Looking at the MitS, Phantasm is so expensive, drain-wise, because it uses "major change", multi-sense and sustained. Could someone tell me what a similar spell with either "minor change" or "severe change" would be like?

Thinking of a 'Cantrip' type spell that creates non-exact illusions. Could look like an animated version of a Dragon, or a credstick that has not extensive detail (no numbers or anything on the outside) as the 'minor' change. Can't imagine what is meant by 'severe' change though. Or if that's even what's meant by 'minor' change. I suppose with you affecting visual sense only you could get the Cantrip down to a Moderate Drain...

I already find it discouraging that a 'cantrip' level spell has a drain of S and would like to imagine that Phantasm was actually a Severe change (it's scarier that there's a more accurate version possible, also makes you wonder if Phantasm is as accurate as alot of people make it).

Sphynx

on the the topic of illusions...

Can you cast invisibility on objects? Like can you cast it on a wall to be able to see through it? Or maybe cast it on a barricade you put down in the street.

Sorry if it's a dumb question.

Yes you can.

Sphynx

The Phantasm spell is a do everything illusion.

If you want a spell with less drain make one of a specific illusion. Like Dragon Illusion will be less drain than Phantasm but just as 'real' as if made with Phantasm.

This is a nice balance Phantasm for the flexibility versus specific for reduced drain.

To answer Coalheart you cannot cast invisibility on a part of something, where you powerfull enough you could cast invisibility on the whole building. On a baricade yes, even a door would be fine.

That's not really the question Lorka, but thanks. I'm curious as to what the differences between 'Minor' 'Major' and 'Severe' would be, since Phantasm is only 'Major', not 'Severe' and how a Major would be different from a 'Minor', and how much better a 'Severe' illusion might be.

Sphynx

Minor Phantasm -- Audio phantasm-- You hear a voice in another room, and it's getting louder.

Medium Phantasm -- Audio and Tacticle -- You hear a voice in another room, and a cold chill down your back

Severe phantasm -- Audio Tactile and Visual -- You hear a voice in another room, a cold chill down your back, and glowing eyes in a window.

Major Phantasm -- Audio Tactile, visual smell, taste-- You hear a voice in another room, a cold chill down your back glowing eyes in a window, the stench and taste of long dead flesh filling your mouth.

Except that the 'multi-senses' is a +1 Drain Level. So, that can't be accurate. You can have a

Minor
Minor MultiSense
Major
Major MultiSense
Severe
Severe MultiSense

Sphynx

Minor: A single, minor effect. Stealth, which mutes the sounds you make, would be a minor illusion.

Major: A single effect that's a bit more encompassing. Silence, which mutes all the sound in an area, would be a major illusion.

Severe: Unleash your imagination. Phantasm, which can create any effect you desire, is a severe illusion.

That would be my take at least. The multisense/singlesense simply denotes how many senses are affected by each level of illusion. Stealth and Silence are singlesense while Phantasm is clearly multisense.

But Phantasm is only a "Major", not a "Severe".....

Sphynx

In that case, I'm baffled by the designers. Which isn't saying much; they manage to do that constantly with many of their decisions.

Phantasm isn't multi-sense. It's visual, as it clearly says in the spell description. I was curious about this myself, so I tried to make it using the spell creation rules, and it only "works" (has the right drain code) if you make it single-sense, severe, area. To have a multi-sensory version of Trid Phantasm, which is what I wanted, to reproduce the effects of both Physical Mask and Physical Invisibility, would require an even higher drain code. I forget exactly what the code was. It'd have to be area effect, severe change, multi-sensory, though, so someone else can figure it out.

We've always taken it in the same way as it is define in Hero System and we adapted it.

Minor change: cosmetic changes to existing objects. (change of clothes, hair color, that sign doesn't say "caution: mad barghest beyond" but "Executive break Room"

Major Changes: Major alterations to existing object, outright creation of minor objects. ( That little girl is wearing heavy combat CID?!?, that doorway is 3 feet over to the left, I have a gun in my hand..)

Severe changes are: Complete manipulation of existing or imaginary objects, this is no longer your mommas reality.

More or less in that range.

Sunday

Good call SundayGamer, I like that alot.

I think you're right Techboy. I think the explanation is off. It must have originally been a single-sense/severe, and written incorrectly in MitS. Maybe should go in the next Errata (if anyone's reading this. ) since the spell description DOES say it's a visual illusion.

Sphynx

I would say Sunday_gamer hit it on the head as well.

Making up lower drain illusion spells can yeild some usefull results.

One I made is called "Noise".
I don't remember the exact details, but it was an instant indirect mana based single sense illusion. It made a brief (maybe 1 second long) sound up to the volume of the casters voice. I think it worked out to light drain. I used that one a lot to cause momentary distractions. It is a great spell because it is very usefull if you get creative, and you can cast it a lot.

Another made a spotlight, basically just like the manipulation spell.

I think that one to extend a wall would be good too. You could cover up a doorway, or close off a hallway with it.

Another idea is a spell to conceal a weapon or an item on your person.