Campaign Design - Spells: Distant Image

Distant Image (from School of Illusion)
Illusion (Shadow)

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Unlimited
Target, Effect, or Area: One shadow duplicate

Duration: 1 round per caster level (D)

Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)
Spell Resistance: No

You tap energy from the Shadow Realm to create a quasi-real, illusory version of yourself. The distant image looks, sounds, and smells like you but is intangible. The distant image mimics your actions (including speech) unless you direct it to act differently (which is a move action).

You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were standing where it is, and during your turn you can switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again, as a free action. While you are using its senses, your body is considered blinded and deafened.

If you desire, any spell you cast whose range is touch or greater can originate from the distant image instead of from you. The distant image can’t cast any spells on itself except for illusion spells. The spells affect other targets normally, despite originating from the distant image.

Objects are affected by the distant image as if they had succeeded on their Will save.

The range of this spell is unlimited, however the caster must have some clear idea of the location and layout of the area in which the distant image is to appear. Exactly where the distant image appears varies, depending upon the caster's familiarity with the area. To determine where the distant image appears, roll d% and consult the table below:

Familiarity: “Very familiar” is a place where you have been very often and where you feel at home. “Studied carefully” is a place you know well, either because you can currently see it, you’ve been there often, or you have used other means (such as scrying) to study the place for at least one hour. “Seen casually” is a place that you have seen more than once but with which you are not very familiar. “Viewed once” is a place that you have seen once, possibly using magic.

“False destination” is a place that does not truly exist or if you are sending an image to to an otherwise familiar location that no longer exists as such or has been so completely altered as to no longer be familiar to you. When sending an image to a false destination, roll 1d20+80 to obtain results on the table, rather than rolling d%, since there is no real destination for you to send the distant image to or even be off target from.

• On Target: The duplicate appears exactly where the caster intended.


• Off Target: The shadow duplicate appears a random distance away from the intended area in a random direction.


• Similar Area: The duplicate appears in the closest visually or thematically similar location.


• Mishap: The spell has failed.

Familiarity	On Target	Off Target	Similar Area	Mishap
Very familiar	01-97	98-99	100	—
Studied carefully	01-94	95-97	98-99	100
Seen casually	01-88	89-94	95-98	99-100
Viewed once	01-76	77-88	89-96	97-100
False destination (1d20+80)	—	—	81-92	93-100

Material component: A small replica of the caster (a doll) and a gold ring worth at least 10 shillings.

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