Seeming

Illusion/Phantasm [seeming]

• • Level Illusionist 5

  • Components V, S

  • Casting Time 5 segments

  • Range 0

  • Area of Effect 10-ft. radius

  • Duration 12 hours (D)

  • Save None (see description)

The spell caster can change their appearance and the appearance of those around them.

• The caster decides the forms to be taken. Forms are limited to those with a similar body type. ie. If a target is generally humanoid in shape (not necessarily creature type or sub-type), then the form taken must likewise be humanoid in shape.

• Gear can be removed, changed, or added. Targets must treat illusory gear as real (sheathing weapons, etc.) or those viewing them are granted a disbelief check.

• Noise is altered by this spell. If the target wears platemail and the seeming appears as clothing, no armor noises will emanate from the creature. Voices can be altered, including being made to be unintelligible (croaking, roaring, etc.). However, language cannot be changed (and creatures speaking do not gain the ability to speak an unknown language).

• Anything fully illusory dropped by a target disappears and anything dropped by the target that was changed by the seeming becomes it's normal form.

• In combat, targets attack and react according to the seeming. The caster does not need to maintain concentration to maintain the spell.

• Area of Effect. The area of effect is a 10-ft radius around the caster. The seeming effect ends when a target leaves the area of effect for more than 1 round (and will reestablish if brought within 10-ft. of the caster before then). For example, a creature moves away from the caster during round 1, and on round 2, the caster moves to bring the target within the area of effect. If the caster did not move, then, at the beginning of round 3, the seeming effect is gone from the target. This generally means, assuming the caster is Small or Man-sized, that a maximum of two additional creatures up to size Large can be included in the seeming in addition to the caster. These additional creatures must remain very close to the caster (strangely close in many situations). If the caster is Large sized, the distance (due to the relative change in volume in the area) is more normal. The GM may rule odd-sized shapes will not fit in the area.

• If a target is struck in combat, the attacker gains a single disbelief check. If successful, they pierce the disguise. If the check is failed, they will continue to believe the illusion until another individual makes a disbelief check and communicates the nature of the disguise (this grants another check and the ability to make additional disbelief checks; ie. Those communicated to can spend [complex] actions going forward to disbelieve). No matter the appearance of any subject of the seeming, the armor class of the subject does not change.

• Unwilling targets must make a save vs Spell or be a target of the seeming (save avoids).

• Specific individuals cannot be duplicated unless the individual is seen by the caster when casting the spell or the caster is intimately familiar with the subject (ie. family, spouse/partner/lover, long term roommate, long term party member, etc.).

• Creatures that forcibly interact with a target of the seeming gain an interaction disbelief save with a -4 penalty (unless a successful attack occurs in which case the save is normal).

• NPCs will use the rules for Likelihood to Disbelieve when interacting with a seeming. Forcible interaction and/or attacking are required to gain a disbelief check unless an ally has made a check and communicates the nature of the illusion.

Limitations

• The spell only affects creatures. Incorporeal creatures cannot be affected by the spell.

• Once cast, the caster cannot change any of the forms.

• Scent remains unchanged.

• A chosen form is limited to one step in size change. Thus, a small target can become man-sized, but cannot become a form that is Large. Large creatures taking Large sized forms are limited to a 10-ft difference in size.

• Multiple [seeming] effects cannot operate on the same creature at the same time. Subsequent seeming effects will fail.