Ajamar’s Guide to the Phantastic

Primer: The many uses of Minor illusion

The sheer flexibility of this spell comes from your ability to make anything that fits the parameters. The main limiting factor is that it can’t move, but that still opens tons of doors for distractions, bluffs, or communication tools. To say nothing of the audio version, which can replicate any sound on the planet. Here are just a few of the ways I’ve used this spell in my career:

Distractions

While you can distract people with visual illusions, I’ve always preferred the audible version. Create the sounds of a fight breaking out in town square to lure away some guards, or a knight’s commander ordering him to come hither. Visually, the classic “pile of coins” always works to draw the eye of any greedy goblin or bandit. I once created a fake masterwork crossbow hanging on a wall, knowing a certain assassin character would waste a round of combat to go pilfer it.

Communicating with teammates

This is a great use for druid, since you can’t speak while in wildshape form. Just cast the audio version right before turning into an animal. Even outside that, you can make floating notes appear in front of allies if in a situation where you can’t communicate audibly. Minor illusion is also great for conveying information; you can show them exactly how a certain thing looked or sounded like, or generate a map of an area you’ve seen.

Instant cover

If you’re looking for a quick hiding place, create a boulder (when outside) or piece of furniture (when inside) and crouch inside it. In combat, you can even “peek around it” to fire off your attacks, and enemies who believe the illusion will have to fire at you as if you have concealment.

Fake traps

An illusory patch of caltrops or grease can still dissuade anyone from moving into that square. This can be great for zoning off hallways or slowing down pursuers.

Look through a closed window

If you were hoping to peek inside a sealed room, create an illusion of the window/blinds and quietly slide it open from the outside. Since you know it’s an illusion, the fake window will be transparent, letting you view the interior.

Coverup conversations

On one memorable occasion, my character needed to carry a conversation with a teammate while we were at a fancy party. We used minor illusion to fake our voices talking about something trivial while we whispered the real exchange. This also works if you need to cover for someone’s absence, so long as the two of you aren’t visible by whoever you’re fooling.

Coverup pits

If you’ve made a hole in the ground, fill that pit with the terrain that used to be there. Woe befalls whoever treads there next!

Playing music

This is still technically a distraction, but one where you’re calling attention away from someone else. Borrow any instrument, start pretending to play, and rely on minor illusion to give the crowd a musical performance of a lifetime.

Give somebody one round of blindness

Conjure a pitch-black sphere around your target’s head. They’ll need to burn an action to investigate the illusion (or simply move away) to negate it, but both of these things can’t happen until its their turn. If your teammates can get something done in exactly one surprise round, they can capitalize on this opportunity.

Creating whatever you like against animals

Remember, creatures with terrible Intelligence are fair game for incredibly cheeky nonsense. This holds true for most nonsentient beasts, who are lucky if they have Intelligence scores above 3. Pursuing wolves will likely believe a 5ft wall that randomly appears in front of them, or the roar of a much-scarier predator nearby. Even if you’re a character (like me) with a low Intelligence spell save, whole categories of common enemies are nevertheless perfectly easy to fool in spite of all rationality.

Visual Illusions

Getaways

Being chased? Create an illusory wall to block their path!
Did they get through your illusory wall? Hide inside an illusory crate until they pass by!
A trail of misleading tracks could throw off someone following you!
Destroy that bridge you just crossed and create an illusory bridge over top

Chaotic

Create an illusory stool in the bar and invite someone to join you at your table.
Leave illusory notes for someone that can read it and it vanishes. Great option if you don’t have the Message cantrip.
Change what street or store signs say

Assisted Sneakiness

Need to see what’s in a room before you enter? Create an illusory door where the door is, open it, and peek in!
Steal an object and create an illusory replica to keep the guards unaware.
Need to sneak out of your inn room unnoticed? Create an illusion of yourself in bed.
Escape prison without alerting the guards by creating an illusion of yourself still in your cell.
Bait someone with an illusory treasure chest in a room and ambush them.
Create an illusory copy of a magic item someone is after and while they’re trying to get it from you, your party is off trying to obtain it
Need to hide a body? Minor Illusion terrain over top of it. Passing guards are none the wiser!
Is there a window you need to sneak past? Cast Minor Illusion inside of the window with a normal landscape image to simply just walk past.

Protection

Need to defend someone or something in a pinch? Create a minor illusion guard dog! (Due to spell restrictions, perhaps a sleeping one)
Low on health in the middle of combat? Break line of sight of an enemy and create something illusory to hide inside of: a boulder, a tree, a staircase, etc. Shoot from inside it to remain safe for a few rounds.

General

Want to show what someone looks like? Create an illusory depiction of them
Need to talk with your allies without being heard? Use comic style speech bubbles
A big pile of coins could be very useful in many different cases
On the other hand, so could a big pile of poop!
Need a slide-show? You can use minor illusion to depict the information!

