Author Topic: "Eat at Joe's and Gimme His Money" - The Illusory Script Optimization Thread  (Read 3200 times)

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Endarire

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Illusory script doesn't seem very interesting.  I ignored it so many times when looking over spells.  Then some people explained this part:

When you cast illusory script, you can designate people who can safely read it.  All others are subject to a suggestion spell that lasts for 30 minutes.

By the way, the writing lasts for 1 day per level (minimum 5 days).  For a piddly 50G in lead-based ink, you can carry around a sign/banner that says, "You will drop your weapons and your pants," or "You will hug yourself for the next 30 minutes," or "We're the performers you came to see.  Give us generous amounts of money and items as tips!"

What other uses have you for illusory script?
« Last Edit: October 14, 2010, 10:41:14 PM by Endarire »
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

BeholderSlayer

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Send daily letters to governing officials suggesting they turn over all taxes collected. Consider it the opposite of all those annoying credit card offers.
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BeholderSlayer

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Hi Welcome
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bananaphone

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This came from an old Wotc thread I mentioned recently in the "A-List Wizard spells" thread here.
Although they didnt only use Illusory Script, it was definitely a key spell for what they were doing.

"Illusory Script (Sor\Wiz 3) is by far my favorite, because it is the least remembered spell in the game, and yet acts as a delayed suggestion effect.
In one game our party (5th level) had to take this huge goblin fortress out. The 6th level sorc was all for mass fireballing the place, but I asked him to let me try something first. We paraded a caravan (actually a major image of a caravan) right past the fortress, and actually had me (invisible) using mage hand to move a book with two illusory scripts  on it. The goblin raiding party of 10 comes out, and with judicious use of charm person (we'd used our second level slots for it too) we had enough time for 4 scrolls and all our 3rd-level slots. Well, the suggestion  was to go back to the stronghold and forget about what happened.
To one goblin, though, we added that he should look at p.34 in the book. That suggestion was to show the chief the book...p.36. That suggestion was to call the gate craftsmen outside his stronghold, invite them in, and fix the gate (which now had silent image  cast on it to look broken...it sucked concentrating from five in the morning to 9 o'clock, though).
Well, a change self on the rogue to look like a goblin, and we were just two hours of sneak attacks away from a whole fortress...no hit point loss, no flashy spells, and 100 gp spent on the illusory scripts."

The_Mad_Linguist

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It can even be used as stealth.
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Endarire

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Updated the main post with the spell in action.
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

Nunkuruji

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For shame that my current PCs are well warded against mind-affecting at this point, but next campaign... oh yes...  :lol

Epimetheus

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How do you make sure that the people will be "attempting to read" the banner?

It'd work even better if you can do that somehow.

Ramaloke

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You know what strikes me is that, for the first time ever, Illiteracy would be a good thing.

As the party moves forward, holding its Illusory Script banner ahead of them, which reads, "Everything is fine", a group of orcish barbarians march across the field, singing "We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control."
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PhaedrusXY

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How do you make sure that the people will be "attempting to read" the banner?

It'd work even better if you can do that somehow.
And how many literate people see a strange sign and don't try to read it? Especially if you yell "Don't look!" when you whip it out? I think the only semi-applicable rules would be the ones for averting your gaze to avoid a gaze attack. Otherwise, if you're looking at it, you're trying to read it. It's almost impossible to do otherwise.
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InnaBinder

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You know what strikes me is that, for the first time ever, Illiteracy would be a good thing.

As the party moves forward, holding its Illusory Script banner ahead of them, which reads, "Everything is fine", a group of orcish barbarians savage bards, totemists, and barbarians march across the field, singing "We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control."
FTFY. :p
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bananaphone

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How do you make sure that the people will be "attempting to read" the banner?

It'd work even better if you can do that somehow.
And how many literate people see a strange sign and don't try to read it? Especially if you yell "Don't look!" when you whip it out? I think the only semi-applicable rules would be the ones for averting your gaze to avoid a gaze attack. Otherwise, if you're looking at it, you're trying to read it. It's almost impossible to do otherwise.
Yep, or you could have a well-endowed female with the Illusory Script written on her low-cut top.  Just try and avert your gaze then!
"What are you looking at?  Eyes up here, please!"

BeholderSlayer

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Buy a controlling share in the local city newspaper. Mass produce Illusory Scripts. Conquer the country.

Have the message be "buy another newspaper and read it." Not long later, everybody in the country is doing nothing but reading your newspaper, and buying more of them.
Hi Welcome
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Allow me to welcome you both with my literal words and with an active display of how much you fit in by being tone deaf, dumb, and uncritical of your babbling myself.[/spoiler]

Gods_Trick

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  I had a session where the climax of the traps was a card that read, I prepared Explosive (rune here) Runes this morning! This in a natural gas filled chamber. And my GM assumed I reached and read the card without waiting for my reply as soon as he described it.

  I asked for at least and Int or Reflex roll since this was the 3rd time the Wiz had prepped a Need-Read based trap, to stop as soon as I realised it was words.

  He ruled I couldn't, and had made the Rune firebased to ignite the gas. Sadly my character was immune to fire that day  :D

  But the characters should have a chance to break of reading if they suspect shennanigans, which they may depending on how much the spell is used.

  Course this just sets up for, 'Trust Big Wizard.', 'Big Wizard is your friend.''Never doubt.' on t-shirts everywhere.