The magic of this spell is similar to that of the vacancy spell, only more powerful and elaborate. The spell enables the caster to make
an area appear to be something other than it is--a setting he has personally
seen. The spell remains as long as the caster maintains a minimal concentration
upon it. Even after this, the spell persists for a total of one hour plus one
additional turn for each experience level of the caster. (Note: Minimal
concentration can be maintained during normal conversation but not while spellcasting,
in melee, or if harmed by an attack.) If the caster actually uses a small bit
of anything connected with the place to create this spell, it takes on a quasi
reality.
In its basic form, forceful contact is necessary to have any hope of
discovering the magic, short of a detection device or spell. In its more complex form,
where a material component is used, detection is possible only by some magical
means, whether device, item, or spell. Either form of mirage arcana is subject
to the dispel magic spell.
As with all powerful illusions, the mind of the believer urges appropriate
effects upon the viewer's body. Under the influence of the spell, the viewer could
possibly walk across a bed of hot coals thinking it was a shallow stream of
water that was cooling his feet (and thus suffer no damage), dine upon imaginary
food and actually be satisfied, or rest comfortably upon a bed of sharp stones,
thinking it a featherbed. Gravity is not affected by the spell, however, so an
envisioned bridge spanning a deep chasm does not support the believer. Those
who witness the event see it as a sudden disappearance of the individual. They
do not connect it with an illusion unless they are otherwise aware of some magic
at work.
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