Illusion at a Distance
In Shadowdark, Illusion is a tier 2 Wizard spell with a spellcasting check against DC 12. On a success it conjures a visible and audible deception filling a near-sized cube, placed anywhere within Far range. It deals no damage. What it does is make creatures that accept it as real act accordingly. The duration is Focus, so the caster holds it only while concentrating and casting nothing else.
The Far range is the part players sleep on. You do not need line of threat, only line of sight. An illusion of a collapsed tunnel, a waiting patrol, or an open gate seeds a decision long before initiative matters. Because it is audible as well as visible, voices, alarms, and footsteps are all fair game. The spell lies about the situation, not just the scenery.
Keep in mind that Illusion produces no physical effect. A creature can disbelieve, and interaction that contradicts the fiction (walking through a phantom wall, a sword passing through a phantom guard) breaks the spell’s hold. Sell the setup, not the duel.
At the table: A rival caster uses Illusion at Far range to show the party a sealed portcullis blocking the only exit. They burn a turn and a resource prying at nothing while the real escape stays open behind them.
Related
- Spells Are Not Just Damage Buttons
- Spells Solve Problems, Not Squares
- Spells Are Verbs, Not Damage Rolls
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