Life is not always what it seems, and this is true for D&D. Illusion spells make wishes come true, even if not fully. They can be used to misdirect your enemies, kill them, or perform grandeur scenes.

Here we have gathered the top ten illusion spells that we think are great.

10. Minor Illusion

Cantrips are D&D 5e’s one if not the most strongest mechanical changes. They are unlimited in casting, so you’ll never ever run out of them. So it is a logical thing to put minor illusion on this list, even if at the bottom.

More useful than it might misdirect you with the ‘minor’, this cantrip can be used to create short-term sounds effects or objects smaller than a 5-foot cube. While it doesn’t allow you to add any sensory effects to the created images, when used creatively it can gain you advantage in battle or when role-playing scenes.

You could create fake entrance passes to a party, fool your enemy into thinking someone else’s with you through sound, or create a fake chair and prank your party member while you’re about to have dinner.

Minor Illusion details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:minor-illusion

9. Disguise Self

A great spell that’d lead you to victory in espionage.

Disguise self is one of the most useful 1st level spells that never lose their value. With this spell you can make yourself look like an entirely different person, including clothes, weight, height and more, in an instant. It lasts for a whopping one hour.

Why is Disguise Self great? Imagine the opportunities! You could lose yourself in a crowd easily, befriend your enemy, be your enemy, infiltrate a base.. Just don’t let them hug you or touch your imagined belongings.

Disguise Self details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:disguise-self

8. Color Spray

Color Spray is one of the most useful 1st level spells in a low level caster’s repertoire during battle. An area spell, which makes it worth casting, and renders quite the number of creatures useless.

Why is Color Spray great? First of all, it doesn’t have a save. So no matter what, as long as the creatures are within the 6d10 Hit Point perimeter, they’re going to get affected. The spell makes affected beings blind until your next turn, giving your party the upper hand in battle or allow them to escape from their attackers if need be.

Color Spray details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:color-spray

7. Blur

Blur is one of the strongest 2nd level spells that can be put on a frontliner or even yourself. As it says in the name the creature’s form is blurred, wavering.

Why? For one minute, anything that tries to attack the affected target has disadvantage on their rolls. This is definitely going to raise the odds of winning!

Blur details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:blur 

6.Invisibility 

I am certain that most of us are familiar with what invisibility does. It allows the targeted creature to vanish from sight, unless the enemies are prepared against it.

Why is Invisibility great? In D&D 5e it can last up to 1 hour which is a considerably vast amount of time to be obscured from sight. As long as you’re not making any noise, it gives you the opportunity to do whatever you want to do, except attacking or casting spells. Anything you are carrying with you is also invisible, so you can pick up items and make them vanish retroactively.

Invisibility details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:invisibility

5. Programmed Illusion

This spell is one of my favorites when it comes to illusion spells. It’s one of those spells that work your imagination the most.

Why is it great? As it states in the name, with programmed illusion you can set up a scene in a relatively big area that is set to be activated on a certain command you desire. This could be someone walking into the room, a key word, as specific or as vague as you wish. It just needs to be visual or audible.

The illusion can be almost anything. You can do a performance on stage with a scene playing in the background, or leave this in front of your home to warn any lockpickers to think twice before attempting. Possibilities are near endless, limited by your imagination. The scene can only be triggered every ten minutes, but stays where it is until dispelled without need for concentration, basically permanent!

Programmed Illusion details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:programmed-illusion

4.Major Image

I put this spell higher on the list than the programmed illusion one, because major image grants you at-the-moment adjustability and customization.

Why is Major Image great? It gives you a 20foot cube area to work with, which is huge! You can create the illusion of a gargantuan beast, an object, whatever you want. On top of that, the illusion is capable of creating sound and moving realistically. It can even speak and hold conversations, though of course it doesn’t have a mind of its own.

Major Image details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:major-image

3. Hypnotic Pattern

Hypnotic Pattern is a 3rd level spell that once again works to render your opponents useless. A pattern waving through the air, confusing minds and causing stupor…

Why is Hypnotic Pattern great? 3rd level spells are not that many, but if you can get this it might be a life saver. The spell doesn’t have a limit on how many creatures can be affected by it. Anyone who sees it is going to have to roll a will save or be charmed for the duration. And on top of charm, they are also considered incapaticated with no movement speed.

A grand, hypnotic escape, or a chance to buy you some time.

Hypnotic Pattern details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:hypnotic-pattern

2. Greater Invisibility

The better counterpart to its 2nd level self, greater invisibility lasts much shorter but is much more effective.

Why is it great? Not only does it obscure you from sight, but the spell also doesn’t get dispelled no matter what you do, for the duration. Attacking, spell casting, anything that might remove your usual invisibility can be performed with this one without losing your camouflage.

Greater Invisibility details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:greater-invisibility

1. Simulacrum

We have mostly focused on low level illusion spells for their reliability and utilities. Simulacrum though, is not an easy to perform spell.

First of all, it’s incredibly expensive with thousands of gold worth of spell components required to cast it. And it takes 12 hours to cast it, so nothing instantaneous.

Then why is it on top of our list? Why is it great?

Simulacrum is a game-breaking level spell. It allows you to create a construct duplicate of an existing creature that needs to be in range all 12 hours while casting. It has a corporeal form, and the only difference is that it has half the hit points and has the construct type.

The simulacrum acts, speaks and moves on your command, obeys you and is friendly to those you pick, but it doesn’t always need to be ordered around to know what it needs to do. It cannot level up, but can cast spells the original creature has, even if it cannot regain the slots.

This is a god-level spell that is absurdly powerful. There are many ways to break the campaign or the game with it. For example one of them is copying yourself, as a 20 level wizard, with an unexpended wish spell in their spell book. …Now your simulacrum has all your spells, and your wish spell. It can use the wish to cast simulacrum on you. Now there are two of you. The second simulacrum also has a wish spell… you get where I am going with this?

Unlimited. Copies. Of. Yourself.

Certainly one that must be cast at least one time, for the experience.

Simulacrum details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:simulacrum

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