Phantasmal Force
Level 2 · Illusion
- Concentration
- Damage
- Save
- AOE
Phantasmal Force (bard, sorcerer, and wizard) casts from a 2nd-level slot in the illusion school. Cast time: Action. Range 60 feet, components V/S/M, duration up to 1 minute. Material: a bit of fleece. Marked concentration. Effect: You attempt to craft an illusion in the mind of a creature you can see within range.
Stat Block
- Level
- 2
- School
- Illusion
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- 60 feet (10-foot cube)
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- up to 1 Minute
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- Yes
- Classes
- Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Material
- a bit of fleece
Description
You attempt to craft an illusion in the mind of a creature you can see within range. The target makes an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, you create a phantasmal object, creature, or other phenomenon that is no larger than a 10-foot Cube and that is perceivable only to the target for the duration. The phantasm includes sound, temperature, and other stimuli. The target can take a Study action to examine the phantasm with an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If the check succeeds, the target realizes that the phantasm is an illusion, and the spell ends. While affected by the spell, the target treats the phantasm as if it were real and rationalizes any illogical outcomes from interacting with it. For example, if the target steps through a phantasmal bridge and survives the fall, it believes the bridge exists and something else caused it to fall. An affected target can even take damage from the illusion if the phantasm represents a dangerous creature or hazard. On each of your turns, such a phantasm can deal 2d8 Psychic damage to the target if it is in the phantasm's area or within 5 feet of the phantasm. The target perceives the damage as a type appropriate to the illusion.
Doungim Lore
School Fit
The Illusion tradition is the school of the half-cast. Most Illusion spells leave room for the caster to add detail at the table: what does the figment do, what does it sound like, what does it look like up close. Phantasmal Force reads as Illusion the moment you see the effect — the spell creates a perceptual fiction the target's senses report as real. At level 2, Phantasmal Force sits in the mid-tier slot competition.
Class Fit
- Bard: At the Bard table, Phantasmal Force matters most when the College's signature features are on cooldown or out of charges. Otherwise the class has cheaper answers. Keep in mind that Phantasmal Force ends the moment the caster takes concentration off it for any reason.
- Sorcerer: Sorcerers know very few spells. Phantasmal Force is a permanent decision — the spell stays on the sheet unless the Sorcerer pays a level-up swap. Concentration is the binding cost — Phantasmal Force can't share a slot with another concentration spell.
- Wizard: Wizards add Phantasmal Force to the spellbook once and prepare it on the days that warrant it — a different decision from the class's known-spell competitors. The concentration tag on Phantasmal Force means a single failed Constitution save can end the effect mid-encounter.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Phantasmal Force
- What level spell is Phantasmal Force?
- Phantasmal Force is a level 2 spell from the Illusion school. The classes that can prepare it: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard.
- How much damage does Phantasmal Force deal?
- The damage roll on Phantasmal Force is 2d8 of psychic damage at base.
- What save does Phantasmal Force require?
- The save against Phantasmal Force is a Intelligence saving throw. Specific rules for a successful save are spelled out in the spell description.
- What is the range of Phantasmal Force?
- The range on Phantasmal Force is 60 feet — far enough that most casters can stay clear of the front line.
- Is Phantasmal Force a concentration spell?
- Phantasmal Force is a concentration spell. Maximum duration is up to 1 minute. The caster can only maintain one concentration spell at a time, and damage forces a Con save to keep it active.
- What components and casting time does Phantasmal Force need?
- For Phantasmal Force: the spell uses V, S, M components; on top of that, Material component: a bit of fleece.