Skip to main content

Major Image

Illusion
Level: 3rd-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Duration: Up to 10 minutes
Components: V, S, M
Materials: A bit of fleece.

You create the image of an object, a creature, or some other visible phenomenon that is no larger than a 20-foot cube. The image appears at a spot that you can see within range and lasts for the duration. It seems completely real, including sounds, smells, and temperature appropriate to the thing depicted. You can't create sufficient heat or cold to cause damage, a sound loud enough to deal thunder damage or deafen a creature, or a smell that might sicken a creature (like a troglodyte's stench). As long as you are within range of the illusion, you can use your action to cause the image to move to any other spot within range. As the image changes location, you can alter its appearance so that its movements appear natural for the image. For example, if you create an image of a creature and move it, you can alter the image so that it appears to be walking. Similarly, you can cause the illusion to make different sounds at different times, even making it carry on a conversation, for example. Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it. A creature that uses its action to examine the image can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through the image, and its other sensory qualities become faint to the creature.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the spell lasts until dispelled, without requiring your concentration.

Concentration

Spell Details

School: Illusion
Level: 3
Ritual: No
Concentration: Yes
Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
A-Tier Versatile control spell with exceptional utility in and out of combat, enabling deception, area denial, and creative problem-solving with minimal resource investment.

Player Guide

Use Major Image to create illusory walls, pits, or creatures to control enemy movement and force disadvantageous positioning without dealing damage. Layer it with genuine hazards or allies to create confusion about what's real—enemies must use actions to investigate. Maintain concentration carefully as this spell demands it, and remember that creatures can repeat Investigation checks if they interact with the illusion or observe it from different angles.

DM Tips

Illusory terrain doesn't create real difficult terrain or block actual movement—enforce that creatures can walk through it unless they believe it's real. Set a clear Investigation DC (typically 15-16) and let players discover the truth through interaction, preventing cheap invulnerability while preserving the spell's utility.