Re: (TFT) Illusory Light?

[Thorn <edt@dopey.ne.mediaone.net>]

dwtulloh@zianet.com wrote:
> 
> I have to disagree.  The illusion appears to be real only
> to those who fail to disbelieve the illusion.  It isnt real
> and therefore cannot have real 'side-effects.'  Illusory
> fire cannot set real objects ablaze.  Fighters in combat
> with illusory creatures suffer no real damage but THINK
> they have.  Illusory light cannot allow someone to read a
> novel in the dark (unless they knew what was on the pages
> already) but they could THINK they are reading it and GMs
> would be free to make up whatever they wanted regarding
> its contents.

While I love the psychobabble this would cause around the gaming table,
I have to bow before the illusory bonfire arguement, noting in passing
that the Illusion _IS_ seen, even before it can be disbelieved.  So
thousands of massed troops _will_ see your flying purple people eater,
even if some little drummer boy then disbelieves.  And the fact that
thousands of minds would have to be directly affected, by a relatively
low-power spell, leads me toward the camp of Illusions not directly
affecting minds, _until_ coming in contact with the bodies attached to
those minds.  So thousands might see the bonfire, because the Illusion
produces the appearance of whatever it is, including light, heat, etc. 
But each of them would have to touch the fire to be hurt by it, and that
'hurt' would be psychosomatic at best.

This limits the power of the spell to affect minds to what seems to me a
reasonable level; usually one at a time.

The fact that an Illusion can be disbelieved before it does damage might
at first seem to argue against this, to state that the mind is affected
before damage is done.  But the rules state someplace that Disbelieve is
'a magic spell so simple anyone can do it'.  Disbelief is a reaching out
at a target Illusion, not a fighting off of an invading effect.

So I think the Illusion is 'really there', and could be videotaped or
whatever, that its light (if it emits light) would affect things, cast
shadows, lure phototropic plants, etc.  The same for Images.
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