This week, we weaponize hallucinations, traumatize NPCs, and gaslight a guard dog—with illusions!

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the gang goes full David Copperfield on your tabletop—except instead of sawing a lady in half, we’re casting Phantasmal Force to convince the BBEG his pants are full of bees. Join Tyler, Ash, and Randall as they pull back the illusory curtain on deception magic and reveal the crunchy mechanics, chaotic strategies, and absolute tomfoolery you can unleash with illusion spells.

Ever wonder how to make your players paranoid, your monsters confused, or your DM cry? Illusions are the Swiss Army knife of arcane nonsense, and this episode dives deep into the art of trickery. From classic misdirection to full-on psychic warfare, they explore the delicious line between “that’s clever” and “that’s not how the spell works.”

And yes, we finally solve the age-old question: how does a low-INT dog sniff out the fake chicken? Spoiler: it involves a lot of arguing about the Investigation check.

Key Takeaways:

• Illusions Are a Vibe, Not a Science: If it makes the GM squint at the rules, you’re doing it right.
• "The Mind Believes It, So the Body Reacts": Phantasmal Force can’t do real damage, but the psychic trauma of imaginary bees is very real.
• Silent Image Is the MVP: It’s like Photoshop, but for breaking dungeon puzzles.
• Major Image = Major Problems: When in doubt, summon a dragon and walk away like it was someone else's idea.
• Smarter Creatures Are More Likely to Disbelieve... Or Overthink: That wizard didn’t fail his save, he just really wanted the dragon to be real.
• Your Dog Is Meta-Gaming: If Fido’s making Investigation checks, it’s time to ask who's really running the campaign.
• The Best Illusion is the One You Don’t Have to Explain: If they never touch the wall, they'll never know it’s fake.
• Don’t Use Illusions to Solve Every Problem: Actually, never mind. Do exactly that. Forever.

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How to Find Us:

In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net

Tyler Kamstra

• BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
• TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET

Ash Ely

• Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
• BlueSky: @GravenAshes
• YouTube: @ashravenmedia

Randall James

• BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
• Amateurjack.com
• Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)

Producer Dan

• @Lzr_illuminati