Audio Illusions

Assisted Sneakiness

Unable to speak? Unable to leave a zone of silence? Talk using your minor illusory voice.
Create music to improve troop morale even without musical proficiency.
Create eerie ambiance to help induce the frightened status.

General

Create a distracting sound (IE. twig snapping, dog barking, etc.) in the distance when trying to sneak past guards.
Classic fart noises!
Sound an illusory alarm to make someone leave the vicinity, possibly even luring them into a trap as they try to escape
Walk into an enemy camp and yell, “ATTENTION!” in their commander’s voice to provide a great distraction and confusion.
There are so many more options, but these are a list of our favourites. Can you think of any that should be added to these lists? Let us know what your favourite use of Minor Illusion is in the comments below or gives us a like on our Instagram, Twitter or Facebook accounts!

Spells

Cantrip	Minor Illusion	S, M	1 Action	1 Minute	30 ft(5 ft *)		Control
1st	Color Spray	V, S, M	1 Action	1 Round	Self (15 ft )		Blinded
1st	Disguise Self	V, S	1 Action	1 Hour			Self Shapechanging
1st	Distort Value	V	1 Minute	8 Hours	Touch (1 ft )
1st	Illusory Script	(R)	S, M	1 Minute	10 Days Touch		Communication
1st	Silent Image (C)	V, S, M	1 Action	10 Minutes	60 ft (15 ft *)		Control
2nd	Apparition (C)	V, S, M *	1 Action	10 Minutes	Touch		Deception
2nd	Arcanist's Magic Aura	V, S, M	1 Action	24 Hours	Touch		Deception
2nd	Bewildering Substitution	V, S	1 Action	1 Minute	40ft		Deception
2nd	Blur (C)	V	1 Action	1 Minute	Self		Deception
2nd	Invisibility (C)	V, S, M	1 Action	1 Hour	Touch		Invisible
2nd	Leomund's Trap	V, S, M *	1 Action	Until Dispelled	Touch		Deception
2nd	Magic Mouth (R)	V, S, M	1 Minute	Until Dispelled	30 ft		Communication
2nd	Mirror Image	V, S	1 Action	1 Minute	Self		Deception
2nd	Nathair’s Mischief (C)	S, M	1 Action	1 Minute	60 ft (20 ft )		Charmed
2nd	Nystul’s Magic Aura	V, S, M	1 Action	24 Hours	Touch		Deception
2nd	Phantasmal Force (C)	V, S, M	1 Action	1 Minute	60 ft (10 ft *)	INT Save	Psychic
2nd	Shadow Blade (C)	V, S	1 Bonus Action	1 Minute	Self		Psychic
2nd	Silence (C) (R)	V, S	1 Action	10 Minutes	120 ft (20 ft )		Control
3rd	Fear (C)	V, S, M	1 Action	1 Minute	Self (30 ft )	WIS Save	Frightened
3rd	Hypnotic Pattern (C)	S, M	1 Action	1 Minute	120 ft (30 ft ) WIS Save		Charmed
3rd	Major Image (C)	V, S, M	1 Action	10 Minutes	120 ft (20 ft *)		Control
3rd	Phantom Steed (R)	V, S	1 Minute	1 Hour	30 ft		Movement
4th	Greater Invisibility (C)	V, S	1 Action	1 Minute	Touch		Invisible
4th	Hallucinatory Terrain	V, S, M	10 Minutes	24 Hours	300 ft (150 ft )		Control
4th	Phantasmal Killer (C)	V, S	1 Action	1 Minute	120 ft	WIS Save	Psychic
5th	Creation	V, S, M	1 Minute	Special	30 ft (5 ft )		Creation
5th	Dream	V, S, M	1 Minute	8 Hours	Self	WIS Save	Communication
5th	Mislead (C)	S	1 Action	1 Hour	Self		Deception
5th	Seeming	V, S	1 Action	8 Hours	30 ft	CHA Save	Control
6th	Mental Prison (C)	S	1 Action	1 Minute	60 ft	INT Save	Psychic
6th	Programmed Illusion	V, S, M	1 Action	Until Dispelled	120 ft (30 ft *)		Control
7th	Mirage Arcane	V, S	10 Minutes	10 Days	Sight (1 mile )		Control
7th	Project Image (C)	V, S, M	1 Action	1 Day	500 miles		Control
7th	Simulacrum	V, S, M	12 Hours	Until Dispelled	Touch		Deception
7th	Solipism	V, S	1 Action	Concentration 10 Minutes	Sight	WIS Save	Control
8th	Illusory Dragon (C)	S	1 Action	1 Minute	120 ft	WIS Save	Acid
9th	Superior Invisibility	V, S	10 Minutes	1 Hour	Touch		Invisible
9th	Weird (C)	V, S	1 Action	1 Minute	120 ft (30 ft )	WIS Save	Psychic