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The original was posted on /r/pathfinder2e by /u/Kraile on 2023-10-06 14:10:15.

One of our party members is an illusion wizard, and one of the things that comes up as a frequent discussion in our games is “how the heck do they work anyway?” I’ve read up on a few threads for guidance but not sure how they work in these specific examples.

Scenario 1 - The Door

Player is standing on one side of an open doorway, and Monster 1 and Monster 2 (M1, M2) are on the other side. Player casts Illusory Object I and creates an illusory wall to block the doorway. Now, none of the three participants can see each other. M1 goes up to the door and spends an action to disbelieve the illusion. M1 succeeds and shoots a crossbow at the player. Because the illusion does not completely dissipate upon disbelief, Player benefits from concealment from this attack. M2 then takes its turn. It has seen its companion shoot through the wall at Player, and has seen the missile penetrate the wall. Perhaps M1 has even shouted “It’s an illusion!”. Can M2 simply Stride through the wall without attempting to disbelieve, or must it spend action(s) to disbelieve first?

Scenario 2 - The Cage

Player is fighting a troll. Player places the troll in an illusory cage with Illusory Object II, but is still within 10ft range of the troll. If the troll tries to attack the Player, does the cage grant cover? If the troll tries to bend the bars, does the illusion change or stay rigid? Does trying to bend the bars count as an action for attempting to disbelieve (perhaps using Athletics instead of Perception)?

If the spell was Illusory Object I, would the troll be able to try and squeeze through the bars (since it is stupid) and then harmlessly pass through without a disbelief check?

Scenario 3 - Ramparts

The Party is defending a siege and the ramparts have been destroyed. Player uses Illusory Object II to create new ramparts, and the party hides behind this and takes shots at enemies with ranged weapons. The Enemies fire ranged weapons back. Does the Illusory Wall grant Cover until it is disbelieved? Can the Action spent to interact with the illusion be the same one as the Strike used to target the Party behind the wall? If several bolts hit the wall and pass through, does that not make it obvious that the ramparts are not real (circumstance bonus to anyone that sees it, maybe)?

I’m sure there are even more ingenious problems that our illusions will bring up as the party grows stronger, but I’m interested to see how the community would rule in these examples.