mislead manifestation should emphasize the dramatic split between visible duplicate and invisible original, creating immediate confusion and misdirection. The sudden appearance of the duplicate while the caster vanishes creates striking visual effects that demonstrate powerful illusion magic.

Duplicate behavior provides opportunities for theatrical performance as the illusion can be controlled to display any personality, emotional state, or behavioral pattern the caster desires. Perfect mimicry or deliberate deception can serve different strategic and narrative purposes.

Invisibility sensations might include ethereal lightness, shadow-wrapped concealment, or dimensional phase shifting that reflects the magical nature of concealment. Dual consciousness between direct experience and duplicate observation creates unique narrative perspectives and character development opportunities.