[RPG] Would forcing armour on a wizard using an illusion spell and Illusory Reality ‘harm’ them

armordnd-5eillusionspellcastingwizard

A wizard wearing armour that they are not proficient in is unable to cast spells. Would it be possible to force a wizard into armour using a combination of Illusion and Illusory Reality? For example, by casting an illusion of armour over an enemy wizards body and then make it real for one minute using Illusory Reality.

The School of Illusion wizard's Illusory Reality feature (PHB, p. 118) says:

By 14th level, you have learned the secret of weaving shadow magic into your illusions to give them a semireality. When you cast an illusion spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose one inanimate, nonmagical object that is part of the illusion and make that object real. You can do this on your turn as a bonus action while the spell is ongoing. The object remains real for 1 minute. For example, you can create an illusion of a bridge over a chasm and then make it real long enough for your allies to cross.

The object can't deal damage or otherwise directly harm anyone.

If possible, this should prevent the wizard from then casting any spells. I understand that this may be up for DM discretion. However, my question is, as RAW is this possible? Or would this be classed as 'harming' the wizard from a RAW point of view?

Is harm purely defined as the dealing of any amount of damage? Or does it also fall into the realm of causing issues for opponents?

Best Answer

RAW this should be fine

Given that, as you say, the illusion of armour, then the armour being made real, do not 'harm' the enemy, then there's no reason why this would contradict the emboldened part of your quote: "The object can't deal damage or otherwise directly harm anyone".

The fact that the enemy wizard is now unable to cast spells is simply a side effect. Even if it is considered harm, it's indirect harm at worst, which still doesn't contradict the emboldened text.

Since this is your wizard's 14th level archetype feature, finding ways for it to be comparable to the other archetype's 14th level abilities doesn't make this an overpowered use of the ability either. Consider the other archetypes, such as a Conjuration wizard's "Durable Summons" (PHB, pg. 116):

Starting at 14th level, any creature that you summon or create with a conjuration spell has 30 temporary hit points.

Or an Evocation wizard's "Overchannel" (PHB, pg. 118):

Starting at 14th level, you can increase the power of your simpler spells. When you cast a wizard spell of 5th level or lower that deals damage, you can deal maximum damage with that spell.

As you can see, some of these are more directly useful in combat, so if you've thought of a way to make "Illusory Reality" keep up with them in combat, good for you! (I'd allow it if I was your DM!)

Note that ultimately your DM has the final say as to whether this would work, and if your DM just so happened to make his NPC wizard proficient with whatever armour you put on them (since a DM can adjust the stats of any creature, or you could justify it by claiming that the wizard is multiclassed into something with armour proficiencies), then this wouldn't work either (but at that point, they're doing so to deliberately undo your plan, in which case they're better off simply ruling that it doesn't work).

Related Topic